Mazda has always been a manufacturers who took care of things a tad differently. And even though that's not always the most successful...
but it does have its charm. That's why I'm always curious when Mazda launches a new car.
Especially when that new car is a new Mazda 3. A very important new car in a very important segment.
As I just said, I had high hopes for the new Mazda 3. That has a few reasons. First of all, I practically witnessed the birth...
of the new 3. In October 2017, Mazda presented the Kai Concept on the Tokyo Motor Show. I thought it was the best looking car there...
and a lot of people agreed with me. Back then, Mazda told me it would be the new Mazda 3, so my expectations rose.
In December of last year, on the Los Angeles Motor Show, Mazda presented the production version of the Kai: the 'real' 3.
It was a true jaw dropper as well, beautiful to look at. Very remarkable as well, just look at the design.
I can imagine that you don't like the bump on the back. I mean, it's a matter of taste, but I quite like it.
But then there's the drive. Driving and looking good are separate things. The engineers at Mazda said they put a lot of...
effort into the chassis. But that's logical, who doesn't. But they said it's very good and very refined.
And they actually delivered. It feels completely in balance, the chassis breathes ease. Refined, comfortable, soft, well-balanced...
It's just good. And it's neatly in sync with the drivetrain, because Mazda doesn't do mainstream drivetrains.
No downsizing, no turbo's. Just a atmospheric 2.0-litre. Sure, it has a 24-volt mild hybrid system, but it doesn't do a lot.
It just a very nice, quiet engine.
You could say that it lacks some power in lower revs and you'd be exactly right. But that's the great thing.
It starts up quietly and it starts building up the revs. That way, you're able to drive it serenely. However, when you keep up the revs...
it can get pretty bitey. If you compare it with other cars, like the Focus in this test, you'll notice that despite the fact...
there's less life in lower revs, whenever you measure the times, it's just as quick as a smaller turbocharged engine.
Just like the exterior, the interior had to be upgraded a little. Mazda wanted to get a bit more 'premium'. I hate that word, sorry.
Again, they pulled it off. It's a nice, classical, quiet interior. Just like the rest of the car: quiet. It's clear, everything's where you expect it to be.
The finishing is good as well. A beautiful interior. There are a few things to mention though.
The buttons on the steering wheel all look nice, but some of them are pretty deep in there. So if you want to change songs,
you accidentally press the 'source'-button, which suddenly puts on some AM-station with a lot of crackling noise.
That's not very handy, but the biggest drawback by far in this new Mazda 3 is the space in the back.
That's really below standard. And that's very unfortunate.
The serenity of the car is noticeable in the steering as well. In the middle, it's very neutral. When you're steering about however,
the directness increases. That means you can drive it around very comfortably, but it becomes sharp and sportier when needed.
The same goes for the gearbox. The gear changes are very precise. Almost like you're on the gearbox instead of behind it, like a rear-wheel...
drive car. However, the clutch is a little harder to master. It's a little hard to tell when it grips, so you'll be fooling around with that at first.
When you get the feeling for it however, it's not bad to live with.
An ergonomic flaw by Mazda is present as well. The bootlid has a button which can lock the car for you. When you press it and close the lid,
but you've forgotten your keys in the car? Well, you've got a very big problem.
So what do we put the Mazda 3 up against? Well, let's have a look at one of the better, fresher new cars in the C-segment.
the Ford Focus. So we've got one here. It's a very similar car, but it's very different at the same time.
Just look at the engine. It has a small downsized 3-cylinder engine. It has a few extra horses, but in reality the differences shouldn't be too big.
The personalities are totally different however. The Focus is picks up more agressively in lower revs, which makes it a tad more nervous.
That's partly because of the chassis as well. It's sportier than Mazda's chassis, but it's a lot harder as well.
That means it's less refined than the Mazda. So this is the sportier one of the two, but it's not a comfortable travel companion.
That comes back in the interior as well. Compared with the Mazda, the Focus has a very busy dashboard. Maybe it has more equipment,
you could say that. More gadgets is more fun. But you have look a little harder for certain things.
Take the start button for example. They've tucked it away in a small nook, so you have to twist your wrist to start it.
When we get to interior space however, the Focus takes the lead again. That's so much better than in the Mazda.
In the Mazda, my knees are practically in the back rest of the front seat, but in here? I've got over ten centimetres of space left.
The headroom is better as well. So, if you've got big kids, you know which car to choose.
So that means it's time to make a decision. You guys probably know my style now: I'll always equivocate a little.
That's not because I'm a coward or that I'm not able to choose, but we're just in the middle of the test.
These cars are incredibly close to each other, almost eerie. But we'll have to look at residual value, fuel consumption, etc.
I don't know those things yet. However, I'm willing to give you my personal preference. As you might've heard in my story in the beginning,
I'm leaning towards the Mazda at this moment. The Focus is a very pleasant, dynamic and sporty car to drive,
whilst the Mazda is more serene to drive. Pleasantly balanced, which makes it the nicest car to drive of the two for long distances.
Of course, I'm talking about long distances when you're in the front, because the Focus is more spacious on the rear seat.
So, it's all about where you're sitting. But, we aren't there yet. The magazine will feature a comprehensive report with two additional cars;
we've put an Opel Astra next to it, and our Kia Ceed longterm. Time to read.