Mazda3 Sport 2.3i MPS
... ... burst out of the gray average among the best. Already when testing the old model, we found that the engine is excellent and that the car can undoubtedly do more than the smoking tires showed on the demanding Raceland racetrack. The newcomer confirmed our predictions.
The Mazda3 MPS is the sportiest version of the popular Japanese mid-range car. Since the new Troika has already been featured in the pages of Auto magazine, we will only focus on the changes that are obvious in the MPS.
We will not discover America from the outside: you may like it at first sight, but you can immediately call it too vulgar to fall in love with. Unfortunately, at Mazda, they were too shy, if not overly thorough, when creating the interior.
The sports seat, aluminum pedals and MPS inscription in the center of the tachometer are clearly not too important for those for whom the car is not just a means of transportation. Sports cars are always built to elevate the car's reputation (image), so we can be justifiably disappointed with the gray interior of an ergonomic driver's work environment.
It's good that a turbocharger counter with poisonous red numbers has been added to the sports instruments. At least we would add a little maliciously.
Then we drove the Mazda3 MPS to Raceland. The biggest change from its predecessor is the mechanical differential lock, which has one bad feature but many good ones. The downside of this system is that the steering wheel is ripped out of your hands when the driver presses the accelerator pedal in low gears.
That's when you need to get a little tighter behind the wheel while knowing where the wheels are going. If you asked me if I trust this car to my teenager, I would probably say that I would prefer a weaker one with a better chassis.
Young woman? No problem, she already knows that the most beautiful thing is gentle (on the gas pedal, what else). However, the system has many good features, such as much better (but in fact significantly better!) traction, which provides more safety (starting from a full intersection) both with and without DSC stabilization system on and off and less tire wear .
It is true that with an average consumption of 12 liters, which we recorded in the test, it will be difficult for you to drive 1 kilometers with one set of tires. At least the first two will be worthy of replacement.
The new Mazda3 MPS has an eight-tenth better time in Raceland than its predecessor. If you think this is a little, please note the differences on our website. This is huge for the confusing country of Raceland, in fact, it is the border between the middle and the upper tier.
In just a hundredth of a second, the Mazda3 surpassed the front-wheel drive car record, not counting the half-race tires of the clad Megane RS R26.R. With 57 seconds, it ranks among the excellent Mini John Cooper Works and Ford Focus ST, which have less powerful engines and therefore a better chassis.
Although the new product is 25 kilograms lighter and has more powerful stabilizers and axle shafts of different stiffness, Mazda still has to work in this area.
The engine (besides the castle) is the biggest gem of this car. With a displacement of 2 liters in four cylinders, it is very powerful, offering you 3 kilowatts or about 191 "horsepower". It engages the front (drive) wheels at idle speed and prevents them from breathing up to 260 rpm when the limiter stops you.
With a six-speed manual transmission, you can easily hit the gear you want, even though the engine has so much torque that you can drive around town in third gear. It is a shame that the turbocharger is not audible and there is no distinct sound from the twin tailpipes, which would undoubtedly contribute to a sportier feel.
Thus, we can conclude that the Mazda3 MPS is a real sheep at a leisurely ride and a wolf at full speed. Even a consumption of 12 liters is not considered evil, because this is really a market - figuratively and literally!
Aljoьa Mrak, photo :? Aleш Pavleti.
Mazda 3 Sport 2.3i MPS (Mazda XNUMX Sport XNUMXi MPS)
Basic data
| Sales: | Mazda Motor Slovenia Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Base model price: | 30.290 € |
| Test model cost: | 30.640 € |
| Calculate the cost of auto insurance | |
| Power: | 191kW (260 KM) |
| Acceleration (0-100 km / h): | 6,1 with |
| Maximum speed: | 250 km / h |
| Mixed flow ECE: | 9,6l / 100km |
Technical information
| engine: | 4-cylinder - 4-stroke - in-line - turbocharged petrol - displacement 2.261 cm? – maximum power 191 kW (260 hp) at 5.500 rpm – maximum torque 380 Nm at 3.000 rpm. |
|---|---|
| Energy transfer: | front wheel drive engine - 6-speed manual transmission - tires 225/40 R 18 Y (Dunlop SP Sport 2050). |
| Capacity: | 250 km/h top speed - 0-100 km/h acceleration in 6,1 s - fuel consumption (ECE) 13,2/7,5/9,6 l/100 km, CO2 emissions 224 g/km. |
| Mass: | empty vehicle 1.460 kg - permissible gross weight 1.925 kg. |
| External dimensions: | length 4.505 mm - width 1.770 mm - height 1.460 mm - fuel tank 60 l. |
| Box: | 340-1.360 l |
Our measurements
| T = 8 ° C / p = 1.020 mbar / rel. vl. = 43% / Odometer Condition: 5.409 km | |
| Acceleration 0-100km: | 6,4s |
|---|---|
| 402m from the city: | 14,6 years ( 162 km / h) |
| Flexibility 50-90km / h: | 5,2 / 7,5s |
| Flexibility 80-120km / h: | 5,8 / 8,2s |
| Maximum speed: | 250km / h (WE.) |
| test consumption: | 12,1 l / 100km |
| Braking distance at 100 km / h: | 36,9m |
| AM table: | 39m |
evaluation
No matter what we wear on the interior, exterior or chassis, the indisputable fact is that the Mazda3 MPS will be buried in the first place because of the price. For that money (okay, a thousand more) you get a stronger and much more recognizable competitor, which sounds like the name RS.
We praise and reproach
engine
sports (and transparent) sensors
mechanical differential lock
six-speed manual transmission
workmanship
time in Raceland
screen size (for navigation)
too little sports salon
it has no daytime running lights
price
pulling the steering wheel out of the hands during acceleration
