Mazda3 sedan 2008 Review - International

What we liked
>> Fresh styling inside and out
>> Ride-handling balance
>> Quieter -- at least on US roads

 Not so much
>> 2.5-litre engine is noiser than 2.0
>> Six-speed manual was baulky at times
>> How many of the 'segment first' features will make it Down Under

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 3.5/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.0/5.0
Safety: 3.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 4.0/5.0
X-factor: 4.0/5.0

OVERVIEW
Launched the very same week the Japanese carmaker announced it passed the 2m-units-produced mark, the new Mazda3 is a car that cannot fail. You see, the 3 accounts one in three Mazda sales worldwide -- and in markets like Australia the ratio is closer to one in two... To abuse a well-worn epithet: if ever the 3 sneezes, Mazda will catch double pneumonia.

It's a sign of the bravery of the brand and its desire to standout from the small car crowd then, that it chose the new 3 to take the next step along the styling road to the company's design boss, Laurens van den Acker's 2011 endgame.

Significantly redesigned when van den Acker joined Mazda in 2006 (after the car bombed in consumer clinics), what has been launched is a car that leapfrogs its 2 and 6 stablemates to introduce the era of styling to the Mazda family. Van den Ackers describes the 3 as the cheeky younger brother of the grown-up current 6.

Get used to the direction -- when the next generation Mazda 6 arrives in 2011, it will be even more radical, promises the design chief. We can't wait...

Meantime the new 3 is here; here and now -- or in the case of Oz, at least on its way. Underneath the all-new panels is a clever but relatively mild, reworked evolution of the current car -- one that avoids change for change's sake and delivers a number of segment firsts. When your product is at or near the head of the class -- even after nearly five years on sale, you can afford to be mechanically conservative.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
One of the key selling points of the new 3 in the USA will be the fact it delivers the abovementioned 'segment firsts' -- pulling features 'down' from larger cars (and prestige small cars) into the hatch segment.

Features like integrated compact full-colour navigation, adaptive front lighting and bi-xenon headlamps star in the new 3. Along with auto wipers (and lights), LED tail lamps, dual-zone climate control, heated power front seats with three-position driver memory and keyless start and entry, they are all claimed to be segment firsts.

More than eight months out from the car's expected arrival Down Under (June 2009), Mazda is not keen to talk pricing or specification. The company is equally non-committal on which, if any, of the above goodies will make their way into Australian 3s.

Given the collapse of the value of the Australian dollar against currencies like the yen, pressure is mounting on importers to increase prices across the board. In such a climate Mazda would be foolhardy to fix pricing this far out -- even if it could.

According to the company's Aussie connections they are still at the negotiation stage -- both in terms of specification and price. They're a little more settled on the model 'walk' the new 3 will take customers, though.

This review focusses on the sedan -- the five-door hatch is still to be released as this is written. That said, you can apply the model strategy below to both body styles. Though recent months have favoured the sedan in terms of total sales, over the life of the 3 Australia is one market where sales are effectively split 50:50.

In short, the new 3 will return to its pre-runout four-tier line-up. Dumping the Neo Sport, the plain Neo is the new entry-level model, with the Maxx and Maxx Sport being the higher-specification 2.0-litre offerings. At the top of the naturally-aspirated range will sit the new 2.5-litre SP25.

This structure differs markedly to Mazda USA's line-up. Thus while we can quote you chapter and verse of what the US market 2.0i Touring will pack between its wheels, thanks to a detailed launch briefing in California on the weekend, we're not in the same position for the Aussie models.

As a guide, the previous 3 grades respectively included:

Neo -- steel wheels, air-conditioning, dual airbags, single-disc CD player, remote central locking, tilt and reach adjustable steering, height adjustable driver's seat, split-fold rear seat with centre armrest, five lap/sash seatbelts, disc brakes all 'round and five headrests.

Maxx -- As for Neo plus six airbags, ABS brakes with EBD and Brake Assist, 15-inch alloy wheels, power windows and mirrors, six-disc audio and steering wheel-mounted audio controls.

Maxx Sport -- As for Maxx plus front fog lamps, side skirts, rear spoiler and larger 16x6.5 alloy wheels.

SP -- As for Maxx Sport plus full body kit, 17-inch alloys, climate control air, interior trim upgrade, leather steering wheel and external temperature readout.

