2026 Mazda3 Sedan 2.5 S Preferred
MSRP $28,525 including destination and delivery, against MSRP $26,775 for the 2.5 S Select Sport one rung below. What that step buys is comfort equipment — heated front seats and a power driver’s seat. The 186-hp SKYACTIV®-G 2.5 and the front-wheel drive are the same on both, and all-wheel drive is still a rung further up.
What the Preferred Adds Over the 2.5 S Select Sport
Both trims run the same 186-hp SKYACTIV®-G 2.5 and the same front-wheel drive, so the move from MSRP $26,775 to MSRP $28,525 is comfort equipment and nothing else. Two items, both standard on this trim.
Heated Front Seats
Heated front seats arrive on the 2.5 S Preferred. On the Gulf Coast that is a handful of mornings a year rather than a season — worth knowing before you decide it is what the step is for.
A Power Driver’s Seat
A power-adjustable driver’s seat in place of the manual adjustment below. If two people share the car and neither wants to re-find their position, this is the item the step is really for.
Where This Trim Sits
Five trims, two engines and two drivetrains. The two rungs below are the only ones a 2.5 S Preferred shopper is usually still weighing, so they are the only ones compared here — the full ladder, the colour palette and the rest of the specifications are on the Mazda3 Sedan model page.
2.5 S
2.5 S Select Sport
2.5 S Preferred
Choose the 2.5 S Preferred If…
Heated front seats and a power driver’s seat are worth the step from MSRP $26,775 to MSRP $28,525 to you, and front-wheel drive is what you were shopping for anyway — the two trims above this one change the drivetrain, not the comfort list.
Choose a Trim Below It If…
Neither seat item would get used. Nothing else changes as you come down the ladder: same 186-hp engine, same front-wheel drive, same eight-speaker audio, same 30 mpg combined, same 13.2 cu ft trunk.
Other Mazda3 Sedan Trims in Detail
MSRP includes destination and delivery. Excludes tax, title, license, a $895 dealer documentary service fee and a $16.50 tag fee.
What the Step Up Does Not Change
Worth stating plainly, because it is half of the decision: the items below are the same on this trim, on the two beneath it and on the two above it. The step you are looking at changes none of them.
Eight Speakers, Standard
- Mazda Harmonic Acoustics eight-speaker audio from the 2.5 S up
- Standard lineup-wide this model year, not a trim upgrade
- A Bose upgrade available on the 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus
Five Seats, 13.2 Cu Ft
- Five passengers, four doors
- 13.2 cu ft of trunk space
- The hatchback body carries a materially larger 20.1 cu ft behind its rear seat
AWD on Two of Five Trims
- i-ACTIV AWD® standard on the 2.5 S Carbon Edition and the 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus
- Every other trim is front-wheel drive
- Unlike the CX-family Mazdas, all-wheel drive here is a trim choice rather than standard equipment
- 3-yr/36,000-mile basic and 5-yr/60,000-mile powertrain warranty
The 2.5 S Preferred at Dean McCrary Mazda
The 2.5 S Preferred sits in the middle of the five-trim Mazda3 Sedan ladder at MSRP $28,525, including destination and delivery. The trim directly beneath it, the 2.5 S Select Sport, is MSRP $26,775, and both run the same 186-hp SKYACTIV®-G 2.5 with front-wheel drive — so that $1,750 difference in MSRP is comfort equipment. Dean McCrary Mazda stocks the Mazda3 Sedan lineup on the I-65 Service Road in Mobile.
Is the Step Up Worth It?
It comes down to two items, because they are the two this trim adds: heated front seats and a power driver’s seat. Nothing mechanical changes — the same 186-hp engine, the same front-wheel drive, the same 30 mpg combined and the same 13.2 cu ft trunk. The bigger decision on this ladder is one rung further up: the 2.5 S Carbon Edition is where i-ACTIV AWD® becomes standard, and the 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus above it is where the 250-hp turbocharged engine arrives. If all-wheel drive is on your list, the comfort step here is not the one to spend on.
Trim mix on the ground changes week to week. Ask our team which 2.5 S Preferred cars are in stock and which are in transit, or start with the 2.5 S Preferred inventory and the rest of the Mazda3 Sedan lineup.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the Mazda3 Sedan 2.5 S Preferred?⌄
MSRP $28,525, including destination and delivery. The trim directly below it, the 2.5 S Select Sport, is MSRP $26,775, so the step up is $1,750 on the same MSRP basis. MSRP excludes tax, title, license, the dealer documentary service fee and the tag fee.
What does the 2.5 S Preferred add over the 2.5 S Select Sport?⌄
Two things: heated front seats and a power driver’s seat. The engine, the front-wheel drive and the eight-speaker audio do not change.
Is the 2.5 S Preferred quicker than the trims below it?⌄
No. It uses the same 186-hp SKYACTIV®-G 2.5 on regular fuel that the trims beneath it use. The only performance step on this ladder is the 250-hp turbocharged engine at the top of it.
Is all-wheel drive available on the 2.5 S Preferred?⌄
No. The 2.5 S Preferred is front-wheel drive. i-ACTIV AWD® is standard on the 2.5 S Carbon Edition and the 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus only, and it is not an option on this trim.
Does the 2.5 S Preferred carry more than the other trims?⌄
No. The trunk is 13.2 cu ft and there are five seats on every Mazda3 Sedan trim. Fuel economy is the same 30 mpg combined, 27 city and 36 highway, as on the other front-wheel-drive trims, for the same reason: one engine, one drivetrain.
Where does the 2.5 S Preferred sit in the Mazda3 Sedan lineup?⌄
Third of five trims. The ladder runs MSRP $25,885 on the 2.5 S, MSRP $26,775 on the 2.5 S Select Sport, MSRP $28,525 here, MSRP $30,850 on the 2.5 S Carbon Edition and MSRP $38,175 on the 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus. This is the last front-wheel-drive rung: i-ACTIV AWD® is standard from the 2.5 S Carbon Edition up.
Where can I see a 2.5 S Preferred near Mobile, AL?⌄
Dean McCrary Mazda is at 1739 E I-65 Service Rd S in Mobile, on the I-65 Service Road. Ask our team which 2.5 S Preferred cars are on the ground and which are in transit — trim mix moves week to week, and the equipment above is set by trim rather than by an option package.
