Although the 84bhp 1.4-litre powerplant is the most modest of the three petrol powered engines that are offered for sale in the UK, the prices being asked look distinctly reasonable. Kicking off at £11,415 in S trim and moving up to £12,715 for the TS, the Mazda compares favourably with cars like the Peugeot 307 and the Renault Megane.
Even the base S version offers an exceptional level of standard safety and security features such as anti lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution and emergency brake assist plus front side airbags and a category one alarm/immobiliser. This specification list compares with the class best and that’s before taking into consideration the Mazda3 1.4-litre’s low overall ‘whole life’ costs which are helped by very low insurance ratings, beefy projected residual values and low cost replacement parts. Mazda sales are currently riding high and it’s no coincidence. The TS model adds manual air conditioning and curtain airbags as well as 15-inch alloy wheels and a CD stereo. Upgraded upholstery, a map reading light, a driver’s lumbar support and wheel-mounted audio controls also
feature.
It’s fair to say the engine isn’t the most exciting powerplant we’ve ever come across, but it’ll return some respectable figures. You can expect to average nearly 40mpg and CO2 emissions are a fair 157g/km. With a top speed of 106mph, the Mazda won’t leave you embarrassed when you hit the outside lane of the motorway although it won’t win any awards for sprinting, taking 14 seconds to hit 60mph. Much of this is down to the fact that the Mazda is a surprisingly big car for such a modest engine to propel.
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