![]() Bright trim is found on the instrument and outside vent bezels, and a swatch of imitation carbon fiber adds interest to the center of the instrument panel. The new 3 is a more mature car, with a notable lack of silvery plastic trim and slippery imitation race pedals. Like the Protege5 before, the Mazda3 5-door's interior is styled and equipped above it's modest price point. A small spoiler is found atop the trailing edge of the roof.ĬOMFORT: The Mazda3 is friendly - a ``Hello!'' message is shown in the audio system display when you start the car. At the rear is a large compound-curved hatch and clear-covered taillights that echo the headlight shape. Although the Mazda3 5-door has a longer wheelbase than the old Protege5, and is longer, its beefier proportions give it a look that is more hatchback than wagon. Seventeen-inch wheels with low-profile performance tires fill the wheel arches, and plastic trim garnishes the rocker panels. The hood line continues to the base of the windshield to form a strong shoulder line, and top of the each lower, wider front fenders creates a line that flows back to the complementarily-shaped blistered rear fender for a strong, purposeful look. The plastic-faired headlight clusters are between the 3's two relatives in shape, but the lower fascia, with a large mesh-covered intake flanked by faux brake scoops with projector-beam foglamps, has a marked similarity to the front of the RX8. As on the Mazda6 and RX8, sharply-sculpted character lines radiate back from the grille (in this case a body-colored version of the Mazda five-point design) to form a power dome hood. It shows all of the latest styling trends from Mazda, with a healthy dose of Mazda6 in the sculpted hood and more than a hint of RX8 in the front face. Zoom-zoom, indeed.ĪPPEARANCE: A sporty car should look sporty, and the Mazda3 hides nothing of its character in its skin. Add plenty of useful power, matched with a great-shifting gearbox, and a refined but sporty chassis to that space and the result is an experience unique in this country. There is even more room inside, making it a great choice for anyone needing space but wanting sport. It's more refined, but not at the expense of an entertaining, fun-to-drive character. In the week I spent with a Mazda3 5-Door, I found it to be a more substantial and grown-up car than the Protege5. Its 160 horsepower is a considerable step up from the Protege5's 130-horse 2.0-liter engine. The sportier 5-Door is available only with the 2.3-liter engine. Mazda3 sedans are offered with a choice of four-cylinder engines, of 2.0 and 2.3 liters displacement, both closely-related to the four-cylinder used in the larger Mazda6. As with the Protege, the Mazda3 is a front-wheel drive car. It comes in sedan or 5-Door body styles, the 5-Door being a four-door hatchback with the hatch making the fifth door. Slightly longer and wider than the Protege, the Mazda3 is built on a new platform that is considerably more rigid than the old Protege chassis. The top-line Mazda3 is the S 5-Door, a car very much in the same vein as the Protege5 - but more grown up and better in all ways. Does this mean Mazda has given up on the sport-compact wagon? Not a chance. For 2004, as the Mazda lineup continues to change, the Protege is history, replaced by the Mazda3. SEE ALSO: Mazda Specs, Reviews and Comparisons 1997-Present Model YearĪ few years ago, Mazda invented the sport-compact wagon genre with the introduction of the Protege5.
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