Mazda of Elk Grove

Stop us if you've already heard this one: Three automotive journalists go into a car dealership, and they each come out with a Mazda 3 Five-Door.

For those of you in the cheap seats, that's both the joke and the punch line. Three chest-thumping, horsepower-hungry car guys who test-drive new cars for a living here at Inside Line all choose the economical Mazda 3 Five-Door hatch to park in their own driveways.

Two of these men have bought the 2010 Mazda 3 Five-Door hatchback to drive themselves and one relegates the wheel to his Manolo Blahnik-heeled wife.

You Need To Be More Flexible
As with past generations, the new 2010 Mazda 3 can be had as a sedan or a five-door hatchback, and our Mazda 3-owning staffers shaped their early opinions while driving our previous sedan tester. Each said he was most interested in the car for the sporty way it drives, but thought the flexibility of the five-door hatchback was a more attractive option than the four-door.

Our boys lead active lives both on and off the job, and their personal wheels need to handle mud-splattered mountain bikes, plastic crates of unwieldy photo gear and the occasional Recaro infant seat. When this 2010 Mazda 3 s Grand Touring Five-Door test car arrived at our Inside Line test garage with its convenient push-button-release rear hatch and fold-flat rear seats, it was greeted with enthusiasm.

Perhaps our boys can be taught, after all.

Actual Equipment Doesn't Vary
Both the 2010 Mazda 3 sedan and hatchback share the same basic hardware, including a 167-horsepower 2.5-liter MZR inline-4 engine as part of the car's uplevel s trim (the entry-level i sedan gets a 148-hp 2.0-liter inline-4), and it's the exclusive offering for the five-door. The energetic 2.5-liter engine with its balance shaft for smoother running is refined enough to also power the midsize 2009 Mazda 6 i.

The four-cylinder generates 168 pound-feet of torque, which is enough for useful forward momentum. The engine's redline isn't particularly saucy at just 6,250 rpm, but the six-speed manual transmission makes for a zippy combination. The action of the 3's leather-wrapped shift lever is smooth and accurate, but the throws are noticeably long when you're trying to groove the gearbox quickly.

You'll also notice that there's plenty of flywheel effect and some damping on the clutch action that prevents you from really ripping a quick shift, but the synchros in the gearbox will probably thank you in the long run.

Performance Test Before You Buy
In the capable hands of IL's test team, the 2010 version of the five-door Mazda 3 runs from zero to 60 mph in 8.1 seconds (7.8 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a drag strip) and crosses through the quarter-mile lights in 16.0 seconds at 86.3 mph, and you can feel the difference the variable valve timing makes at 4,200 rpm when the engine comes on strong.

Both times are just a tick slower than the 2009 Mazda 3 sedan we've tested. The 42 extra pounds from the five-door's hatch might seem the logical reason, but testing conditions are more likely the culprit, as the sedan and hatchback (each equipped slightly differently) varied by just 13 pounds on IL's track scale.

During brake testing, the five-door performs much better than the sedan, as its four-wheel disc brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution are amazingly consistent and fade-free. Pedal effort is spot-on and reassuringly firm, and the car stops straight and steady, with the shortest haul-down from 60 to zero mph measuring 119 feet.

Why They Really Bought It
Off-the-line power surely sweetens the deal, but when it comes to choosing a daily driver, a car's overall handling characteristics are what make or break a relationship. When individually interrogated over the office water cooler, each of our staffers readily admits the most important thing about the Mazda 3 is the way it handles.

The 3's nicely weighted steering is vibration-free over rough pavement, and recalibrated dampers and relocated antiroll bars improve body control without making the ride annoyingly stiff for the wife and kids.

With excellent control and reflexes right at the limit, the 2010 Mazda 3 threads our orange slalom cones at 66.8 mph, exhibiting the same smooth performance it displays on the freeway, where the spirited 3 nips in and out of traffic on its P205/50R17-88V Yokohama Avid S34 tires.

Around the skid pad, the hatchback shows excellent balance, and only throttle input is needed to change its cornering attitude as it arcs around the circle. The car produced an identical 0.86g orbit whether ESP was on or off. There's a useful amount of oversteer tuned into this chassis, and the stability control actually lets you use all the cornering grip the car has to offer.

Boy Car, Girl Car
Much has been made about Mazda's new face, but it's time to get over it. Like it or not, the 2010 Mazda 3's new look gives the car a more distinctive presence, making it look sportier. Some small hatchbacks (think Honda Fit and Hyundai Elantra) look a little girly next to the Mazda 3.

At the same time, the Mazda 3's appeal has a lot to do with the way its interior suits women. The upgraded materials and full complement of convenience features are perfect for those more interested in cork heels than heel-and-toe shifting.

The soft-touch dash resembles something from more expensive cars, and the upholstery has sporting stitching. The seats are welcoming even as the bolsters are supportive (although the seat bottom is a little narrow, she said), and five-position seat heaters will earn the friendship of those of the female persuasion. Dual-zone climate control is part of the s Grand Touring trim, so there's no worry about he said/she said confrontations about cabin temperature. There's even push-button start.

There's a new instrument panel, and it incorporates information readouts for a trip computer. There's a dash display for the new navigation system, but it's a little small and crude. More important, all the controls are very intuitive to use. The three large dials for the HVAC system work easily, and the center console has two tiers of storage and is covered by a lid that slides forward so you can use it as an armrest.

And let's not forget that the thing that sets the five-door apart is the added utility of its cargo area, which is what makes this car prepared for any eventuality, whether it's recreation or reproduction, mountain bikes or a stroller. There's 94.1 cubic feet of total passenger volume, with 17 cubic feet of cargo capacity behind the second seat. The 60/40-split-folding rear seat further expands your cargo-carrying capability as well. The hatch now operates with a push button, but we think we might prefer the simple lever of the former model.

Most of all, this interior knows the difference between sporty and merely manly, and it sets the standard in small cars.

Disclaimer: Blatant Mazda Ad Here
When our boys first began thinking about the 2010 Mazda 3 s Five-Door Grand Touring, the 265-hp Subaru Impreza WRX came to mind, as did the 117-hp Honda Fit. And these two rivals help provide some perspective for what the Mazda 3 Five-Door is all about.

Like a Honda Fit, the Mazda 3 Five-Door is a car with exceptional practicality and affordability. It's easy to buy, easy to maintain and easy to fit into a lifestyle where one car has to serve a wide range of challenges - daily transportation, weekend recreation, errands at Lowe's and Girl Scout outings.

Like a Subaru Impreza WRX, the Mazda 3 Five-Door is a blast to drive, quick enough to lead to encounters with the Long Beach police department, dynamically adept enough to make even on-ramp spirals to the San Diego Freeway seem like fun zones, and generally a blast to drive.

In the end, of course, all of our manly boys at IL admitted that they were led to the 2010 Mazda 3 s Five-Door Grand Touring because it's an affordable car that they are willing to be seen in.

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