The IT Nerd

This is the 2.5l 4 cylinder Skyactiv engine that puts out 184 horsepower and 185 pound feet of torque to the front wheels. It’s mated to a 6 speed automatic transmission that can be manually shifted. In a vehicle this size, this is an extremely potent combo as it is very willing to rocket forward whether it is to pass a transport truck, or beat cars off the line. It sounds great when you put your foot down thanks to engine note that sounds sporty without being over the top. And if you want all of this amped up, simply hit the sport mode switch which changes the throttle response, transmission behaviour and engine note all for the better. Steering is heavy and feels similar to many German performance cars and it doesn’t interfere with your ability to feel what the Mazda3 Sport GT is doing underneath you. 

Combine this with really great handling that is enhanced by the addition of G-Vectoring Control for 2017. This works behind the scenes to achieve a smoother, less fatiguing drive for you and your passengers by subtly adjusting engine torque and intentionally optimizing vehicle weight transfer during everyday commutes and spirited drives alike. The result is steering that is more precise and a ride that is more comfortable for drivers and passengers. 

Here’s a video that shows the difference between a Mazda with and without G-Vectoring Control:

Now G-Vectoring Control does make this car more fun to drive for you and your passengers. But I have a real world example of how G-Vectoring Control can be a safety feature. Shortly after picking up the Mazda3 Sport, I drove down highway 404 from Mazda Canada HQ and then merged onto highway 401. Shortly after doing that, I came behind a transport truck that panic stopped in front of me. Now I have taken a variety of driver training courses over the years, and that training kicked in instantly. I looked right and left and found an escape path to the left. I also noted that I had space behind me as well. That allowed me to quickly change lanes to the left while flooring the accelerator to pass the transport truck safely. The thing that I noticed at the time and when I thought about it afterwards is that the Mazda3 Sport is incredibly composed and there was close to zero oversteer or understeer that I noted. That allowed me to put the Mazda3 Sport exactly where I needed it to be. Quite simply, I am a believer in G-Vectoring Control as it worked without question to get out of this situation safely.

Muted road noise is the only thing that I hear, unless I put my foot down of course which results in a nice sounding engine coming through. Fuel economy is absolutely a strong point with the Mazda3 Sport. I am currently getting 7.4l / 100 KM’s and I expect it to get even better as the week goes on.

Part three of this review will cover the interior of the Mazda3 Sport GT which has been improved for 2017. Stay tuned to see how nice it is. 

This entry was posted on November 8, 2016 at 10:00 am and is filed under Products with tags Mazda. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.