Mazda3 Diesel 2007 Review

Road Test

Overall rating: 3.0/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 3.0/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.5/5.0
Safety: 3.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 3.5/5.0
X-factor: 3.0/5.0

About our ratings

While the diesel passenger car market continues to grow in Australia (albeit from a small base) Mazda remains the sole Japanese entrant -- having been first to market with the 6 and now following that up with a diesel version of the smaller Mazda3 in both hatch and sedan.

It is a logical follow up for the brand, for not only is the Mazda3 continuing to sell its socks off  (being the second most popular vehicle in its class, after Corolla), but the car shares its engine and drivetrain with the bigger 6 which has sold above expectations. And although the lack of an automatic transmission may put off some buyers, the addition of the fourth engine variant for the 3 is sure to add further fuel to the fire in terms of profitable private-oriented incremental sales.

This much seemed perfectly feasible when Carsales Network first drove the car on a brief sidebar to the launch of the new Mazda2 in Austria in June. At the time we were full of praise for the engine's refinement and flexibility and its suitability for the sporty nature of the 3. Now after having spent a week behind the wheel on Australian roads, our enthusiasm has been tempered slightly as the harsher local conditions showed up some shortcomings that were not immediately apparent on the smooth Viennese roads.

Chief among these are the ride quality and NVH levels. With nearly double the torque of the 2.0-litre petrol models, Mazda quite rightly saw fit to substantially upgrade the body strength and running gear of the diesel 3 and that meant borrowing many of the structural reinforcements and suspension mods from the MPS turbo petrol 3. And herein lies the problem, for unless you look at the Mazda3 diesel as a sports model, we believe that for most buyers its low speed, around town ride is just too firm.

The comfy and supportive seats go some of the way to mask the stiffness of the suspension but if you spend the bulk of your days traversing tram tracks and criss-crossing patchy urban tarmac, it doesn't take too long before you are wishing for a little more compliance.

It's as much the noise that becomes irksome, rather than any overwhelming harshness. And in spite Mazda's efforts to improve NVH, the car still suffers from a surprising level of tyre roar -- especially once you head out of town onto coarser surfaces at highway speeds.

Ironically, it is here that the diesel engine and car's setup come into their own. Whether you are taking a long distance cruise or tackling a twisty bit of country tarmac, the diesel 3 definitely has its upsides.

At 105kW, the power output from the 2.0-litre turbodiesel four is not huge but it's the torque that talks the talk. And with a huge 360Nm -- a full 40Nm more than its Ford, Holden, Peugeot and Volkswagen rivals -- there is no doubt about the Mazda's engine strength and its ability to cope with the 140kg-odd weight gain over the petrol 3.

Apart from a little clatter at idle, the engine is smooth and refined and once on the road, it is acceptably quiet. But its greatest strength is the flexibility and the abundance of midrange grunt that makes its presence felt in no uncertain terms between 1500-4000rpm.

Around town, it will easily pull up to highway speeds from 60kmh at 1600rpm in fourth gear without a gear change. Heading out of town at 80km/h in sixth with just 1400rpm on board, again all it takes is bit of right foot pressure to have you quickly and efficiently cruising at 100kmh with the engine ticking over at around 1750rpm.

This low-rev cruising ability certainly helps with the fuel consumption and while Mazda claim an official figure of 6.0L/100km, over a week of about 500km (including a 250km country trip), we managed a very frugal 6.8L/100km.

The midrange strength of the engine and ability to be driven lazily with minimal gearshifts is also a blessing as the quality of the six-speed manual gearshift is such that you really don't want to be swapping cogs too often. Put simply, it is notchy, rough and not at all pleasant to use. This was quite a contrast to our manual experience in Austria, so it might not be indicative of the overall build. We'd welcome any feedback from 3 Diesel owners.

Head out of cruise mode onto something more challenging and the combination of the engine's strength and the stiff body and firm suspension play well into turning the diesel 3 into something of a sports sedan.

Pick an appropriate gear and push on and the car handles with precision and control, sitting firm and flat through corners. The steering is well weighted, direct and offers plenty of feedback. Unlike its only slightly more torquey turbo petrol MPS kin, there is little evidence of any torque steer. Grip is also well catered for with 205/55 rubber along with standard DSC stability and traction control.

Given this sporting bent to the car, it shares its spec levels with the Maxx Sport petrol model which translates into exterior aesthetics that include 16-inch alloy wheels, front foglights, side skirts and a rear spoiler. Inside it gets manual aircon, power windows and mirrors, cruise control, six airbags and very good quality six-stack CD audio system with an MP3 input jack.

Priced from $30,500, the diesel adds a $3000 premium over the equivalent DSC-equipped Maxx Sport petrol version. It probably deserves the Sport tag more than the petrol model.

So whether it is sporty performance or economical cruising you seek, the Mazda 3 diesel delivers, albeit with slightly rough edges.

If it's the performance factor that is higher on your priority list, then for our money, and the same sort of money as the diesel, we would still opt for the Mazda3 SP23 which offers both plenty of fun factor and refined comfort.

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