A tale of two Mazda s. That’s what you get when you combine the mild-mannered Mazda Mazda3 with a group of mad scientist types in Hofu, Japan.
The result is the bat-outta-hell hot-hatch called the Mazda Mazdaspeed3 . The previous generation model was a genuine hoot to drive, but it suffered from some serious torque steer – a ludicrous pulling of the steering wheel under hard acceleration.
The latest Mazda 3 is as fun as its predecessor, but a lot more refined. Does the Mazdaspeed3 make the same transition?
What is it?
Now in its second generation as a five-door hot-hatch, the Mazdaspeed3 is a happy-go-lucky front-wheel-drive turbocharged rocket.
What’s it up against?
The Mazdaspeed3 has consistently battled many of the usual suspects including the Mini Cooper S, Chevy Cobalt SS, Subaru WRX, Volkswagen GTI and Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart.
Its fellow Japanese rivals – Subaru and Mitsubishi – counter their powerful engines with traction-aiding all-wheel-drive. Not so in the Mazda.
Any breakthroughs?
Not truly a breakthrough, but the 2010 model has a suspension revision over the 2009 model. The result is a ride that’s a lot less choppy over, umm, shall we say, questionable roads? Actually, Mazda claims, through a software revision, to have tamed some, if not all, of the torque steer found in the previous beast, uh, er, version.
The automaker says that a torque steer-negating sophisticated front suspension knuckle system – like that found on the not-for-America Ford Focus RS and even the for-America-but-more-expensive Buick LaCrosse and Saab 9-5 is simply too expensive an option for the Mazdaspeed3.
How does it look?
We generally like the looks of the Mazdaspeed3 (There is a problem of having the name run together like Mazda has done with this model. There is no place to just take a portion of the name, like “the speed†or “the 3†or, well you get the drift), especially with its crisp lines and panels over the wheel wells.
This being a “two-box†design, it easily lends itself to hauling the groceries and in this case, hauling butt, too. The rear hatch is quite nice especially when you need to haul extra cargo. Just push the rear seats forward and away you go. A fully-functional hood scoop and rear hatch spoiler add to the MS3’s street cred, but it’s that front end that has us a bit flummoxed. Some of our colleagues have termed it a front end with a goofy smile. We think it looks like a gawky teenager with a huge retainer.
Sharp ground effects and slick alloy ten-spoke wheels finish things off nicely. Oh, and lets not forget the chrome exhaust tip finishers in back. The one thing the car does have is lots of seams. Every time you turn around, there is another one. But that’s the price you pay when moving into the bolt-on performance arena.
And on the inside?
Starting out with the MS3’s yin-yang dashboard, the yin (or is it the yang?) being the gauge cluster, the traditional items are already in place. They include a traditional speedometer and tachometer of course, but also an LCD information panel featuring a fuel gauge, boost gauge and mileage counter, and so on. Two dials seems a little weak for a sporty model – we like watching the needles move around. The center gauge cluster features time and temp, as well as fuel economy, climate control and audio settings. Directly below, in the center stack, is the Bose audio system and temperature adjustment dials. The steering wheel has all the redundant controls we have come to expect including Bluetooth buttons and audio toggle shifts.
The driver and passenger front seats feature nicely padded bolsters that managed to hold us in place while playing Gran Turismo in 1:1 scale. Leather faced, they feature a pop-art technical fabric that can get a little psychedelic if you stare at it for too long. Alloy pedals with little rubber dots hold the feet in place on the appropriate pedal. The shifter is one of the best we have experienced, both in feel and position, but it seems as though the cupholders just below it were an afterthought, as a tall cup tends to get in the way of an arm when going for the shifter.
But does it go?
Why change just for the sake of change? That’s apparently the thought behind Mazda’s decision to keep the 2.3-liter DISI (direct injection) turbo inline four-cylinder engine. Really, what’s not to like? 263 horsepower and 280 lb-ft. of torque to answer every whim your right foot may have. The DISI is mated to a six-speed manual transmission, that we originally felt was precise, but with longish throws. After a week in the Speed3, we still think so.
The functional hood scoop offers a direct route to the intercooler for more efficient operation over the previous front grille-mounted choice. According to Mazda, engine output is more efficient, and it also frees up space for a front-mounted cold air intake.
Mazda has made the gearing taller to assist in the mileage numbers. The EPA says to expect 18 mpg city and 25 mpg highway. Yeah, right. Not the way this hot hatch begs to be driven. The figures would just be considered “okay,†when you consider the car weighs 3,200 lb, but the reality is that those who are potential owners of this ride aren’t exactly the tree-hugging type.
The MS3’s suspension is a combination that is tried and true, consisting of MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link setup in the rear. Larger diameter stabilizer bars stiffen things at all four corners and finally special dampers stiffen things up to prevent wallowing. An elecrto-hydraulic power steering module is in play here, and through the combination of all of the above, torque steer, while not entirely gone, is greatly reduced.
At the West Palm Beach Stoplight Drag-o-way, the Mazdaspeed3 managed to leave all others in the dust with a combination screaming drivetrain, good gearing, and sure-footed steering. These three features conspired to allow us to wail on the throttle with the car constantly begging for more. As fun as it was, though, these squeals do have their limits: Mazda has speed governed the MS3 to 155 mph.
Why you would buy it:
Because a hot hatch is the perfect car for around town hot rodding and with the Mazdaspeed3, Mazda has made a nearly perfect hot hatch.
Why you wouldn’t:
Because you believe perfection starts and stops with eight cylinders – or you want to live out your rally dreams.
Leftlane’s bottom line:
Like an eager-to-please puppy on Christmas morning, the five-door Mazdaspeed3 is a genuine hoot to enjoy. As Mazda continues to refine its hot hatch, it will almost certainly remain near the top of our list of favorite cars. The torque steer is easy enough to drive around with a little practice, leaving plenty of time to enjoy the ‘speed3′s torquey turbo motor.
2010 Mazda Mazdaspeed3 base price, $23,195. As tested, $24,695
Destination, $750.
Words and photos by Mark Elias.
