2008 Mazda Speed 3 - 'A Hot Hatch That Brings Life and Happiness'

The 2008 Mazda Speed 3 is a member of a growing group of performance hatchbacks that include models like the Dodge Caliber SRT4 and Chevrolet HHRSS. This high performance version of the standard Mazda 3 hatchback which is the MS3 arrived last 2007 with a limited edition model. Its entries still rank as the most fun to drive vehicle on a daily basis while still offering the cargo room you expect from this type of vehicle.

For this year, the company gave the car some changes on the outside. The front fenders are wider. It has a whole new lower grill design that comes with racker panel and standard 18 inch wheels. At the lower back you will see a single exhaust pipe which is pretty large that allows drowning sounds from the power underneath the hood of the car.

2008 Mazda Speed 3 features the efficient 2.3 liter four cylinder turbo charged engine making 263 horsepower and 280 pound feet of torque compared to the regular 156 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of torque Mazda 3. Dual transmission is available in six speed manual and all that power goes to its front wheels. It also has limited-slip differential and accurate torque management on its first and second gear.

The 2008 Mazda Speed 3 has a well-defined acceleration performance from 0-60 miles per hour in in just 5.9 seconds and a quarter-mile taking 14.2 seconds. Fuel economy is a little worse than Caliber SRT4 and Chevrolet HHRSS in 18 miles per gallon for city and 26 miles per gallon on highway.

Some of the remarkable changes for the 2008 Mazda Speed 3 is on its interior. It has the sports bucket seats with manual adjustment which makes the seats very comfortable. It also has a navigation system on the dash but it's controlled by a control down low. To access the cargo area you will find a hidden handle and when the lift gate opens it is relatively convenient most especially for taller drivers or passengers. The cargo area measure 16.5 cubic feet but if you fold the backseats down which are split, it will give you 43.4 cubic feet cargo area with those seats down.

As for its safety features, the 2008 model is equipped with the standard antilock disc brakes, traction control, stability control, front seat side airbags and side curtain airbags. It also pass the frontal-impact crash test with four stars out of five conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NHTSA. The standard Mazda 3 receives 'good' rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety IIHS for frontal-offset impact tests.

The Mazda Speed 3 rivals with the Caliber SRT4 and Chevrolet HHRSS in the fun drive department and also competes against all-wheel drive performance hatchbacks like Volkswagen R32 and Subaru Impreza WRX. So, if you don't want to compromise utility for performance while spending less, the Mazda Speed 3 is the great way to go.