A CAR dubbed “the most amazing in Britain” by Jeremy Clarkson can be picked up for as little as £15,000.
The Top Gear star crowned the mid-size saloon as the best in the nation despite it being “one of the most boring-looking”.
However, what’s “underneath its invisible skin” makes the Mazda 3 one of the best cars on sale in the UK, according to Clarkson.
Mazda ignores the hybrid systems which make family cars today complicated.
Instead, the Japanese manufacturer focuses on improving fuel usage.
Clarkson wrote in The Times: “What the two-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine in the 3 does is combine the characteristics of diesel and petrol technology.”
You are driving something from a place, a very long way in the future, called, ‘sensible.’
Jeremy Clarkson
The Grand Tour host explained that Mazda had designed the perfect engine which uses fuel more efficiently than a lot of other motors.
The Mazda 3 saloon can go 54 miles per gallon which is more than 15 mpg than the average car in the UK.
Clarkson said: ” You are driving something from a place, a very long way in the future, called, ‘sensible.'”
He added that Mazda’s design trumps the previous turbo and diesel engines in other cars and even the best electric vehicles.
“With Mazda’s tech, there’s no obvious downside at all.
“It’s just a nice, smooth engine.”
Mazda’s chassis was made for comfort and attempts to remove any “bumps and shudders” away from the driver.
“Even the tyres have soft and squidgy sidewalls,” said Clarkson.
He added: “So if you’re a private detective who needs to remain fresh and alert while using a car that’s invisible to tail an errant husband, this has to be your No 1 choice.”
Yet, the Mazda is not just a comfy motor but also a rapid one.
The popular TV presenter said he enjoys “whizzing” around country lanes in it and loves their “old-fashioned manual gearbox”.
The Mazda 3 saloon maintains its simplicity by not complicating the dashboard and has modes for all types of petrolheads that will make driving this family car enjoyable.
Another quality feature in Mazda’s saloon car is its leather steering wheel, which Clarkson said was “tremendous”.
Nonetheless, even the motor dubbed the “best car “most amazing” on sale in the UK still has kinks to iron out, according to the presenter.
He cited the limited space at the back of the car and added that there are “some significant blind spots”.
There isn’t a lot of boot space either, however, Clarkson recommends buying the hatchback if this would be a problem for you.
A lot of drivers spend their time disabling safety features in their new motors.
Yet, it was only on Clarkson’s final day of testing the Mazda that he found a switch that “shuts everything up “.
It is unclear how the Japanese manufacturer has managed to do this under “EU law” but it seems they have found a loophole.
The Mazda 3 saloon is one of the most “impressive and satisfying cars” Clarkson has ever driven and it puts the other electric family cars to shame.
It is available for as little as £15,000 on AutoTrader.