Our Fleet Test Drive Review: Mazda 3 - 6th Report
Date:
17 November 2009
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Author: Hugh Hunston
Side mirror
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Category: | Lower medium | P11D price: | £18,260 | Key rival: | Ford Focus | |
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Little things please or rankle when spending large amounts of time with a car.
Press-button folding mirrors on the 3 have been a boon in both narrow Devon lanes and city mews, while automatic lights provide another positive, even if they have a Swedish all-day tendency to remain on long after dawn or when emerging from canopies of trees.
Whatever pedestrian protection rating Mazda's designers engineered into the hatch they probably did not envisage people walking into their stationary car. But two small-ish children suffered (separate) head-banging, close encounters with the protruding clear rear light clusters, which from certain angles are almost transparent. Litigation is not pending.
Mazda 3 2.2d 150PS Sport 5-door manual | Mileage | 4957 | Claimed combined consumption | 52.3mpg | Our average consumption | 45.3mpg | P11D price | £18,260 | Model price range | £13,500 -£21,500 | CO2 (tax) | 144g/km/19% | BIK 20/40% per month | £58/£116 | Service interval | 12,500mls | Insurance | group 10E | Warranty | 3yrs/60,000mls | Boot space (min/max) | 300/1360 litres | Engine size/power | 2184cc/150PS | Top speed/0-62mph | 127mph/9.2secs | Why we’re running it | Can it step up to its class mark like the 6? | Positive | Driving appeal, improving economy | Negative | Equipment versus petrol Sport model |
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