Auto review: 2010 Mazda3 hatchback punches it up

— -- The 2010 Mazda3 hatchback is a honey to drive and a practical delight to use. It has faults: a dreadful amount of tire noise on coarse surfaces, not great mileage if you drive it in the lively manner its engineers intended and a price a bit high for the small-car market.

Mazda, of course, hopes that the sweet steering — a near-perfect blend of on-center stability and off-center responsiveness — and crisp cornering will beguile you. That the willing and punchy engine and the ride that's firm, yet soaks up bumps without jarring the occupants, will snag you so deeply you can't pull away. And that the practicality of the hatchback design simply makes so much sense you won't think twice before signing the check ($20,000-and-up, before any discounts; ouch).

The hatchback is nearly identical to the Mazda3 four-door sedan (Test Drive, Dec. 5). They share major mechanical parts, are built on the same line in Japan and both got hit in front with the same ugly stick. (What is it with absurdly big grilles these days?)

The sedan and the hatchback went on sale here in February, but the sedan gets the attention in the U.S. market, where it makes up about 70% of sales. In Europe, the hatch is 70%.

Mazda3 is the company's best-selling model — 45% of U.S. sales — and the hatchback is the premium version. It's available only in the top trims, Sport and Grand Touring, and only with the 2.5-liter four-cylinder that's optional in the sedan.

Enjoyment of the well-furnished Grand Touring test car, a stiff $25,560, was hampered by the tire noise. It's more or less baked in, says Kelvin Hiraishi, director of research and development engineering for Mazda North American Operations.

Maintaining Mazda's sporty, responsive steering and handling requires a tire design that's noisier on some surfaces, he says.

On most surfaces, tire noise wasn't a problem. But be sure your personal test drive includes some rough concrete or asphalt, so you know.

The tester's sub-18 mpg result was disappointing but perhaps not surprising.