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mazda mazda3 Full OverviewAspiration toward a higher plane of luxury and refinement is a near-universal notion. Plenty of us Yanks would call it the American dream, but the idea is far from exclusive to those living in the States. Mazda has been working at it for years.The Japanese automaker has been known for decades as the sportier alternative to similarly priced Hondas and Toyotas (insert the well-worn "zoom-zoom" tagline here), but it's been striving toward a different brand identity as of late. Based on its product strategy over the past five years and having developed a rear-drive hybrid inline-six platform for the next Mazda 6 and a pair of new SUVs, it's obvious Mazda is working to go upscale along the lines of Lexus or Acura.But what of its current lineup? With the optional turbocharged engine, AWD, and the Premium Plus package, our 2022 Mazda 3 test vehicle rang in at a steep for the segment $34,115—more than $10K richer than a base Honda Civic and within three grand of a BMW 228i Gran Coupe. So the question becomes, is a loaded Mazda 3 a proper luxury alternative, or a cheap compact with a handful of extra features?Test Figures and Driving ImpressionsOne thing's for sure, this particular Mazda 3 isn't your basic front-drive compact sedan with a wheezy four-cylinder. Its optional 2.5-liter turbo inline-four develops 227 hp (or 250 hp on premium fuel) and 310 lb-ft of torque; both numbers are the highest you'll find in the compact segment this side of a Civic Type R or a Subaru WRX.Here are the numbers: 0-60 mph in 6.4 seconds and the quarter mile in 14.8 seconds at 94.6 mph. For context, when we tested an AWD Mazda 3 with the standard naturally aspirated four-pot kicking out 186 hp and 186 lb-ft, it reached 60 mph in 8.1 seconds and took 16.2 seconds to run the quarter. (By comparison, our long-term BMW 228i Gran Coupe took 6.0 seconds to hit 60 mph.) Braking from 60 to 0 mph was slightly better in the Mazda 3 turbo car, too, taking 120 feet and 122 feet, respectively, to get to a full stop. That's quite a bit off the stopping power of the new Honda Civic Si, however, which hauls to 0 mph in just 110 feet.On the road, this top-spec Mazda 3 delivers a driving experience that's more refined and mature than you'd expect of this class of vehicle. The turbo-four's plentiful torque provides a good shove any time you explore the latter half of the throttle's pedal travel, plus the earlier peak torque disguises the aging six-speed automatic tranny's lack of cogs compared to some of its peers. Additionally, noise, vibration, and harshness levels from the powertrain are better than some entry-level luxury cars.The steering is weighty and accurate, even providing a bit of feel. This is one area where Mazda's sporting history shines through. Ride quality is firmer than a more relaxed compact like the Hyundai Elantra, but that pays off in the 3's superb body control and stable handling. The platform feels rock-solid through corners and is happy to keep up when you get excited on a twisty two-lane. We had a chance to drive in snow and ice, too; the AWD system shuffled torque fore and aft to keep the little Mazda pointed straight and the driver unworried. The traction control system severely limits power, but you can turn it off and have a bit of fun when you do.All that said, Mazda's driver assist system isn't programmed to be nearly as supportive as those from Honda, Hyundai, Kia, or Toyota. Lane centering hardly ever engages, and the adaptive cruise control occasionally exhibits unnatural braking behavior. If you want something that minimizes fatigue on the highway with modern active safety features, the Mazda 3 isn't it.Design ExcellenceThe Mazda 3 easily looks like the most expensive vehicle in the compact segment, with a dash-to-axle spacing that disguises its FWD underpinnings better than competitors like the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class and BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe. Its LED head- and taillights are distinctively premium, and the way the turn signals blink on strong and slowly fade looks like it's straight off an Audi.Inside, the 2022 Mazda 3's interior layout is minimalist without feeling cheap, and there are no finicky touch buttons; you get expensive-feeling knobs for climate control and volume, which is a huge plus. This is what elegance and class can feel like in a relatively inexpensive vehicle. Materials and build quality feel top notch, too, and the ergonomics are excellent other than the cupholders, which aren't ideal for taller drinks.Some staffers experienced issues with the infotainment system (it can take a few too many steps to find basic functions like a radio tuner), but in many ways it comes off as a better-executed version of an older BMW iDrive system. Mazda's use of a rotary infotainment controller rather than a touchscreen allows the standard 8.8-inch infotainment display to be mounted high on the dash, which means drivers can keep their peripheral vision on the road while selecting a podcast or adding a gas station to their navigation route.That's not to say the interior isn't missing a few features given its nearly $35,000 price point. Even fully loaded, the Mazda 3 lacks cooled seats, wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, rear climate control vents, and a wireless charging pad—all of which are available in lower-priced competitors. It's also worth noting that the Mazda's rear seat is the tightest in the segment. Six-footers will be brushing their noggins on the headliner, and sharp impacts aren't going to be easy on the spine.Is the Mazda 3 Turbo a Good Car?The turbocharged and loaded-up 2022 Mazda 3 isn't a vehicle for everyone. Its back seat is exceedingly small and poorly equipped, the driver-assist tech is way behind those of the competition, and some folks won't vibe with the infotainment system's occasionally convoluted layout. There are competitors with more features, too. But would we take it over an entry-level luxury sedan like the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe? In a heartbeat.Looks good! More details? 2022 Mazda 3 Sedan AWD Turbo Specifications BASE PRICE $31,565 PRICE AS TESTED $34,115 VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan ENGINE 2.5L Turbo direct-injected DOHC 16-valve I-4 POWER (SAE NET) 227 hp @ 5,000 rpm* TORQUE (SAE NET) 310 lb-ft @ 2,000 rpm TRANSMISSION 6-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 3,376 lb (62/38%) WHEELBASE 107.3 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 183.5 x 70.7 x 56.9 in 0-60 MPH 6.4 sec QUARTER MILE 14.8 sec @ 94.6 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 120 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.84 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 26.6 sec @ 0.67 g (avg) EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 23/32/27 mpg EPA RANGE, COMB 343 miles ON SALE Now *250 hp on 93-octane fuel Show All

