By Kevin Harrison

It costs about $30 million to go to space. Seriously, if you have the dough you can be one of the few people on Earth to ever leave it. Seeing the moon, the stars and even looking back at your home planet would be thrilling to say the least. But then there’s that price tag. Even billionaires, I suspect, would have a hard time swallowing that bill.

So, what can we do for cheap thrills? Well I recently went to see a movie where the real draw was cheap ticket prices that evening. But considering how uncomfortable the chairs were, the schizophrenic audio and the movie itself being about as interesting as a gnat, the thrill part of equation was severely lacking. Cheap yes, thrilling no.

So where is the balance between value and thrills? Mazda thinks they have it nailed down in the form of the new Mazdaspeed3. They’ve been at it since the inception of the Mazda Protege MP3 back in 2001. Have they perfected the recipe?

Mazda had relative success with the previous generation Mazdaspeed3 which debuted in 2007. While that generation Mazda3 hatchback was quite the looker, I didn’t think that Mazda had done enough to visually separate the speed3 from the regular version. It’s much of the same with this generation Mazdspeed3, however it now has a functional hood scoop as well as more eye-catching 18 in wheels. The overall design may be a bit polarizing. For instance you either love it or hate it that your speed3 is constantly happy to see you each morning with that Cheshire Cat grin, but the overall look exudes the sportiness that Mazda wants to convey. I think it’s best angle is actually the rear quarter angle, even though the clear Altezza-style tail lights are a bit played out nowadays.

The interior is generally a pleasant place to be with high quality materials found throughout. The seats have decent lateral support which almost makes you forget the rather cheesy poka dot pattern in the cloth, dash and on the side of the doors. This is standard on all Mazdaspeed3′s and the contrasting colour is always red, regardless of what the exterior colour is. Because the particular vehicle I was driving was red, it seemed to blend in a bit better, but I would imagine it looks a bit awkward with other coloured Mazdaspeed3′s (of which there are only four colours to choose from). Rear legroom is a bit tight but there is a generous amount of cargo room available, especially with the seats folded down. The audio system is easy to get used to and the sound is quite good. If you have a button fetish, you’ll love the Mazdaspeed3′s steering wheel. It can be a bit overwhelming.

The Mazdaspeed3 produces 263 horsepower and 280 pound feet of torque. Mazda claims a 0-100 time of 6.1 seconds and I have no doubt that that’s probably true. The issue is, however, that it could probably be even faster than that. Getting that much power from the front wheels to the asphalt can be a bit of a challenge as the uncle traction control seems to work overtime when the Mazdaspeed3 is pushed from a stand still. On top of that, the Mazdaspeed3 won’t give you all it’s got. In first and second gear, the power is actually limited to reduce torque steer. As a result, shifting into 3rd gear creates quite the unexpected boost of power. This makes highway driving a pleasure and it really is the Mazdaspeed3′s forte. A bit of good news at least is that the formula seems to have worked. Torque steer is reduced to a minimum when accelerating from a straight line. It’s a massive improvement over the previous generation Mazdaspeed3 where you could have easily torque steered into a  tree if you weren’t careful. With that said, torque steer becomes increasingly prevalent when accelerating hard into or out of a corner. This causes the Mazdaspeed3 to under steer if you don’t back off the power.

However body lean is almost non-existent and the Mazdaspeed3 can feel quite composed once you are able to reign the beast in by the horns. In fact, handling is downright great  as long as you don’t push it so hard that the torque steer and under steer become a problem.  One great thing is the exhaust note. It’s loud, but not overly so and it doesn’t have that annoying aftermarket exhaust note found on most 10 year old suped up Civics.

The clutch bites abruptly which takes some getting used to, but once you have it nailed down it becomes second nature and it becomes easy to drive smoothly. The gear shift position is good with shifts being adequate, but it can sometimes be difficult to shift from second to third, and to downshift from third to second.

