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Triple threat turn-on
Performance, handling and comfort put Mazda3 on top
By Richard Russell
Thursday, December 18, 2003
Mazda is firing on all cylinders these days. Its Mazda6 model has copped over 50 awards internationally and spiced up the mid-size class.
And, just as sales of the successful Protegé start the inevitable slide, Mazda springs a dramatic replacement on us with the new Mazda3. Its engine, transmission, interior and sheet metal all come from the fertile minds at Mazda, but the basic structure - onto which the aforementioned elements are grafted - comes from Ford of Europe.
When Ford decided to have its Cologne, Germany, team develop a new global small car platform, the result was bound to be good. At the same time it charged Mazda with developing a variety of new 4-cylinder engines for the project.
The first example of this joint effort comes in the Mazda3. Next is Volvo's S40 replacement, followed by a new Euromarket Ford Focus. Each vehicle has its own unique look and feel, but each participant brought its expertise to the table. Mazda provided more than 100 of its engineers to work on drivetrain development and quality control, while Volvo sent a contingent armed with safety expertise.
The Mazda3 is available either as a 4-door sedan or 5-door hatchback. The sheet metal, interior and just about every piece you can see are unique to the Mazda3 - they won't be shared with its platform siblings from Ford and Volvo.
We sampled a 5-door Sport GT and conclude the Mazda3 is the new king of the compact car hill, especially in Sport GT form. Its combination of style, space, performance and practicality is unmatched in this size class.
The exterior treatment echoes the front-end theme of the Mazda6. Inside the designers simply went to a whole new plane. The swooping roofline is both unique, attractive and allows monstrous interior space, especially for cargo and rear seat headroom. Through innovative use of changeable blue and red lighting and a very modern instrument panel, the 3 comes across as a much bigger and more expensive vehicle. One of the longest, widest and tallest cars in its class, the Mazda3 offers terrific space and comfort. There is enough room in the back seat to accommodate a six-footer behind another of similar size. The driver's seat adjusts for height and the steering wheel for reach and rake. The H or hip-point is 30 mm higher than the Protegé for easier entry/exit, better visibility and more seating comfort. All four doors open wide, giving easy access to a beautifully finished interior with comfortable, supportive seats in all positions. The latter are covered in a patterned cloth that manages to be stylish without offending any age group.
The instrument panel combines function and fashion. Legible, chrome-ringed gauges, plus a stylish centre stack with innovative sound controls and a thick 3-spoke steering wheel give the impression of a far more upscale conveyance. Then you discover it can be a wagon, too - the big rear hatch swallows bulky items with ease and hides them beneath a hinged cargo cover.
While we are on the subject of cargo, the massive glove box boasts eight litres of storage space and the centre console has a dual level storage system.
But where this car truly excels is on the road. The Mazda6 provides the rear suspension, re-tuned in this application. The new 3 is not only faster, but braking, steering and handling are all a significant step ahead of the current competition. Steering is razor sharp and transient response near that of the nimble Miata roadster. The chassis engineers did yeoman work in arriving at the ride/handling balance too.
The brakes are larger and thicker, with better pedal feel than those of the Protegé it replaces.
When it comes time to get down the road, this little hatchback does it all exceedingly well when equipped with the 160 horsepower, 2.3-litre engine and 5-speed manual gearbox. This beefy 4-cylinder unit, standard on the Sport, is also found in the larger, heavier Mazda6 where it has earned a reputation for power and refinement.
This is one of the new engines Mazda has developed for the Ford family and you'll be seeing a lot more of it in a variety if vehicles in the coming years.
Silky smooth and emitting a guttural growl when pressed, it excels with gobs of torque low in the rev band where you need it, yet it's willing to reach for the rev limiter thanks to variable valve timing. You can accelerate or pull up a hill without having to resort to a downshift. Should you decide to do so, however, you'll be rewarded by enough extra poke to put a smile on your face.
The base engine on the entry and mid-level sedan versions is a new 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder unit producing a passable 148 horsepower.
Both the 5-speed manual and the 4-speed automatic transmissions have been carried over from the Protegé, albeit with refinements and recalibration.
The Mazda3 brings a whole new level of flair and innovation to the biggest segment of the Canadian market. The competition is now back at the drawing board - burning the midnight oil.
Immediate competition:
Ford Focus,
Hyundai Elantra,
Pontiac Vibe,
Suzuki Aerio,
Toyota Matrix
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