2009 Mazda3 Grand Touring
Fun to drive, a lot of car for your money
For just a few dollars more, you can have the superlative MAZDASPEED3The Mazda3 is the bread and butter car from the Japanese car company whose name is synonymous with amateur racing and motorsports. While big box retailers like Lowe’s may put their names on NASCAR speedways, Mazda put its money into one of the oldest and best road racing circuits in America: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. With its support of racing from the most basic Spec Miata all the way to Mazda Atlantic formula cars, Mazda has walked the motorsports walk.
So the Mazda3 comes with a racing pedigree. It also sits at the low end of Mazda’s lineup - under a canopy of great sports cars like the RX-8 and MX-5, but also with its big brother Mazda6 and the CX-7 and CX-9 crossover SUVs. The Mazda3 is also the beneficiary of the proven Ford/Mazda MZR engine in its 2.3-liter configuration. This is the same engine that powers the Atlantic cars.
The Mazda3 line starts at a very affordable $14,490 and goes up to $20,595, before options. The test car I had was the top of the line Grand Touring edition at the high end of the price range. On top of the base price, my car was equipped with the moonroof and Bose stereo package for an additional $1,300, which brought our price to $22,590.
The Grand Touring edition of the Mazda3 includes Xenon HID headlights with angle adjustment, leather-trimmed seats, cruise control, AC, CD, telescoping steering column, seat heat, and trip computer. You also get the larger 2.3-liter version of the engine, boasting 156 horsepower (as opposed to the 148 horses in the basic 2-liter plant. The 2.3-liter engine also makes 150 pound-feet of torque compared to 135 in the base model.
The Mazda3 has a great story for gas mileage - at 22/29, it’s an attractive choice for this year’s pump prices. Other cars may get better mileage, but none will be sportier than the Mazda3 and offer comparable fuel economy.
I took the Mazda3 on a longish road trip up towards the Joshua Tree high desert area of California. The little car cruises at 70 with ease on the highway, although there is a noticeable drag from the air conditioning compressor. But that AC kept the car chilled like a crisp fall day when outside temps reached 108, so you know it was working hard.
The 2.3-liter engine makes nice power starting at about 2,500 RPM and pulls straight up to redline, but can be a little balky starting from a dead stop - especially with the AC on. You just have to remember to give it a little extra push to get going, and then it takes off like the proverbial scalded dog.
Inside, the Mazda3 reflects the great advancements in automaking of the last 15 years - it’s all laid out well, with high-quality materials and components. The brakes, transmission, and suspension all work well.
Yet for all that, the Mazda3 is overshadowed in my mind by its “wild child” MAZDASPEED3 sibling. The MAZDASPEED edition offers 263 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque and is base-priced at $22,740. That’s precisely $150 more than the Mazda3 I tested. The MAZDASPEED3 has a 6-speed manual box and fantastic suspension. In that car’s Grand Touring package, you get the leather and all the good stereo stuff at $24,455. For me, that’s not much money for a big step up in value.
The bottom line on the Mazda3 is that many buyers will be tending towards the $14,000 end of the spectrum, and that’s fine. They deserve the benefit of Mazda’s race-bred DNA just like the rest of us. But faced with a choice between the Grand Touring Mazda3 and the hot rod MAZDASPEED3, for me it’s no contest to spend the extra money. This may be the last year for the MAZDASPEED3, so make sure your visit to a Mazda dealer includes a complete test-drive of the Mazda3 line.
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