The ride is firm, but not overly firm for a performance car, especially considering the low profile tires on the 18 inch wheels (which look fantastic, by the way). I’ve read complaints about the ride being overly firm, but I say that’s what comes along with driving a performance vehicle. It’s no firmer than the ride in most BMW’s or Audi’s.

Which begs the question: Has Mazda come up with a perfect recipe for thrills and value? Well, they are damned close. A lot of the Mazdaspeed3′s flaws can be excusable based on its price point alone. There aren’t too many cars out there that offer that much power, with daily driver usability for just over $30,000. It can be an ideal car for a young family on a budget who doesn’t wish to give up performance for the sake of having to carry a stroller and diaper bags for the trip. With that said, I think Mazda could hit the nail on the head if they did one of two things: either make it less powerful (263 horses to the front wheels is a bit much) or give it all-wheel drive. Considering the abundance of power, the added weight of an all-wheel drive system shouldn’t affect performance to any large degree.

So while it isn’t hasn’t achieved performance perfection, it definitely makes a case for itself for value and performance.

Base Price: $32,995

Pros:

·    Great value

·    Strong engine pull on the highway

·    Reasonably planted in corners

·    Good versatility

·    High quality interior materials

·    Good exhaust note

·    Torque steer has been reduced

Cons:

·    While torque steer is less prevalent, it’s still noticeable especially in hard cornering

·    Has a tendency to under steer when pushed hard

·    Steering is a bit light

·    Gearbox and clutch take some getting used to

·    Poka dotted interior pattern

Overall: 8.5/10

Honda must be happy about this.

After experiencing a sales slump and some tough criticism on new products it must be comforting to know that their most recognizable model, the Civic, is still quite popular with Canadians. It was the best selling car in Canada last month.

It must also be even more comforting to know that, despite being a five year old design, it is beating the newly redesigned Hyundai elantra (which was the best selling car in Canada for the month of January and February) and Mazda3. In fact another stablemate in the compact segment is starting to regain in sales – the Toyota Corolla. It was the second best selling car while Chevrolet’s new Cruze took third place with the Elantra and Mazda3 taking 4th and 5th spots respectively.

Despite all those being compact cars, don’t think for a second that Canadians are off huge pick-ups. The Ford F-150 is still the best selling vehicle in Canada overall. The GMC Sierra is 6th overall and the Chevy Silverado is 9th overall.

[Auto North]

For the first time ever, Car Driven will be announcing its Car of the Year (COTY). Mostly because this is the first year for this blog, but also because unfortunately I don’t have the means to test every new vehicle myself this year. But that never stopped me from making my own pics for AJAC’s COTY awards last year, so why not?

So with much thought and deliberation I’ve narrowed down the nominees to five cars overall. Every new 2011 vehicle, no matter what the segment, is considered. However to keep things simple, I’ve opted to not separate them by categories this year. That means the new Honda Odyssey was technically considered alongside the Ferrari 458 Italia. Since both are obviously very different vehicles made for very different purposes, I decided to choose all nominees based on how well each vehicle is suited for Canadians. That means everything from performance, price, quality, safety, fit & finish were considered. However to keep it fair, each of those criterion are relative to the vehicle segment. So for example the Ferrari 458 Italia is compared against other supercars. And the Honda Odyssey against other minivans. The vehicle that presents a clear, absolute best case for itself wins.

I’ll probably do categories next year, but for now we’ll go with this. And I’m working a lot harder to try to test all the new vehicles for next year to make a more informed decision, press vehicles are pretty hard to get your hands on (in the meantime, check out all the vehicles I’ve tested so far). And to keep it simple, I’ve narrowed it down to 5 vehicles.

Find out what they are after the jump.

Here are Car Driven’s nominees for 2011 Car of the Year (in alphabetical order):

1) Cadillac CTS-V Coupe: There isn’t much to explain other than 555 horsepower, rear wheel drive, a six speed manual all for just over $70K. That’s tremendous value. But the big reason is Cadillac’s dedication to true performance with its V-series and now with a coupe in the line-up, the CTS can now finally look the part. And boy is it ever a looker. Love it or hate it, it definitely turns heads. But more importantly, Cadillac has proved that it has the balls to hang with the big boys from BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz.

