Mazda Mazda3 MPS 2.3 Turbo 5dr Car Review - February 2012

This is a high performance car which offers pace that punches well above the asking price. The 2.3 litre petrol engine gives 256 bhp and torque values of 280lb-ft, this gives acceleration of 0-62mph in 6.1 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph which is excellent for a front wheel driven car and puts the Mazda3 firmly in the sports car territory.

The drive is also totally different to one of the car's rivals: the Honda Civic Type-R. The Mazda3 is most at home on fast sweeping roads and motorways with tighter roads less fun to drive at higher speeds due to the muted exhaust and long gearing. The sharp and heavy clutch also makes the model frustrating to drive in congested traffic.

The bodyshell of the Mazda3 MPS has been stiffened by 41% making the car feel very taut on the road. The handling of the MPS is very firm due to the stiff suspension and low profile tyres so you should get plenty of grip. However, it is a bit bumpy to drive on poorly maintained roads with the rival Ford Focus ST and VW Golf GTi both offering a smoother ride.

There is also a lot of power being sent through the front wheels to the extent that the MPS’ performance would be enhanced by a torque-steer-reducing front suspension design like that of the Ford RS and Renault Sport Megane. As the model lacks this, the MPS is difficult to handle on the road with the strong power somewhat unrestrained.

The MPS is a stunning little car, which oozes aggression thanks to the razor-sharp styling, deep bumpers and sills, spoiler and xenon headlamps. The MPS is a five door hatchback but neat design and styling keeps the extra doors from ruining the sporty look. The only downside to the exterior styling is the lack of colour choices. You can only choose black, white or red, which is very conservative when you consider that cars such as the Ford Focus RS are available in options such as ‘Ultimate Green’.

The seats in the MPS are very low and passengers are cocooned between the door and centre console. Despite this, the space is used fairly well and blue and orange dials for the speedo and petrol shine brightly during the day and dim for night time driving to reduce distractions.

Perforated aluminium pedals and driver footrests add a sporty touch to the car and the stubby gear stick is positioned perfectly for comfortable operation. The finish is of a high quality with the use of high quality materials.

In general the fit, finish and build of the whole car feels very solid, although the steering wheel is a bit on the large side and the layout of buttons and dials is a little confusing.

In-car kit levels are high with Bluetooth connectivity, sat nav, Bose stereo, climate control, heated windscreen, heated front seats, keyless, 18-inch alloy wheels and adaptive bi-xenon headlamps all offered as standard features.

The MPS is very roomy, fitting adults in comfortably. The boot space isn’t huge, holding 340 litres compared to the Ford Focus ST's impressive 385 litre capacity. Folding the seats down enhances this capacity to a much more substantial 1360 litres in the MPS but the boot is compromised by the mounted stereo subwoofer.

Safety levels are also high within the car with standard features including blind-spot warning indicators and headlights which turn into corners, airbags and stability control. The MPS achieved a a five-star score in NCAP crash tests thanks to these features, making it a great and secure car to drive.

The MPS has dropped emissions from its predecessors to 224 g/km putting it in lower tax band K. However, this is still fairly high in the overall scale and you only get 29.4 mpg which makes refuelling frequent and expensive.

Insurance costs are also high, falling under insurance group 34. Servicing is more regular than normal with maintenance recommended every 9,000 miles and tyre life will be shorter than normal due to the strong power.

This means that whilst the MPS has a number of benefits and is a reasonably priced car for its class, it still struggles to reach the same level of value as its rivals.