Jerry Robbin

The Mazda3 is an economical, practical small car with many premium amenities. Also, the Mazda 3 is efficient, exciting and has features you would find in many luxury vehicles. The five-door hatchback that I test drove gives you the utility of a station wagon with room for passengers or storage.

The Mazda3 Grand Touring had a MSRP of $22,650.00, which included a $650 destination charge.
Driving Experience

My Mazda 3 had a 5speed manual-transmission and averaged 22MPG in the city and 29MPG on the highway.

The Mazda3S has a 2.3-liter engine that delivers enough power to handle any of your driving experiences. The steering was very responsive to any quick hairpin turn I made.

The ABS brakes and Dynamic Stability Control with traction control are standard on the S model and road noise is minimal, but it isn’t objectionable. The engine was a little loud at full throttle and makes a little noise at cruising speeds.

The all over driving experience in the Mazda 3 makes you feel as if you are driving a full size car.

Safety

Below is a list of safety features found on the Mazda 3:

Roadside assistance, 5-passenger 3-point safety belts, Dynamic Stability control, traction control, Anti-lock brakes with electronic brake force distribution and brake assist (standard on the s model and optional on I model), advance dual front airbags, side airbags and head-protection curtain airbags, a energy-absorbing brake pedal, and a tire-pressure monitoring system.

Inside

The Mazda3 Grand Touring offers plenty of passenger space, which compares very favorably with other of its competitors. The Mazda3’s has additional space if needed folding the 60/40 seats down, which let’s you increase the trunk room for large objects. The back of the rear seat almost folds flat, but it’ is good enough to store larger objects. The Mazda3 five-door will accommodate 43.8 cubic feet of cargo behind the front seats when the second seat is folded down.

The Mazda3 seats give great support with comfort and keep you in place when making hairpin turns. My Mazda Grand Touring edition featured heated seats for those cold winter days and had nice leather seats.

There was plenty of storage space in the Mazda3, which included large glove box 2-cup holders in the center consol plus 2 in the rear seat.

The Mazda3 has a leather-wrapped steering wheel, tilt & telescopic steering wheel with radio and cruise controls. The controls and gauges are easy to read. There are 2 backlight settings for the instrument panel, which are controlled by a button in the gauge cluster. Legroom and headroom are good in the front and rear seat. The Grand Touring has an 8-way power driver’s seat, power windows, automatic climate control, and dual illuminated visor mirrors.

Outside

Unique styling for this small vehicle sets it apart from other vehicles in its class. Some of the nice features are 17” alloy wheels, P205 R17 all season tires, auto on off Xeon lights, fog lights, side turn signal repeater lights, rain sensing front wipers, rear window wiper, sport front and rear bumpers, rear spoiler and a cargo management system

Summary

The Mazda3 Grand Touring is an economical vehicle that has style, comfort, features, and personality.

Specifications

Dimensions

Exterior

Length: 177.4 in. Width: 69.1 in.

Height: 57.7 in. Wheel Base: 103.9 in.

Ground Clearance: 4.8 in. Curb Weight: 2780 lbs.

Interior

Front Head Room: 39.1 in. Front Hip Room: 53.8 in.

Front Shoulder Room: 54.9 in. Rear Head Room: 37.4 in.

Rear Shoulder Room: 54 in. Rear Hip Room: 52.5 in.

Front Leg Room: 41.1 in. Rear Leg Room: 36.3 in.

Luggage Capacity: 11.5 cu. ft. Maximum Seating: 5

Performance Data

Performance

Base Number of Cylinders: 4 Base Engine Size: 2 liters

Base Engine Type: Inline 4 Horsepower: 148 hp

Max Horsepower: 6500 rpm Torque: 135 ft-lbs.

Max Torque: 4500 rpm Drive Type: FWD

Turning Circle: 34.1 ft.

Fuel Data

Fuel

Fuel Tank Capacity: 14.5 gal.

EPA Mileage Estimates: (City/Highway)

Manual: 24 mpg / 32 mpg

Range in Miles: (City/Highway)

Manual: 348 mi. / 464 mi.