Mazda 3 Saloon (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.

This is where the 3 saloon makes less sense than the hatchback. The lack of a tailgate mean it's not as versatile as the five-door model and although the boot opening is quite large - the load area itself is quite short. That said, on paper it actually has more boot room with 413 litres (compared to 346 litres), but in everyday situations the hatchback is easier to use. On the plus side, a low lip means it's easy to get to and the seats have a 60/40 split and fold flat for extra space.

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 touch 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. Rear visibility is a little restricted due to the high boot though.