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November 20, 2009
Four wheel disc brakes with ABS are standard, and braking from 100 km/h to zero takes 45.7 metres, according to braking tests conducted by AJAC. That’s not quite as good as the Honda Civic sedan with 42.8 metres and the Toyota Corolla with 43.6 metres.
         2010 Mazda3 GS. Click image to enlarge |
While anti-lock brakes are standard on the GX and GS sedans, traction and stability control are optional on the GS with the Comfort Package ($1,595) and not available on the GX. Electronic stability control is standard in many cars now, and will become mandatory for all vehicles made after September 1, 2011, so I’m disappointed Mazda didn’t make it standard in the new Mazda3, particularly in the mid-level GS.
The Mazda3’s interior gets high marks for the quality of materials, overall design and comfort. GS models have additional silver trim which adds a welcome contrast to the mostly dark plastic dash. The textured plastic on the passenger side dashboard of my test car was scratched, probably because someone tried to balance a binder or laptop there – but it does highlight the fact that dash plastics can be scratched easily, but not repaired easily.
Headroom, legroom and hiproom in the Mazda3 sedan are adequate for four adults while a fifth adult can be squeezed into the middle rear seat. The front cloth bucket seats are wide and comfortable with good side bolstering and attractive patterned seat inserts. A manual height adjuster is standard on the driver’s seat but there is no lumbar adjustment, and seat heaters are not available on GX and GS models. As well, leather upholstery is offered only in the uplevel GT model.
The GS’s small, three-spoke vinyl steering wheel tilts and telescopes, making it easy for drivers of all sizes to find a good driving position. I liked the large grab handles on the doors, and the fact that the front doors open wide to almost 90 degrees. However, if you open them that wide, it’s difficult to reach the door handles from the seat without a long stretch. As well, you have to be careful not to ding the car next to you when opening the door. Access to both front and rear seats is easy thanks to the large door openings.
The Mazda3’s large round gauges, with white numerals that are backlit in red at night, are easy to read, as are the digital fuel gauge and the transmission gear indicator between them. Bluetooth phone, audio and cruise buttons can be found on the steering wheel hub. The bright red display on top of the dash, with digital clock, outside temperature display, heater and audio readouts, is also easy to read from the driver’s seat.
The standard audio system includes a single CD/MP3/WMA player, four speakers and in the GS, two additional tweeters. The sound is clear and undistorted with manual adjustments for treble, bass, fade and three pre-set audio modes. I liked the extra-large centre knob for tuning the radio and the plainly visible controls. An auxiliary input for iPods can be found inside the centre console box where there is also a 12-volt powerpoint for charging your cell phone. Another 12-volt outlet is found inside a covered bin in the console. A premium 10-speaker Bose audio system with available satellite radio is offered as an option in the GT model, but not in the GX and GS. Still, the basic sound system is pretty good.
The centre armrest hides a useful underneath, but the glovebox is filled up with the owner’s manual, and the door pockets are rather shallow. A small open coin bin is located near the driver’s door. For front occupants there are two covered cupholders between the front seats, front door bottle holders, and at the rear a fold-down centre armrest with two cupholders.
The rear seatbacks fold down almost flat by pushing buttons on top of the seatbacks; these can be locked to prevent unauthorized access from the trunk. The trunk itself can be opened by pulling on a lever beside the driver’s seat or with a remote button on the key fob, however there is no keyhole in the trunk. The fully-lined trunk is quite spacious (335 litres/11.8 cu. ft.) and has a wide opening and low liftover height – however, the rear bumper could use a plastic scuffguard to protect it when loading. The trunklid has gas struts that don’t intrude on trunk space.
All Mazda3s come with front, side and curtain airbags, side door beams, active front head restraints and two adjustable rear head restraints, front seatbelt pretensioners and load limiters, rear child locks and rear child seat anchors and tethers, and engine immobilizer. The only notable omission is a rear centre head restraint.
A practical and roomy compact sedan with a willing engine, responsive transmission, quick steering, and nimble handling, the Mazda3 sedan is sportier than many of its competitors, but electronic stability control should be standard not optional.
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