Zoom-Zoom Lives in the 2010 Mazdaspeed3

By Anne Proffit

Anne Proffit

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Together with that expressive and muscle-promising front visage, there is a hood scoop accompanied by broad strakes and hefty shoulders, albeit a little less accentuated than the RX8 that began the craze.  Fog lamps are framed by triangulated black openings and, while the front fascia looks like it would scrape every deep driveway that is not the case.

At the rear lies an accentuated roofline wing, pronounced horizontal rear lamps and dual chrome-tipped exhausts.  One opens the rear hatch through a simple button that releases the door.  Its a tidy yet muscular visual package.

Why a hatchback and not a sedan?  The Mazdaspeed3 is noted for its overall engine and driveline performance, inherent agility through sophistication of chassis development and utility as a five-seat front-wheel-drive hatch with luggage space to spare.

Did I mention the human grin factor?  True, the Mazdaspeed3 has torque steer from start to finish and requires a deft hand to get the most from its performance.  This second iteration of Mazdas pocket rocket seems, perhaps, a little less over-the-top than the first, 2007 version but that near-civility translates to a machine that is a bit more drivable.

At the heart of the Mazdaspeed3 is its direct-injected aluminum engine, a 2.3-liter DOHC, 16-valve four-cylinder turbocharged and intercooled unit that emits a raucous 263 horsepower at 5500 rpm and grunt-worthy 280-ft-lbs of torque at all of 3000 rpm.  Its mated to a well-geared six-speed manual transmission with limited slip differential no automatic here.  Gearing is meant for spirited driving, as 70 mph equals 2800 rpm and 80 runs 3250 rpm.

While torque steer can wrench the steering wheel from uninitiated hands, Mazdas engineers have produced software to soften that tendency from the earlier model.  They have also made the MacPherson strut/coil spring/stabilizer bar front and multilink/coil spring/stabilizer bar rear suspensions far easier on kidneys and bladder without ruining the sporting tendencies of this hatch.  Ground clearance is 4.7 inches.

Mazdaspeed3 brakes are vented ABS-equipped at the front, solid ABS discs at the rear with electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist that stop this 3245-pound hatch like no tomorrow.  Variable electro-hydraulic power assisted steering is extremely direct and unwavering, allowing a 36.1-foot turning circle, very slight for a front-wheel-drive hatch.

Mazda does not require premium fuel for its15.9-gallon tank and promises 18/25 mpg in normal driving.  But normal driving is an anomaly in the Mazdaspeed3, which just wants to get up and go!  As they say, your mileage may vary, but I got close to 23 in mixed driving, which bodies well for the car over time, as it had around 3800 miles on the odometer during my watch.

The celestial blue mica exterior is paradoxically icy and hot at the same time, accompanied by business black cloth with red trim.  That motif carries throughout the cabin as waistband accents inside elicit the same colors. 

One immediately notices the rubber tipped trio of pedals and performance-indicated placement and hooding of gauges in front of the driver. Tachometer (6750 red) and 180-mph speedometer are large and directly placed with black blue-rimmed faces, orange letters and white pointers.  Theres a digital fuel gauge but, alas, no temperature gauge or blue warning light.