12 Apr 07
The interior is happily free of any hot hatch cliches. So no fake carbon fibre, no drilled aluminium, no white dials. Instead, it's a roomy, very comfortable, four and a half seater with a decent sized boot.
It's well equipped too. There are two specification levels available with this engine: TS2 comes with pretty much everything, while Sport adds cruise control and better upholstery. It all feels well made, apart from the freakishly feeble and tacky sun visors.
Externally, you get side skirts, 17" alloy wheels and a small rear spoiler, but none of the trying-too-hard flourishes of the MPS. Mechanically, you get the MPS's beefed-up suspension, chassis reinforcements and upgraded brakes.
It's a warm hatch for grown-ups who enjoy the pleasure of driving but who can't afford to have a car that offers only the pleasure of driving at the expense of the practicalities. It's good value: less than £17,000 for the TS2, just under £18,000 for the Sport. If the Seat Leon line-up didn't already include a couple of very good diesels, the Mazda 3 2.0D would be even more impressive than it is. It's good to have the choice - don't let those very plain clothes fool you into overlooking it.
