Archive for April, 2009

2010 Mazda Mazda3 review

AdminAF April 28th, 2009

2010 Mazda Mazda3 review

When I first saw the 2010 Mazda3 all I could think was that the gaping front mouth had been lifted directly from a Peugeot. After having spent a week in the car I can now see the redesign has significant elements of Mazda’s Nagar design philosophy – specifically in regards to the RX-8.

At first, and from a distance, the rest of the car looks mostly unchanged, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The new design is more aggressive all around with sharper edges and a strong line that runs the length of the car. The new bodywork actually gives the Mazda3 a more European look and also makes it appear like something more than just a compact car. Mazda, we should note, has done many things with the 3 to push the boundaries of the compact car class; but we’ll get to those later. Continue Reading »

U.S.-Spec MazdaSpeed3 Makes Official U.S Debut

AdminAF April 9th, 2009

U.S.-Spec MazdaSpeed3 Makes Official U.S Debut

It’s now official, the 2010 MazdaSpeed3 has made it to U.S. shores. On display at the New York Auto Show the new model isn’t drastically different than the old one, it even keeps the same 2.3-liter direct-injection four-cylinder engine. Power is rated at 263 and 280 ft-lbs of torque.

This is enough for a 0-62 mph run of 6.1 seconds, so the run to 60 might be able to get under the 6.0-second mark.

As for the rest of the car, we’re happy to report that it has not been toned down from the Euro-spec version and that it seems every new innovation on the Euro-spec car has been kept for enthusiasts on this side of the Atlantic. Continue Reading »