2013 Mazda Mazdaspeed 3 review

The 2013 Mazda Mazdaspeed 3 is a nice counterpoint to the Ford Focus ST we had in our fleet a few weeks ago. They're both around $28k, have similar outputs and accoutrements, etc. But where the Focus ST felt pretty refined, considering its capabilities, the Mazda, by contrast, felt pretty raw -- in a good way. The clutch pedal will bite you if you're not careful; the shifter is crisp; the car is noisy. 

After some time, we got over the gaping, smiling and obnoxious grille in the front

Even so, torque steer seemed a bit more manageable in the Mazda despite its somewhat higher output (263 hp and 280 lb-ft to the Ford's 252 hp and 270 lb-ft). It still gets a bit squirrely when the turbo kicks in the lower gears, but you feel ready for it somehow -- perhaps the car communicates a bit better thanks to all that noise. 

This isn't supposed to be a comparison between the Mazda and the Ford. I don't think you'd go wrong with either vehicle -- they're both loads of fun while retaining a modicum of hatchback versatility. But the  Mazdaspeed 3 is, for better or worse, a more direct, raw and sincere vehicle. 

ASSOCIATE EDITOR JAKE LINGEMAN: The Mazdaspeed 3 is by almost any measure the hottest hatch around. It has the most power, nearly if not the best handling and the tightest clutch this side of a Ford Mustang Cobra.

I drove the hell out of one of these when we had our two longterm testers, and I think Mazda has smoothed out much of the rawness of the 3. There seems to be less torque steer than before, and the shifter seems much more robust. 

I still think this has the most torque steer out of the Volkswagen GTI and Ford Focus ST, but it also has the most power. I'd like to see a straight drag race between the ST and this, just to see how far ahead this car would be after a quarter-mile.

The interior had its ups and downs in terms of refinement, but overall it got the job done

Of the three, I'd still buy the ST, even though it's down on power. It's way more refined. And by the way, the VW GTI is more refined than both in my eyes, but it is too far down on power. 

I'm not completely sold on the interior of the 3, though I do like the new radio, even though it wouldn't work with my iPhone 5. I'm also glad the seats are just one color, instead of the multipattern stuff we had on our longtermer.

The smiling face is something you'd have to get used to. But the dark rims look great. 

ASSOCIATE WEST COAST EDITOR BLAKE Z. RONG: Ignore the gaping smile up front -- reminiscent of a plucky, freckled, pig-tailed girl grinning from behind a dental retainer, asking for a rainbow sherbet. Take it from the 5-foot-5 expert in manliness that is me: the Mazdaspeed 3 is one of the manliest cars available today, and unlike louder, traditionally manly conveyances -- Barracudas, the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter -- only its driver will know it. 

Stuff your Hemis! Forget your Chevrolet Corvettes! Let the Ford F-150 King Ranches languish on dealer lots, because the Mazdaspeed 3 is fun, scary, flawed and thrilling all at once -- traits that the modern manly man should seek out in a motor vehicle. Hop on the power and the steering pulls to the right. Like drifting, it's not efficient in the slightest, but what's more thrilling?

Fortunately, the Viggen-esque torque steer can be quelled. Feather the throttle -- pretend there's an egg underneath the pedal, as they tell you at racing school -- and it rewards you with balanced handling and easily controllable boost. It's a car that demands a certain level of finesse out of the driver. Turn-in is slow and it doesn't rotate very easily; it feels like a larger car than it is. 

When it's not jabbing to the right under acceleration, the steering has excellent feel and weight. It is heavy enough to require both hands in order to successfully point it toward the destination, such as the nearest lumberyard or monster truck rally. The clutch is firm, stiff and jumpy, difficult to comprehend and torn as it seemingly is from a Muncie Rock Crusher. Yet the six-speed, close-ratio shifter is Miata-like in its mechanical feel, requiring a strong fist to heave it satisfyingly into place. It should come standard with a Hurst Pistol Grip shifter. 

