Designing new cars is expensive and car companies are always looking for savings. One of the best ways to do this is to share components or the platform – that is to say the chassis, suspension and most of what lies under the car’s skin except the engine and interior.
By simply adding different body designs and badges a car company can produce a range of new vehicles at a fraction of the cost of designing them each from scratch. The cars may look different, with most buyers never guessing that they share much more than an indicator bulb, but in fact they have the same DNA.
Ford, which owns Mazda and Volvo, did just that with the Mazda3. Strip off the panels and you could just as easily be looking at the bare bones of a Volvo S40, Ford C-Max or new Ford Focus.
Far from seeing this sharing tactic as a fudge by the car companies, buyers should rejoice. Imagine creating a car that combines Japanese reliability with European driving dynamics. Because in the case of the Mazda3 that’s just what they tried to pull off.
Launched in Britain in January 2004, the Mazda3 was initially available with either a 1.6 or 2 litre petrol engine producing 105bhp and 150bhp respectively. Despite the big difference in power the cars perform more similarly than one might imagine. The 2 litre feels brisk but never quick, while the 1.6 litre can be revved into activity.
A few months after launch Mazda added a 1.4 litre petrol engine boasting 84bhp and a super-economical 1.6 litre diesel with 109bhp on tap (a 90bhp variant of this diesel has also been introduced recently). The diesel won most of the sales although many low mileage or city-bound drivers may be more satisfied with the smallest petrol unit, which is smoother.
Following your choice of engine comes your choice of body style as Mazda offered both saloon and hatchback derivatives. Identically priced when new, the saloon offered a substantially larger boot (413 litres) compared with the hatchback (346 litres). But despite this, and the fact that the saloon has a more natural shape, buyers in the UK preferred the hatchback. This means that on the secondhand market the hatchback generally fetches around £400 more.
On the road all Mazda3 variants feel safe and well planted, although the suspension is set up more for handling than optimum ride comfort. Interior space is also good with plenty of head and shoulder room, but rear legroom will be pinched if the driver is much over 6ft tall.
The cabin feels well laid out, if lacking a little in occasion, and the three interlocking dials have more than a hint of Alfa Romeo about them. Unearth a car with the optional DVD-driven satellite navigation system and you will find the screen clear and the commands accurate, although the buttons, which are mounted low down and near the gearshift, are rather fiddly to operate.
Standard equipment levels for the Mazda3 stand up pretty well when compared with the competition, with only the base S model lacking air-conditioning. The biggest seller is the TS model, which came with electric rear windows, 15in alloys, driver’s seat height adjustment and steering-wheel-mounted audio controls. This will command a £700 premium over the S model on the secondhand market but is well worth the money.
For a further £500 you can have the higher spec TS the air-conditioning to fully automatic climate control and feature larger 16in alloys, curtain airbags and a traction control system that includes an electronic stability program.
The Mazda3 may fall short of taking the very best bits of several cars and combining them into just one, but it does still add up to an impressive and likeable package. If you fancy an ultra-reliable, tastefully styled and reasonably priced family car then the Mazda3 should be on your shortlist.
