The GTI could be our 2010 Automobile of the Year plus comparisons between the two compact hatches tend to be inevitable. Once spending back-to-back nights during the GTI and three, production editor Jennifer Misaros observes which the Mazda's bigger exterior dimensions do no longer translate to added interior space. "The 3's swoopy styling can appear great less than it projects at the expense of interior volume and passenger space, mostly headroom," he or she remarks.
"Despite having an additional two doors and Fifteen additional inches of overall duration, the Mazda 3 possesses fewer compared to three extra cubic feet of shipment and provides purely a nominal building up in legroom, back and front." The two automobiles additionally take distinctly different approaches to infotainment. Whereas our 3 is provided with an optional miniature navigation screen, the GTI comes customary along with a a lot larger, touch-screen audio interface - but does not return with navigation (it's a $1750 option). Both approaches suffer up of his or her devotees and cynics.
Fans of the GTI system get pleasure from the more information, nevertheless others miss the tactile feedback of physical controls and sweetness why navigation isn't always included if the serious hardware is present. The 3's mini-nav is obtainable at an excellent looking $1195 with keyless ignition and satellite radio, but the steering-wheel mounted controls, small screen, and restricted functionality draw ire. Misaros notes that if Mazda were to downsize a number of the physical controls in the center stack readily available would be dozens of room for a conventional touch-screen.
"After living in the supremely logical and easily engineered GTI for a couple days, the Mazda 3's interior feels sophomoric and somewhat primitive after compared," she gripes. Of course, we have a tendency to will not say every one that while not noting that the four-door GTI starts at $4729 more than just the $20,290 base value of a Mazda 3 hatchback. Meanwhile, our 3 is eight months back to its remain, and drivers have not stopped complaining concerning the clutch. Road take a look at coordinator Mike Ofiara sums up the issue: "The clutch pedal takeup is basically cushy and short. Combined with an all or nothing throttle tip-in, it mostly results in engine rpm raised much too high when taking off from a forestall." Three of the four latest comments in the logbook are about the clutch and Ofiara has deemed the 3's behavior worse than the numb communication that frustrated us with the clutch of our Volkswagen Jetta TDI. Our test drivers are at little touch of a disadvantage in adapting to the 3's third pedal though we switch automobiles thus often, and it has almost certain that a three owner would come to master their vehicle. Nevertheless, a controversy that generates about that much discussion so past due in a very year-long test is an effective indicator of something that specifies an automaker's a spotlight. 
Fuel Grade: Eighty-seven octane
Standard Equipment
ABS
Front, side, and side curtain airbags
Push-button ignition with intelligent key
Power windows, locks, and mirrors
Bluetooth
Auxiliary audio input
Tire-pressure monitoring system
Options
Moonroof/Bose Package $1395
-242 watt Bose Centerpoint 10-speaker surround sound
-Moonroof with one-touch open
-In-dash 6-disc CD changer
Technology Package $1195
-Color display with compact nav-screen
-Advanced keyless system with push-button start
-Sirius satellite radio with 6-month subscription
Friday, March 5, 2010
Mazda3 s Sport 5-Door - Four Seasons Update - February 2010
Posted by Lincoln at 10:22 AM