As I am currently in the independent, no-kid phase of my life, I lean toward coupes or small sedans in terms of personal preference. But the 2008 Mazda3 Five-Door gave me a new perspective on the wagony, hatchbacky segment.
I would now add this car to the must-test list for any single person in the city who’s in the market for a car. From size to utility, the Mazda3 Five-Door is fun, attractive and practical.
2008 Mazda3
Engine: 2.3-liter I-4 engine
Horsepower: 156
Peak torque: 150 pound-feet @ 4,500
Drivetrain: Front-wheel drive
Seating capacity: 5
Length: 176.8 inches
Wheelbase: 103.9 inches
Width: 69.1 inches
Height: 57.7 inches
Cargo volume: 17.1 cubic-feet (behind rear seats); 43.8 cubic-feet (with rear seats down)
MPG (city/highway): 22/29
Base price: $19,175 (with destination)
As tested: $20,495
Sharing the same wheelbase as the sedan, the five-door Mazda3 also shares the same compact size, shaving 0.6 inches off the length and ringing in with an overall length of 176.8 inches. Front and rear legroom for both sedan and hatchback are exactly the same at 41.1 and 36.3 inches respectively. EPA city/highway fuel estimates are also the same at 22/29 mpg for the 2.3-liter I-4 engine.
What you gain with the five-door is an incredible amount of utility. The sedan offers a very decent 11.5 cubic-feet of cargo volume, but the hatchback with rear seats folded flat bumps up to a stellar 43.8 cubic-feet of cargo volume. Not bad at all for a small car.
Behind the wheel, you completely forget the utility part of Mazda3 five-door, and it becomes pure fun. Even at it’s most inexpensive and basic level, Mazda works hard to get the Zoom-Zoom under the hood. The 2.3-liter I-4 engine standard in the five-door model has 156 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of torque. Mated to the five-speed manual transmission, the engine gives just enough punch to allow you to pop in and out of traffic.
While the power isn’t neck-snapping fast (check out the $23K Mazdaspeed3 for that), it’s more than adequate. On the cloverleaf on- and off-ramps, the Mazda3 five-door, hugged the curves and put a smile on my face.
For the most part, I liked the five-speed manual transmission. While the clutch was easy to operate, the gears – especially first gear – were a bit notchy. Overall, however, it was fine, and didn’t cause a problem during stop-and-go traffic. If you’d like to upgrade to an automatic, you’ll add $950 to the price tag.
The test vehicle was a relatively basic S Touring model that had a starting price of $19,175. I liked the cloth leather seats and base audio interface. The only options were the Sirius Satellite Radio ($430) and Moonroof/6 CD Package ($890). I’m always a fan of the moonroof, but could take or leave the satellite radio. The only other option I could have wanted (aside from heated leather seats that are only available on the S Grand Touring model) is a cargo cover. The as-tested price of the test vehicle was $20,495.
Base price for the S Sport model is $18,675, and base price for the S Grand Touring model (with standard heated leather seats) is $20,945.
All Mazda3 five-doors come standard with antilock brakes, front and rear side-curtain airbags and a tire pressure monitoring system. The S Touring adds stability control, traction control and AM/FM/CD six-speaker audio system. But it’s the S Grand Touring that will bring standard luxury amenities like Xenon HID automatic on/off headlights, rain-sensing front windshield wipers, leather seats, heated front seats, power adjustable driver’s seat and automatic climate control. While I enjoyed the S Touring model, you’ll get the most bang for your buck in the S Grand Touring model.
As I mentioned the test vehicle was pretty basic, but I didn’t mind. In a Mazda, basic is pretty nice. The cloth seating surfaces were smooth and attractive, and all the buttons, dials and gauges were in an intuitive easy-to-reach location. I liked the glowing blue-and-red gauges and the flashy red light on the audio controls that indicate a change in volume or station.
Even though the seat adjustments were manual, I found a very good driving position, and visibility out the front and rear was great. There weren’t any unusual blind spots, and the Mazda3 five-door was incredibly easy to parallel park and maneuver in tight spaces.
I’ve always been a fan of the Mazda3, and that hasn’t changed after my stint in the five-door model. If anything, I’m moving up the ranks of the fan club toward officer status. The five-door is just a great car whether you want the base S Sport model as a starter car or the souped-up S Grand Touring model as a saucy every-day driver.
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