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Sporty generation
The Mazda 3 was always the car to beat in terms of desirability. Can the latest Civic from Honda snatch the crown from its compatriot?
Japanese saloons were usually considered boring when it came to design and driving satisfaction, not until Mazda redefined the compact car segment with the 3 model last year.
The 3 replaced the 323 Protege that wasn't an all too bad car. In fact, the 323 and its Ford Laser Tierra cousin were the best cars to drive in the class, except that they were rather dull to look at.
Mazda has resolved that shortcoming with a handsome appearance for the 3 and gone flat out to make it hugely desirable by topping the range off with a 2.0-litre engine and a high safety kit level.
Ford did otherwise with its all-new Focus sedan launched in October this year. Instead, the Focus was positioned as a more economical car by coming with only a 1.8-litre engine.
Honda is now back with the Civic, also available with a 2.0-litre engine, to challenge the 3 in the game of image-boosting. The previous version had the performance to top the class, but came with uninspiring looks and driving manners.
You may also ask about the Mitsubishi Lancer 2.0 which once appeared in a quadruple test with the 323, Laser and Civic in Motoring last year. But the Lancer is a generation behind and is too weak to compete with the 3 and Civic, not to mention its predecessors.
That said, for one million baht, a 2.0-litre engine and comprehensive specification, there are only two compact four-door saloons to choose from now: the Civic and 3.
Like before, we believe that top-end compact cars should have stylish looks for buyers to feel special, be fun to drive and possess good kit.
Exterior appeal
It's been more than a year the 3 has been prowling Thai roads and it still looks cool. The showy fog, head and tail lights, the BMW-like C-pillar design, five-spoke 17-inch wheels, black-coloured rear apron and the tiny boot spoiler all make up for an effectively attractive car.
The Civic, in contrast, is still a Civic. Design is very evolutionary over the outgoing model, except for fact that the new one has a sleeker silhouette.
Honda has also attempted to make the Civic a markedly different car than before with ripple-like lens casings for the front and rear lights.
These elements help lift the Civic's presence on the road, although not to a large extent. Perhaps, Honda wanted to play the game safe with a model deemed most important product in its current line-up.
The same goes for the 16-inch alloys that aren't as good to look as the 3's, nor do they help fill the wheel arches effectively.
That might have been done in the interests of ride quality, which we'll get into later. Conversely, Honda may have wanted to leave some business opportunity for Honda Access, its accessories arm that offers bigger wheels in the Modulo package.
Having said all that, the 3 is the looker of the two. Apart from our testers, the other guys we spoke to at random share the same sentiment.
Interior appeal
Not only did Mazda concentrate on exterior design, it did an equally good job inside the car.
The dashboard, for instance, has a good-looking instrument cowl, stylish instrumentation that neatly lights up in red during the night, two-tone colour, good quality plastics and three-spoke steering wheel.
It still looks as the most attractive cabin in the class, not until the Civic comes into the picture. Oddly, Honda has decided to get radical with the interior.
But the Civic's fascia looks and works marvellously. The centre console is tilted towards the driver and is excellent in terms of ergonomics. Switches are easy to locate and use.
Even better is the instrument panel. There's a two-tier design including a digital speedo and circular rev-counter that glare with a clarity the 3 can't match.
And the best part of the Civic's berth is the steering wheel. The compact size and stylish look of it makes it very irresistible to let your hands go of it.
But function doesn't stop there. The Civic is spacious inside and probably the best in the class.
The 3, on the other hand, won't see backseat passengers complaining about legroom. But it just feels smaller than in the Civic.
Both cars have a centre armrest for rear passengers. Honda has a gone a step further by adding another one for the front occupants that can also neatly slide back and forth to your liking.
Boot space is adequate in both cars, with Honda having a slight edge. The 3 has one feature the Civic hasn't: foldable rear seats for added practicality.
Driving appeal
Ever since the Civic was launched with a 2.0-litre engine, nobody could have really rivalled it. With 155hp on tap, plus a responsive five-speed automatic transmission, the Civic nailed all its rivals in terms of acceleration and top-end performance.
This time around, Honda has tweaked the clean-revving four-cylinder unit with more useable torque down the engine range. The result is the same fire-cracking performance. Just tap the throttle and the car moves effortlessly.
At medium speeds, responsiveness is never an issue, thanks the gearbox that is always willing to shift a notch down when you need extra oomph.
In this respect, the 3 can't match the Civic _ by a significant distance. The 141hp inline-four is not as free-revving and is mated to a lazy four-speed automatic whose ratios don't seem to be tailored ideally enough for driving conditions in Thailand.
