2nd place: 2008.5 Mazdaspeed3
The Mazda is over $6,000 more than the Dodge, and the most expensive of the test $31,360. Yet its refinement and impression of solidity makes us feel as though it's worth it. Fit and finish is top-notch, and the car's exterior is still attractive despite being five years old, yet it doesn't really distinguish itself from lesser Mazda3 Sport models.
Inside, the front seats impressed us by their support and comfort despite minimal adjustment possibilities. Rear-seat access is worst of the bunch, however, with narrow-opening doors and not much foot space. The interior was judged to be rather stark, as charcoal black dominates the general view. Heating and ventilation is noisy and takes a lot of time to cool down the cabin.
The more you rush the Mazdaspeed3, the more it impresses. The steering is ultra-precise and perfectly balanced, and the car has the most powerful brakes of our quartet. Although this Mazda comes with electronic assists to help quell the torque steer, it's still a handful while accelerating. Full-throttle or not, you'll always hear the car's exhaust boom.
Straight-line performance is good, thanks to the 263 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque belted out by the 2.3-liter turbo four. But the car is tricky to launch; 0-100 km/h sprints take 7.5 seconds, tied with the Chevrolet, but pulled ahead after a quarter-mile, tripping our accelerometer in 15.4 seconds at 147 km/h. We weren't surprised at the fuel bill at the end of the test, as the Mazda obtained the 2nd-worst fuel consumption.
The Mazdaspeed3 can provide a decent ride during everyday driving while being a speed demon on the racetrack. But since we rarely take our cars on a circuit, the everyday driving part is just as important. Unfortunately for the Mazda, another Hot Hatch barely squeaked by it in the final standings.
"The Mazdaspeed3 is a great performance car; it's fast and unlike the Caliber, for instance, it goes unnoticed on the road, which isn't a bad thing." -Daniel Lafrance
The Mazda is over $6,000 more than the Dodge, and the most expensive of the test $31,360. Yet its refinement and impression of solidity makes us feel as though it's worth it. Fit and finish is top-notch, and the car's exterior is still attractive despite being five years old, yet it doesn't really distinguish itself from lesser Mazda3 Sport models.
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Inside, the front seats impressed us by their support and comfort despite minimal adjustment possibilities. Rear-seat access is worst of the bunch, however, with narrow-opening doors and not much foot space. The interior was judged to be rather stark, as charcoal black dominates the general view. Heating and ventilation is noisy and takes a lot of time to cool down the cabin.
The more you rush the Mazdaspeed3, the more it impresses. The steering is ultra-precise and perfectly balanced, and the car has the most powerful brakes of our quartet. Although this Mazda comes with electronic assists to help quell the torque steer, it's still a handful while accelerating. Full-throttle or not, you'll always hear the car's exhaust boom.
Straight-line performance is good, thanks to the 263 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque belted out by the 2.3-liter turbo four. But the car is tricky to launch; 0-100 km/h sprints take 7.5 seconds, tied with the Chevrolet, but pulled ahead after a quarter-mile, tripping our accelerometer in 15.4 seconds at 147 km/h. We weren't surprised at the fuel bill at the end of the test, as the Mazda obtained the 2nd-worst fuel consumption.
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The Mazdaspeed3 can provide a decent ride during everyday driving while being a speed demon on the racetrack. But since we rarely take our cars on a circuit, the everyday driving part is just as important. Unfortunately for the Mazda, another Hot Hatch barely squeaked by it in the final standings.
"The Mazdaspeed3 is a great performance car; it's fast and unlike the Caliber, for instance, it goes unnoticed on the road, which isn't a bad thing." -Daniel Lafrance
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