Mazda 3 Hatchback (04-08) - Review

The ride is a little on the firm side, which isn't too noticeable on the motorways, but on rougher surfaces the lack of refinement is noticeable, as is engine noise from the smaller petrol engines. The cabin is spacious though and there's decent head and legroom for passengers in the back while the seats are fairly comfortable and those in the front offer good lateral support. The 2006 facelift saw improvement in noise insulation and although things are better it's still not up to class leading standards.

The rear seats split 60/40 and the backs fold down but aside from that they don't do anything particularly clever. Still, boot space is reasonable with 346-litres on offer, which is more than the Volkswagen Golf, and storage is a strong point with large cupholders on the centre console and useful door pockets. Unlike other small hatchbacks, there's no estate version available, although there is a saloon.

The cabin design of the 3 is fairly standard hatchback fare but it seems dated now and is dark and gloomy when compared to more stylish rivals. While there's no doubting the finish, some of the materials are questionable - the standard steering wheel isn't particularly nice to hold and some of the plastics appear cheap with an absence of soft-touch materials. The stereo is a nice feature with it's red backlighting but this does little to life the atmosphere. On the plus side the driving position is good and there's plenty of adjustment in both the steering column and seat.