Mazda 3 Neo 2011 Review

Ever get those sudden stabs of anxiety, the ones where a sense of profound unease grabs you but for no readily identifiable reason? Got one one last week. Nasty one.

The trick is to breath and calmly isolate the angst's source. Having ascertained that this was Wednesday not Thursday and my iPhone was not on the kitchen bench but in my pocket, I worked it out: five minutes had passed near the centre of Australia's biggest city and I hadn't seen a Mazda3.

Mazda's small medium hatch or sedan is first choice for Australia's private buyers. Take away the fleet sales fat from Corolla and, most particularly, Commodore, and the 3 is the national number one. With a bit over 39,000 sales last year, it comprised almost half Mazda's record result.

Still, the $20K-$30K segment is becoming almost unfeasibly overcrowded with even Volkswagen bringing a Golf variant under $23,000 and the excellent new Ford Focus en route. Time to revisit the people's choice.

VALUE

At the moment the base model Neo is priced from $21,990 driveaway.  Yet we've always been prepared to pay a bit extra for Mazdas in this class, even when the then-323 and Ford Laser were almost identical. Part of the Mazda3's success is that it brings to the table all it does with barely a cost impost.

No changes over the 2010 model lineup, which is to say our Neo hatch uses the same drivetrain as all Mazda3s under the beefed-up SP25. The only obvious clue to its entry level status is 15-inch steel wheels. Otherwise the Neo lacks for little on the next level up Maxx  a bit of body kit, leather wrapping for the steering wheel and single a CD instead of a six stacker. Stuff like that. There's a palpable sense of quality fit, finish and design that bellies the econo-car pricetag and edges its immediate Asian rivals. 

The Golf might have descended to this price level, but the Mazda uses basic unleaded and won't turn make you turn to drink when presented with the bill for servicing and parts.

Less convincing is the three year warranty. Kia's Cerato, Hyundai i30 and Mitsubishi's Lancer get five. Surely the onus is on the others to match it.

TECHNOLOGY

Not loads of tech under the bonnet, where the naturally aspirated, port injected 2.0-litre engine is feeling old, though its engine enough for a decent-sized hatch weighing in under 1300kg.

Multi link rear suspension might sound like tedious carhead talk, but much of the 3's driveability and ride stems from a set up that's superior to the basic torsion beam used in certain of its rivals, such as Honda's Civic. You'll appreciate the difference when the road surface is rough  not least in the east coast city mentioned earlier where roads are seldom anything but.

DESIGN

So creased and folded that it suggests an overfolded piece of origami, the 3's overdone to my eyes, though tens of thousands of you evidently see it differently.

An example of Mazda's now abandoned Nagare design language, this edition of the 3 might well look a bit of a visual orphan in a few years. These busy accents work better on the bigger Mazda6, though as with the senior model, the 3 hatch has a more coherent appearance than the sedan, from which the boot juts like an unsightly growth.

Within it's much more successful, a cockpit feel that nevertheless isn't constricting. Instruments, lit luridly in orange, and the plethora of buttons are laid out clearly and classily with trip and audio controls all on the steering wheel. Entry level but no stripper, the black cloth front seats are decently supportive and adjustable, with reach and rack steering adjustment.

There's 340 litres of storage with the back seats up, though that means a space saver spare.

SAFETY

As recently as the first generation 3, safety was optional. No longer, with gen two copping active head restraints up front, six SRS airbags, collapsible steering column and intrusion minimized pedals. Anti-lock brakes are bolstered by brake force distribution and emergency assist. Mazda's electronic stability programs are notable for their finely judged interventions.

DRIVING

On the darty side of the dynamic equation, the 3 remains among the most readily enjoyable affordable cars. The direct steering of the Maxx Sport and SP lines is blunted in the Neo by its chunky 15s, which don't need too much provocation to squeal. Its a question of being completely adequate for likely purpose.

An automatic which has a worthwhile manual gate (its selector is shifted forward for down like a proper stick shift), is matched well enough to this engine to extract the most of its fairly meagre output, though at the cost of more than 12L/100 in city traffic.

If the ride's comparative terseness is acceptable (this is a Mazda, not a Toyota), the level to which road noise intrudes remains unacceptable. Tyre roar is comparable to the current Ford Focus, but it's poor next to the coming model (due later this year) and the Golf.  It's all the more noticeable in an otherwise fine package.

VERDICT

At this price, the 3's the one (for the moment).  70/100
 
MAZDA3 NEO

Price: $23,330 (auto)
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder petrol; 108kW/182Nm
Transmission: 5-speed automatic
Thirst: 8.2L/100 claimed