2) Ford Edge: Ford has been steadily adding credibility back to its lineup and the Edge is an excellent example of their hard work. Don’t let the ridiculous name fool you, the Edge is a very capable vehicle in its segment. Jam packed with loads of cool tech such as Ford’s sync technology, the Edge definitely, um, edges out its competition for being more driver friendly and more advanced. On top of that, the Edge improves immensely on overall looks, gets high safety scores, has a decent ride for a CUV and the capabilities to carry all your stuff.

3) Mazda2: The Mazda2 may be beat by its non-identical twin, the Ford Fiesta, in the looks department, but it can certainly hold its own in almost every area. The Mazda3 is currently Canada’s top selling vehicle because it provides a “zoom zoom” experience without breaking the bank. The Mazda2 promises to deliver the same “zoom zoom” experience except for even cheaper in a smaller more nimble and efficient package. And if there’s one thing Canadians love, it’s small efficient cars that can haul lots of stuff and are fun to drive. The Mazda2 delivers on all front and it even does it without that stupid grinning face design language that seems to have affected it’s big brothers, the Mazda3 and Mazda5.

4) Suzuki Kizashi: Suzuki claims the Kizashi will outperform an Audi A4, a Mercedes-Benz C-Class and a Volvo S40. While I’m not convinced of that, I am convinced it can outperform its more immediate competition: the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Subaru Legacy, Chevrolet Malibu etc. Suzuki is obviously trying very hard to make itself a real player in the car world and they’re using the perfect recipe. And my goodness, does it ever look good. Easily the best looking car in the mid-sedan segment. And it’s also among the safest. That means it’s big and safe enough to drop the kids off at school, and then on the way to work you can satisfy that performance itch with a tight suspension, available AWD and a six-speed manual coming in the near future. All that for under $30 grand and you’re wondering why you never considered Suzuki before.

5) Volvo S60: Volvo has come an extremely long way in the past two decades and a good example is the redesigned S60. Now with cleaner, more eye catching styling, Volvo is proving that safe doesn’t have to come at the expense of style. But more importantly, Volvo is also proving that safe doesn’t have to come at the expense of performance either. With 300 horses and 330 pound feet of torque, Volvo’s new T6 engine is even more powerful than the BMW 335i’s and according to most critics, it actually rival’s BMW’s N55 engine for performance and smoothness. It even picked up an award for engine of the year this year. Combine that with torque vectoring, available AWD and a tuned suspension, you’ve got quite the attractive package in an attractive car. And it’s a Volvo. Who would’ve thought.

Congrats to all the nominees! Check back on New Year’s day to find out the winner!

Ford has announced today that it plans to reduce it’s 11% stake in Mazda to 3.5% effective November 19th aka tomorrow.

It’s an interesting move. On the one hand, in this economy, downsizing is probably the safest way to go. GM was forced to do it and Ford has done so by getting selling of Land Rover, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Volvo and killing off Mercury. Mazda is really the only brand it has any stake in now (besides Lincoln).

On the other hand, Mazda is on a roll and has been for the past few years. Keeping a higher stake in a brand that is surely to continue to do well in the future may not be a bad idea. Perhaps that’s why Ford decided not to sell the entire stake. 3.5% in the grand scheme of things, is still pretty significant afterall. As a result, Ford says the two companies will continue to share ideas and technologies.

[Mazda, Ford Photo Credit: Autoblog]

There’s no doubt that Top gear is the best show on earth, and one of the reasons it’s so good is the challenge segments. This is where Clarkson, Hammond and May choose a car (under specific guidlines) and all go through a series of challenges to find out who bought the best vehicle.

