Category: Small Family 
Price Range: £11,950 to £19,900
Quick and quiet restart; punchy petrol engine; decent handling.
CO2 and fuel economy figures are good, but not sensational; i-Stop won't work in certain circumstances.
The combination of a stop/start system and 2.0-litre petrol engine is a good start for Mazda's new technology.
The new Mazda 3 i-Stop is the first model from the Japanese carmaker to be fitted with stop/start technology.
The i-Stop system, which is automatically activated when the car is started and can be deactivated via a switch on the dash, cuts the engine when the car is stationary to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. The technology is nothing new, but it is for Mazda.
On this system the engine shuts down when the driver depresses the clutch and engages neutral, restarting once the clutch is pressed again for first gear to be selected. A small electric motor then supports the restart, which takes just 0.35 seconds.
The energy-saving system works alongside a new 2.0-litre DISI (direct injection spark ignition) petrol engine. The combination means a 20% reduction in fuel consumption and a 20% increase in power, giving the 150bhp Mazda 3 i-Stop an 0-62mph time of 10.4 seconds and 41mpg on the combined cycle.
Prices for the Mazda 3 i-Stop start at £18,025, which is a couple of grand more than the 1.6 diesel 5-door TS that delivers an impressive combined fuel consumption of 62.8mpg. Does the i-Stop make sense when the diesel 3 is more frugal and cheaper to buy? Read on to find out.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Mazda Mazda3
wrote on 16 12 2006