Mazda 3 - Pictures

A very black cabin does the Mazda few favours – particularly as the plastics are cheap and shiny. The hooded dials add a sporty touch, but the orange back-lighting and featureless switchgear don’t suggest quality

While the 3 is the longest car here by 155mm, it only just has the biggest boot, at 346 litres. Mazda doesn’t quote a capacity measured to the roofline, but it’s at least as spacious as the luggage bay in the Cee’d

It's hard to believe this 1.6-litre diesel has much in common with Ford’s acclaimed TDCi unit. With less soundproofing, it comes across as rather coarse, while it has a narrower usable power band than the Kia’s CRDi engine

Of this trio, the Mazda is the only car likely to find favour with keen drivers. While the Citroen is soft and cosseting and the Kia capable, the 3 provides taut body control and incisive turn-in. The steering could be sharper, but fee

The shift is far more positive than the Citroen’s, but our car’s gearlever top came loose, twisting easily in our tester’s hand. It’s a fault we have experienced on the 3 before, and one which can soon become ve