2010 Mazda3 Sport: Practical and fun to drive
Every year, when possible, The Car Guide puts the Car of the Year through its paces in a long-term test drive. Since the Mazda3 is the reigning COTY, we got our hands on a Mazda3 Sport GT last fall and racked up the kilometres at a staggering rate. Indeed, by mid-spring we had covered almost 10,000 km.
Why, you ask? Everyone wanted to drive the Mazda3. Our fleet of long-term test models wasn’t half-bad, but people were clamouring for this compact that offered not only an innovative shape, but truly attractive performances from its 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine. Our test car came equipped with a five-speed manumatic transmission that turned out to be very pleasant and efficient. And this Mazda3 Sport is pretty luxurious too with its leather seats and its very well chosen standard equipment.
But before talking about the ride and the long-term reliability, almost everyone who tried it very much liked this car’s shape. They liked the taillights that wrap around on the side panels and are raised like the sculpted side panels. As for the infamous Mazda smile now used on the majority of the models, only one of those who tried it had something negative to say. However, everyone agrees on the elegant air intakes on both sides of the front end, which also houses the fog lights.
What’s more, the paint and body finish quality was surprising to many considering this car’s pretty competitive price of about $26,000.
Another of this car’s positives is the finish and materials quality in the passenger compartment along with the design of the dashboard. Since it was a new model in 2009, you might expect the little manufacturing touches to be problematic, but there’s none of that. One improvement on the previous model is the presentation of the dashboard, which looks like it belongs in a much higher priced car. Also of note are the comfort of the front seats and the truly irreproachable driving position. The rear seats are not terribly spacious, but it’s decent – even for someone that’s over 6 feet tall, provided the people in the front seats cooperate a little. As for the rest, the head and elbow room are good.
The dashboard is simple and well-balanced, most of the controls are in the right place and are very intuitive. What’s more, Mazda’s stylists managed to reduce the number of buttons to a strict minimum, which is an excellent thing. There are also multiple controls located along the spokes of the steering wheel. You can change the radio station and adjust the volume, engage the cruise control, and the list goes on. By the way, note that the controls used to regulate the heated seats are very well located, just in front of the stick shift. Moreover, they help regulate the temperature of the seats progressively.
Our test vehicle didn’t come with a GPS navigation system or a backup camera, but no one complained considering that the display screen is small and hard to read on the models that have them. As has become the norm almost everywhere, three buttons are used to control the air conditioning and heating. They’re easy to access and easy to use. To complete this tour of the passenger compartment, note that the circular air vents located at each end are not only easy to adjust, but they project a very generous air flow on the occupants in front.
Smart key, well-designed car
Our test model came equipped with a smart key that allows you to unlock the door by simply pressing the contact button located in the handle. We came to like this mechanism over the course of a few weeks, but beware of absent-minded people who change cars with someone else and keep the key in their pockets. It happened at least twice during our test period and a certain person had to travel tens of kilometres to bring the key to a co-worker caught in the middle of nowhere after turning off the engine only to discover that he no longer had the key. On top of that, to lock the doors without using the key, this system also allows you to start the engine by pressing a button located to the right of the steering wheel.
But all that isn’t why the Mazda3 Sport was so popular with our test drivers. Sure, the simple fun of driving it, along with its overall balance on the road were the main reasons. The engine also features attractive accelerations and pick-up. And of course, it’s no 263 horsepower Mazdaspeed3, but its 167 horses were enough to go from 0-100 km/hr in less than nine seconds. But the most important feature of this car is its excellent balance both in tight turns and on the open road. Furthermore, the steering is precise and it’s fun to be able to take on turn after turn at the wheel. One of our team of test drivers’ misgivings was the 2.5-litre engine’s fuel consumption. Mazda engines consume slightly more than the average in most cases, so the first test drivers set out with some apprehension, only to return relieved to have used only 9.1 litres of fuel per 100 km, which is about average.
For the first 10,000 km, there were no incidents to mar this winter test drive. The test vehicle had Bridgestone Blizzak tires that did a good job in spite of the cold roads, snow, ice and mud. Moreover, they were relatively quiet for winter tires. In fact, the only annoyance that we encountered during the test drive was the fact that the small rear deflector just couldn’t be cleaned in an automatic car wash. You’ll say it’s a minor detail, but when a car’s completely clean except for this one part, it stands out. As for the rest, there are no complaints.
Our extended test drive will continue over the coming months until the end of autumn. This will give us the chance to do a complete assessment and see if the reliability and fun last over the whole period.
