Mazda 3 MPS (09 on) - Review

Whereas some performance hatchbacks are unforgiving for passengers, the MPS has a relatively smooth ride that irons out most potholes in the road. It's still firm and can get caught out by bumpy surfaces, but it makes a great long distance cruiser and is incredibly quiet and refined on motorways. There's plenty of room inside for four adults with good legroom in the back, while comfort is further boosted by supportive sports seats in the front which are heated. The MPS also comes with climate control as standard and part-leather upholstery.

The MPS version of the Mazda3 is equally as practical as the standard model. The boot offers 340 litres of load space, about average for this size of car and around the same as a Volkswagen Golf GTI. As you'd expect, the rear seats split 60/40 and fold down easily to create a larger load area of more than 1,300 litres. There's decent storage in the front too including a large central cubby that doubles as a sliding armrest. A sat nav system is standard, but the only way of controlling it is through buttons on the steering wheel which can be a little fiddly.

The MPS version has a similar cabin to the standard Mazda3 which means high quality materials and an upmarket appearance. There are plenty of soft-touch plastics while the high-placed gear lever and swooping dash give the impression that everything is focussed toward the driver. It's suitably sporty with deep-set dials, red and black half-leather seats and aluminium pedals which help distinguish it from the normal hatch, while there's a digital turbo boost gauge on the instrument cluster. The standard sat nav is a useful feature, although the screen is fairly small and not always that easy to read, especially in built-up areas.