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2007 Mazdaspeed 3 - Comparison Tests 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
First Place: Hot Hatches: 2007 Mazdaspeed 3
Introduction
Fourth Place: 2008 Dodge Caliber SRT4
Third Place: 2008 Volvo C30 T5
Second Place: 2008 Subaru WRX
First Place: 2007 Mazdaspeed 3
December 2007
2007 Mazdaspeed 3
Highs: Felonious power, crisp steering, Porsche brakes, fits of giggling.
Lows: Wheel-wrenching torque steer, spongy shifter, dash rattle.
The Verdict: It may cause jail time, but never boredom.
A Shark draws the final blood by bringing a gun to a knife fight. Where have we seen that ending before? Always fast, often loud, and occasionally unpredictable, this 263-hp gangbanger rivets your attention and wins our devotion. It’s a poster-boy Shark, and it’s also a Jet at its most relaxed moments.
The Mazdaspeed 3 shows its chops at the track with the quickest 0-to-60 and quarter-mile times, shortest braking distance, and highest skidpad number. Power, grip, brakes, agility—it’s all there in quantities so prodigious as to encourage pure evil in the hearts of men. On a busy two-lane the Mazdaspeed 3 flies past a line of semis so effortlessly as to convince you of your immunity to traffic. It attacks turns with a viscous bite and sticks to pavement with Fixodent-quality adhesion. Throttle-response delay can be counted in thunderclaps. Concentrate, because it also steers itself under full throttle, the front tires having radar for the divots and camber pitches that heighten the innate torque steer.
It booms, it whooshes, it wails. It demands that your best sweaty-palmed driving skills be applied to the light steering and alloy pedals, and it rewards, delivering a type of demonic, antisocial fun in the same vein as burning ants with a magnifying glass.
Drop it into sixth with the ropy, imprecise shifter, and the 3 untenses. Road impacts are damped by a suspension exhibiting ample wheel travel. The five-door body supplies respectable rear-seat legroom augmented by a comfortable seatback angle, and there’s decent baggage area (although it’s slightly smaller than the Dodge’s and Subaru’s). Mazda offers a clever fold-away navigation screen for those who want it.
Details set the Mazdaspeed 3’s cockpit apart. Fancy fabric lines the doors, and painted trim rings circle the vents and speaker grilles. Perfectly spaced red-stitched chevrons march up the inside of the steering wheel. The stereo’s red LEDs flash left or right depending on which way you’re seeking radio stations. Back-seat riders get a fold-away center armrest.
The list goes on: The brake pedal’s rubber grip dots are configured to encourage proper heel-and-toeing. Two brightness controls for the backlit gauges—one for daytime with headlights off, one for night, headlights on—mean you don’t have to fuss with the meter every time the sun sets. The headlight dip angle is even adjustable.
Based on a low-priced car, the Mazda*speed 3 never feels cheap. Nor is it uncomfortable. The front buckets’ bolsters are plump and hold fast—there’s even a crotch blister for holding, uh, whatever.
Lumbar is adjustable, as is the wheel telescope, ensuring orthopedic satisfaction on long hikes. Indeed, the Mazda’s worst offense is its ability to generate repeated court summonses.
Gee, Officer Krupke, what are we to do?
Great article makes me glad I own one.
