Mazda 3 The New Contender 2014 (Part 2)

Mazda 3 Steering and Milometer

On the go

Mazda has kept one manual transmission in the line-up for the SP25 hatch; it’s one for those that we still like to drive and the one we test here. The 2.5-litre is now good for 133kW and 250Nm, but it’s the easy midrange that is its best feature, pulling sweetly in third gear from as low as 20km/h without hesitation. It will rev out too, but we found shifting at 5000rpm worked best. When we came to performance test the new car, the rains also arrived, so we were well adrift of the claimed 7.1sec 0-100km/h time. The six-speed manual is fluid, however, with a good clutch pedal feel, and only occasionally gets snagged when rushing the second to third cross-gate shift.

Mazda 3 touchscreen and navigation system

Good driver’s cars have great steering and Mazda seems to have cracked the electric-assist nut here with genuine feel through the wheel. Occasionally, a few nasties also filter through, snagging the rack in the bends, but you can’t have consistently good sensation and filter all that negative stuff out completely. The SP25 is not a car that drives itself; it’s a refreshingly analogue experience. The front end has a satisfactory bite but it will under steer when pushed hard and there’s no self-correcting ESC function to steer it around the bend. The suspenders have plenty of compliancy, even big gnarly bumps seem to pass without upset, and while there’s a bit more lean because of this, it’s still manageable due to the sweet balance. And the weight, at just over 1300kg, makes changing direction that bit easier. You can use more of the SP25’s potential on-road because it’s not a mega-horsepower hatch, yet it’s still great fun. The steering is a real highlight and while there are some things that the Golf does better, there’s no contest when it comes to the helm. There’s lots to like about the way the 3 drives. But then it has always been thus. We look forward to meeting more of the 3 family and pitting them against their segment competitors. 

Mazda 3 2014 Red version