By: Krish Persaud
March 3, 2022
You’ve made your choice. Your next ride will need to be a manual transmission. You’ll need something eye-catching and in a bright color. You’ve saved a lot of money and need a vehicle that reflects your personality and exudes just the right amount of class without breaking the bank. Be rest assured that Mazda has your back.
Mazda Canada has given us the keys to a 2022 Mazda3 Sport GT, allowing us to experience one of the best compact cars on the market. The 2.5-litre Skyactiv-G in-line four-cylinder engine in this fully loaded front-wheel-drive hatchback is paired with a smooth-shifting Skyactiv-MT 6-speed manual transmission, as well as a set of gorgeous 18″ dark grey alloy wheels, a Bose premium sound system with 12 speakers, and an Adaptive Front-lighting System (AFS).
Although the Skyactiv-G Turbo motor is the current craze, it would be a mistake to overlook the fun to be had with this non-turbo power delivery. You will find yourself easily propelling the car through the streets with this direct-injected 2.5-litre engine, which produces 186 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 186 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm. If that isn’t enough and you want more power, the turbo variant can deliver up to 250 horsepower and 320 pound-feet of torque on 93 octane.
As much as we love manual transmissions and how they help us get a better feel for our cars, the tall gears in this transmission work against the available power, and the automatic transmission offering is the better choice. That said, we’re fine with the difference and would stick with the manual.
When looking at the interior of the Mazda3 Sport GT, the cabin features a modern design that creates an entry-level luxury feel that is unmatched in its class. The black leather interior features excellent fit and finish and is equipped with an 8.8-inch centre display infotainment system controlled by a rotary dial located directly below the shifter. Navigating the various menus using the rotary dial can be a little cumbersome at times, but for the majority, this will be no problem as Apple Carplay and Android Auto capabilities make it simple.
The 12-speaker Bose sound system does an excellent job of accurately reproducing each note on your favorite albums by balancing high, mid, and low frequencies. The only thing we’re missing is the ability to fully equalize our sound, but even so, the sound is still fantastic by default.
The two front seats have plenty of headroom and legroom. The seats are well-bolstered and provide plenty of support, especially when tossing the car around a corner at high speeds. The only drawback is that if the front passengers are taller, it can be difficult for the rear passengers to get comfortable, especially with the aggressive c-pillar design, which could make entry into the backseats not so pleasant.
The Soul Red Crystal Metallic color pops in any light, and when paired with the 18″ dark grey alloys, the whole package looks perfectly balanced. Despite the fact that this fourth-generation Mazda3 Sport GT has been around for a while, the exterior design is modern and still ready to take on the competition. We like how the Mazda appears to be very upscale without making many compromises no matter which way you look at it.
Mazda’s ability to give this hatchback a track-focused feel is well recognized; the ride is well balanced in any situation, and the overall steering response is much better than expected.
The driver assistance features available include a blind-spot warning system, adaptive cruise control with automatic braking, front and rear parking sensors, 360-degree on-screen monitor, adaptive high-beam headlights, and cross-traffic alert with automatic braking. All of which are excellent features to have on your side regardless of your driving abilities.
For our test, we drove on the highway and in the city, averaging 8.7L/100km on regular fuel, which is similar to the fuel economy ratings of 9.5L/100km in the city and 7.0L/100km on the highway.
The Mazda3 Sport is available in a variety of trim levels, with the GX starting at $22,200, the GS model costing between $24,900 and $30,100, and the GT model costing between $30,600 and $36,300. The as-tested price of our front-wheel-drive GT tester was $30,600, plus $450 for the stunning Soul Red Crystal Metallic paint.
With a price tag of just over $30,000, the amount of high-quality interior pieces, the high-resolution infotainment system, the 18″ wheels, and a sport-inspired drive, it’s difficult to beat the Mazda3 Sport’s value.
