Mazda3 SP23 2004 review

We have all come to expect the best from Mazda. The Japanese brand's car-powered comeback plan has delivered a string of winners from the family-sized Mazda6 to the breakthrough rotary RX-8 sports car.

Every one of its new models has been as good as the best in its class, sometimes even better.

They have combined good looks with great driving, taking Mazda back to the basics which powered the brand through its successes in the '80s and '90s.

Explore the 2004 Mazda 3 range

• Mazda3 SP23 2004 review
• Mazda3 2004 review

They have even lived up to the Zoom-Zoom advertising promise – a rare thing when so many car companies put the sizzle well ahead of the sausages.

So, now we come to the latest, the Mazda3.

We expected big things from the car that has morphed from the 323 into the Three, even if the development spending on the all-new compact car means that Mazda has had to flee from the $19,990 price point that worked so well for the 323 during its final days.

Its good work will live on, though, as the bonus-pack 323 put incredible pressure on the Nissan Pulsar as well as baiting plenty of others into the $20,000 limbo game.

But Mazda knows its new Three is far too good for a value-driven sales strategy, and the starting price of $21,490 is right on the money for a newcomer that promises to be one of the class leaders.

So, what's new on the Three?

Everything, really, from a pair of rigid sedan and hatch bodies to new engines, better suspension and even a new set of names.

The starting-price Mazda3 is now called the Neo – not from The Matrix but Italian for new – and comes from $21,490, while the mid-level car is now known as the Maxx and priced from $25,490.

The top-line car has had a minor name change – from SP20 to SP23 – and makes the pace with a 2.3-litre engine, sports suspension, six airbags, anti-skid brakes and alloy wheels from $29,990.

The changes to the Three are massive and the more you dig, the more you find.

The wheelbase is longer, shoulder room is improved, electro-hydraulic power steering – first seen on the RX-8 – is standard and both power and torque are up in both the 2-litre and 2.3-litre fours.

Mazda boasts that every single measurement in the new car is bigger than before, though it has managed to disguise the growth with bodies that are wrapped around the wheels and have a combination of style and subdued aggression.

The Japanese design team has also created a sedan that looks a lot like a hatch – a strategy that worked in the days before budget cuts drove Mazda into the boxy days of the last 323 – and is more elegant than most of the four-door-and-boot baby cars around today.

On the road

We expected big things from the Mazda3 after the driving enjoyment and all-round quality of the Mazda6-Mazda2-RX-8 triplets. We got it.

It has become our small-car benchmark, jumping out of the blocks to zoom – no, not zoom-zoom – past the Toyota Corolla, Holden Astra, Honda Civic and the rest.

The official scorekeeper lists 23 different models in the small-car category and we've been impressed recently by the quality and value of the Hyundai Elantra, as well as the looks of the Peugeot 307 and the handling of the underpowered Ford Focus.

But the Mazda3 has it all. The engines aren't as crisp as we'd like, despite the impressive bottom-line numbers, but that's about it for complaints.

There is some tyre noise, but that's a trade-off for the cornering grip.

The Three is so good that it's forced us to cut the scores of the previous class leaders, marking the Astra-Corolla-Elantra back to seven from 10, clearing the space for the Mazda3 as our only eight-star hero.

Getting back to the basics on the new Three, Mazda has produced a car that is tight and light to drive, has plenty of space inside for four adults, lots of equipment and safety protection, and gets along briskly without any punishment at the petrol pumps.

Our test guests this week – Joss, Peter and Donna – were all surprised by the space and comfort in the car, after expecting something smaller from the way the car looks.

It's a good trick, as Mazda has made the car look much smaller than it is, just like the Renault Megane. Our test time was mostly spent in the sporty Mazda3, the SP23 sedan, which comes complete with good looking alloy wheels, a small spoiler on the sedan's boot, a deep spoiler with foglamps and sports seats.

But James Stanford also jumped into the basic car with the automatic transmission.

He reports a comfortable and enjoyable car, though the tester found more wind noise than expected and there was also growl from the tyres.

The SP23 has real growl, thanks to its aggressive 17-inch rubber, but that's a small price to pay for the pin-sharp accuracy of the steering, the all-round grip and the excellent cornering balance.

You can cover ground surprisingly quickly in the SP23 with absolutely no fuss, and it will really jump along if you want to have some fun.

The engine does need some revving, and finds a late surge close to the redline, but generally speaking it's solid and not sensational.

That could be down to the 2.3-litre capacity, as 2-litre motors are usually more eager, but it's best to shift quickly to a higher gear and let the torque do the work.

The gearbox is slick, we had no problems with the powerful brakes, and the SP23 rides well on all surfaces.

The cabin is well designed and finished, with really supportive and comfortable seats. They were a highlight.

The sound system is good, is nice to find minor controls on the leather-wrapped steering wheel, and the CD sound system is powerful with a clear layout.

The dials for the airconditioning looked a bit cheap, but that is a deliberate decision by Mazda to put some youthful funk into the car.

The back seats are also roomy, the Mazda3's boot has plenty of room, and we had no trouble parking.

It's a car which makes a solid first impression with good looks and plenty of toys, then cements its acceptance with the deep strengths which make it a car to recommend to friends and family.

The Mazda3 is just what we wanted, and exactly what we expected. Big tick.