Second Hand Sense:Given that the Mazda3 is a first cousin of the Ford Focus it has had remarkably little impact on most people. The Mazda badge has struggled to compete with the big players in virtually every area, yet Mazda has a truly enviable record for reliability and build quality. However, those virtues go unsung because of the company's traditional failure to offer cars with real road presence.
If you had a choice between a Mazda3, a Volkswagen Golf and a Ford Focus which would you choose? The latter two present a powerful level of competition no matter how reliable or dependable the 3 is and, again, the Mazda is left to fend for itself and rely on those who have previously driven one or who may be slightly indifferent in their choice of car.
The latest version of the Mazda3 (the previous 323 served many well) has been around for four years and, while it managed to jazz the brand up a bit for a while, it has dated quite quickly and much faster than the seemingly ever-youthful Golf. Even a minor facelift in 2006 has not helped greatly in this regards.
It comes in saloon and hatchback versions with a choice of 1.4-litre petrol, 1.6-litre petrol and 1.6-litre diesel engines. The 1.4-litre petrol is the winner because the 1.6 is not all that impressive and the diesel has fairly limited appeal. While the Golf and Focus may engage you, the Mazda3 will not. Handling is good but the ride could hardly qualify as refined. The car is fine about town but on the open road it is unsophisticated and noisy.
The overall design is a lot better than the previous model and there are nice styling touches such as the light clusters and the front grille. However, it is on the inside that it shines. It has modern switches and dials that light up in an attractive way. Seats are comfortable over long journeys and there are plenty of storage points. It does not, however, feel as spacious as its competitors. Boot space on the saloon and the hatchback is good and again there are good rear storage spaces.
The car has a four-star (out of a possible five) rating in the EuroNCAP crash tests, which were carried out in 2006. The report says the 3 scored enough points overall to qualify for five stars, but did not achieve them because its frontal impact performance did not meet EuroNCAP's criteria for that rating. Structures in the dashboard presented a potential risk of injury to the femurs of the driver and passenger. There was also a risk of injury to the pelvis.
The Mazda3 does not have a recall record to speak of. In fact its reliability record is the envy of many competitors and fewer than 100 Mazda3 models have ever been recalled.
A 2005 hatchback model with metallic paint, electrics, four airbags, CD player, ABS, immobiliser and alarm and with just 24,000 kilometres on the clock is on offer at one garage for €15,950.
A 1.6-litre petrol saloon of the same year with the same equipment plus air conditioning and 55,000 kms on the clock is on offer for €16,975. A diesel version costs about €800-€1,000 more.
FOR:Great reliability and practical design
AGAINST:Image problems