Our Mazda3 has been in the long-term fleet for just one month, but we've quickly rediscovered our love for the compact hatchback. For 2010, the 3 received its first major update, but it still possesses the character that earned it a 2007 Automobile Magazine All-Star award. A torquey engine, premium content, and a stout chassis set the Mazda apart.
"The Mazda feels so much more substantial than the typical small car. Not heavier, but very solid and well-rounded, with no mechanical weaknesses," notes senior editor Joe Lorio. "The suspension is incredibly composed, sopping up bumps with an almost Germanic stoicism."
For 2010, the most noticeable change- aside from the grinning front grille - is the larger four-cylinder engine, which now displaces 2.5 liters. Its adds 11 hp and 18 lb-ft over the old 2.3-liter, for ratings of 167 hp and 168 lb-ft. When put to work with the six-speed transmission and capable suspension, the new engine moves the Mazda through traffic like a running back slaloming into the end zone.
"Like the best small cars, the 3 makes every tight turn feel like you're in an autocross," writes assistant editor David Zenlea. "But like the best large cars, the 3 is perfectly smooth and comfortable on the highway."
With a starting price of $19,900, Mazda makes no bones that it's targeting a demographic above the typical compact buyer with the 3 hatchback.... Read full article