The Mazda3 Sport is a premium five-door hatchback that costs a little more than its sedan equivalent.
Youre not alone in liking the look of this car as its already a very strong seller in Canada, where compact vehicles dominate. Buyers appreciate the high value, quality product when they see it.
Completely redesigned last year, the second-generation 2011 Mazda3 Sport comes in three trim levels, GX ($17,495), GS ($20,965) and GT ($25,425). The base GX is powered by a 148-horsepower 2.0-litre engine with a five-speed manual transmission, while the GS and GT trims both come with a 167-h.p., 2.5-litre four-cylinder and a six-speed manual gearbox. All trims have an optional five-speed automatic with manual-shift mode.
Wise old auto heads say that its better to buy a car in its second year of production, when the engineers have ironed out all the early manufacturing kinks. Theres certainly something to be said for that line of reasoning, although probably less so today.
That said, the 2011 Mazda3 Sport does come with a host of changes, but they are mostly packing changes. To start with, electronic stability and traction control systems are now standard on both the GX and GS trim levels. A 16-inch alloy wheel is now standard on the GX trim, a Luxury package (with leather) is now available on the GS trim and new standard equipment on the GT trim includes a moonroof, leather upholstery, an eight-way adjustable driver seat and heated front seats.
New available features for 2011 include rain-sensing wipers, auto on/off headlights, bi-xenon headlights with auto-levelling, an Adaptive Front lighting System and LED rear combination lights. Deleted features include side turn lamp markers on GX and GS trims, door mirror turn lamps on GT and a driver seat memory function.
A new blue warning light, which indicates low engine temperature, has been added to the instrument panel. While theres no need to idle any modern engine for a long period in order to warm it up after a cold start, it should be driven cautiously (no high revving) until the engine gets to its operating temperature (and the blue light goes out).
No matter the edition, price or potency, core attributes of a Mazda3 are its super-rigid body platform and its sport-minded engineering theme. Increased use of high-strength steel and a technique called weld-bonding in key body locations make the structure both lighter and stiffer, and when combined with new suspension modifications result in an even tighter and better handling Mazda3.
My test Mazda3 Sport GT came with the new GT-E Package ($2,140), which includes intelligent key with push-button ignition, the Adaptive Front Headlights System (AFS) with automatic headlamp levelling, a premium 10-speaker Bose audio sound system, satellite radio, a Multi-Information Display and a navigation system.
This, of course, does put its price up dangerously close to an entry level high-performance MazdaSpeed3, but a similarly equipped Speed3 is about $4,500 more.
The looks
Not sure about that big Cheshire Cat grin up front, but its impish appearance and wavy body lines give the Mazda3 a distinctive look thats very attractive. Its a little longer than the previous generation car (by 8 cm) and Mazda says that the big front air intake actually helps it slip through the air better, while taking in more air.
My test Mazda3 Sport GT came with the optional Adaptive Front Headlights System which means the headlights turn as the steering wheel is turned. While this may sound a bit gimmicky it was actually a good feature to have while driving on a dark country road, as you see earlier and further into the corner.
The inside
My test GT edition came with leather upholstery that offered good side support on the cushion and seatback to hold an occupant snugly in place. The drivers seat came with a good range of power adjustments, which included seat cushion height and a tilt feature.
Coupled with a tilt and telescopic steering wheel, which is standard on every Mazda3, finding that perfect driving position is an easy task and it can accommodate a taller than average person. Mazda has done a very job of setting up the cabin cockpit with the drivers job in mind.
Theres enough rear seat space for adults provided those up front are willing to share. The seatbacks fold 60/40 to create an almost flat load floor. The extra cargo room that the hatchback provides can come very handy when moving bulky items.
The optional navigation system screen is quite small and its mounted in a second tier instrument panel thats further away from the driver. While in the drivers line of sight its harder to read than most, which are usually mounted closer in the centre stack.
The navigation screen also doubles as a Multi-Information Display, which was controlled by a grouping of small buttons on the right side of the steering wheel.
Safety
The 2011 Mazda3 recently qualified as a Top Safety Pick based on the results of crash tests performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. And as already mentioned an electronic stability control system is now standard on the GX and GS trim levels.
The drive
The manual transmission has a stubby shift lever mount in centre console that was easy to navigate through its six gears and the clutch had a nice light-action feel. While not quite the crisp, direct feel of a rear-drive sports car, like the Mazda MX-5, its very close. The top end gear ratios were not as long as I expected, as Mazda tends to lean more towards performance than fuel economy.
The 2.5-litre engine pulls well at low engine speeds and its power output is deliciously progressive. Its hard to find fault with an engine thats such a smooth, torque-rich and willing performer, yet, its overall power output is little disappointing, considering its large (four-cylinder) displacement.
The Mazda3 Sport is a good handling vehicle that feels solid and composed both at high highway speeds or on twisty mountain roads, although road noise on some surfaces can be an issue. The steering is sharp and accurate, and it gives the driver a connected feel with the road.
The score
A reasonably priced premium compact hatchback, the Mazda3 Sport is a great handling car with distinctive looks, a driver-focused interior and the soul of a sports car.
