Autoblog UK

The cost of the Mazda3 MPS is fractionally less than that of the four-door Golf GTI and so they are almost in the same price bracket. But with the MPS you get an additional 50 BHP and three years warranty for the first 100,000 km/60,000 miles. Workmanship and reliability are good without question. Other plus points are: the short list of reasonably priced options and a roomy cabin. The GTI may win you over with additional technical features such as DSG, a Direct Shift Gearbox and has a better image, as is well-known. But whether these features help the Golf to stay out in front of the MPS on the track is another thing.

The eternal class struggle continues: the compact class as the bread-and-butter format of the mainstream automotive manufacturers is probably the toughest arena of all.

Joining top dog Golf and main challenger Renault Megane in the ring is a revamped Mazda 3. Essentially, however, Mazda are aiming to take on the Megane. In other words, they are wooing that section of the market that doesn't see itself as inextricably wed to the VW badge. So the competition for the Mazda 3 is rather to be found in France, Italy and, of course, in Mazda's own backyard.