Auto Driven: Mazda 3 2.0 D

Models tested: Mazda 3 2.0 D Sport
Price as tested: £17,915
Range price: £11,415 - £19,495
Insurance group as tested: 11E
Insurance group range: 3E – 17E
Date tested: April 2007
Road tester: Stuart Milne

One thing family hatchbacks must have nowadays is a big diesel engine. Volkswagen kicked off the trend with its refined 1.9 oil burners, and it wasn't long before Ford and Vauxhall waded into battle too.

 

So it was a surprise the only diesels offered by Mazda for the increasingly popular 3, were a couple of 1.6 engines, offering 88 and 107bhp apiece.

 

These models make up just 10 per cent of all Threes sold, but Mazda is hoping to increase this with a potent 2-litre engine lifted from the Mazda 5 and 6 ranges.

 

We took a 2-litre diesel-equipped Mazda 3 Sport out for a spin around the highways and byways of the Cotswolds to stretch its legs on a variety of roads.

 

Our test car was the Sport model, which gains racy accoutrements such as alloy wheels and deep bumpers which make it look, at first glance, the same as the hot, range-topping MPS model.

 

It’s a similar story in the cabin, with sporty looking seats and bright red dial lighting beaming back at the driver.

 

Turn the key, and the diesel engine leaps into life, and it's far from the quietest on the road. At pace the diesel rattle remains, but is the only hint to the type of engine under the bonnet.

 

The Sport model, with its 17-inch alloys, generated a fair amount of road noise at speed, and our test car revealed a bit of wind noise, too.

 

Vibration in the cabin through the gearstick and pedals can prove irritating when driving diesels on longer journeys, but thankfully this is absent from our test car.

 

But following Mazda's Zoom-Zoom ethos, the diesel provides an entertaining and practical blend of performance and low running costs.

 

From a standstill, the turbocharged diesel powerplant will propel the 3 to 62mph in 9.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 126mph. Like many diesels, however, it’s the power in the middle range of the engine's power band that impresses.

 

The 3 pulls well through all of its six gears, and with 265lb/ft of pulling power on tap from a usefully low 2,000rpm, swift progress can be made without having to rev the engine hard.

 

This is largely the reason for an impressive official average fuel consumption figure of 47.1mpg; although it is slightly less than the equivalent Ford Focus.

 

CO2 missions of 162g/km place it in tax Band D, and insurance is slightly higher than expected at Group 11.

 

The Mazda 3 shares lots of its components with the Focus and the Volvo S40, so it came as little surprise to find it corners excellently.

 

There's minimal body roll, even with the suspension tuned for comfort rather than performance, and the steering offers plenty of feedback, making it easy to tell what the wheels are up to from the drivers' seat.

 

Speaking of which, drivers will find the sporty seats comfortable, with plenty of head, leg and shoulder room. It’s a similar story in the passenger seat and in the back too.

 

Although the Gloucestershire scenery and the confident driving demeanour meant most of our concentration was spent piloting the Mazda through the bends, there was still time to listen to the excellent BOSE stereo, which comes as standard on the Sport models.

 

Safety-wise, occupants are protected by a set of larger-than-usual brake discs which are accompanied by ABS, brake force distribution and stability and traction control systems. At this adds up to a four star EuroNCAP crash test rating.

 

The new, high power Mazda 3 will certainly increase the number of diesels it sells, and with lower running costs than the petrol equivalents, it has become a genuine alternative to the stalwart Golf, Focus and Astra in the small hatchback class.

 

 

Rivals

You might also want to consider:

Ford Focus
Vauxhall Astra
Volvo S40

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