Usually the challenge take place outside of the blokes’ home country of Great Britain, and usually it’s somewhere you wouldn’t quite expect. Case in point, the boys were spotted in Israel in what appears to be some sort of roadster challenge.

Richard chose a Fiat Barchetta, James took the wheel of a BMW Z3 while  Jeremy went with a Mazda MX-5. Jeremy’s car was even decked out with a hookah! I’m sure it was only used for legal substances.

What’s also interesting is the convoy apparently apparently went through the Isreal/Jordan border, which typically is for foot traffic only. Israeli officialy must be huge fans of the show to let them through, especially in unusual cars.

There is still no date set for the new season of Top Gear, but you can expect it sometime in late November.

[Autoblog]

The Mazdaspeed3 is one of the few pocket rockets that actually deliver on the performance end. The Honda Civic Si and Chevrolet Cobalt SS might try their damndest, but they really don’t measure up to the Mazdaspeed3 or the GTI.

As good as the Mazdaspeed3 is, it’s not without its faults. For instance, the turbo lag is almost as bad as the turbo lag in the Saab Viggen. And on top of that, it’s trying a little too hard to seem boy racer-ish, doesn’t it?

Well it seems that Mazda is going to give the new Speed3 quite a big change that will probably address neither of those problems. Well done, Mazda.

Anyway, according the VP of product development of Mazda USA Robert Davis, the next generation Speed3 could get a diesel in its engine bay. Say whaaaaaat?

Actually it’s not a bad idea. Since diesels are inherently torque-y there will likely be minimal or no loss of performance and the Speed3 would get excellent mileage to boot. In fact, I wonder why it’s taken other manufacturers (besides the Europeans) so long to figure this out. Mazda is undoubtedly concerned about the new CAFE standard and needs to do something about its sporty lineup. That’s why the RX8 is getting the axe next year. Don’t worry, the RX8 will return in 2013 with a new efficient engine.

[Car and Driver photo credit: edmunds.com]

The picture says it all.

FAIL.

[Edmunds]

Those who know me well, and those of you who frequent this blog, know that I am an avid manual transmission fan and an avid automatic transmission hater.

After seeing this commercial for the new Mazda2 however, I will concede that there is one reason to opt for an automatic transmission.

Check it out above.

[veryfunnyads.com]

Mazda’s 3 took top selling car honours in Canada last month.

The Honda Civic usually beats its competitors by a fair margin, but it seems as though Canadians are feeling that the Civic is a bit long in the tooth as Volkswagen was able to unseed the Civic back in February.

But don’t expect the new tougher competition to force Honda into redesigning its Civic. Even though Honda rigorously completely redesigns almost every model on a strict five year schedule, the Civic will be missing its redesign by a year or so. Honda claims new efficiency standards are to blame for the delay, but clearly it’s because the competition is churning out some decent product, and Mazda besting Toyota is the perfect example.

The Golf, the Corolla, upcoming Focus and Cruze aren’t going to wait around for you to reclaim the top spot, Honda.

So…does Mazda hate Canada or something? What did we do to deserve this?!

You are looking at a Canada-only option for the otherwise sweet Mazda2.  Why the hell are there so many 2′s for decals? In case you forget what you’re driving? In fact, why is there even decals to begin with?

In addition to the ridiculous decals, the Yozora Edition will get you 16 inch silver and black eight spoke alloys, a ‘unique’ Yozora spoiler, and Yozora badging…everywhere. Even the floor mats.

So why is this Canadian only? Well because Mazda is also going to throw in 15 inch steel wheels with winter tires should you decide on the Yozora package. Where else rocks steelies 6 months of the year!

Thankfully, the Yozora edition Mazda2 is limited to only 500 units.

If you want to get the most back from your car when selling it after four years, Canadian Black book has made it a bit easier for you to decide what to buy in the first place.

They have compiled a list of cars that best retain their value from MSRP four years later into 17 categories.

Find out who got the honours after the jump.

