2008 Mazda Mazda3 Review

Angry. That’s the word. The Mazdaspeed3 is an angry car. Angry that it doesn’t quite garner the same respect as perennial sports compact leader Honda with their latest Civic Si, or the across-the-pond competitor, the Golf GTI. Angry that even though it actually has more power than Mazda’s suicide-door equipped sports coupe cum sedan, the RX-8 (a great car in its own right, don’t get me wrong), it isn’t the car that immediately comes to mind when listing high-performance Mazdas. But the peppy little ‘Speed3 shouldn’t be so angry.

Having just spent a week with Mazda’s manic hot-hatch, I think it really needs to seek counseling to right its massive inferiority complex (is that an oxymoron?). For starters, the Mazda3 was a refreshing take on the compact car when it was released as a 2003 model. Its engine was a fiery little unit that showed that Honda wasn’t alone in making great four bangers, while its styling showed that you could get from A to B on the cheap and reliably without having to sit behind the bland dash of a Corolla. Now that the geniuses over at Mazda’s performance division have had their hands on the 3, you still get all the benefits of the regular car, but with performance that is hard to match. Prior to getting into the Mazdaspeed3, I had just spent a week in the latest Civic Si, and was convinced that I had just sampled the crème-de-la-crème when it comes to the sports compact world. Now, I think I have to adjust my judgment, a little.

Let’s start with the impressions the car leaves from a stylistic standpoint. My particular example was finished in what Mazda calls “True Red”, and true it is. This hue was the exclusive color for the first model year of Mazdaspeed3, and was dropped the following year, but it’s back for 2008.5. Rarely was I forced to guess where I’d left the car in a large parkade; that searing color makes it impossible for the hatch to hide among the neutral grays, whites and “champagne” colors so prominent in the automotive world today, and when the visibility is optimal I swear my car could be seen from a thousand yards away. The only knock I have here is how tempting the ‘Speed3 is to drive quickly, and how quickly any police officer would be tempted to pull it over even if it was moving at 5 mph over the limit, given its go-fast color. Best to be prudent when using your right ankle muscle, then.


Equally eye-catching is the spoiler sprouting out from just above the tailgate. Now, I often find spoilers on wagons/hatchbacks (this car is a mix of both, really) to be a little hokey and obtrusive, but the one found on the ‘Speed3 manages to get noticed without completely dominating the car’s profile. Along with the side sills, front air dam, body-color grille and wing mirrors, rear valance and LED “Hannabi” tail lamps, the wing helps deliver an air of unity and tightness to the car’s styling without feeling like they’re a bunch of bolt-on aftermarket parts.

Personally, I found the Mazdaspeed3’s visual highlight to be the aggressive rear diffuser that gives a rally-car flare to the hot-hatch. Officially, the car is no longer than its brethren, but when seen from the side, that diffuser really gives the impression that the car is ready to tackle the twisties, be it on the road or the track. The only exterior styling changes for 2008 (or 2008.5, as Mazda has taken to calling its latest models) include bright finish (and very boy-racer) 18-inch alloy wheels that may not help the already stiff ride, but boy do they ever fill the arches generously.


Inside you’ll find black-on-gray cloth seats, plus piano black dash trim. I used to think that carbon fiber or brushed aluminum was the only way to add sportiness to an interior, but I must say that the smooth, high-gloss finish accenting my test car’s cabin was great. It looks classy while some faux-carbon fiber or plastic impersonating aluminum can be distracting, and it also provides an ideal contrast to the bright red instrumentation. For their part, the seats with their red piping and “Mazdaspeed” embroidery (by my count, the Mazdaspeed logo itself is repeated 6 times throughout the interior) are the business. Side bolstering that is supportive, but not to the point of intrusive such as those found on the RX-8, and grippy upholstery help keep drivers firmly in place. They do their part to provide a sportscar-lite feel to the 3. I love them, as oftentimes the sporty intentions of a car can be felt as soon as you sit down and peer over the wheel, without ever having to turn the engine on. But oh, when that engine does eventually spark…

One blip of the throttle and the Speed’s angry, grumbly vibe becomes an angry yell. I have never heard a four-banger with a tone like this. While not quite up to V8 muscle-car standards, the burbly growl from the 3 is as close as you’re going to come without doubling the cylinder count or installing a paint-can sized muffler. It’s menacing, really, and while initially fun, it can become a little grating on longer drives. But really, who cares if the Premium Bose audio system is sometimes drowned out a little when the road opens up and you get to really exploit the MS3.

