Mazda 3: Test Drive (continued)
Date:
06 September 2007
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Author: John Mahoney
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Category: | Lower medium | Prices: | £11,430-£19,495 | Key rival: | Ford Focus | |
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Our car also suffered from a less than slick change, but that could improve with the miles.
Mazda says its 2.0-litre diesel should sprint to 60mph in 9.1secs, trailing the sportier-still Seat diesel FR by almost a second while matching its 47.1mpg fuel consumption and 22% BIK tax bracket.
The Leon FR also has an identical CPM - 28.5p per mile - but a lower P11D. But it's not game, set and match quite yet for the Seat because the 3 Sport claws back part of the deficit with greater specification like Xenon lamps fitted as standard.
Overall the Seat is the car we'd plump for, but the 3 is a better-equipped, fractionally superior to drive alternative that's well worth a second look.
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