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2021 Mazda3 Turbo First Drive | A fun luxury alternative

After seven years and an entire generation, there is finally another turbocharged Mazda3. But Mazda will be the first to tell you that it’s not, by any means, a successor to the rambunctious Mazdaspeed3, hence the lack of the name. Having driven it, weÂ’ll be the second to tell you the same: this is definitely not a Mazdaspeed3. ItÂ’s an altogether different beast, but itÂ’s still a good drive, and helps make the 3 a credible, budget alternative to an entry-level Audi or Mercedes. The turbocharged 2.5-liter engine is mostly the same one that Mazda has used in the CX-9 and turbocharged CX-5. It makes the same 227 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque on regular fuel (or 250 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque on 93 octane), but it's been tweaked to fit in the Mazda3Â’s smaller engine bay. The biggest change is the use of an air-to-water intercooler integrated with the intake manifold that reduces the amount of plumbing. As a bonus to helping the engine fit, Mazda notes that the overall intake piping length is shortened, which should improve responsiveness. While we canÂ’t speak to the improvement, the engine's response and power delivery is incredibly smooth. It feels about as close as a turbo engine can get to being like a supercharged or naturally aspirated engine. ItÂ’s easy to dial in exactly how much power you want, and thereÂ’s never an unexpected rush of turbo boost. All that torque is available low in the rev band, too, so it provides effortless acceleration, especially considering how much less mass the 3 has compared with its turbocharged crossover siblings. The smooth, relaxed acceleration is in keeping with the upmarket aim of the Mazda3 Turbo, and even compares favorably with powerplants from Audi and Mercedes. Those engines are similarly responsive, but deliver their torque in a fast rush, rather than the more gentle deployment of the Mazda. The turbo engine doesnÂ’t lose much in efficiency, either. Overall fuel economy drops by just 1 mpg from the naturally aspirated all-wheel-drive Mazda3s. The sedan gets 27 mpg overall and the hatchback gets 26. The engineÂ’s only real downside is that itÂ’s a little noisy under acceleration, emitting a low growl. Arguably the smooth power delivery takes away some excitement often associated with small, turbo cars, but as we said before, this isnÂ’t meant to be a Mazdaspeed successor. Like the engine, the drivetrain is closely related to other existing Mazdas.

Live pics of 2014 Mazda3 from NYC, sedan on its way

Here it is, ladies and gentlemen, straight from the memory cards of our own cameras. As you can see, the only version of the 2014 Mazda3 that the automaker is showing off at the moment is the hatchback, but we've gotten confirmation from Mazda that the sedan version will be shown sometime within the next five weeks.
So far, Mazda isn't commenting on whether or not we can expect a higher-performance Mazdaspeed3 version of the car, but we've got our fingers crossed. In any case, we're quite drawn to the appearance of this new hatchback from Mazda, with its flowing lines and character creases setting it apart from the rest of the compact segment in which it competes.
We also appreciate the sound engineering that went into the new 3. Despite boasting a wheelbase that's longer than the car it replaces, we're pleased to see that Mazda has kept its exterior size in check - it's actually shorter overall than the last-gen model - while also reducing weight by about 200 pounds. That's bound to be good for the new 3's dynamic properties.

2014 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year finalists announced [w/poll]

The 2014 North American International Auto Show is right around the corner, which means it's high time we found out which cars and trucks would be finalists for the prestigious North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year awards.
The finalists - three in cars and three in three trucks/utilities - are dominated by American brands, with two-thirds of the finalists hailing from either General Motors or Chrysler (don't worry Ford, there's always next year), while outliers from Mazda and Acura can be found in each contest. Here now is the list of finalists for the big prizes:
2014 North American Car of the Year: