The verdicts on the Mazda3 are starting to come in. After having posted a Spanish review and a quick take by Consumer Reports, it’s now time for the AutoExpress test, though, it’s not the usual kind of test that they do, on home grounds.
This time, the UK reviewer participated in a leg of the 15,000 km drive from Hiroshima, Japan to Frankfurt, in Germany, for the commencement of the motor show. However, for the first part of the journey there was little reviewing that could be done, because the state of the Russian roads was pit(i)full.
Things improved on the second day, when the new 3 began to show off its qualities. It’s deemed to be quite sporty to drive, comfortable for long journeys and surprisingly spacious inside.
Plus, there’s also the handsome styling, and the promise of good efficiency – the test car had a two-liter petrol engine, which reportedly can get closer to its claimed efficiency figure than comparable smaller displacement units, despite the claimed figure being lower (in mpg or higher in l/100km).
By Andrei Nedelea
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