For the record Mazda promises that pricing of the new 3 will be "very competitive" and that trim levels will "exceed the specification" of the established grades. Much of what will determine the final mix is in the hands of currency traders -- if the dollar recovers then the spec sheets will be bulging.

MECHANICAL
Evolution rather than revolution... It's clichéd, but it's the strategy Mazda adopted with the latest 3. The new car is built on a revised version of the C1 platform that underpins Volvo's S40/V50 and various Ford models, as well as the current generation Mazda 3.

Dubbed 'C1-A' by Mazda's R&D boffins, the changes include a significant increase in the use of high-strength steels, the weld bonding of the door openings and front and rear wheelhouses, plus the strengthening of the front and rear strut towers and suspension sub-frames.

Australian feedback that the 3 needed to improve its NVH (especially road noise intrusion) was also a key development goal. To this end (in conjunction with new pedestrian safety requirements) there has been a redesign of the firewall and other sections of the body-in-white. Other changes include a redesigned dash support structure, which in its own right is stronger, yet saves 2kg.

Despite the beefing up, thanks to 2.5 times more use of special steels, the body-in-white is around 11kg lighter than the current car.

The geometry of the suspension systems have been carried over from the last car, however, roll bars and mounting points have been upgraded (placed wider on tougher subframes), allowing Mazda's suspension engineers more freedom on damper and spring tuning. There have also been minor changes to the steering knuckle and rear components to reduce understeer and increase rear grip in extremis.

Two suspension tunes are used for the European and US markets. Australian models will get the Euro-spec suspenders. The differences are minor, says Mazda USA engineers.

The Australian and US versions of the car carry over the existing 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine but introduce a revised larger 2.5-litre to the small car range.

According to Mazda3 Program Manager, Yoshiyuki Maeda, the 2.5 uses the same "hardware" as the Mazda6 -- a bored and stroked version of the old 2.3-litre MZR series Mazda four. In the 3 it runs bespoke engine management software and gets a more aggressive drive-by-wire throttle map.

The engine is rated at 121kW at 6000rpm and 225Nm at 4000. In comparison to the outgoing 2.3-litre, that's an increase of 6kW/22Nm at the same engine revs.

The engine will come Down Under to power the single SP sports-oriented 3 model only, though we wouldn't be surprised if Mazda chose to add a Sport Luxury variant at a later stage to highlight the extra goodies detailed in PRICE AND EQUIPMENT above.

The 2.0-litre engine is a solid performer for the brand. In its latest spec its 108kW at 6500rpm and 182Nm at 4500rpm are unchanged from the current mill. Changes to the engine are few; the main being a new intake system that is designed to deliver cooler air to the engine.

Both engine variants now offer five-speed automatic and six-speed manual transmission options. The 2.0-litre previously made do with a four-speed auto. The trannies, also shared with the 6, feature revised gear ratios and both the manual and auto's final drive ratios have been tweaked, says Maeda.

The 2.0-litre autos especially benefit from the wider spread of ratios. Maeda says step off performance is improved, as well as fuel consumption thanks to the wider effective ratio spread of the Activematic five-speed.

Official fuel economy figures for Australian model 3s won't be available until closer to launch, however, Mazda claims its US-market 2.0-litre models have improved "gas mileage" by up to 10 per cent.

Confirmation that both MPS and diesel versions of the 3 hadn't been issued officially when this was written, but they are both on the way. The turbodiesel especially should be a cracker -- a version of the all-new 2.2-litre Mazda-developed four that has already been announced in the Mazda6. Expect the 3's unit to be wound down a touch from the 6's 136kW and 400Nm to around 110kW and 360Nm.

In comparison to the above, the changes to the 3's braking system are minor. The front and rear rotors and calipers have been carried over from the respective 2.0 and 2.3-litre models but Mazda says it has retuned the brake booster for better overall performance.

We experienced brake fade on the launch cars (see ON THE ROAD below) but to be fair we weren't hanging around! The characteristics of the degraded performance suggested the wrong choice of brake pad compound or poor bedding-in practices rather than a systemic problem with the cars.

