I recently wrote about my husband's purchase of a Nissan Note e-POWER NISMO S as a commuter car, and in fact, the Mazda3 was among the candidates and we went for a test drive, so I asked him to report back on his impressions. Please take a look if you like.

Mazda3 interior and exterior

When considering a commuter car, there was one vehicle that could not be left out. It was Mazda's new Mazda3. Originally, in Japan, the Mazda3 was known as the "Mazda3.Axela (Mazda3)The name of the new model was "Mazda Motor Corporation", which was used in the global market for this remodeling.Mazda3The name was changed to "The

When I heard this, I felt Mazda's extraordinary determination, and I was extremely impressed by the company's attitude of trying to break away from the Galapagos cars of Japanese specifications.

If you do your homework before the test drive through magazines, the web, videos, etc., you can get a good idea of what you're in for.All of these are quite high.. Even though the car had just been released, and therefore had some "disciplined" content, I was very interested in it because it was rated quite highly even without that. Therefore, I went for a test drive, hoping to positively consider it as a commuter car.

This time, we actuallyTest drive two Mazda3 vehicles, Skyactiv X and Skyactiv G 2.0I will try to write what I feel in my own way without "discovery".

interior

Before the test drive, we were given a closer look at the car on display. This is the 1.5 version of the Skyactiv-G, the lowest priced version. However, when I got into the driver's seat, I was surprised!

Very high quality.From the material of the dashboard to the fabric of the seats, steering wheel, and center console, the quality is so high that it is hard to believe that this is a car in the 2 million yen range.Frankly, it feels a whole lot better than my previous Golf 7.

The impression of the interior is not spacious. It is rather narrow, but it is not a bad impression. It is appropriately tight, and I think it is an interior space where one can concentrate on driving. I also sat in the front passenger seat, which felt tighter in width, and this feeling of being enveloped was quite pleasant.

The seats feel a bit small for my body type, but they are comfortable.It is a type of seat that is simple in shape but firm, and is not suitable for those who are looking for the sofa-like relaxing feeling often found in domestic cars, and may not make a good impression on those who think "thick, soft, relaxing seats = no fatigue.

The catalog said "stand with your pelvis up" and so on, but I was not that aware of it. However, I was not aware of that much.Even over long distances, this shape and firmness would be comfortable with little fatigue.

exterior

As for the exterior design, I can't speak for all tastes.I like the design very much.The use of surfaces is well executed, and the new and beautiful design is expressed without the use of vertical cuts and press lines, which are common these days.Sleek designThe company is in the process of becoming a

I found it particularly beautiful.The small gap between the door and body seen from the side and its smoothnessIt is. The door gaps are minimal, so the entire body seems to be represented as a single mass.

rear (back) seat

And as for the back seat.The honest truth is that it's not very wide.It is. However, the exterior design is excellent, so this is about as good as it gets for this design.

After adjusting the driver's seat to my position, I sat down and found that there was room for about one and a half fists. On the other hand, if you put the passenger seat in a much more relaxed position and then sit in the back seat, there is almost no room around your kneesThe seatback was very gouged, so it was not like you had to kneel down. However, the seat back is quite gouged out, so there was no such thing as a knee-jerk reaction.

On the other hand, the cheapness of the construction of the rear doors is not acceptable.The front doors have a solid tightening sound, but the rear doors have a cheap sound in both the tightening sound and the weight of the doors.And the door linings also make a chattering sound when closed. The quality of the lining itself is good, but the rigidity of its construction is not as good as it should be.

I say it every time.Many Japanese compact cars do not spend much on the quality of the rear doors. It is a pity that this Mazda3 was no exception.The exterior and interior quality of the car is very good, so why can't they do one more step to get it right here?

Mazda3 Skyactiv-X

The first test drive was with the Skyactiv-X.Skyactiv-X is a model equipped with Mazda's new engine, a new grade that was just released last fallIt is.

This is the burgundy selection, so the color is a beautiful red and the interior is beautiful. The seats are also a nice red and even formal. I like this interior so much that I think some people might buy it for this reason.

Upon starting the engine I was a little concerned about the sound. The volume was kept down, and it wasn't cheap, but...Rattle, if not as much as diesel? A rattle? soundcan be heard. The Skyactiv-X ignites with "compression ignition" by compressing the engine at high pressure, just like a diesel. It is said that a normal spark plug can also be used to ignite the engine depending on the rpm range.An engine that combines the best of both gasoline and diesel enginesIt is.

When you start running, you feel the thrust more firmly than you expected. I was surprised to find that the "poke" was so strong.It's kind of different from the fine interior.My impression was that the air pressure was too high, or that they were not wearing 18 inches. The air pressure was too high, or perhaps I was not wearing 18 inches, and I was concerned about the up-and-down movement at low speeds.

When following the flow of the city streets at around 40km/h-50km/h, it is hardly noticeable, but I would like to see it run more moist and glide. It gives the impression of wearing tires that are not very round.This makes the 1.2 of the Golf 7 I used to drive a better quality.However, the interior of the Mazda3 is of a higher quality than that of the Mazda2, which raises expectations for the level of driving performance, and this may be a reason for this feeling.

As for the engine, it has torque from below and is very easy to ride.The automatic transmission is smooth with minimal shocks. This is enough to accelerate agilely around town. The engine is smooth and smooth, but not particularly sporty. I drove the test car up a very steep hill, and it was enough to climb it without hardly having to step on the gas pedal.

The brake is a type that is adjusted by tread pressure and has a shallow stroke.It is clicky and very easy to control. However, in terms of braking power, it is a little lacking.Since the brakes have such a good feeling, I would like to see more braking power and a little more click.

I have not been able to test the handling of the car, but the steering feels very smooth and pleasant to turn. As a practical vehicle, it is agile enough, and I think it would be fun to drive it on winding roads.