• Home
  • About Evelyn Kanter
  • Evelyn Kanter’s Books & Apps
  • Evelyn Kanter In The News
  • Workshops
  • NYC Travel Guru

Evelyn Kanter ecoXplorer

green living, smart spending

  • Green Hotels
  • Green Cars
    • Best Cars under $20,000
    • Test Drives
    • Diesel Cars
    • Electric Cars
    • Hybrid Cars
    • Hydrogen Fuel Cell
    • Luxury Drives
  • Travel Deals
    • Free
    • Budget Travel
    • Discount Tickets
  • Xplore More
    • Safety and Health
    • How To
    • Five Best
    • Travel Pioneers
    • Motorcycles
    • Vintage Cars
  • Scam Alert
  • Where to Go Next
    • Historic Travel
    • Epic Adventures
    • National Parks
Home » Best 2011 Cars Under $20,000: 2011 Mazda3

Best 2011 Cars Under $20,000: 2011 Mazda3

1 Comment

2011 Mazda3 is a top safety pick for new cars under $20,000

Fuel efficient, fun to drive, starting price of just $15,800.  No wonder nearly half of all Mazda models sold in North America are the Mazda3, which has been racking up awards — the latest of which is as a “top safety pick” by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), for achieving  the highest crash safety rating in all four tests, front, side and rear impact, and the strength of the roof in a rollover.  The safety rating applies to both the sedan and hatchback models.

The 2011  Mazda3 sedan is equipped with a powerful and fuel efficient 2.0-liter, four-cylinder 148 horsepower engine  with 135 lb.-ft. of torque and an estimated EPA fuel economy rating of 25 city/33 highway for the manual transmission, and  24 city/33 highway for the automatic.  A larger 2.5-liter, four-cylinder 167HP engine  is available for the 2011 Mazda3 sedan, but standard on the five-door model. The hatchback, with a starting price of $20,04,  is rated at  20 MPG city and 28 MPG highway for the manual, and 22/29 for the automatic.   Topping the line is the MAZDASPEED3 — the real zoom zoom —  with a direct-injected, turbocharged 2.3-liter engine producing 267-hp and 280 lb.-ft. of torque.

All 2011 Mazda3 models are equipped with a collection of  class-leading  safety features as standard equipment, including full-length side curtain airbags, anti-lock brakes,  stability control, traction control, and a tire pressure monitoring system.  Unusual in this price range are the additional safety features of  “crushable” brake and accelerator pedal assembly, and a collapsible steering column.

  • Best 2011 cars under $20,000:  2011 Kia Optima mid-size sedan
  • Best 2011 cars under $20,000: 2011 VW Jetta sedan

All in all, the 2011 Mazda3 is a great little car, with great handling and fuel efficiency at an affordable price.  And good looking, too.

Thanks for visiting ecoXplorer. Stay up to date with the latest news about green travel, green cars, smart spending and frugal living by subscribing. It's free. RSS feed.
Welcome back to exoXplorer. Stay up to date with the latest news about green travel, green cars and smart spending by subscribing. It's free. RSS feed.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram
  • More
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Related

Filed Under: Budget Cars, Family Cars, Green Cars Tagged With: 2011 Models, Best cars under $20 000

What do you think? We value your comments and love hearing from you.Cancel reply

Most Popular Recent Posts

  • NYC Guide: Best Free & Cheap Things to Do In June, July & Beyond
    NYC Guide: Best Free & Cheap Things to Do In June, July & Beyond
  • Scam Alert: Mideast Peace Charities
    Scam Alert: Mideast Peace Charities
  • NYC Guide: Best Current Museum Exhibits
    NYC Guide: Best Current Museum Exhibits
  • Airline Dress Codes: Cracking Down on Inappropriate Dress
    Airline Dress Codes: Cracking Down on Inappropriate Dress
  • New Airline Routes for Travel Through Summer, Fall and Winter
    New Airline Routes for Travel Through Summer, Fall and Winter
  • 2025/26 Ikon Pass Buyer's Guide
    2025/26 Ikon Pass Buyer's Guide
  • 2 Reasons to Avoid Jimmy John's
    2 Reasons to Avoid Jimmy John's
  • Where Your Passport Can Lead You in 2023
    Where Your Passport Can Lead You in 2023
  • UK Now Requires New Travel Document for International Visitors
    UK Now Requires New Travel Document for International Visitors
  • Lufthansa In-Flight Mood Lighting
    Lufthansa In-Flight Mood Lighting

ecoXplorer is your guide to smart spending and eco-friendly living

ecoXplorer is published by Evelyn Kanter, an award-winning journalist with 20+ years of experience as a newspaper and magazine writer, radio & TV news producer & reporter and guidebook author – all focusing on travel, automotive, the environment and your rights as a consumer.

Evelyn Kanter is the Past President of the International Motor Press Assn. (IMPA), a past Board Member of a prestigious professional group for travel journalists, and a member of several other top international organizations of journalists.

Evelyn Kanter is Senior Editor of SeniorsSkiing, which focuses on the 50+ outdoor enthusiast.

Contact me at evelyn@ecoxplorer.com or evelyn@evelynkanter.com.

Search ecoXplorer by category

© 2010-2025 ecoXplorer by Evelyn Kanter. All articles and photos are protected by US (C) Copyright laws. Any unauthorized copying is strictly prohibited. Plus, it’s just not nice.

  • Home
  • About Evelyn Kanter
  • Evelyn Kanter’s Books & Apps
  • Evelyn Kanter In The News
  • Workshops
  • NYC Travel Guru

ecoXplorer.com is an independent information service which is compensated by advertisers and sponsors. This site includes some links to other websites which are compensated for by our sponsors when you click them.

 

Loading Comments...