Our car stickered in at $27,995

Other manly examples abound. The front of the Mazdaspeed 3 has a hood scoop wide and purposeful enough to double as a rural mailbox, or the chin intake on a Eurofighter Typhoon. From certain angles, the shape is reminiscent of a steel-toed boot, which as we know is the preferred footwear of ditch diggers and Henry Rollins. (From other angles it resembles a less-flattering clown shoe). Plus, the car I drove was Velocity Red Mica -- and red, of course, is the color of raw meat, broken noses, and whiskey-shot eyes, three things near and dear to the heart of the male ethos. 

Sadly, there are no turbo stickers along the flanks, 1970s TVR style.

So, ignore the grin. This is a hooligan's car, and it may bring out the worst in us. Suddenly, I'm 16 again and cranking Guns N' Roses in my mom's 1996 Nissan Sentra, taking corners at twice the speed limit, tailgating and arriving at my house in a cloud of brake dust. It's one of the few modern cars with a tangible personality: if this car was a man, he'd be Iggy Pop, wild and strung out and covered in blood and broken glass, but just being in his presence is a guarantee of a good time.

Put on some brown aviators, light a cigarette, play this on the Bluetooth-equipped radio, and seesaw madly down the highway, holding on for dear life.

WEST COAST EDITOR MARK VAUGHN: I didn't think the torque steer was anywhere near as bad as Blake thought it was. Yes, you can feel it pull somewhat to the right under hard acceleration but as long as you keep your hand at least lightly on the steering wheel you won't have any trouble. Hey, I was around for the 1987 Chevy Sprint Turbo. Now that was torque steer. And by the way, you're supposed to keep your hands on the steering wheel when you drive cars. 

When I told a guy at Mazda that I was driving one of his Mazdaspeed 3s he said to be sure and say this in the review: “You'll miss the torque steer when it's gone.”

Indeed, where else are you going to get this much horsepower, a manual transmission and a reasonable sticker price of $24,995 to start? Be thankful, oh ye whiners about torque steer.

Granted, channeling all that power through the front wheels does create problems. Launching off the line has never been easy in this beast. You have to perfectly balance the spooling up of the turbo with the engagement of the clutch with the angle of the sun on the moon with... Some launches will be better than others, assuming you arrive at just the right intersection of power and grip to maximize acceleration. Do it wrong and you almost always get wheelspin. Occasionally, you'll bog down, but the rest of the time it is wheelspin city. In our last long-termer we managed no better than a 6.2-second 0-60 time, a half second slower than the long-termer before that. So don't expect to master drag racing in this thing, at least not the launch part of it. 

Accelerate full throttle up an onramp and grip the wheel tightly: it's fun!

I totally agree with Blake about the power and fun. With a remarkable (for the hatchback class) 263 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque, no matter how mundane your commute is you will have fun every single day you drive this thing. I sure did. And if you can get off the beaten path and on an even remotely fun road you'll be rewarded with crisp steering and more feedback than anything else in the class short of the more-expensive Subaru Impreza WRX STI. 

What else is in this class, anyway? A Juke Nismo? I think I'd rather have a Mazdaspeed 3. The sticker price is about the same but you get more room and less flamboyant styling. 

Autoweek has weaseled its way into longterm Mazdaspeed 3s for as long as Mazda's been making them. We always loved them, despite their torque steer. Torque steer's like drum brakes, it keeps you on your toes. Which you'll be on the whole time, this is so much fun.

2013 Mazda Mazdaspeed 3 Touring

Base Price: $24,995

As-Tested Price: $27,995

Drivetrain: 2.3-liter turbocharged I4; FWD, six-speed manual

Output: 263 hp @ 5,500 rpm, 280 lb-ft @ 3,000 rpm

Curb Weight: 3,281 lb

Fuel Economy (EPA City/Highway/Combined): 18/25/21 mpg

AW Observed Fuel Economy: 24.6 mpg

Options: Mazdaspeed technology package including blindspot monitoring system, full-color touchscreen navi, Sirius satellite radio with four-month subscription; HD radio and Pandora audio; SMS text message delivery and reply, E911 auto emergency notification, Mazda advanced keyless entry & start system w/ push-button-start alarm system, rain-sensing windshield wipers, auto on/off bixenon headlights, adaptive front-lighting system, LED rear combination lights ($2,485); mirror compass auto-dimming rearview mirror, Homelink ($275); interior lighting kit ($200)