2010 Mazda Mazda3 Overview Change Vehicle

This 2010 Mazda MAZDA3 overview explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2010 MAZDA3, and includes Mazda MAZDA3 safety, reliability, and fuel economy information.

The Mazda MAZDA3 is redesigned for 2010 and that puts smiles on our faces. The redesign puts a smile on the Mazda MAZDA3’s face too. At first glance – and second and third glance – the new MAZDA3’s front end looks like a smiley face. Headlights for eyes, Mazda icon for nose and a big, half-moon-shaped grille for a mouth. In addition to its newfound smile, the Mazda MAZDA3 gets a facelift on the inside. Things are more modern, more upscale and just plain nicer than before.

The 2010 Mazda MAZDA3 also offers a few more luxury features than before, some of which help it stand out in the economy-car class. For example, the standard adaptive bi-Xenon headlights on the Grand Touring trim and the available power-adjustable driver’s seat with memory are relatively novel in the small car segment.

Finally, the 2010 Mazda MAZDA3 gives us more of what we love. Whereas before the MAZDA3s trim levels came with a 2.3-liter engine, a more powerful 2.5-liter is now the norm. This larger engine produces a noticeably peppier 167 horsepower. Everyone knows that more power equals more fun behind the wheel, and so the Mazdaspeed3 also returns, still pumping out 263 horsepower. The Mazda MAZDA3i trims remain steady with the same 2.0-liter engine, but do see improved fuel economy this year thanks to a new five-speed automatic transmission.

The 2010 Mazda MAZDA3 is offered in a four-door sedan body style and a five-door hatchback body style. The Mazda MAZDA3i is sold only as a sedan and comes in three trim levels – the entry-level MAZDA3i SV, the mid-level MAZDA3i Sport and the top MAZDA3i Touring model. The Mazda MAZDA3s is available as a sedan or a hatchback in two trim levels: the MAZDA3s Sport and the top-of-the-line MAZDA3s Grand Touring. The Mazdaspeed3 is available only in Sport trim for 2010.

The MAZDA3i SV comes standard with full power accessories, a 60/40-split folding rear seat and 16-inch wheels. A four-speaker stereo system with a CD player and auxiliary audio jack is also included along with the ever-handy steering wheel-mounted audio controls. The steering wheel that those controls are mounted on has a standard tilt and telescoping function so you can comfortably find a perfect driving position.

The 2010 MAZDA3i Sport adds little that is sporty, unless you think an outside temperature display and air conditioning are indicative of performance. C’mon, give us some alloy wheels, or a spoiler, or maybe some fog lights to make the name of this car make sense.

With the MAZDA3i Touring trim, keyless entry, cruise control and Bluetooth capability are added to the mix. The 16-inch wheels change from steel to alloy for a fancier look and the stereo gets jacked up with six speakers instead of four.

The Mazda MAZDA3s Sport is aptly named. It has 17-inch alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, dual exhaust with chrome tips and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter. It gets a standard light show provided by groovy electroluminescent gauges and a multi-information display, fog lights and a welcome lighting system. A trip computer and upgraded cloth-trimmed seats are also included. You can opt to get a sunroof and a premium Bose stereo system.

The Mazda MAZDA3s Grand Touring comes with everything the MAZDA3s Sport does, but heats things up a bit with heated front seats and heated outside mirrors. The driver’s seat is eight-way power adjustable with memory, the upholstery is leather and the automatic climate control is dual-zone. The Grand Touring also comes with standard automatic bi-Xenon adaptive headlights.

Finally, the Mazdaspeed MAZDA3 Sport has a wickedly powerful turbocharged engine fed by a functional hood scoop, a six-speed manual gearbox, a limited slip differential, upgraded brakes, a sport suspension, bolstered sport seats wrapped in cloth and leather, and 18-inch wheels equipped with summer performance tires.

An iPod hookup and satellite radio are available on any 2010 Mazda MAZDA3. An options package is available on the MAZDA3i Touring trim and both of the MAZDA3s trims that gives you a sunroof and upgraded Bose audio system with ten speakers and a six-CD changer. Another options package that is only offered on the MAZDA3s models includes Mazda’s keyless entry and ignition system, a compact navigation system and rain-sensing wipers. The Mazdaspeed MAZDA3 can be upgraded with navigation, Bose audio, and the keyless entry and ignition system.

As it did last year, Mazda offers three different four-cylinder engines in the 2010 Mazda MAZDA3 lineup, each driving the car’s front wheels through a manual or automatic transmission.

The Mazda MAZDA3i comes with a 2.0-liter engine with 148 horsepower. This engine is matched to a standard five-speed manual transmission. A five-speed automatic transmission is available on the MAZDA3i Sport and MAZDA3i Touring trim levels, replacing a four-speeder from last year. The more sophisticated Mazda MAZDA3s comes with a 2.5-liter engine with 167 horsepower. A six-speed manual transmission is the standard with the MAZDA3s, but a five-speed automatic is available. The racy Mazdaspeed3 gets a turbocharged 2.3-liter engine good for 263 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, put through the front wheels by a six-speed manual transmission.

By the Environmental Protection Agency’s estimates, the Mazda MAZDA3i with a five-speed manual transmission should get 25 miles per gallon in the city and 33 mpg on the highway. With an automatic transmission, the city figure drops a digit to 24 mpg. Choose a Mazda MAZDA3s with the larger 2.5-liter engine and a manual gearbox, and you can expect 21 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway. With the optional automatic, the city figure rises to 22 mpg. The Mazdaspeed3 continues with a rating of 18 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway.

While the redesigned 2010 Mazda MAZDA3 gets more standard safety equipment than ever, Mazda continues to reserve traction and stability control mainly for the more expensive, less fuel-efficient trim levels. Every 2010 Mazda MAZDA3 includes six airbags, antilock brakes (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist, and active front head restraints. Stability and traction control are standard on the Mazda MAZDA3s and Mazdaspeed3, as well as on the MAZDA3i Touring.

Evidently, engineers did the right things to improve safety with the redesigned Mazda MAZDA3, because it performs extremely well in crash tests. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gives the car 5-Star ratings in all crash-test evaluations except resistance to rollover, for which the Mazda receives a 4-Star score. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety agrees, awarding the 2010 Mazda MAZDA3 with its top rating of Good in offset frontal, side, and rear-impact crashworthiness assessments. The Mazda misses a coveted Top Safety Pick rating only because the IIHS did not conduct a roof strength test yet.

While safety scores rise over last year, the Mazda MAZDA3’s reliability predictions essentially carry over from the previous iteration of the car. According to Consumer Reports, the 2010 Mazda MAZDA3 should return better than average reliability while J.D. Power and Associates expects that overall dependability will be about average.

Our feelings about the 2010 Mazda MAZDA3 are much like Bob Marley’s feelings about reggae. We don’t like it; we love it. The Mazda MAZDA3 was a good car before, but now it’s a great car. The new 2.5-liter engine on the 3s trim levels offers some extra zip, the ride remains smooth even at higher speeds, and the redesigned interior and exterior look and feel better than ever. Safety is also dramatically improved, and we couldn’t be more pleased. We firmly believe that just because the price of a car is low, does not mean its safety ratings should be low, too. Still, we’d like to see standard stability control on all models, we think the car could use a boost in fuel economy, and we’d recommend investigating other models if rear seat space is a priority for you, but overall, the Mazda MAZDA3 is a force to be reckoned with in the economy-car class.

By Courtney Messenbaugh and Christian Wardlaw