Model: Mazdaspeed3
Starting Price: $29,995
Overview: Thirty grand gets you into one of the most discreetly track-ready mini-wagons on the road. This one’s got room for five and a very sensible folding rear seat for when you’ve got to pick up potted pansies for the garden.
It’s also got 263 horses, even more torque, and braking and suspension systems that’ll eagerly burn around your favourite road course all day long. Driven gently, the Mazdaspeed3 is tame, quiet, and relaxed. Give it some stank, and the 2.3L engine gets all huffy and puffy and sets off planting heads to seats, courtesy of its intercooled turbocharger.
Navigation, steerable xenon lights, Bluetooth, automatic climate control, and a Bose stereo help keep occupants safely connected, comfortable, and on course. Oh, and Direct Injection technology reduces fuel consumption and emissions; you know, for the environment.
Pros: This is absolutely an everyday friendly hot hatch that’s not difficult to drive gently, and not intrusive with its performance intentions when you want to relax at the wheel. Discreet styling keeps things civil between you and your local police force, too. A laundry list of standard features rounds out the package.
Cons: No automatic transmission is available, which makes the Mazdaspeed3 a tough sell to some significant others.
Noteworthy: All Mazdaspeed3 models come just one way: fully loaded. No options or packages are available. Just pick your colour. This makes the shopping process easy. The clutch and shifter action are both heavyset, which enthusiasts will appreciate. Don’t miss over a dozen steering-wheel mounted buttons for distraction-free control over various functions, too.
Starting Price: $29,995
Overview: Thirty grand gets you into one of the most discreetly track-ready mini-wagons on the road. This one’s got room for five and a very sensible folding rear seat for when you’ve got to pick up potted pansies for the garden.
It’s also got 263 horses, even more torque, and braking and suspension systems that’ll eagerly burn around your favourite road course all day long. Driven gently, the Mazdaspeed3 is tame, quiet, and relaxed. Give it some stank, and the 2.3L engine gets all huffy and puffy and sets off planting heads to seats, courtesy of its intercooled turbocharger.
Navigation, steerable xenon lights, Bluetooth, automatic climate control, and a Bose stereo help keep occupants safely connected, comfortable, and on course. Oh, and Direct Injection technology reduces fuel consumption and emissions; you know, for the environment.
Pros: This is absolutely an everyday friendly hot hatch that’s not difficult to drive gently, and not intrusive with its performance intentions when you want to relax at the wheel. Discreet styling keeps things civil between you and your local police force, too. A laundry list of standard features rounds out the package.
Cons: No automatic transmission is available, which makes the Mazdaspeed3 a tough sell to some significant others.
Noteworthy: All Mazdaspeed3 models come just one way: fully loaded. No options or packages are available. Just pick your colour. This makes the shopping process easy. The clutch and shifter action are both heavyset, which enthusiasts will appreciate. Don’t miss over a dozen steering-wheel mounted buttons for distraction-free control over various functions, too.
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| Photo: Mazda |