![\"cx3_low-fr\"](\"http:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/-mm-\/6cf1bba6184f3dd3dceb85755e9508822a432fc3\/c=404-0-3483-2315&r=x404&c=534x401\/local\/-\/media\/2016\/01\/20\/DetroitNews\/B99347441Z.1_20160120231343_000_GRTP42JQ.1-0.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Stab the brakes. Two quick paddle-downshifts. Rotate the tight, neutral chassis. Hear the tires squeal with pleasure as I explore the limits of all-wheel-drive adhesion, feeding them more juice around the 180-degree cloverleaf.<\/p>\n
Ain\u2019t trucks fun?<\/p>\n
Well, no. Not until now with the brand new Mazda CX-3 sport ute, which was on the short list for\u00a02016 North American Truck of the Year<\/a>. Right next to the Nissan Titan, Toyota Tacoma and (ultimate winner) Volvo XC90. Maybe it\u2019s time we NACTOY jurors rethought our categories. Welcome to the subcompact sport-utility class, the hottest, newest, funnest segment on the planet.<\/p>\n Part ute, part crossover, part hot hatch, subcompact SUVs are manufacturers\u2019 latest attempt to slake customers thirst for riding high while still offering them the performance and styling that they desire. A tall order. Or short order, in the case of the CX-3.<\/p>\n The little Mazda debuts alongside subcompact brethren like the Jeep Renegade and Honda HR-V (Both were also up for truck of the year. I\u2019ll wait while you stop laughing.), but it is waaaaay at the other side of the segment, vibe-wise. I took the Renegade off-roading last year on California\u2019s\u2019 State Park on 15-degree inclines, while the Honda wants to be your grocery-hauling appliance.<\/p>\n Not the CX-3.<\/p>\n Haul groceries in this sporty cart and you\u2019ll break a few eggs. Honestly, my M-10 cloverleaf adventure came in the midst of a routine ride back from Novi when I suddenly got the urge to go all Lewis Hamilton on the Telegraph Road cloverleaf. Twice. I heard my laptop bag hurtle across the backseat and slap against the side door under G-loads. Phew. Good thing that wasn\u2019t a Kroger bag or Mrs. Payne would have had my head (you don\u2019t like scrambled eggs, hon?).<\/p>\n The CX-3 is a\u00a0compact hatchback in disguise<\/a>. Its hip-point is higher than Mazda\u2019s terrific Mazda 3 compact car even as its ride height \u2014 6.1 inches \u2014 is the same. Indeed, why buy a CX-3 when its Mazda 3 hatchback cousin is roomier, quicker and cheaper by a grand? Because Americans don\u2019t want five-door vehicles called hatchbacks; they want five-door vehicles called crossovers. Mazda doesn\u2019t even import its Mazda 2 hatch made in Mexico. (It\u2019s actually rebadged as a Scion iM \u2014 and folks are screaming at Scion asking why\u00a0they\u00a0<\/em>don\u2019t have a hatch.)<\/p>\n All-wheel-drive option<\/p>\n More significant than semantics, however, is the CX-3 crossover comes with the all-wheel-drive option (unlike the Mazda 3 hatchback), which is as welcome in Detroit\u2019s long winter months as the Mazda\u2019s handling is come summer.<\/p>\n The only thing truly comparable to CX-3 is the Mercedes GLA that I drove last spring. Both look like they started as proper upright crossovers before someone squashed them in a giant panini maker. Both stand out in the gym. Both grip like a Rottweiler on a postman\u2019s pant leg. But the Mazda is $12,000 cheaper, packs just as much AWD fun, while lagging the Mercedes in horsepower \u2014 146 to 208.<\/p>\n Mazda\u2019s play for your hard-earned dollars goes well beyond sophisticated handling and a fuel-sipping engine.<\/p>\n Inside and out, the CX-3 is a European-looking sexpot. Call it the CRXXX-3. Pouty mouth. Come-hither headlights. Sculpted hips. Significantly, the CX-3 is even curvier \u2014 jagged belt-line, hippier hips \u2014 than its 3 and 6 sedan siblings, giving it a dynamic presence despite its more upright stature. Clever.<\/p>\n You remember when it debuted at the Detroit auto show a year ago? You couldn\u2019t take your eyes off it.\u00a0That\u2019s a truck?