2010 Mazda 3 Review

PROS  Composed ride, Fun to drive, Good fuel economy

CONS  Cramped rear seat, Too much engine and tire noise

The 3 is Mazda's compact entry. It competes with vehicles like the Chevrolet Cobalt, Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Nissan Sentra, and Toyota Corolla. Like most compact cars, the 3 comes with four-cylinder engines, front-wheel drive, and seats five on front buckets and a folding rear bench.

The 3 was first introduced as a replacement to the Protégé in 2004. For 2010 the 3 is restyled inside and out and gets a more powerful optional engine. Two body styles are offered: four-door sedan and four-door hatchback. Both ride the same 103.9-inch wheelbase chassis as last year, though they are fractionally taller and longer than before.

Two engines are offered. 3i models get a 148-horsepower 2.0-liter four cylinder. 3s models get a 167-horsepower 2.5-liter four that's up 11 horsepower from last year's 2.3-liter four. The 2.0 gets a five-speed manual transmission and the 2.5 gets a six-speed manual. Optional on both is a five-speed automatic.

Returning is the MazdaSpeed3. This high-performance model gets a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 263-horsepower. The MazdaSpeed3 comes only with a six-speed manual transmission and gets limited-slip differential, uprated brakes, and sport suspension.

Standard safety features on all models includes, antilock four-wheel disc brakes with brake assist, tire-pressure monitor, front-seat active head restraints, and dual-front, front-side, and curtain-side airbags. Stability control is standard on 3i Touring, 3s and MazdaSpeed3 models.

The "i" range includes SV, Sport, and Touring models. The Mazda 3i SV comes only as a four-door sedan and lists for $15,295. It includes tilt-telescope steering wheel with integrated radio controls, center console, power mirrors, power windows, AM/FM/CD/MP3 player with digital-media player connection, variable-intermittent wipers, rear defogger, floormats, theft-deterrent system, and 205/55HR16 tires. The 3i Sport lists for $16,205 and adds to the SV air conditioning and an interior air filter. The $17,875 3i Touring adds to the 3i Sport traction control, cruise control, power door locks, keyless entry, Bluetooth cell-phone link, and alloy wheels.

The "s" range includes Sport and Grand Touring models. The 3s Sport lists for $19,040 and adds to the 3i Touring leather-wrapped steering wheel with radio controls, mirror-mounted turn signals, illuminated visor mirrors, trip computer, outside-temperature indicator, fog lights, rear spoiler, 205/50VR17 tires, and on hatchbacks a cargo cover and rear wiper. The $21,500 3s Grand Touring adds to the 3s Sport leather upholstery, heated front seats, eight-way power driver seat, dual-zone automatic climate controls, and steering-linked HID headlights.

The MazdaSpeed 3 lists for $23,195. In addition to the turbocharged engine, sport suspension, limited-slip differential, and uprated brakes, the MazdaSpeed 3 adds to the 3s Sport dual-zone automatic climate control, cloth/leather upholstery, and 225/40YR18 tires.

Options include sunroof, navigation system, satellite radio, Bose AM/FM radio with in-dash six-disc CD/MP3 changer, keyless access and starting, and remote engine start. All Mazda 3s carry a $750 destination charge and are built in Japan.

Get Up and Go  The 2.0-liter four in the 3i models provides acceptable acceleration for around-town driving. On the open road and in passing situations the 2.0 four strains to keep up with fast-lane traffic.

The 3s, with its 2.5-liter four, is considerably more responsive. Where the 3i takes about ten seconds to get from 0 to 60 mph, the 3s can accomplish that task in about eight seconds. Acceleration is stronger in all situations and near the top of the class in most respects.

Both engines mate best to slick-shifting manual transmissions, but the automatic is no slouch either. It has five forward gears, which is one-ups many competitors. In addition, it shifts smoothly when accelerating and downshifts quickly when called upon in passing situations. 3s models get a separate shift gate for manual operation of the transmission.

Mazda says that both engines run fine on regular-grade gasoline. EPA fuel economy numbers for the 2.0-liter four are an impressive 25 mpg city and 33 mpg highway, which are on par for a compact car. The more-powerful 2.5-liter four is EPA rated at 21/29 with the manual. Those numbers just a bit below others in the class, though most have decidedly smaller and less-powerful engines.

Routine driving in the 3s manual is likely to yield about 23-25 mpg. If your commute includes a lot of mundane highway driving, you might be able to average as high as 28 mpg. Straight highway driving yields about 31 mpg.

On the Road  All Mazda 3 models sport Euro-flavored firm rides. While the emphasis is clearly on sport, the ride is comfortable and composed on all but the roughest roads--and that's saying a lot for a compact. The 3i models come with 16-inch wheels, which seem to offer the most forgiving ride. 3s models sport 17s, which don't have as much impact absorption, though the difference is slight.

Thanks to taught suspension tuning, accurate and alert steering, and responsive brakes, the Mazda 3 can claim best-in-class handling and maneuverability. Body lean is noticeable in the 3i models, less so in the 3s. Either way, it's more than manageable. The tires have decent grip and the 3 is fun to toss into quick corners or push around expressway on ramps.

One downside to the sporty ride of the 3 is a slightly noisier cabin at speed. Wind rush is well suppressed, but tire rumble and engine noise are higher than normal for the class. Hatchback models suffer further because of the open cargo area at the rear.

Behind the Wheel  Mazda designers managed to give the freshened 3 an interior that's both sporty and functional. In addition, it has a big-car feel with large gauges, buttons, and knobs. Materials are appropriate for the class and nicely textured and padded. In all, the interior looks more expensive than you'd expect in this class.

Extra-large gauges easily legible, day or night. Audio controls are nicely arranged up high on the center stack. Climate controls, though large, are a trifle low. One gripe is the small navigation screen. It's nice and high on the dashboard, but too small to be easily deciphered. Controls for this optional system are located on the steering wheel. They take a while to get used to, but are functional enough and keep your hand where it belongs. Ancillary controls for windows, locks, and mirrors are nicely positioned on the driver's armrest.

Most adults will find the front seats comfortable and supportive, though anyone larger than six-feet tall might want a bit more head and leg room. The driving position is upright and outward visibility is excellent. The standard tilt-telescope steering wheel is a nice plus in this class.

As in the previous-generation, the Mazda 3's rear seat is somewhat disappointing. Unless the front seats are moved well forward, leg and knee room are tight. In addition, the bench seat is firm and lacks any contouring.

Cargo space is class typical, meaning tight but still useful for most needs. Sedans have almost 12 cubic feet of space and the rear seats fold nearly flat to allow for large item storage. Hatchbacks are more versatile. One drawback is a very low lift point for the tailgate. This makes opening the hatch difficult and awkward. Interior storage is sub par because the map pockets are small and there's no open bin in the center console to store cell phones or small items.

Bottom Line  The 3 is quintessential Mazda. It's just enough out of the mainstream to be interesting, surprisingly sporty, and utilitarian enough to be really useful. The same could be said for the previous-generation Mazda 3. So what sets the 2010 model apart? Mostly, it's the refreshingly elegant interior and more powerful optional engine.

Prices are a bit high for the class, with a fully loaded Grand Touring tipping the scales at an astonishing $25,000. That's midsize car range. Thankfully, judicious option selection on a lesser models leads to more reasonable and class-competitive prices.

While the 3 has a few shortcomings, namely the cramped rear seats and noisy tires, there's a lot to like. The car certainly has more personality than more mainstream compacts and is a lot of fun to drive. In addition, there are nice features like Bluetooth, navigation, and keyless starting. If you're looking for something a little outside the box the new Mazda 3 is sure to please.