L.A. Auto Show: New Mazda 3 is still zoomin’

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Already one of the best-handling front-wheel-drive cars in the U.S., the Mazda 3 gets a significant design refresh and minor performance upgrade.

Photos don’t really do this car justice, so it’s one worth seeing in person at the auto show. RX-8 style front fenders, a long hood and high rear deck make it look like an amalgam of an RX-8, Nissan 350Z and Lexus IS 250. Sounds odd, but it works.

Mazda officials said the interior is a bit larger. Dual zone climate controls are new, as is an eight-way adjustable driver’s seat.

Fuel economy improves for the base 2.0 liter four cylinder model. Five-speed models are up 1 mpg from the outgoing model, to 25 city and 33 highway. Automatic models post a bigger improvement, to 24 city/33 highway, besting the last generation’s 22/30 fuel usage.

A larger, 2.5-liter four lifted from the Mazda 6 returns 21 city/29 highway mileage, while the auto gets 22 in the city and the same highway mileage, about the same as the previous model with the larger 2.3-liter engine.

Two-point-five liter models now get a six-speed manual, an extra cog over the last generation’s 5. Horsepower remains 148 for the 2.0, the 2.5 makes 167, up from the last model’s 156.

Mazda execs were absolutely mum on the possibility of Mazdaspeed versions. Despite firing up the crowd with videos about Mazda’s commitment to racing, any Mazdaspeed questions got the canned, ‘we may be offering one’ response.

-- Peter Y. Hong