2009 Mazda 3 - A Layman's Review by Alvin

Mazda has recently launched the new Mazda3 in Malaysia and it is available for booking now. I had the chance to go for a test drive recently, albeit a short one, to see how it is. Looking at pictures and specs on paper doesn't give justice to the car. This review aims to size up the car from a layman's perspective, so I will try to be simple and straight to the point.

To be honest, I never considered Mazda before this because lets be honest, it has not exactly set the car industry alight with its looks or performance or anything for that matter. The only Mazda that was interesting before was the Mazda RX-7. Even the successor the RX-8 was a letdown because it had only 245hp on tap and mostly came in with an auto box.

This Mazda 3 though is different. It is competing in the compact segment and for a car in that category competing with the likes of the Honda Civic or Toyota Altis, it has a lot to offer. Firstly, is the looks. Again, for a Mazda it looks great though I'm still divided over that huge front air intake. I don't know whether Mazda are trying to copy Peugeot or trying to beat them. But the overall design is one of nice flowing lines with tight curves and pronounced wheel arches. The 17" tyres on the 2.0 Sport model looks particularly good. It comes in 2 flavours - a 1.6 ltr normal version and the 2.0 Sport model.


The interior is also superb, with nice flowing lines, choice of materials and colors. The steering wheel is not too big and is quite fat to fit nicely in your palm plus is has all the requisite buttons such as audio control buttons, cruise control (2.0 Sport), paddle shifters (2.0 Sport) and buttons for the MID (Multi Info Display - more on this later). The gear shifter sits in a nice gate a-la Mercedes style and the gearbox includes a manual mode.

The gearbox incidentally is a 4 speed auto on the 1.6l version and the 2.0 Sport gets a 5 speed auto with manual shifting option for both. But the 2.0 Sport version gets extra shift paddles behind the steering wheels for up-shifting and a set of extra down buttons on the wheel itself for down-shifting. Weird. It seems that Mazda wants you to be able to shift gears manually with 1 hand.

The rest of the dash is quite nice, not outstanding as I might have to reserve that label for the up-coming Chevrolet Cruze when they launch it here. The pictures are on the net if you care to search for it, believe me you won't be disappointed. The audio system has a built in 6-CD disc changer, MP3 support, an auxiliary in jack and 6 speakers (2.0 Sport). There is a small screen on the dash a-la BMW's i-Drive for the MID or Multi Info Display. This MID is basically the on-board trip computer which is standard on most cars nowadays but with something extra. It has a service interval indicator for the next engine service and a tyre rotation indicator telling you when the tyres needs to be rotated around.

These 2 features stand out because it is not found on any other car in its class so far. Other than that you have all the standard indicators for fuel, mileage, etc. The air conditioning in this car is another standout for its class - it is a dual zone unit. The air con vents on the sides are round and able to be turned around 360 degrees. There is an additional item on the rear bench - 3 built in hooks with covers for installing child safety seats. Another outstanding feature not found in cars of the same class is the rain sensor. This car comes with a rain sensor as standard on the 2.0 Sport model. Plus all 4 windows are able to be opened via the key fob for ventilation and they have an anti-jam feature built in. And another one - the rear view mirror is auto dimming!

The rear seats are split 60:40 with the mechanism operated with a button. It is so easy to fold the seats as the button is easy to push and releases the seats without fuss. The rear seats offer enough space and legroom even with the front seats adjusted for a tall driver. The boot is surprisingly spacious too with a capacity of 430 ltrs although the access might be a bit hard for large or oddly shaped items as the opening is quite small.

Now the engine. Mazda has always been at the low end of the engine power stakes. In Japan, for a long time Honda has always outclassed the others when it comes to engine power with the same capacity, non-turbo of course. This new Mazda 3 powerplants are a bit disappointing for someone like me who values power. So the 1.6l power of 103hp and 145nm and the 2.0l power of 145hp and torque of 182nm is quite disappointing, and it shows in the drive. In fact, I was quite dismayed at the 1.6l power of 103hp, that's lower than the Proton Gen2's 110hp.

Now the drive. Nothing much to say as I only managed to drive for 4km. The engine as expected is under-powered to say the least. A stab on the accelerator pedal does not bring on the power as I expected. But then again I have a heavy right foot. It should suffice for the mostly sedate family drivers out there. It is smooth and creamy though and quiet.

The suspension is MacPherson struts at the front and E-Type Multi Link at the rear. The ride is pliant and smooth. Shame I wasn't able to test the cornering abilities and see how it performs when thrown in to a nice corner.

The headlamps are another class first. Where can you find a bi-xenon setup on a 2 litre compact sedan? This one is xenon for low and high beam. The rear light cluster is a bit messy but has LEDs. Nice and bright.

Overall, the new Mazda 3 is a superb offering from Mazda in its price segment. Normally, I wouldn't bother about Mazda and up until the test drive, I was convinced that the Civic is the best buy based on features and price (the Civic was RM3000 cheaper). But the problem is that Mazda did not publish or make available all the features of the Mazda 3 anywhere. Would you believe that I couldn't find the information that I wanted from anywhere on the Internet including the Mazda website? If I didn't go and see the car fior myself, I wouldn't have found out that it had those anti-jam windows feature.

But after seeing the car in the flesh and driving it, I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a 2.0l family sedan. Consider the following features beyond what Honda, Toyota or Nissan are offering in the same class:

• CBU unit
• Bi-Xenon headlights
• Rain sensor
• Anti-jam power windows all round
• Ability to open and close all 4 power windows via key fob
• Dual zone air conditioning system
• Auto dimming rear view mirror
• 6 airbags
• MID with service interval and tyre rotation indicator

The price? RM111,017.50 OTR for the 1.6L and RM131,537.90 OTR for the 2.0 Sport. The 2.0 Sport is only RM3,000 more than the 2.0 Civic and consider this - the bi-xenon headlights alone could cost RM6,000 - RM7,000 and you could imagine what a great deal this car is.

I would definitely recommend it to anyone. For more details, please contact Eric of Bermaz Motor at 012-6583888.