More than ever, the compact sedan segment is heating up. It’s one of the most important battlefields in North America, especially in Canada, and the competition within the category is packed with new technology, improved finish, more fuel-efficient powertrains as well as aggressive pricing.
We’re about to witness World War III, and the countries involved this time are the United States, Japan, Korea and Germany. But instead of guns, tanks and biochemical weapons, their munitions are four-door sedans.
The Mazda3, one of the bestselling compacts in Canada for the last few years, won’t have it easy. The company knows that they must keep their product fresh and competitive every year. Visually, the 3 hasn’t changed for 2011, but equipment content and option packages have.
Thus, our 3 Sport GS tester still flaunts an ear-to-ear grin, probably hiding the nervousness it feels inside as it sees the competition catching up. Still, the curvy Mazda3 remains one of the most modern-looking compacts around, thanks to the organic forms of its sheetmetal.
It will be harder to tell a Sport GS from a base GX, as the latter now includes 16-inch alloy wheels instead of steel rims with wheel covers. The side-marker turn signals have been deleted on all but the GT trim.
The 5-door GS is powered by the bigger of two available engines in the Mazda3. It benefits from 167 horsepower and 168 pound-feet of torque, compliments of a 16-valve, 2.5-litre inline-4. Our test car is equipped with the optional 5-speed automatic transmission, which includes a manual mode and operates smoothly.
Zero to 100 km/h takes 8.7 seconds, and our fuel economy average is 9.5 L/100 km, which isn’t overly impressive; it is a rather large engine for a compact car, so we can’t expect a miracle here. The VW Golf and Subaru Impreza have similar-displacement engines, and they’re no better.
The little hatchback is certainly quick on its feet, but it feels livelier with the standard 6-speed manual, which isn’t much of a surprise. We appreciate how the four-wheel independent suspension gives the car a dynamic character. After all, just because it’s not a sports car doesn’t mean it must be boring to drive. Right?
Last year’s optional Comfort Package has been deleted, which included traction and stability control systems (now standard) and a power glass sunroof, which is now an $895 standalone option.
Inside, the Sport GS features grippy fabric seat upholstery and a height-adjustable cushion for the driver; leather upholstery, heated front seats and a power driver’s seat are now available for the first time in the GS, however, compliments of the $1,200 Luxury Package. The cloth upholstery is just fine by us, though.
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| Base price for a Mazda3 Sport is $17,495 before tax, freight and delivery. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |
We’re about to witness World War III, and the countries involved this time are the United States, Japan, Korea and Germany. But instead of guns, tanks and biochemical weapons, their munitions are four-door sedans.
The Mazda3, one of the bestselling compacts in Canada for the last few years, won’t have it easy. The company knows that they must keep their product fresh and competitive every year. Visually, the 3 hasn’t changed for 2011, but equipment content and option packages have.
Thus, our 3 Sport GS tester still flaunts an ear-to-ear grin, probably hiding the nervousness it feels inside as it sees the competition catching up. Still, the curvy Mazda3 remains one of the most modern-looking compacts around, thanks to the organic forms of its sheetmetal.
It will be harder to tell a Sport GS from a base GX, as the latter now includes 16-inch alloy wheels instead of steel rims with wheel covers. The side-marker turn signals have been deleted on all but the GT trim.
The 5-door GS is powered by the bigger of two available engines in the Mazda3. It benefits from 167 horsepower and 168 pound-feet of torque, compliments of a 16-valve, 2.5-litre inline-4. Our test car is equipped with the optional 5-speed automatic transmission, which includes a manual mode and operates smoothly.
Zero to 100 km/h takes 8.7 seconds, and our fuel economy average is 9.5 L/100 km, which isn’t overly impressive; it is a rather large engine for a compact car, so we can’t expect a miracle here. The VW Golf and Subaru Impreza have similar-displacement engines, and they’re no better.
The little hatchback is certainly quick on its feet, but it feels livelier with the standard 6-speed manual, which isn’t much of a surprise. We appreciate how the four-wheel independent suspension gives the car a dynamic character. After all, just because it’s not a sports car doesn’t mean it must be boring to drive. Right?
Last year’s optional Comfort Package has been deleted, which included traction and stability control systems (now standard) and a power glass sunroof, which is now an $895 standalone option.
Inside, the Sport GS features grippy fabric seat upholstery and a height-adjustable cushion for the driver; leather upholstery, heated front seats and a power driver’s seat are now available for the first time in the GS, however, compliments of the $1,200 Luxury Package. The cloth upholstery is just fine by us, though.
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| We like the well-finished cockpit and grippy cloth upholstery. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |