EXPERT RATING
8.0
Graham Smith
Contributing Journalist
1 Jul 2014
3 min read

New

Sporty versions of popular small cars have always been popular with buyers, they can traced all the way back to the Mini in the 1960s when British racing car maker, John Cooper tweaked a humble little sedan and made it a sporting hero for the masses. Other carmakers followed in time and the hot hatch was born.

While they were great fun for the young they were a little hard-edged for most people who were satisfied with the look and didn't care too much for the go-fast part of the deal.

The result is a car like the Mazda3 SP25; a car that delivers the sporting looks without the downsides of a truly hot ride. The SP25 is more marketing than mumbo, but it still packs enough thrills to put a smile of the faces of its buyers.

With the addition of more aggressive looking bumpers and side skirts that gave it a lower look, as well as sportier seats, it had all the elements needed to pass for a hot hatch.

There was also had a decent list of standard features, including a good-sized multifunction display, sat-nav, dual-zone air-conditioning, a CD stacker and six speaker sound, enough to appeal to anyone wanting a little luxury.

Based on the regular Mazda3 the SP25 had the same mechanical package as the run-of-the-mill models. Mind you even they were pretty good.

The SP25's power came from the same 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine that delivered 122kW and 227Nm. It has to be said that Mazda engines were more adequate than exciting, but the larger 2.5-litre unit that came with the BL model had more than enough torque to be useful if you chose to drive it to the torque curve. The transmission choices for the front-wheel drive car consisted of a five-speed sports shift auto and a six-speed manual.

Below the sheetmetal and added plastic was a chassis worthy of a sports car. The SP25 was nimble and responsive, and fun to drive if you were inclined to hunt it around corners. The ride was a trifle hard, but not hard enough to really complain about.

Now

Mazda has become the darling of the new car crowd in recent years, and for good reason. Not only has the company produced some very good models, the 3 included, it has done so with good quality that has translated into commendable reliability over the long term.

We receive very few complaints about Mazda from CarsGuide readers, which is always a good indication of what's happening in the real world. Engines, gearboxes, drivelines are all solid and they give little trouble if serviced according to the Mazda service book.

Accordingly, it's important to check a car's service record to ensure the servicing has not only been done, but that a creditable garage has carried out the work.

Mazda 3 2009:

Engine Type Diesel Turbo 4, 2.2L
Fuel Type Diesel
Fuel Efficiency 5.7L/100km (combined)
Seating 5
Price From $3,080 - $4,730
Safety Rating

Verdict

SMITHY SAYS

Cool looks and great chassis, ticks most boxes.

Price new: $31,920
Expect to pay: $14,000 to $20,500

Pricing Guides

$9,591
Based on 252 cars listed for sale in the last 6 months.
LOWEST PRICE
$2,950
HIGHEST PRICE
$16,000
Graham Smith
Contributing Journalist
With a passion for cars dating back to his childhood and having a qualification in mechanical engineering, Graham couldn’t believe his good fortune when he was offered a job in the Engineering Department at General Motors-Holden’s in the late-1960s when the Kingswood was king and Toyota was an upstart newcomer. It was a dream come true. Over the next 20 years Graham worked in a range of test and development roles within GMH’s Experimental Engineering Department, at the Lang Lang Proving Ground, and the Engine Development Group where he predominantly worked on the six-cylinder and V8 engines. If working for Holden wasn’t exciting enough he also spent two years studying General Motors Institute in America, with work stints with the Chassis Engineering section at Pontiac, and later took up the post of Holden’s liaison engineer at Opel in Germany. But the lure of working in the media saw him become a fulltime motorsport reporter and photographer in the late-1980s following the Grand Prix trail around the world and covering major world motor racing events from bases first in Germany and then London. After returning home to Australia in the late-1980s Graham worked on numerous motoring magazines and newspapers writing about new and used cars, and issues concerning car owners. These days, Graham is CarsGuide's longest standing contributor.
About Author
Disclaimer: The pricing information shown in the editorial content (Review Prices) is to be used as a guide only and is based on information provided to Carsguide Autotrader Media Solutions Pty Ltd (Carsguide) both by third party sources and the car manufacturer at the time of publication. The Review Prices were correct at the time of publication. Carsguide does not warrant or represent that the information is accurate, reliable, complete, current or suitable for any particular purpose. You should not use or rely upon this information without conducting an independent assessment and valuation of the vehicle.
Pricing Guide
$2,950
Lowest price, based on CarsGuide listings over the last 6 months.
For more information on
2011 Mazda 3
See Pricing & Specs

Comments