<\/em><\/p>\n Welcoming interior<\/p>\n The interior is a surprisingly nice place to be. Mazda translates its ZOOM ZOOM European handling to interior decor with Audi-like aviator climate vents, a pop-up infotainment screen and an array of decidedly un-European standard features like push-button start and automatic lights.<\/p>\n Sure, the screen comes with the annoying European rotary dial control located down by your hip so you have to take your eyes off the road to locate it. Happily, Mazda tries to help by adding touch features to the screen \u2014 though they cease working when the car is moving. Best to just use voice recognition \u2014 with which I had excellent, coherent conversations. Never had to take my hand off the wheel. That\u2019s the 21st century way.<\/p>\n My GT-trimmed Mazda is also equipped with convenient features like two front USB ports, a 12-volt plug, heads-up display, adaptive wipers and headlights that swivel where you steer.<\/p>\n The CX-3 is so delightful that its shortcomings stand out: Leave the lights on and the car doesn\u2019t remind you on exit. The cup holders are under the armrest. The tach dominates the instrument cluster with the speedometer a digital afterthought. And the rear-quarter blind spots are as big as Texas thanks to the CX-3\u2019s racy, tapered rear styling. (I\u2019m happy to report that blind-spot assist is available to help \u2014 another in the remarkable buffet of luxury options on a 20-grand compact car.)<\/p>\n Unexpectedly roomy<\/p>\n Just as surprising, however, is the rear headroom. A 6-foot-5 roundball player like me may have to splay his knees to sit in the back, but he can do it sitting upright; try that in a compact sedan. Fold the rear seats flat; try that in a compact sedan. Of course, the hatchback Mazda 3 will give you that convenience plus 184 horsepower, but Americans don\u2019t want … we\u2019ve been over this.<\/p>\n After my cloverleaf adventures, Mazda\u2019s ZOOM ZOOM disappoints a bit. Mazda has invested a lot in its SkyActiv gas engine technology which delivers superb fuel economy but can be wanting in the torque department. Zero to 60 yawns by in over eight seconds. I yearned for a Ford Ecoboost turbo or VW turbo-diesel to get me out of the corners. I recently drove a mid-size Passat 4-cylinder turbo-diesel in Europe which managed 38\u00a0mpg<\/a>\u00a0and plenty of torque. The Mazda scored 30 mpg in our brief date, but I often found myself in the manual paddles to move along.<\/p>\n In spite of that, the CX-3 delivers.<\/p>\n \u201916 Mazda CX-3<\/p>\n Vehicle type:\u00a0Front-engine, front or all-wheel-drive, five-passenger sport utility<\/p>\n Price:\u00a0$20,840 base ($27,670 AWD GT as tested)<\/p>\n Powerplant:\u00a02-liter, dual overhead-cam 4-cylinder<\/p>\n Power:\u00a0146 horsepower, 146 pound-feet of torque<\/p>\n Transmission:\u00a0Six-speed automatic<\/p>\n Performance:\u00a00-60 mph, 8.1 seconds (Car & Driver)<\/p>\n Weight:\u00a02,952 pounds (as tested)<\/p>\n Fuel economy:\u00a0EPA 29 mpg city\/35 mpg highway\/31 mpg combined (FWD); EPA 27 mpg city\/32 mpg highway\/29 mpg combined (AWD)<\/p>\n Report card<\/p>\n Highs:\u00a0Dynamic styling; Mazda car-like handling<\/p>\n Lows:\u00a0Zero-60 in forever; why not a bigger, cheaper Mazda 3 hatch?<\/p>\n Overall:\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Stab the brakes. Two quick paddle-downshifts. Rotate the tight, neutral chassis. Hear the tires squeal with pleasure as I explore the limits of all-wheel-drive adhesion, feeding them more juice around the 180-degree cloverleaf. Ain\u2019t trucks fun? Well, no. Not until now with the brand new Mazda CX-3 sport ute, which was on the short list […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17893"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17893"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17893\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17895,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17893\/revisions\/17895"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17893"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17893"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17893"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}