Mazda3 Maxx Sport 2013 Review

Though not embarrassed in any discipline here, the Mazda failed to take the lead in any of our dynamic categories. This leads one to the conclusion that its star has probably peaked ahead of the launch of an all-new model within the next 12 months. Perfect timing?

Feeling decidedly less frenetic than the sports-oriented Kia Cerato, the Mazda3 treads a middle line between sports and comfort, in terms of both its performance and dynamics.

It rode and handled with a degree of composure that suggests it’s always well inside its handling limits, while its steering was one of the few to offer any real sense of feel. This came to the fore in the lane change test, where the Mazda3 delivered one of the cleanest performances.

The 2.0-litre engine is impressively quiet at high revs, at least compared to the buzzy Koreans. It makes competitive power and torque but it’s mated to a five-speed auto that’s not only down a cog on current best practice, but also inclined to quickly slur up into the taller gears unless you stay on its case.

As a result, the Mazda3 can feel a bit lethargic, a notion dispelled by the electronic timekeeper who rated its performance on a par with the brisker-feeling Hyundai i30. There was no getting around its disappointing braking performance, though, the Mazda3 earning a poor ninth place, with a not-much-better eighth in the fuel consumption rankings.

The doors seal nicely on the double-rubbers common among this group. The action is reassuring but lacks the solid ‘thunk’ of the Golf. The door jambs are clean of welds et al though the fuel filler cap’s exposed metal frame looks untidy.

The scissor action boot hinge improves space and is assisted by gas struts. The boot area is fully carpeted with thicker material than many here and offers a light and a neat plastic shroud over the latch.

Inside, the cabin’s plastic rear parcel shelf reflects on the window. The plasticky door cards are lifted only by a small patch of material. Despite decent ergonomics, the Mazda3 rear seat has no rear-seat ventilation outlets.

The dashboard was let down by its hard plastic finish and multiple join lines. The glovebox was small and the lid quite flimsy, striking the inboard side of the aperture when closing.

The small centre stack display was susceptible to sun glare.

In the engine bay, lots of exposed plumbing and wiring was evident, that said, unlike the Subaru Impreza, they are neatly presented.

On the road, and at 80km/h on coarse chip surfaces, the Mazda3 recorded an in-cabin decibel reading of 84dBA – substantially more than the quietest car tested, the Kia Cerato (75dBA). Most of that din appears to come from the tyres.

Dual-zone climate control, auto headlights and windscreen wipers are nice touches and worked well, but the dash panel and centre console design looked and felt dated.

The plastic quality was below par, while the ergonomics were lagging behind best practice with an overabundance of very small buttons across the centre stack. There are also too many controls on the steering wheel and the sat nav screen is too small to easily read. However, the Mazda3 does get brownie points for the stereo which offers impressive tonal quality and realistic bass reproduction.

Pairing the iPhone5 via Bluetooth was the worst of the lot because it was all via voice control. This took repeated attempts, was fiddly, and involved several steps. It could be argued that because you needn't hit many buttons it's a better system, or that voice control is effective when you get used to it, but our initial experience was not positive.

When testing the electronic stability control, the Mazda3 finished in the middle-of-the-road, so to speak. Its system was slightly slower to intervene than the front-runners and was obtrusive in operation, upsetting the car’s balance mid-corner. We'd call it reactive, rather than proactive.

In standard equipment the Mazda 3 disappointed both externally (riding on 16-inch wheels with a temporary spare) and internally. It does not include a reversing camera, rear air vents nor keyless entry. Dual-zone climate control was a nice touch, as was the no-cost option of metallic paint.

Mazda offers a three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty on its Mazda3 with an extension available (at an additional cost, of course). Roadside assist is also available for $68.10 per year for the standard package, or $83.50 for the premium service.

While there is no capped price servicing available, Mazda’s website offers a Service Price Calculator for owners to input their model info, with a recommended price returned.

The Mazda3’s service intervals are stated as “every six months or 10,000km” under the Mazda maintenance program.

Redbook values confirm the Mazda3 as having the strongest resale of the group, suggesting a median $19,450 for a privately-sold MY10 Mazda3 Maxx Sport automatic. That’s a retained value of 69 per cent.

The driver and front passenger seats are very comfortable and there’s plenty of room. There’s also a nice openness to the Mazda’s cabin design. Its familiar, comfortable feel inside is no longer special or particularly engaging.

Second-row passengers are comfortably seated and leg and headroom is good – better than many others on test.

While ride and comfort was good in the Mazda3, we experienced the worst noise intrusion.

The boot space is surprisingly cavernous, and the 60:40 split-fold seats are simple to engage.

Visibility from the Mazda3 is good.