Introduction
The popularization of the Japanese automobile here in the United States began to become very apparent in the late 1970s to early 1980s, and this was due almost entirely to the rising cost of fuel and the seemingly decreasing availability of the fuel. These cars were small, and very efficient and every aspect of design took a backseat to fuel economy. The cars were often very low performing, and offering very little along the lines of being stylish or aerodynamic. While come Japanese companies offered performance models, such as the
Nissan Z cars, the Toyota Supra, and the
Mazda RX-7, there was a clear and definite line drawn between import performance cars and import economy cars, and as a car buyer, you had a choice, be fast, or be efficient. However, modern technology has been applied to decades of economy cars, both in the United States and around the world, and with the steady influx of technological breakthroughs in drivetrain performance and vehicle design, that line between performance and economy began to fade. Along with the increase in basic performance in one-time economy cars such as the
Honda Civic, aftermarket performance companies began to focus their efforts on this new "sport compact" class. This new line of low-cost performance car was everywhere, from magazines devoted to just "sport compact cars", to movies which showed the end result of a devoted owner, dubbed a "tuner". The craze in the United States has become "crossover vehicles", which means that a vehicle can apply to more than one class distinction, and while this term is more applied to Sport utility trucks, the steady blur of this line between performance and economy created a crossover of its own mixing a family car with a low impact performance car. Any car that offered both economy and affordability combined with performance capabilities, regardless of the size became labeled as "tuner cars", and before long, every car company sending cars into the United States automobile market began offering low-buck, high potential "tuner cars". The line between performance and economy is now completely erased, and now anyone who wants a safe car with a bit of pep off the line, and on the highway it will keep it's own with other cars, all without sacrificing the ability to drive the family to Grandma's house on Sunday. Every year brings us more of these econo-performance cars to the American market, but few will offer the versatility and power at such a low cost as the Mazda 3. Taking all of the advantages of the compact family sedan and wagon, packing the drivetrain full of a peppy yet efficient engine and transmission combination, and giving the interior all of the qualities of any car in its price range, as well as the interior comfort of many cars carrying much bigger price tags. In short, the new Mazda 3 offers a middle-aged family man a car to keep up with traffic and give him the ability to look forward to driving, while keeping the wife and kids comfortable and entertained with the luxurious interior, and that same car makes for a great car for his 18 year old daughter to cruise with her friends and maybe even hit the track (without them knowing, of course) and not stand out as the typical family vehicle would in the same crowd. Basically, if you are looking for a car the whole family can drive and love; with the roominess and cargo capabilities of a station wagon or small minivan without losing the sporty feel, the Mazda 3 is for you.
Performance
2006 Mazda 3
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The new Mazda 3 is offered in two different shapes, the four door sedan, and the five door hatchback, but only two engines are offered, but in our experiences, they could have gotten away with one. The available Mazda 3 trim lines are the 3i, 3s, and SP23. The four door 3i sedan is the only one to offer the 2.0L DOHC sixteen valve four cylinder engine, and while it offers the driver an average or twenty seven miles per gallon around town and thirty-five on the highway, the 2.0L engine only packs one hundred and forty eight horsepower and one hundred and thirty five pound feet of torque. This model is more for the driver who wants the smooth lines and maximum fuel economy, and who is not so worried about performance, which is completely understandable because, after all, that is what this class of vehicle is all about. But, for those drivers who want a little more kick with their economy car the 3s and SP23 are quick to oblige. Whether chosen in a four door sedan of the five door hatchback, the 3s and SP23 trim lines come equipped with an all aluminum alloy 2.3L DOHC sixteen valve, four cylinder engine that builds an impressive one hundred and sixty horsepower at sixty five hundred RPM and one hundred and fifty pound feet of torque at forty five hundred RPM. The inner workings of this 2.3L engine are controlled by an electronic variable valve timing system combined with dual balance shafts, which helps to smooth the power curve, giving excellent response at low RPMs without compromising top end power, and allowing this car to pull consistently from idle to the seventy one hundred RPM redline. The zero to sixty time for the 2.3L powered Mazda 3s are around 7.4 seconds, with a quarter mile time of sixteen seconds flat, and with times like these, the Mazda 3 will find itself outrunning a great many of it's in-class competition, and well and quite a few six cylinder performance cars. Fuel is introduced to the system by means of a multi port electronic fuel injection system, and although this Mazda 3 offers sports car feel on the road, it will not take you broke with the high price, premium fuel like most sports cars will now a days seeing as how Mazda only recommends regular unleaded. While this car offers the ability to use lower grade fuel than most sports cars and still offers some stout acceleration numbers, all of these goals were reached with the environment's safety in mind, as the Mazda 3 is a certified low emissions vehicle (LEV) with the 2.3L engine, and an ultra low emissions vehicle (ULEV) when equipped with the 2.0L engine. While a four speed automatic transmission equipped with Mazda's 'Sport AT', which gives the driver the relative control of a manual transmission without the use of a clutch for drivers who want the manual feel without the every day hassle, the standard offering putting power to the ground is a five speed manual transmission. This manual transmission adds to the sporty feel of the Mazda 3, with it's short thrown, tight shift pattern, and close ration gearing, the standard transmission helps a great deal to boost performance numbers thanks in part to the 4.105 final drive ratio, yet with the very low ratio fifth gear, this is still a great highway cruiser. While the automatic version offers the same smooth highway cruising, the sort of detuned gear ratios in the automatic low performance numbers a bit, as is the case with just about any automatic transmission. When equipped with the automatic transmission, a final drive ratio of 3.683 in the four door, and 4.416 in the heavier five door does give some acceleration ability to the Mazda 3, but even then, it is really no match for the manual transmission. A quick drive in both styles will show that this really is a car made for a manual transmission, and the manual setup in this Mazda 3 offers a great deal of fun for the driver, whether on the track or just on a windy country road.
