Mazda’s spirited number 3, hits nearly all the right notes

The Mazda3 is a wonderful little premium hatchback. Materials all around the driver are quality and give that big car feel. Starting price is €26,295.00 for the hatchback and €28,715.00 for the saloon. Here we have the 2.0 SkyActiv-G GT Sport 6 speed Manual with 122 PS and 0-60 time of 10.4s. It's €200 to tax and the asking price is topped up to €31,495 with some options.

I absolutely loved the dark cabin, the seating position is wonderful (took a few goes) and that Bose stereo is fantastic. The rear view camera is superb, the quality is some of the best out there but you'll need it as it's tricky to see out the rear 3/4s. The 6 speed manual has a lovely notchy catch between gears. Auto Stop/Start works brilliantly. Lane assist not so much. You can turn it off but when you use cruise control, it seems to be part of the system and is distracting.

Heated seats and steering wheel are welcome additions on cold mornings. This 2.0 SkyActiv-G feels underpowered (from an enthusiastic point of view) but pulls along nicely.
Dear Mazda, this car is so close to perfection, please consider dropping in a hot engine. We promise to be good. I had the Skyactiv-x will be here b the end of the year but it remains to be seen if it can enter the hot hatch club.

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