Toyota Camry vs Mazda Mazda3

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — compare price, performance, fuel economy or electric range, safety and the details that shape long-term ownership.

Includes a historical vehicle

Current, upcoming and historical vehicles can be compared side by side. Historical records keep their verified specifications, while price labels show last-listed context rather than current new-car availability.

Toyota Camry Discontinued model
Toyota Camry in South Africa

Toyota Camry

2.5 Hybrid XSE CVT Hybrid e-CVT Discontinued model
ZAR 749,900 last listed
Discontinued model Verified historical specifications remain visible for owner and used-car comparisons.
⚡ 160 kW 🔧 221 Nm ⛽ 19.2 km/l
VS
Mazda Mazda3 in South Africa

Mazda Mazda3

2.0 Astina Edition Auto FWD Petrol 6-Speed Automatic Current
ZAR 629,700 ex-showroom
⚡ 121 kW 🔧 213 Nm ⛽ 15.9 km/l
+ Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

Toyota Camry vs Mazda Mazda3: the short answer

Camry and Mazda3 are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Recorded price context Camry: last listed from ZAR 659,900 · Mazda3: current from ZAR 498,300

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification Camry Mazda3
Maximum Power Camry160 kW @ 5700 rpm Mazda3121 kW @ 6000 rpm
Maximum Torque Camry221 Nm @ 3600 rpm Mazda3213 Nm @ 4000 rpm
Engine Size Camry2487 cc Mazda31998 cc
Combined Fuel Economy Camry19.2 km/l Mazda315.9 km/l
Ground Clearance Camry140 mm Mazda3140 mm

Strongest published figure in that row; no road-test winner is implied.

Independent editorial assessment

Hagalu editorial ratings

When a variant is selected, its rating out of five applies only to that exact derivative; a model-range review is not inherited. Editorial ratings are separate from the Specification Evidence Index out of 100 and are not customer ratings.

Toyota Camry

2.5 Hybrid XSE CVT

Hagalu editorial rating Not yet rated

No complete editorial rating is published for this exact variant. This is not a zero score.

How Hagalu rates cars

Mazda Mazda3

2.0 Astina Edition Auto FWD

Hagalu editorial rating Not yet rated

No complete editorial rating is published for this exact variant. This is not a zero score.

How Hagalu rates cars

Not yet rated means a complete review is not published; it does not mean the vehicle scored zero. Read the rating methodology.

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Specification evidence leader

Camry

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
  • Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
  • No obvious weak spots to flag.
Best suited to: Published Performance Published Efficiency Published Practicality

Mazda3

Strengths
  • Nothing stands out clearly here.
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Fewer listed safety features
  • Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to: General Use

Which One's Right for You?

Camry

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

Mazda3

  • Buyers who prefer this derivative's confirmed specification mix

Full Specs, Side by Side

Archived cars use verified historical spec records. Rows remain comparable; unavailable historical values are shown plainly rather than estimated.

Spec Camry Mazda3
Model Introduced Year 2019 2019
Generation Current generation Camry on TNGA platform Seventh-generation BP-series Mazda3 hatchback
Facelift History Latest generation with hybrid technology The seventh-generation South African hatchback launched in 2019 and the current range has since been consolidated to Dynamic and Astina editions.
Facelift Launched Since 2021 2019
Facelift Version Ending 2024 Current
Body Style Sedan Hatchback
Model Year 2021 2026
Production Status discontinued Active
Segment Sedan C-segment hatchback
Tare Mass Kg 1575 kg 1350 kg
Vehicle Type Sedan Hatchback
Spec Camry Mazda3
Length 4885 mm 4460 mm
Width 1840 mm 1795 mm
Height 1445 mm 1440 mm
Wheelbase 2825 mm 2725 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 140 mm 140 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) 125 mm -
Fuel Tank Capacity 60 l 51 l
Boot/Cargo Space 493 l 295 l
Kerb Weight 1575 kg 1350 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 2055 kg 1870 kg
Payload Capacity 480 kg 520 kg
Towing Capacity 1600 kg 1000 kg
Seating Capacity 5 seats 5 seats
Number of Rows 2 rows -
Doors 5 doors 5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius 5.8 m 5.3 m
Front Headroom 986 mm -
Rear Headroom 941 mm -
Front Legroom 1037 mm 1075 mm
Rear Legroom 899 mm 891 mm

In depth: how these cars differ

This Camry and Mazda3 comparison uses the exact derivatives selected above for South Africa. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.

Performance index: Camry 59 vs Mazda3 50.

Efficiency index: Camry 79 vs Mazda3 61.

Safety-equipment index: Camry 98 vs Mazda3 96.

Practicality index: Camry 61 vs Mazda3 50.

Ownership-cover index: Camry 43 vs Mazda3 not separately scored.

These figures are Hagalu catalogue-comparison indicators, not customer ratings, crash-test scores, resale guarantees or a substitute for a road test. Each page shows its weighted source coverage beside the result.

Specification Evidence Index

A transparent comparison of published catalogue fields. This is not a road-test score, owner rating or editorial review rating, and it appears only when every vehicle clears the same comparable-data threshold.

Evidence / 100
Evidence-index readout

Camry leads by 5 points

Camry and Mazda3 are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Evidence leader 69 /100
Lead 5 points
Data 91% source coverage
69
#1 Evidence leader

Camry

91% source coverage 2 strong categories
Best at Safety 98 Check Ownership 43
Performance 59
Efficiency 79
Safety 98
Practicality 61
Ownership 43
Leads by 5 points
64
#2

Mazda3

77% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 96 Check Performance 50
Performance 50
Efficiency 61
Safety 96
Practicality 50
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance Camry +9 Efficiency Camry +18 Safety Camry +2 Practicality Camry +11

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

Camry

Performance 59/100
Efficiency 79/100
Safety 98/100
Practicality 61/100
Ownership 43/100

Mazda3

Performance 50/100
Efficiency 61/100
Safety 96/100
Practicality 50/100

What the evidence means

Evidence index Toyota Camry leads the specification evidence index with 69 pts vs 64 pts for Mazda3

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, Camry leads. However, Mazda3 may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Camry vs Mazda3 questions

There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the models and available derivatives in South Africa on price, safety equipment, space, powertrain and ownership cover. The category indicators summarise published catalogue data; they are not a road test or customer rating.

Compare the published consumption or mileage rows for the exact derivatives using the same unit and test basis. A catalogue figure is useful for like-for-like comparison, but traffic, speed, load, weather and driving style can change actual fuel use.

Compare only equipment explicitly listed for each derivative, including airbags, stability control and driver-assistance systems. Confirm the exact trim with the manufacturer, and treat any independent crash-test result separately because equipment and ratings can differ by market.

A reliable five-year total cannot be calculated from catalogue data alone. Add the exact purchase and finance cost, fuel or electricity, insurance quotes, scheduled servicing, tyres and expected resale value. Check whether the selected derivative includes a service or maintenance plan.

Use the seating, boot or load-space, ISOFIX and safety rows as a first check. Then test the exact cars with your child seats, passengers and typical luggage, because published dimensions do not show every access or comfort difference.

Compare the published power, torque and 0–100 km/h rows when they are available for both exact derivatives. Vehicle weight, gearing and power delivery also matter, so catalogue outputs alone do not establish real-world overtaking or response.