05:01AM - 28.01.'14
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News Source: autoblog.com
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Almost by definition, affordable compact cars aren't supposed to be fun. Sure, hot hatches get our blood pumping, but not long ago, the terms "compact car" and "economy car" could safely be used interchangeably. A key exception for the last decade has been the Mazda3, a car that has consistently delivered more dynamic thrills and tactile feedback than its contemporaries. Competitors have picked up their game significantly in recent years, however, leaving the Mazda3 wanting in several areas, including overall refinement, in-car technology and cabin appointments, so Mazda went back to the drawing board to create this all-new third-gen model for 2014. Including this redesigned 2014 model, Mazda's recent crop of new products have targeted North America's hottest non-truck segments – compact car, midsize sedan and compact crossover/SUV. Yet it might be fair to call this launch the most important of them all, as the 3 remains the Japanese marque's best-selling vehicle. While America's pool of compact hatchbacks isn't exactly deep, the 2014 Mazda3 still has a challenging road ahead of it competing against two-box compacts that include the popular Ford Focus and recent additions like the all-new Kia Forte and the still-new Hyundai Elantra GT. The 2014 Mazda3 may have made its big debut last summer and gone on sale in August, but it still catches our eye every time we see it. As much as we like the styling of the new Mazda6 sedan, the company's Kodo design language arguably looks even better on this smaller scale. Gone is the former Mazda3's awkward, smiling front end, replaced by a sterner, scowling expression that sets the tone for the rest of the car. An upright shield-shaped grille is flanked by dark, narrow headlights that help form the sweeping front fender lines, and a similar treatment can be found at the rear, which is marked out by wide rear haunches and horizontal taillights. Overall, the Mazda3 five-door looks a lot like a shrunken CX-5 – a strong compliment – but the best part of its styling might be that it doesn't resemble a typical front-drive econobox. With its stretched dash-to-axle ratio and long, flowing lines, the 2014 Mazda3 manages to look a bit like a rear-drive vehicle from BMW or Infiniti. If we had any major complaints about the outgoing Mazda3, they usually centered on its generally lackluster interior. After plopping down behind the wheel of this particular Mazda3 i Grand Touring, though, we're happy to report there is nothing lackluster about its new cabin. It's vastly improved in every area, and we particularly appreciate that the chunky two-tier instrument panel of the outgoing 3 has been supplanted by one with a smoother, more cohesive look (although some of us could have done without the piano black trim and obviously fake carbon-fiber accents). Mazda still refuses to bring much color into the cabin, so aside from the top-of-the-line Mazda3 Grand Touring models, the palette (aside from small trim pieces and seat stitching) is limited to black or... black. One of the coolest features about the 3 is its new navigation system, which the Grand Touring gets as standard equipment. We're not crazy about the tacked-on look of the center-mounted display, but this iPad-like screen-mount strategy seems to be picking up steam with the Mazda3 and cars like the Mercedes-Benz CLA. Either way, the Mazda3's sizeable touchscreen allows users to drag through the various screens like a smart phone, and there's also an iDrive-like, all-in-one rotary control knob aft of the shifter that works for both basic functions and higher-level tasks like inputting addresses and accessing downloaded apps or dialing phone numbers. Another small-yet-appreciated feature of the nav system is a prompt that displays text on the screen for approaching streets as you're driving. On paper, the 2014 Mazda3 has somehow managed to get bigger, yet it offers marginally less legroom and headroom than its predecessor. However, it's still on par with competitors like the Elantra GT and Focus five-door in terms of both passenger space and cargo volume. Although the Mazda3 occasionally reminded us of its shapely roofline when we inadvertently bumped our heads on the door opening, once inside, it provided a decent amount of space considering its footprint. In particular, the front seats offer everyday driving comfort while still being supportive enough for mountain roads. However, you might want to reserve the backseat for smaller or tag-along passengers. The true advantage of a hatchback is its cargo capacity, and the Mazda3 doesn't disappoint in this regard, with plenty of space with the rear seats up or down. Unfortunately, the new cabin is let down by a weirdly shaped center armrest designed to accommodate a pair of cupholders, but the leading edge of the cover (where it's most convenient for the driver to rest his or her arm) is barely more than an inch wide. And speaking of small, a good portion of real estate in the gauge cluster is dominated by the speedometer – by comparison, the flanking tachometer and multifunction display are disappointingly tiny. |