Driving the 3 in the city isn't a problem, but it's so in the mid-ranges. Whenever you crave more surge, you have to really press on the gas to get into kickdown. And that's when the torque really talks. At this moment, you'll be missing the Civic's spirited powertrain.
And there's no sport mode in the 3, unlike in the Civic. The only option available in the Mazda is manual-shift which, again, is bettered by the Civic's paddle-shifters on the steering wheel.
The 3 is only an average performer, particularly in the presence of the Civic. Had the Honda not been here, the 3 would not have felt that inferior and may have been adequate in its own right.
The Civic's engine is smooth, but turns noisy when pushed to high revs. The 3, on the contrary, has a coarser engine, but is muted better when dragged to the redline.
When it comes to the driving characteristics, the 3 wins for it got its act sorted out well. The steering is well-weighted and goes well with the taut chassis in yielding good and inspirational handling. You can already feel this the moment you drive off: the car feels well-planted to the road.
Low-speed ride is on the stiff side, also caused by the sporty tyres that are noisy on poor road surfaces. At least, the upside is that the 3 hugs to the road well at high speeds and steers with fluency usually not associated with cars in this class.
Honda has attempted to make the Civic a sportier car to drive than before, hence the tauter chassis and more direct steering. Actually, the steering is light and sharp around town.
As speed builds up, the rack remains precise, but doesn't go that well with the chassis which is not as responsive. It appears that Honda was afraid that a sporty chassis set-up could have backfired on ride.
Yes, the Civic's ride is more compliant and quieter than the 3's, thanks to a plusher suspension set-up and thicker tyres. But that has slightly come at the expense of high-speed stability and handling fluency.
You feel more part of the car in the 3 and can drive harder with it. In the Civic, the electric assistance corrupts on feel, despite it making the car easy to drive. In simpler terms, handling feels more natural and progressive in the 3.
Both cars come with a fine set of stoppers: all-round disc brakes with anti-lock, brake assist and electronic force distribution.
Monetary appeal
Both cars retail at slightly over one million baht, but are compensated with a generous amount of standard equipment.
On the safety front, the 3 has a better level of passive features like front, side and head airbags running from the front to the rear. There are five three-point seatbelts, but only four head restraints.
Despite being the newer addition, the Honda has chosen to omit head airbags and has left the fifth occupant with just a lap belt and no head restraint.
Instead, the Civic has one active safety item the 3 doesn't have: stability control. Both cars get the latest in braking electronics.
Luxurious items in the Civic include automatic climate control, cruise control and MP3/six-disc player.
The 3 comes without cruise control, but is makes up with the electric sunroof. Our car was an early release model and only had a single-disc player. Mazda says MP3/six-disc is now available in the 3.
But they have similar servicing costs, although slow-moving parts in the 3 seem to be higher than in the Civic (see table).
Both cars returned an identical fuel consumption of 12.8kpl when driving at speeds between 120-140kph. The test route combined highways and country roads in the eastern provinces of Chon Buri and Rayong.
That figure is quite commendable for a compact car. It even betters some 1.6- and 1.8-litre versions in this class. The stereotype thinking that big engines consume more fuel does not hold true here with these 2.0s.
But having said that, the Civic is a better achievement. It drinks the same amount of fuel as the 3, yet offers far better performance.
Verdict
In order to make customers feel happy about spending B1m on such compact cars, Honda and Mazda have equipped the Civic and 3 generously. You shouldn't feel cheated about choosing one over a lower, cheaper and less powerful version.
But the Civic holds the edge in numbers. It has more gears and more horsepower.
It may be a subjective matter, but the 3 still has the looks to make you feel special at one million baht. But once you're inside the cars, the Civic is the more special place to be in. The cockpit-like driving position makes you feel like the car is only designed for yourself.
On the move, each car rewards the driver differently. The Civic has the performance to keep the driver entertained at all times.
Too bad, Honda seemed to be a little too cautious in giving the Civic the right chassis to match the splendid engine, gearbox and steering. You could say that outright comfort is necessary. But that's not what we are looking for here with these 2.0-litre compacts.
The 3 goes the other way round with a beefier and more entertaining chassis. It lacks the ride comfort of the Civic, but properly defines what a sporty saloon should be like.
The problem is the engine and gearbox. It's not a dowdy combination, but doesn't do justice to car's sporty nature, as well as it fails to provide the Civic a better fight.
You won't be able to derive total driving satisfaction in either car. What the 3 sorely needs is more responsive performance. What the Civic merely needs is a more justified chassis.
This sounds like the Civic winning by a narrow margin. But we'll prefer to let the number of total stars do the talking.
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ใครมีลิงค์ของบางกอกโพสต์ ที่ทดสอบ Mazda 3 กับ civic 2006 บ้างค่ะ
