2013 Mazda Mazdaspeed 3 review notes - AutoWeek
ASSOCIATE EDITOR GRAHAM KOZAK: The 2013 Mazda Mazdaspeed 3 is a nice counterpoint to the Ford Focus ST we had in our fleet a few weeks ago. But where the Focus ST felt pretty refined, considering its capabilities, the Mazda, by contrast, felt pretty raw -- in a good way. Even so, torque steer seemed a bit more manageable in the Mazda despite its somewhat higher output (263 hp and 280 lb-ft to the Ford's 252 hp and 270 lb-ft). It still gets a bit squirrely when the turbo kicks in the lower gears, but you feel ready for it somehow -- perhaps the car communicates a bit better thanks to all that noise. This isn't supposed to be a comparison between the Mazda and the Ford. But the Mazdaspeed 3 is, for better or worse, a more direct, raw and sincere vehicle. ASSOCIATE EDITOR JAKE LINGEMAN: The Mazdaspeed 3 is by almost any measure the hottest hatch around. I drove the hell out of one of these when we had our two longterm testers, and I think Mazda has smoothed out much of the rawness of the 3. There seems to be less torque steer than before, and the shifter seems much more robust. I still think this has the most torque steer out of the Volkswagen GTI and Ford Focus ST, but it also has the most power. I'd like to see a straight drag race between the ST and this, just to see how far ahead this car would be after a quarter-mile. Source: autoweek.com
