Auto review: 2010 Mazda3 hatchback punches it up

— -- The 2010 Mazda3 hatchback is a honey to drive and a practical delight to use. It has faults: a dreadful amount of tire noise on coarse surfaces, not great mileage if you drive it in the lively manner its engineers intended and a price a bit high for the small-car market.

Mazda, of course, hopes that the sweet steering — a near-perfect blend of on-center stability and off-center responsiveness — and crisp cornering will beguile you. That the willing and punchy engine and the ride that's firm, yet soaks up bumps without jarring the occupants, will snag you so deeply you can't pull away. And that the practicality of the hatchback design simply makes so much sense you won't think twice before signing the check ($20,000-and-up, before any discounts; ouch).

The hatchback is nearly identical to the Mazda3 four-door sedan (Test Drive, Dec. 5). They share major mechanical parts, are built on the same line in Japan and both got hit in front with the same ugly stick. (What is it with absurdly big grilles these days?)

The sedan and the hatchback went on sale here in February, but the sedan gets the attention in the U.S. market, where it makes up about 70% of sales. In Europe, the hatch is 70%.

Mazda3 is the company's best-selling model — 45% of U.S. sales — and the hatchback is the premium version. It's available only in the top trims, Sport and Grand Touring, and only with the 2.5-liter four-cylinder that's optional in the sedan.

Enjoyment of the well-furnished Grand Touring test car, a stiff $25,560, was hampered by the tire noise. It's more or less baked in, says Kelvin Hiraishi, director of research and development engineering for Mazda North American Operations.

Maintaining Mazda's sporty, responsive steering and handling requires a tire design that's noisier on some surfaces, he says.

On most surfaces, tire noise wasn't a problem. But be sure your personal test drive includes some rough concrete or asphalt, so you know.

The tester's sub-18 mpg result was disappointing but perhaps not surprising.

Build a nimble, quick car that handles well, and market it with a "zoom zoom" theme and what do you expect? It's fun, so you drive it that way.

Plus, Hiraishi notes, those tires aren't the hard-rubber, easy-rolling types that get good mileage at the expense of braking, steering and cornering performance.

Seats in the test car were comfortable and as handsome a set of leather chairs as you'll find in the mainstream market.

The dashboard controls — oh, what a relief — were simple, logical, handy. Radio tuned with a fat knob, for instance, and the climate control system had an obvious "off" function for plain, ol' unconditioned air.

What a nice change from the unfathomable arrangement of so many cars — the Audi Q7 TDI reviewed last week, for example.

The spritely four-banger sounded eager when spurred, though sometimes the automatic transmission hobbled it by refusing to shift down immediately when the driver's foot demanded.

Mazda's not alone. Many automakers try to keep the car in a higher gear (which uses less fuel) a moment longer for better mpg. Hey, if a driver wants exceptional mileage, he or she treads lightly on the throttle.

When the go-pedal slams down, the car shouldn't second-guess, it should respond. The driver could need the speed for a passing emergency or a safe merge.

Easy and fun manual shift

The automatic's manual-shift mode was easy and fun — a robust floor-mounted lever right at hand. But the manual mode continues Mazda's stubborn use of a backward shift pattern. Shove the lever forward to downshift, pull back to upshift, the opposite of most other automakers.

Materials inside were rich, a Mazda signature and one that other small-carmakers should study. There's plasticky plastic and there's premium plastic. Mazda understands the difference.

The hatch design proved, no surprise, a stunningly practical setup. Much easier to toss your briefcase or dry cleaning or groceries in back than into a sedan's trunk or a back seat.

It took two moves to lift the hatch, however. Push the latch button, then tuck fingers under the hatch lip to raise. A button-and-lift arrangement that invited your hand to do it all in one smooth move would be an improvement.

Rear seats were adequate for two passengers. The middle rear slot was too narrow and had no head restraint. Legroom in back was sufficient for most folks and would handle leggy adults if the front-seaters slide forward.

The tester was navigation-equipped and the screen, set in a pod atop the dashboard, will seem too small for some users. Too, the trip-computer info displayed in that same spot is illuminated in a blue-white scheme that doesn't match other lighting in the car.

Irritants aside, and assuming your normal drive route doesn't excite the worst of the tire noise, the Mazda3 hatchback is a car that will both enliven your driving day and — because it's a handy hatch — make your automotive life easier.

•What? Hatchback, or "five-door," version of the recently redesigned 3-series compact sedan. A front-drive, four- or five-passenger small car.

•When? On sale since February.

•Where? Made in Hofu, Japan.

•Why? You never know; people might re-awake to the fact that hatchbacks are the most practical of cars — or realize those beloved SUVs are really just big hatchbacks. Besides, it's the version that sells well in Europe so how much trouble could it be to ship a few to the States?

•How much? Pitched as a premium model, hatchback starts at $19,900 with $670 shipping, and runs to about $27,000 before you get into the add-on dreck you'd probably pay to keep off your car, such as plastic spoilers and a chrome fuel-filler door.

Test car, lacking nothing a person with good judgment and taste could want, was $25,560, a big price for a little car.

•How potent? Hatchback comes standard with the 2.5-liter four-cylinder that's optional on the four-door sedan. The 2.5 is rated 167 horsepower at 6,000 rpm, 168 pounds-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm and comes with six-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission.

•How big? 3.5 inches shorter than the four-door sedan; almost identical to Honda Civic sedan. It's 177.4 inches long, 69.1 inches wide, 57.9 inches tall on a 103.9-inch wheelbase. Weighs 3,005 lbs. (manual transmission) or 3,064 lbs. (automatic). Passenger space: 94.6 cubic feet; cargo behind rear seats: 17 cu. ft.

Turning circle diameter: 34.2 ft.

•How thirsty:Manual transmission is rated 21 miles per gallon in town, 29 mpg on the highway, 24 in combined driving. Automatic: 22/29/25.

Trip computer in automatic transmission test car showed just 17.5 mpg (5.71 gallons per 100 miles) in heavy-foot suburban driving (the sort the lively sedan encourages). Moderate drivers will do better. Uses regular, holds 15.9 gallons.

•Overall:Lots of tire noise on coarse pavement, not an mpg champ, but sweet to drive otherwise.