PACKAGING
The new sedan version of the 3 is 25mm longer and 5mm taller than the car Aussie private buyers have taken to their heart. It's also heavier, though the difference is scant and depends on spec. Key dimensions such as width (1755mm), wheelbase (2640mm) and front and rear tracks (1530:1515 fr:rr) are unchanged.

That said, there's little chance of mistaking the new 3 for the old. At the pointy end of the car is an all-new 'face' that while at first seems almost over the top, soon settles to the eye. In the metal it works. And as noted above, van den Acker, says there'll be more of the same theme to come.

Chief designer of the current and new generation of the 3, Kunihiko Kurisu, terms the transformation "strong evolution". He says the more aggressively sporty look and feel of the new 3 is a measure of Mazda's growing confidence.

Most of the 3's extra length is not in the nose but rather has been inserted twixt C-pillar and the rear bumper. This not only helps balance the visually longer front overhang of the new 3 but also delivers more rear luggage space.

The new car's windscreen is 'faster' and the base of the screen has moved forward around 60mm, says the designer. In cross-section the car has been blown out to accommodate higher levels of side impact crash protection, though overall width is unchanged. Interior space has not been effected, though the new lower and more sculptured dash helps deliver and impression of more space.

While sharpening the 3 is good for the eye, it's also aerodynamically efficient says Mazda. The front-end design is claimed to take advantage of high-pressure areas at the front of the car to increase cooling efficiency while at the say time channelling 30 per cent more air around the car to reduce drag.

Extra aero tweaks include sharp cut lines in the reshaped clear lens of the tail lamps which reduce the station wagon effect on the back of the car, thus further reducing drag. The front bumper support beam has even been reprofiled for more effective aero. Perhaps not surprisingly, Mazda claims a best-in-class Cd (drag coefficient) of 0.29 for the new 3 sedan.

Flying the face of the exterior, the cockpit of the car is "more revolution than evolution", says Kurisu. Featuring tightly grouped twin binnacle instruments and a flowing, lower one-piece dashpad, the new 3 gets a new eye-level information and compact satnav display plus a redesigned, more inclined centre stack. Both caused the engineers problems according to Kurisu.

Like the Honda Civic, the new layout of the 3 seeks to divide controls and information into two zones.

The designer says the new interior delivers "wow factor" and thanks in part to the zoning helps instill a feeling of "confidence in the car's agility."

The 'wow' is most obvious in the two-tone high-spec models. With a fair dose of 1 Series BMW cues, the camel and charcoal example we drove really did look a class above the 3's traditional Toyota, Honda and Subaru foes. Indeed, contrast the new 3's interior to the relatively down-market effort in the lastest Impreza.

Perceived quality has been improved by the reduction of joins and parting lines and the soft one-piece dashpad appears to be made of a grade of material normally seen in larger, more luxurious cars and marques. Alas on the low-spec US market models the overall effect was let down by the hard touch-points on the doors and centre console. Let's hope Mazda Oz chooses to pick-up the padded examples at all spec levels.

The seats have been redesigned and are larger in the new 3 with the 2.5-litre models getting reprofiled and effective sports seats. Electric adjustment in the top-spec models is a nice touch.

In the base car, the cushion is well shaped but the flat squab lets the side down a touch. A plus in the low-spec car is the overall quality of the cloth upholstery and carpets, however. Again they appear to be a step ahead of the opposition.

SAFETY
Mazda Australia has worked hard to increase the safety equipment in its models Down Under, though the pressure of the $20K small car starting price keeps it from biting the bullet and delivering stability control and six airbags as standard.

Though we'd like to hope Mazda choses to join Subaru to offer both as standard, we don't see the new Neo spec changing the status quo. A least you have the option of a well-priced safety pack that delivers the above must-haves on the base model car. At this stage Corolla, for example, does not offer stability control at any level.

The changes to the new car almost certainly ensured that the car will score better in terms of pedestrian safety. The reason... At least in part because a good pedestrian rating is now a requirement if a vehicle is to score a promotionally-vital EuroNCAP five-star crash test rating.

With six airbags and stability control available, and antilock brakes standard across the range, plus the other changes, Mazda is confident the testing body will give the car its seal of approval.

COMPETITORS
Everything and everyone -- boy, is the small car segment a battleground. Mazda at this stage battles the Korean brands, the other Japanese brands plus the more affordable Euros -- everything from a Kia Cerato to a Peugeot 308...

