test drives

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By Tim Saunders

Driving from Hampshire to Cornwall really puts a car through its paces. I do this with the Mazda3 e-Skyactiv saloon.

Externally it is a smart looking saloon, noticeably lower to the ground than many, which does give it a sporty edge. This of course means that you are nearer the road, which somehow makes it feel faster. It’s a welcome return to driving a Mazda for me, reminding me a little of the Xedos 6 I once had the privilege of owning.

I am taken aback by the size of the boot, it easily swallows two suitcases, a week’s worth of food and my son’s scooter. This would be a struggle in an SUV.

Previously I have tested the Nissan Qashqai Design e-power and was astounded by its efficiency, covering well over 500 miles on a single tank, which allows me to drive to Cornwall and back as well as do a little pottering around and still have 55 miles left to play with. Sadly the same cannot be said of the Mazda3, which I had expected as I have always found Mazdas to like their juice. This model is a 2-litre petrol hybrid whereas the Nissan Qashqai was a 1.5 litre. That 500cc difference does seem to make a difference in terms of fuel economy but then it does have a slightly bigger fuel tank too at 55 litres. The Qashqai had a neat little EV switch that you could press to ensure that it was actually on ev mode. You’re never quite sure what the Mazda is up to. This model is a six speed manual, the Nissan was an automatic. I love my manuals and the Mazda is a joy to drive despite its electric handbrake but it is not as fast as I was expecting, although its performance is quite reasonable with a sub nine second 0 to 60 time. It is necessary to fill the 51 litre tank up to return home to Hampshire and there remains a 50 mile range when we arrive.

The driving experience is good. The driver’s seat is comfortable and all controls are close to hand. I do find though that my preferred position of driving with my arms outstretched is just not possible. If I want to drive like that I can’t reach the pedals! So I end up adjusting the steering wheel so that it’s lower and suffering slightly bent arms. Often my right elbow rests on the door’s armrest, which isn’t all that comfortable.

Caroline falls asleep over the long journey, which shows that her seat must be comfortable and my three not so little occupants in the rear (Harriett 14, Heidi 12 and Henry 9) seem reasonably content.

The black cloth seating is hardwearing and I must say I prefer this to the usual leather that you find these days. There’s also an electric tilt/slide sunroof, which I like.

The sat nav is annoying because it can be slow to give commands and is even wrong on one occasion when it fails to acknowledge a new road layout in Cornwall. Henry reckons it’s old technology but that’s probably unfair. Unlike many it is operated by a dial which is slower to set up than normal but if there is time it’s quite enjoyable to use. Speed limits are often wrong, for instance I am advised that I can drive at 80mph in 10mph, 20mph and 30mph zones on three or four separate occasions. While I freely admit that I am grateful to the sat nav for getting us to Cornwall with minimal fuss, it goes to show that you cannot fully trust technology and that it is imperative to read road signs and use your common sense or suffer the consequences. Even the cruise control cannot be relied upon to rigidly stick to 50mph on the M27; it fluctuates between 50mph and 54mph, which is no good when there are speed cameras, so I have to brake. I find the head up display which projects the speed on to the windscreen helpful.

The roads in Cornwall can be extremely challenging; very narrow and steep on occasions. The auto hold is certainly helpful for hill starts of which there are many. I am left open mouthed at a moronic AO van driver who is barely able to stop as we meet down a narrow country lane but fortunately my sensible speed allows me to stop quickly. Many heart in the mouth moments occur but the Mazda handles them with relative ease.  

Facts at a glance

VIDEO

By Tim Saunders

When driving to Newquay, Cornwall in the Nissan Qashqai N Design e-power, I am fully expecting to have to refuel for the return journey. But it doesn’t happen… I really am quite surprised at the efficiency of this 1.5-litre SUV. The outbound journey is over 200 miles, taking in mainly motorways like the M27 and M5 and main roads like the demanding A30. Then there’s a lot of pottering about when we get there; down very tight country lanes and a fairly challenging car park at Newquay Harbour. The 30 mile or so return journey to the Eden Project barely registers thanks to my friend the EV button. This technology has really moved up a level in recent years because it is now possible to drive at 60mph in this mode. Obviously the battery loses its charge quicker at this pace than at half that speed but it helps conserve that petrol. Our Cornwall trek takes in well over 550 miles and we return home with the 55 litre fuel tank near empty but still able to cover 55 miles. Bear in mind that it has not been necessary to religiously stick to 56mph in order to achieve this satisfying result both for the environment and the driver’s pocket.

Returning from Cornwall I try to drive as efficiently as possible and discover that the vehicle will drive in EV mode when there is not demanding acceleration. Doing this numerous times throughout the journey allows us to gain over 50 miles in range.

I have enjoyed the 7.9secs nought to 60mph and it has regularly travelled at the national speed limit. There have been occasions where some demanding overtaking has been necessary and it’s a very capable car.

Externally this latest Qashqai is a bit of a cool dude with its striking two tone black and magnetic blue paint job and alloy wheels. Head on it looks like it means business.

Inside the black interior is well put together and hardwearing. We all appreciate the different fabrics such as the suede on the dash and the leather seats. That sizeable panoramic glass roof really allows occupants to enjoy good weather. The air conditioning always helps on a hot day if opening the windows at speed is uncomfortable. The digital stereo struggles to pick up a signal in many parts of Cornwall, which is bothersome but the sat nav is a little gem on occasions. For instance, it picks up mobile speed cameras and alerts the driver. It knows about roadworks and diverts us accordingly. However, on the return journey it forgets about the roadworks that it so expertly manoeuvred us around on the outbound journey. I don’t. And that pleases me because you can’t rely on technology. For your own health. Son Henry (9) finds the AI robot funny. Ask it anything and it will come back with something, often useless. He discovers that if he’s rude to it it tells him to behave himself, which he finds amusing. He asks it about jokes and it responds with some quite funny ones. Sister Heidi (12) wonders how much a teacher earns and asks. It replies with a starting salary. Sister Harriett (14) has been learning about the detrimental effects of AI on the environment in terms of the vast amounts of water used to cool the data centres that each query requires and she informs her siblings in no uncertain terms. So, as far as we can see there isn’t a need for AI in this setting.

The front seats could be a better design because my head and my wife’s feel as if they are pushed too far forward. Now, perhaps this is the optimum driving position but it doesn’t feel comfortable. However, we do arrive at our destination reasonably alert and compos mentis.