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 build quality of the Mazda 3 reinforces the Japanese carmaker's consistently strong showing in customer satisfaction and reliability surveys. The car also feels more upmarket than the outgoing model, with solid-feeling switchgear and a well put-together cabin.
The Mazda 3 i-Stop shouldn't be any less reliable than the standard Mazda 3, despite the extra technology. In fact, the stop/start system should help to reduce engine wear from sitting in traffic.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Mazda Mazda3
wrote on 16 12 2006