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Article Date: Fri, March 13, 2009
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The Drive
The interior of any car is as much a part of the driving experience as
the tires. And inside, Mazda designers crafted a flowing,
driver-centric cockpit. In addition to the barrel gauges, there's a
curved indent on the top of the dash that houses the trip computer and
a small navigation screen. The soft-touch plastic feels high grade and
a telescoping/tilting steering wheel make getting comfortable a cinch.
We first sampled a base model equipped with a five-speed manual
gearbox. It's a refined piece with an eager engine song, silky,
easy-effort clutch, and a delightfully accurate shifter. The chassis
absorbed bumps with a relaxed and muted firmness and the brakes were
easy to modulate. The little Mazda attacked curves with surprising
tenacity, hanging on long past the point where we expected it to drift.
The best part was that the car felt as nimble and agile as its
2900-pound curb weight suggests it should. It's a fun car.
The bigger engine version is much the same except it gets everywhere
quicker. For a rather large four banger, the 2.5-liter is remarkably
smooth and it sounds good too. We also liked the steering, which
provides plenty of feedback without resorting to a heavy effort.
Our notes were peppered with the word "refinement" because the cabin is
so quiet and all the controls have such a natural feel. The suspension
is a big contributor since it minimizes large body movements and has a
similar feel to many BMWs. The tires always behave liked they're
securely on the road. You can push this car without ever feeling like
you're taking a big risk.
The Bottom Line
For the money, the Mazda 3 offers everything its competition does, but
is the most entertaining to drive and now has excellent refinement to
match the driving dynamics. In fact, it feels like a mini BMW, and it
is the sports car of subcompacts. To find out more information on the 2010 Mazda 3 or any other car in our lineup, or to schedule a test drive, please fill out the form below. |
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