2010 Mazda3 GS. Click image to enlarge

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Review and photos by Jil McIntosh

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2010 Mazda3

Oshawa, Ontario – It’s a very fine balancing act an automaker must perform when it’s time to redesign a vehicle. And it’s even tougher when it’s both your company’s best-selling model and one that consistently ranks in the top three in sales across the country. Still, Mazda was up to the task, retaining the characteristics that make the Mazda3 such a fun compact to drive, while refining it to do battle for the next few years.

Several flavours of Mazda3 are available: a sedan that starts at $15,995, a hatchback the company calls the Sport, beginning at $16,995, and the high-performance Mazdaspeed3. The sedan and Sport come in three trim lines that also determine their engine size. The base GX sedan and my tester, the mid-range GS, use a 2.0-litre four-cylinder that’s carried over from 2009, while the top-line GT sedan is now powered by a 2.5-litre four-cylinder that replaces the previous 2.3-litre, and starts at $22,995.

2010 Mazda3 GS. Click image to enlarge

My tester also carried over its default five-speed manual from 2009 (the GT uses a six-speed stick). A major change for 2010 is in the optional transmission, which was previously a four-speed automatic, and is now a five-speed. My GS started at $19,395; the optional automatic would have added another $1,200. (Sport models range from $16,995 to $23,995.)

When it comes to everyday commuter vehicles, I usually prefer an automatic transmission; shifting up and down to go a few car lengths in rush-hour traffic is not my idea of a good time. In the Mazda3, I’d probably opt for the stick shift, though, as it’s a very sweet combination of light clutch and a shifter that slides smoothly into each gear. I was fine with the driving position, but my taller husband complained that his elbow hit the console box when he worked the stick, and a sliding box lid that might have been pushed back out of his way is only found on the GT.

The 2.0-litre makes 148 horsepower and 135 lb-ft of torque, compared to the 2.5-litre’s 167 horses and 168 lb-ft. Enthusiasts will probably go for the more powerful GT, but most drivers will probably be satisfied with the smaller engine, especially with the stick shift. It gets noisy on hard acceleration, of course, but that’s to be expected; otherwise, it’s quiet and very refined. Its published fuel figures are 8.1 L/100 km in the city and 5.9 L/100 on the highway, and in combined driving, I averaged 7.8 (36 mpg Imp).

2010 Mazda3 GS. Click image to enlarge

The Mazda3 has always been about the relationship with the steering wheel, and this newest version is no exception. The engineers have reduced vibration in the steering gear, tightened the suspension damping for flatter cornering, and reduced the weight of the rear multi-link setup. Key locations in the body structure have also been reinforced, but while everything is stiffer, the ride hasn’t been seriously compromised over harsh road surfaces. The 3’s signature handling is always far quicker and more responsive than I expect at this price, and it’s great fun to take it around curves and on winding roads. There’s a nice weight to the steering, without being too heavy, and it tracks accurately on the highway, without a need to constantly correct it. Torque-steer is non-existent, and the brakes bite firmly at the top of the pedal. This is a car that will easily satisfy driving fans, but without intimidating those for whom a vehicle is just transportation.

The GX is fairly basic; air conditioning is optional, while 16-inch steel wheels, power mirrors, fixed intermittent wipers, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, power locks, 60/40 split-folding rear seat and CD/MP3 stereo with auxiliary input are standard. The GS adds a/c, alloy wheels, heated mirrors, automatic headlamps, cruise control, and keyless entry, along with Bluetooth connectivity, rain-sensing wipers and an auto-dimming rearview mirror, which are items I usually don’t expect to see in a vehicle under $20,000.

2010 Mazda3 GS. Click image to enlarge

But while six airbags, anti-lock brakes and active front head restraints are standard in all models, electronic stability control and traction control aren’t available on the GX, and they’re part of a $1,595 “Comfort Package” on the GS that also bundles in a sunroof. That isn’t unusual; among competitors, stability control is either unavailable or optional on the base versions of the 2009 Toyota Corolla, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra and 2010 Kia Forte, and not to be found on any trim lines of the 2009 Honda Civic, Chevrolet Cobalt, Mitsubishi Lancer or Nissan Sentra. Only Volkswagen Jetta has the system on everything, at a base $21,975. Cost is always a primary factor in this segment, but still, given that the entry-level trim lines are the ones most likely to be given to young, inexperienced drivers, it would be nice to see it available even as an extra-charge option. (The United States will make it mandatory on all new cars sold in 2012, but Canada hasn’t mentioned any such requirement yet.)

2010 Mazda3 GS. Click image to enlarge

The redesigned Mazda3 doesn’t bulk up all that much over its predecessor. The wheelbase and width are the same, the length and height are only slightly larger, and the trunk has grown a bit. It’s 98 cm long, but folding the seatbacks increases the cargo space to a length of 160 cm.

Styling is always subjective, of course, but the new Mazda3 doesn’t push my buttons. It’s nondescript from the rear, its wraparound taillights now incorporating solid red and white lenses instead of the jewel-like spheres that previously filled them. The nose was always prominent on this model, but now it’s far too bulky and overbearing, and simply looks too big for the rest of the car. The grille was previously a neat little two-bar shield; it’s been replaced with a huge, toothless grin. Put together, it presents a cartoonish face.

It’s much better to be on the inside, which is far more handsome. Despite a fair bit of hard plastic, the dash looks very good, with tight-fitting gaps, simple controls, and metallic accents that are part of the GS and GT trim. Complaints are few: I don’t like Mazda’s signature red instrument lighting, although I know it’s popular with a number of drivers, and I found it annoying that the ignition key can only be released once you’ve pressed a small button on the cylinder. The seats are gently bolstered and quite comfortable, with a considerable amount of room for front-seat passengers. If they don’t push those chairs back too far, their friends in the back have plenty of leg room, as well.

The inaugural Mazda3 was voted Canada’s Car of the Year in 2004, and has earned the many accolades it’s received over the years. I’ve always liked this car, and while the styling isn’t to my taste, the driving experience certainly is. Mazda has simply taken a very good car and made it better.

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