6-07-24 Featured Vehicle
By Rich Taber
Putting aside arguments about absolute certainty, I’m nearly 100% certain that if I were in the market for a reasonably affordable, new, compact hatchback with an internal combustion engine, I would be signing on the dotted line for a Mazda3 turbo. I have yet to find a competitor with the above requirements that has matched the satisfaction delivered during my weeklong test drive of the model.
It’s not a decision complicated by arcane analysis of fractional differences in interior dimensions or obtuse comparisons of the number of speakers the audio system employs. No, it’s quite simple. Every time I slipped into the driver’s seat, pressed the start button and immersed myself in Mazda3 world I felt totally content with its classy looks, vibrant performance and sublime comfort.
What’s completely surprising is that at the Premium Plus level, it’s all available to take home for $38,265. You can go as low as just over $26,000 delivered for the base model, but you’d be sacrificing all-wheel drive and the turbocharged engine, as well as the lot of premium features such as leather seating with heated fronts seats, an 8-way power driver’s seat, dual-zone climate control, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bose audio, wireless phone charging, paddle shifters…
Speaking of sacrifices, one does have to forfeit a bit more cash at the pump to enjoy all of the 250 horsepower that the 2.5-liter turbocharge engine can provide. That takes premium gasoline to achieve. Use regular and you’re bumped down to 227 horsepower. Even at that, though, it’s hard to complain considering it’s still a big notch above the 191 horsepower that the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter engine churns out, and several seconds faster from zero-to-60 mph.
I could rave on, but there’s that one big, “if I were in the market today for a… hatchback with an internal combustion engine”
Turns out, I’d be looking through a different lens. Many of the cars I love driving pose a an existential question that automakers know they have to address. Those vehicles with internal combustion engines, or ICE engines as they are sometimes called, are dependent on fossil fuels which we know produce carbon dioxide when burned. We also know that there’s a direct correlation between carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and climate change.
So, would I be able to find the same “classy looks, vibrant performance and sublime comfort” in a Mazda3 PHEV of EV? Considering what Mazda has achieved with our featured model, I think so. I certainly hope so. There are no ifs about that.
RPM News Weekly Photos by Rich Taber
2024 Mazda3 2.5T Premium Plus AWD
MANUFACTURER’S SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE $36,650.00
MSRP INCLUDING OPTIONS $37,100.00
INLAND FREIGHT AND HANDLING $1,165.00
TOTAL MANUFACTURER’S SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE $38,265.00
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EQ Factor
The ratio of the cost of a gallon of gasoline to the cost of an equivalent amount of electrical energy, based on a gallon of gasoline having 115,000 BTUs which is equivalent to 33.7 kilowatt-hours. The eQ factor is used to determine how many miles one gets in an electric vehicle for the same dollars spent on a gallon of gasoline. This is different than MPGe which does not account for price differences between gasoline and electricity. To figure the eQ factor, first calculate the the cost of an equivalent amount of electrical energy in your locale by multiplying 33.7 KwH by the cost per kilowatt-hour of electricity (including delivery charges, if any). Call that the “Cost of a Gallon of Electricity”. Take the cost of a gallon of gasoline in your locale, and divide it by the “Cost of a Gallon of Electricity” to get the eQ factor. The eQ factor changes depending on the prices of gasoline and electricity in a particular location on any given day.
To figure out how economical that electric car really is for you, multiply the MPGe rating from the EPA by the eQ factor to see how many miles you’ll get for the same dollars you spend on a gallon of gasoline.
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