"I?m no stranger to the concept of disappointment. There was Bob Seger?s last album, for a kick-off. And then there?s my yew hedge, which is six years old and still only six inches high. But the Mazda was something new. It?s not just worse than I was expecting, it?s worse than I?d have expected even if I wasn?t expecting anything.
I mean, why, for instance, base a car on the Ford Focus ? which has independent rear suspension ? and then not fit independent rear suspension? Yes, Mazda saves a pound, but I end up disappointed.
And why do the brakes have to be operated with a switch? Sometimes you just want to slow down a bit, but the Mazda can?t do that. You?re either going along normally, or you?re stationary with your face all squidged on the windscreen and blood pouring out of your ruined nose.
Yes, you get Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, Emergency Brake Assist and antilock, but I?d trade all of that for a bit of ?feel?.
It?s the same deal with all the controls, actually. There?s no finesse to the gearbox, the clutch or the steering. There?s a sense, with everything, of pared-to-the-bone, penny-pinching, accountancy-driven engineering. "