The engine is Mazda’s MZR 2.3-liter turbo unit, and the horsepower it makes (263 to be exact) is substantial to the point of almost being overbearing. Throttle response is so instantaneous that I never felt turbo-lag to be an issue. The turbocharger piles on boost in such a linear fashion that the car doesn’t have to be revved to the nines (like, say, an RX-8) in order for the full power to be deployed. There’s none of the lazy throttle uptake felt on the Civic Si as you wait for the engine to enter VTEC mode, just instantaneous response. But it comes at a price, and here’s where that “overbearing” adjective comes in. As much as Mazda would have you believe that they’ve eliminated torque-steer through a limited slip differential and a torque restriction program which doesn’t allow full power in the first 2 of the MS3’s 6 forward gears, I found myself wrestling the wheel on more than one occasion. Thankfully, it isn’t the type of torque-steer that induces gut wrenching understeer during a spirited drive, but be aware when trying to test Mazda’s claimed 0-60 mph time of 6.1 seconds as hard acceleration is when the wheels may want to go right even though you’ve pointed them straight. This is all in contrast to the Honda, where I’ve never felt the car writhing in my hands. Oh well. I guess that’s what 280 lb-ft (no, that is not a typo) of torque will do to a car that weighs less than 3,200 pounds and has all its power delivered through the front wheels. Still, it doesn’t stop every dash to the next stoplight, every full-throttle corner exit, from being an event that I wanted to relive again and again.

When the car is cooperating, however, the experience is nothing short of intoxicating. While the power figures and throttle response are all well and good, the deliciously tractable steering is what really stands out. When the wheel is not twisting left and right under hard acceleration, steering feel is wonderfully detailed. For starters, the wheel itself feels great, with bulges and indents in all the right places to keep your hands happy even when your palms become sweaty (if this doesn’t occur, then I’m sorry, you aren’t driving the car properly). It connects to a power assisted rack and pinion setup that confidently gains weight as speeds increase. Many may complain about the stiff suspension settings of the car, but when coupled with such a strong steering feel I was always under the impression that I knew what the car was doing. Granted, I probably didn’t take the MS3 to its limits (a track is needed for that), but the car, even at 7/10ths, inspires confidence, and I’m not ashamed to admit that I had to work hard to exercise restraint not to push it further. Turn-in is instantaneous, and more often than not the steering conveyed neutrality when pulling out of the tighter spots. The handling, along with the power delivery, is direct, and I will guarantee that drivers will never tire of the chest thumping force exerted under acceleration. And at the reverse end of the scale, the large diameter (Mazda calls them “oversized”, and I would agree as they measure 12.6/11.0 inches front/rear) brake discs are more than up to the task of anchoring the little hatch, and the ABS activates only in the most desperate of times, like when I had to force the pedal to the carpet at the moment an overzealous driver felt he could beat the orange light. The car stopped on a dime, the sticky Bridgestone Potenza RE050As just clipping the stop line. Phew.

That all being said, the MS3 is not perfect. My main complaints are regarding the transmission. Everything, from clutch action to the throws of the lever, just doesn’t feel as tight as the stiff body and suspension components suggest it should. You’d think that Mazda, who is also responsible for the pristine shift action found in the MX-5 and RX-8, would have gotten this right, but I found the lever’s throws just a little too long, and a little too notchy. What’s especially frustrating is the gate placement for reverse; it asks that you push the lever down, and force it as far up and left as the gate allows. Getting into reverse is no problem—it’s the switch from reverse to first that confounded me throughout my time with the car. All too often I thought I had selected first, when a prod of the accelerator revealed I was still in reverse! I don’t have to tell you how thankful I was that the pedals are placed close enough for a quick heel-toe from throttle to brake during these situations.

But at least it has a proper close-ratio manual as opposed to a manu-matic or full auto setup. Once I got past the shifter, I realized that this car embodies so much of the purity that I love about motoring. Steering that is direct and responsive at high speeds, but lighter around town. Five door practicality, direct injection turbo power without the need for three separate throttle settings — it’s all here, and it can all be had for a hair over $22,000. Mix in the knowledge that under your right foot you have a hot hatch that not only steals the competition’s lunch but is laughing devilishly while it’s doing it and you’ve got a recipe for one of the spicier options of the automotive world today.