Subcompact – Toyota Yaris

Compact – Mazda5

Midsize car – Honda Accord, Subaru Outback, Volkswagen Passat (tie)

Full-size car – Toyota Avalon

Entry luxury car – Lexus IS series

Luxury car – BMW 5 Series, BMW 6 Series, Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class (tie)

Sports car – Mini Cooper, Volkswagen GTI (tie)

Premium sports car – Porsche 911

Compact SUV – Toyota RAV4

Midsize SUV – Honda Pilot

Full-size SUV – Nissan Armada, Toyota Sequoia (tie)

Luxury SUV – Mercedes-Benz G-Class

Minivan – Honda Odyssey

Large van – Dodge Sprinter

Small pickup – Toyota Tacoma

Large pickup – Toyota Tundra

What is the best car in the world? It’s all relative and subjective and thus, impossible to determine. But that doesn’t stop automotive journalists from trying.

52 automotive journalists representing each continent in the world (except Antarctica – Penguins can’t legally drive yet) have gotten together and submitted their top ten choices for World Car of the Year in two categories: Car of the Year and Performance Car of the Year. There will then be three finalists chosen for both categories.

Find out what car made the top ten and what our pics are for the finalists after the jump!

World Car of the Year:

• Audi Q5
• BMW X1
• Chevrolet Cruze
• Kia Soul
• Mazda3
• Mercedes-Benz E-Class
• Buick Regal (including the Opel/Vauxhaul/Insignia versions)
• Porsche Panamera
• Toyota Prius
• Volkswagen Polo

Our Pics:

• Volkswagen Polo – The little hatchback that could. This car is offered in many different engine variants across the world including VW’s superb diesel, which makes it quite the fuel miser. It is one of the few cars that is perfectly suited for any market, it has great looks, quality and performance which makes it an excellent global car.
• Mazda3 – While we’re not big on the new face lifted version, that doesn’t take away from it’s class leading performance. There is simply no other vehicle in its segment that can match it, and is one of the few that offers a versatile hatch option for the ultimate pocket rocket for families.
• BMW X1 – BMW is one in a very rare group of automakers that can actually make SUV’s fun to drive. This smallest offering has both great looks matched with BMW’s obsession for perfectly balanced handling. While we likely won’t get a manual transmission option in North America, it is indeed offered elsewhere across the world, along with many different engine options. This is probably one of the few SUV’s that could make us seriously consider buying one.

World Performance Car of the Year:

• Aston Martin V12 Vantage
• Audi R8 V10
• Audi TTS Coupe/Roadster
• BMW Z4
• Ferrari California
• Jaguar XFR
• Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG
• Nissan 370Z
• Porsche 911 GT3
• Porsche Boxter/Cayman

Our Pics:

• Aston Martin V12 Vantage – A lot of people don’t consider the Vantage to be a true Aston because it’s ‘so small’ and is the poseur of the family. The V8 version making 380 horsepower is definitely nothing to sneeze at, but this V12 silences all the critics. It’s incredibly fast and agile, all while being very comfy without sacrificing performance or luxury. It’s also quite possibly one of the prettiest cars in the world.
• Audi R8 V10 – Again, the regular version of this vehicle could easily be nominated, but the truly astonishing version is the hardcore performance oriented V10. Jeremy Clarkson – who is probably the harshest automotive journalist in the entire world said that he could honestly find no faults with this vehicle. And that’s like the Queen admitting that she’s a fan of NWA. It just never happens. That alone should give the R8 V10 the award, but after personally seeing the R8 handle itself sublimely in a blizzard without hesitation, we can say that this is truly the best year round supercar. Period.
• BMW Z4 – This is the best looking Z4 so far, but it’s softer. This would ordinarily be a bad thing, but with this new Z4 it isn’t. It’s somehow still just as poised and composed and can do induce a smile on your face just about every time you get behind the wheel all while keeping you comfy for the ride. This makes it a very livable daily driver, especially now that it comes in a hard top for all weather conditions. Get yourself the sport suspension and the is version and you are in for one hell of a treat.