Too fast for its own good: 2007 Mazdaspeed 3 has too much horsepower

Posted: Apr 23, 2007

Filed under: Mazda

Too fast for it's own good: 2007 Mazdaspeed 3 has too much horsepower

At $22,835, the 263 horsepower the Mazdaspeed 3 may sound appealing, but the 2.3 liter direct-injection turbocharged engine may be too much for the car to handle. Mark Phelan, of the Detroit Free Press, took the Mazdaspeed 3 out for a test drive and discovered that the 263 horsepower in the car undermines steering and handling.

The key features are definitely there. Mazda upgraded the brakes that result in smooth stopping even at high-speeds; the six-speed manual transmission shifts smoothly with a light clutch. The body kit along with 18-inch alloy wheels provide a sporty look along with a simple interior, with an option of a navigation system; but Mazda should’ve stopped adding horses around 220 or so to make it perfect.

Basically, Mazda left the Mazdaspeed 3 on the burner for a little too long and the engine outputs more power than the front-wheel drive car can handle; making it hard to keep the car planted on the road and making it harder to take curves at high-speeds. Even when Phelan was driving the Mazdaspeed 3 at low speeds, he felt it took a lot of effort to steer the car.

While the Mazdaspeed 3 may be the best car in its class and may offer the most bang for its buck, someone at Mazda should’ve stepped in and said “enough is enough.”

Mazdaspeed 3 Gallery (click thumbnails to enlarge images):