'What Car?' viewers said that the 2007 hatchback Mazda 3 is good in terms of driving, reliability and space.
With all the petrol engines, the viewers were particularly impressed by the sweet car that uses 1.4 liter and has 1.6 and 2.0 versions. Nonetheless, the auto magazine was not impressed by the vehicle's diesel offerings, which, according to the editors, fail to be at par to the performance of competing cars.
In terms of performance and practicality, the Mazda 3 gets high remarks. But its interior styling is downcast and gloomy according to Auto Express, though the vehicle had undergone some reinventions for this year that includes new array of interior color combinations, an audio jack and an enhanced keyless entry system.
Sold in a very reasonable price of ?11,400, Mazda 3's both ride and handling are more than satisfactory at a given speed. The driver's seat is sufficient enough to vividly see those passing vehicles and those people crossing the road. Adding comfort to the driver is the dashboard which is easy to read. The interior is pretty spacious for two adults to sit and very cozy at the back even for longer trips.
There are only few changes on its exterior like for instance its new bumpers with the lower air intake opening that reflects the shape of the conventional Mazda five-point face and a new range of alloy wheels. It also now has improved overall chassis rigidity - attributed to the reinforcements done on the body shell. The fog light design, which seems like floating, as well as the minimally reinvented front grill for the "s" trim level are proofs of the refined front fascia.
Wide range of shades of blue and a purple color are examples of the many new exterior colors for the 2007 Mazda 3. The darker Galaxy Gray color takes the place of the well known Titanium Gray exterior color.
The latest "grand touring" trim level comes with new rear tail-lights that have a "clear on clear" lens setting. It has a more "glass-like" appearance with the clear tail lenses that also features red LED brake lights.
The LED brake lights are augmented to rival with the increasing trend of higher-end vehicles. For a more vivid and responsive light output, these automobiles include LED tail lamps.
The vehicle's road traffic warranty will be limited to 36 months / 36,000 miles. But Mazda assures an increased power train warranty that reaches to 60 months / 60,000 miles - this warranty, however, is only available to selected markets.
Under the hood, the Mazda 3 is given the front dampers of the MacPherson strut suspension that have been retuned with the purpose of quickening the steering response as well as to minimize under steer. To match this auto part, the dampers of the multi-link rear suspension have also been refined.
All models have electric front windows, electric heated mirrors and central locking as standard equipment, while more expensive models have air conditioning and a CD player as standard features.
About Mazda 3
The Mazda 3 is known as Axela in Japan. It is a compact car with quality is built by Mazda Motor Corporation, which is headquartered in Japan. The Mazda 3 is the platform for the sport compact car which is the Mazdaspeed 3.
The vehicle was first introduced for the 2004 model year to replace the Mazda Familia, which is known as 323 or Protege the international markets, except in Japan. The first car was released on December 8, 2003.
The Mazda 3 has been very well accepted by the public. As a matter of fact, it was the second best-selling car in Canada in 2006.
Mazda Motor Corp. is still producing more Axela at its Hofu 1 and 2 plants so that worldwide stupendous demand of more than 300,000 units per year will be met.
Reports say that the vehicle will be redesigned for the 2009 model year.
