12 Apr 07
The 3 is related to the Ford Focus, which is one of the sweetest handling hatchbacks around. But as with its cousin, the Volvo C30, it's been given its own steering system, and it's not as good as the Ford's. Whereas the Focus responds directly to what your hands are doing, the Mazda's front wheels feel like they're a long way away. The car does go exactly where you point it, but you never get the impression that it's doing so because you asked it to.
The grip/ride/handling set-up is a good compromise between comfort and control. If you should find yourself doing a few fast laps of a big roundabout, or going for a personal best on a favourite country lane, you'll be impressed by the determination with which the 3 sticks to its line, by the lack of roll, and by the way the suspension soaks up all but the worst ruts and holes.
The result is a car that will get you from place to place pretty quickly, if that's what you want: no fuss, no fighting, just a well judged combination of powertrain and chassis. The 0-62mph time of 9.9 seconds and the top speed of 126mph don't look fantastic, but its deftness at overtaking and its easy, comfortable cruising ability make a huge difference. It's quiet in the cabin, too, so you're often going faster than you think.
