  2013 Mazdaspeed3. Click image to enlarge |
With a whopping 280 lb-ft of torque on tap the front wheels claw down on every bit of pavement they can, leading to a level of torque steer I haven’t felt since the last time Mitsubishi sold the Eclipse GT V6 on our shores. This isn’t the kind of car you can just drive hard with one hand at the top of the wheel if you expect to maintain any kind of control.
When you lean into it and you reach that sweet spot just over 3,000 rpm, power comes on like someone just flipped a switch, which clearly explains its relatively quick 0–100 km/h sprint in 6.1 seconds. Although the 2.3L turbo redlines at 7,400 rpm, be prepared to swap cogs frequently, as torque drops clean off the map somewhere just over 6,000 rpm. That massive hit of torque in the midrange is both good and bad, as it allows you to keep the mad dog under control around town, but it makes driving fast and smooth a bit more challenging. That sudden punch isn’t much of a concern in a straight line, but it can be a bit unnerving when navigating a string of high-speed corners.
When it comes to navigating the twisty bits, the Speed3 does a reasonable job of it all, but it’s still not quite up to speed with the competition. Push the car hard into the corners and you’re left fighting against some serious understeer, which is surprising knowing that the base chassis shares origins with the much more neutral Ford Focus ST. Once you make it around the bend and get back on the throttle, Mazda has stuck with a proper low-tech Torsen LSD to keep the power down, which is far more appealing than the electronic torque vectoring techniques being used by other manufacturers. As much as manufacturers think they can get away with using traction control to brake the inner wheel and shift power output, you can’t really compete with an LSD.
Braking feel from the Speed3 is another category that could use a little improvement, but again it is still perfectly acceptable given its other strong points. All told this thing really is a riot to drive quickly, and if owners decide to get more serious with their track/autocross use, there will always be plenty of aftermarket options to take care of the car’s few shortcomings. On paper the Speed3’s fuel economy numbers don’t seem half bad, coming in at an EPA-estimated 13.0 L/100 km city, 9.4 highway and 11.2 combined (18/25/21 mpg).
As far as happy-go-lucky hooligan cars on a budget go, I have to hand it to Mazda for pulling this one together. The Miata has been their poster child for years, and the Speed3 is right up there as far as performance value, but at the other end of the spectrum with raw power the priority over preternatural handling. Sure, the interior isn’t quite as well finished as I would like, but much like my relationship with the Mitsubishi Evo X, once I got into the drive those minor details faded to the background and I was compelled to just keep driving (sometimes like a bit of a fool if I’m honest). If passenger and cargo space is at all a concern, the Mazdaspeed3 definitely has the advantage over any of the “true” hot hatches out there.
Pricing: 2013 Mazdaspeed3
Base Price: $29,995
Options: $2,640 (Technology package, includes Blind Spot Monitoring, intelligent key system, 8-way adjustable driver’s seat, SIRIUS satellite radio, Colour MID & Navigation, AFS adaptive front lighting with auto leveling)
Freight & PDI: $1,795
A/C Tax: $100
Price as tested: $34,530
Competitors:
Ford Focus ST
Mini Cooper S
Subaru WRX Wagon
Volkswagen GTI
Crash Test Results:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