We can't help but think with the new 3 its trying to push itself above the current hoi polloi thanks to that improved interior and standout looks. Pushing itself too far from its sweet spot will be a risky strategy.

ON THE ROAD
Such is the nature of international long-lead launches that you drive what you're given. In a perfect world we would have sampled the 2.0-litre six-speed manual and five-speed auto back to back and then moved on to the 2.5-litre models.

As it was we were limited to US-spec 2.0-litre five-speed manual and then a more representative (or at least an engine/gearbox combo we will get!) 2.5-litre six-speeder. No autos were available.

We're limited in what we can tell you about spec and trim grade steps too -- the USA uses a five-model strategy, so the base 2.0 i SVversion which we drove would likely sit under our Neo. Our top-spec 2.5 GT on the other hand was loaded to the gunwales with all of the new-to-category goodies that are yet to be confirmed for Oz (as noted above).

The 2.0-litre first -- and while it's no firecracker it's a honest engine that will satisy most all 3 customer groups. The engine comes alive at around 3000rpm and is fully underway at 4000rpm. Quite a sweet spinning mill, it's happy to rev past the redline in the lower gears. The five-speed gearbox lacks the spread of the six-speeder we'll get but proved itself slicker shifting.

In the cut and thrust of LA Saturday morning traffic, the 2.0-litre has plenty of midrange available, and across the range of road surfaces we experienced was noticeably quieter than we remember the existing model.

Mazda has worked hard on reducing road noise in the refresh of the current model. Improving on this was a key target of the new 3. While we'll have to wait until we drive the car on local roads, we're optimistic the improvement has been worth the effort.

On the exciting canyon roads of the Santa Monica Mountains to LA's northwest on well-known routes like the Mullholland Hwy and Malibu Canyon Road, the base model 3 acquitted itself with aplomb with one exception (more below).

The car sits flatter than the last model, but at the same time can still deliver a reasonable ride -- even on the chopped up mountain roads. Mazda has generally tightened up the chassis and steering (see MECHANICAL above) and the 3 turns in eagerly, with more precision than the first generation car. It's streets ahead of the likes of the Corolla and Civic sedans, and perhaps on a par with the current standard Golf.

If we were pushed we'd suggest it still is not quite as 'pure' as the GTI Golf or high-grade Focus models, but remember we are talking about the standard 3 here on normal profile 16-inch steel wheels (up an inch from the current car).

The 2.5 delivers more everywhere. In fact, you can expect at least to match the 2.0-litre car's performance with 1000rpm in hand with the bigger engine. There's solid urge available from not much over 2000rpm and though the engine signs off earlier than the 2.0-litre, you're moving pretty quickly by this time.

We'd say the 2.5 is a touch nosier than the 2.0, and there's also more road noise thanks to the slightly lower-profile 50-series tyres and 17-inch alloys. Of course, the better rubber delivers a touch more grip in the tight stuff.

The six-speed drops the revs to around 2000rpm on the highway at Aussie legal speeds. The 2.0-litre's five-speed was a sweeter unit, for the record.

The new dash layout is befitting a car a class above the 3. It's one place where the current car really shows its age if you step from new to old.

We liked the high-level nav and Multi Information Display but despite the neat on-wheel controls couldn't come to terms with the menu system. Owners will learn. My driving partner for the day also found he continued to hit the controls when 'spinning' the wheel in the tight stuff. As noted above, we liked the GT's seats better than the Touring's.

The one chink in the 3's armoury as tested was its brakes -- or more accurately, we're surmising, the choice of brake pads on the test cars. Though our 3's were being driven at a higher pace than most non-MPS buyers will ever attempt, we experienced a long pedal and brake fade on the 2.0 and both 2.5-litre 3s we drove.

As the 3's carryover brake components have never been cause for concern in the past, we're almost certain the problem was the result of the wrong selection for brake pads, or a hard time over the preceding week at the hands of US and other motoring journalists. 

At this early stage -- without the benefit of pricing, final spec or having driven the cars in final Aussie trim on local roads -- we'd normally insert a qualifier here, and sidestep the question of where the new 3 sits.

That'd be too easy...

With a bold new look, the best interior in class and an evolved suite of solid engineering, we're going out on a limb to say that the new 3 reinforces itself as the default choice for private small car buyers.

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