Handling
So this new Mazda 3 will take down most of the cars in it's class in a straight line, but today's sports car driver wants to be able to hit the corners with speed as well, and that is where the handling and braking components of the Mazda 3 come into play. Regardless of the body style, the trim line, or the transmission chosen, all Mazda 3's come with the same handling components. The front suspension is an independent MacPherson strut design with coil springs and a strut stabilizing bar, and the rear is an independent E-type multi-link design, also utilizing coil springs and a strut stabilizer bar. This suspension setup allows for a stiff, sporty feel allowing the new 3 to cut through the corners, but does so without compromising ride quality and passenger comfort. The steering system furthers the sports car feeling thanks in part to the close ratio rack-and-pinion steering and Mazda's new Electro-Hydraulic Power Assist Steering (EHPAS). This new assist system makes the steering very smooth and fluid from rack to rack, and affords even the smallest driver the option to shift under hard cornering, where some power steering systems may not give the needed support for smaller drivers. Further helping the new 3 to handle the turns are the 15, 16, or 17 inch wheels (size depending on the trimline chosen) wrapped in all-season performance tires. When a new Mazda 3 driver comes up on a turn that is just to sharp for the suspension to handle, the braking system has not been excluded from the touch of new technology. There Mazda 3 is equipped with 4 wheel disc brakes as standard equipment, using ventilated front discs and solid rear discs with single piston calipers clamping over them. An Antilock Braking System (ABS) is also standard and supporting that ABS is the new Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) system. EBD works in cooperation with the ABS to help keep the new Mazda3 point in the right direction in the occasion of sudden hard braking, whether headed in a straight line or around a bend, all by controlling the amount of braking pressure applied to given wheels depending on the angle, speed, and direction of the car. All of these features allow the Mazda 3 to handle like some of today's top performing sports cars, all without losing the comfortable feel of a compact sedan.
Interior
Mazda 3 Interior
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The Mazda 3 will accelerate and handle like a sports car, while offering the ride and comfort of a compact sports sedan, and sliding into the interior shows no difference in the intention of the engineers during the design process. The Mazda 3 offers the basic amenities that a new car buyer would expect in any new car, such as power windows, air condition, rear HVAC ducts, and a choice of either the base AM/FM/6-disc CD play or an deluxe Bose surround system equipped with 7 speakers and a 5 channel amplifier; all equipped with SIRIUS satellite radio. However, Mazda put a great deal of effort into making the car feel like a sports car inside, and the most obvious aspect of this is the full reclining sport-type front bucket seats, offered in a variety of cloth trim or heated leather, depending on the package chosen. These seats are comfortable for a long ride, but at the same time offer excellent body support for both the driver and the front passenger during a spirited romp on a windy road. The rear seats are a 60/40 split bench style seat providing adequate room for 3 people, with adjustable headrests for the outboard passengers. A great deal of the interior is trimmed in brushed silver accents, adding a sense of class to the sporty interior. Upgrades such as a leather wrapped steering wheel and shift knob are available on the 3S models, and in the place of the brushed silver accents, the 3i models feature body coded trim. Some other features standard on the Mazda 3 are steering wheel mounted cruise controls (along with the wheel mounted audio controls), remote keyless entry, tilt/telescopic steering, cup holders for both front and rear passengers, and storage compartments for every seating position. The interior really seals the deal that the new Mazda 3 is a sports car with the needs of a family in mind.
Safety
So the Mazda 3i and 3s are sporty and comfortable, both inside and out, but what is a new car if not safe? That is one more department where the engineers took no shortcuts. The Mazda 3 features the cutting edge in air-bag restraint systems, with advanced dual front air bags (SRS) with crash-zone & driver's seat position/passenger weight sensors, dual front seat-mounted side-impact air bag supplemental restraint system, and optional front & rear side air curtains. Every seating position comes equipped with 3-point harnesses and the front safety belts include pretensioners with force limiters. In an effort to enhance the comfort of the front safety belts for a driver or passenger of any height, adjustable B-pillar anchors allow you to move the anchoring point of the upper harness point. All Mazda 3 models come standard with the LATCH child seat restraint system, to keep secure your most valuable passengers. Finally, to keep your new Mazda 3 where it belongs, a standard engine immobilizer anti-theft system is incorporated into the keyless entry system, and an optional theft deterrent system is offered on the touring models.
Conclusion
So the new Mazda 3, whether chosen as the 4-door or 5-door offers a new car buyer an excellent mix of sports car technology and power with all of the features of a mid-priced economy car, and throw into that mix the added features like the Bose stereo system, more commonly found on high end luxury cars, the Mazda 3 is an amazing car, especially considering the price, around $15,000 for the 4-door, and $17,000 for the 5-door, it is very to beat the power and comfort of this vehicle. Whether you are a single early college student looking for something sporty and fun to drive, or a married mother of 3 looking to break the "soccer mom" mold, the Mazda 3 could very well be the car for you!