Modern-day Lamborghini has a habit of milking the underpinnings of its series-production cars for all they're worth in the shape of rebodied and somewhat mechanically upgraded (to varying degrees) ultra-limited editions. If you're unfamiliar, see examples named Reventón, Centenario, and Veneno, for starters, and the most recently controversial and maligned Countach LPI 8004. So it's not terribly difficult to sometimes take a cynic's view that says the company relishes finding relatively easy ways to convince its richest clients to tap further into their hedge funds or throwaway crypto profits rather than developing truly new machines—you know, the type of series-production cars we might decades from now remember just as vividly as we do the revolutionary ones Lamborghini earned its reputation on in the first place. So we were thrilled to discover after a recent drive of the Lamborghini Essenza SCV12 that this offering occupies a different strand on the company's genetic spider graph.What Is the Essenza, Anyway?The Lamborghini Essenza SCV12 is indeed another limited toy for car-crazy moguls, and it carried a starting price of 2.2 million euros. "Carried," because Lamborghini already sold all 40 of them. For the record, U.S. buyers paid whatever the dollar-to-euro exchange rate was on the day of their transaction; at this moment, the price would be nearly $2.5 million if you could still get one from the factory.The "SC" in the Essenza's name stands for "Squadra Corsa," which is the Italian manufacturer's motorsport division. ("Essenza" translates to "Essence" in English.) Squadra Corsa is responsible for developing Lamborghini's GT3 race cars, as well as running the Super Trofeo one-make series that exclusively features Huracán Super Trofeo Evo race cars competing in 50-minute sprint races. Like those Huracáns, the Essenza SCV12 isn't street legal, making it a hugely expensive track-only car aimed at wealthy gentleman racers, track-driving enthusiasts, and gotta-have-everything collectors.Other than the car, the purchase price includes two years of storage at Squadra Corsa's facility in Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy, with oversight from technicians and 24-hour-a-day video surveillance for owners to look in on their cars whenever desire or paranoia takes hold. One bright spot: Unlike Ferrari and its FXX-K, for example, Lamborghini will allow Essenza owners to take their cars home or wherever they desire, rather than making it such an ordeal owners just leave their cars at the factory.Squadra Corsa does organize and support several arrive-and-drive outings per year at circuits around the world; simply show up, and your baby is there, prepped and waiting to rip. The 2022 schedule features 11 dates between February and December, with stops at famous U.S. road courses including Laguna Seca and Watkins Glen, and contemporary Formula 1 venues Barcelona and Abu Dhabi. Essenza SCV12 owners also get track time during Lamborghini's annual Super Trofeo World Finals event, scheduled in 2022 for early November at Portugal's Portimão circuit. The World Finals entry and accommodations are included in the car's purchase price for three years; other events carry additional entry fees plus the cost of consumables such as tires, fuel, brakes, etc. Lamborghini offers participants driver coaching from its stable of pros, though all Essenza lapping sessions are conducted in a track-day format, without actual racing.Owners also pay extra for any private track time they wish for themselves; the bill depends on the scope of the program but typically falls in the $50,000-$100,00-plus range. Another bright spot: You'll write the check, but one call to Squadra Corsa's concierge yields a proposed itinerary within 48 hours, covering everything you want to do on- and off-track, plus track rental, car shipping (if necessary, including overseas), meals, and anything else you need.Notable Chassis ConstructionHere's where the Lamborghini Essenza SCV12 gets good: This car is a long way from simply being a rebodied and retuned production model. It's effectively a purpose-built race car, though it isn't homologated for competition in any actual racing series. But that was the point: to build a track car unrestricted by the typical performance-limiting rules that govern global GT racing.Lamborghini did, however, pay big attention to safety, working with the FIA—the governing body of international motorsports—to develop the Essenza's safety technology beyond what GT rules require today. In that sense it's a bit of a rolling laboratory, a GT-style race car with a carbon-fiber monocoque chassis built to existing Le Mans Prototype safety standards. But where typical GT race cars use a steel roll cage, the SCV12's carbon cage is integrated within the monocoque structure, a solution you'll see down the road on actual racing-homologated GT contenders.Whereas the Essenza's carbon chassis is based on that of the Lamborghini Aventador, only the lower part of the monocoque is similar, the company says, with 60 percent of the chassis redesigned to hit the safety targets and comply with FIA standards. The front and rear frames, suspension, gearbox, and electronics were developed specifically for this car.What's It Like to Drive?Lamborghini let us behind the Essenza SCV12's Formula 1-style wheel for 16 laps of Las Vegas Motor Speedway's 1.1-mile road-course configuration. The nine-turn circuit is more club track than proper race course; most of it is taken in second or third gear, but the front straight allowed for an extra gear or two and speeds in the 140-mph ballpark before a reasonably challenging-to-nail heavy braking zone for the second gear Turn 1 lefthander. The venue, and the fact Lamborghini let us run whatever pace we wanted, was enough to demonstrate the Essenza's intriguing package of thrills combined with approachability for non-pro drivers.You get a kick out of the experience before you're even out of pit lane. Strapped into the five-point harness, the starting procedure is simple but fun, especially for motorsports enthusiasts: Flip on the master switch and briefly let the electronics boot up, then push the ignition button followed by the start button. Once the 6.5-liter V-12 thumps alive, hold the car on the brakes (left foot preferred), punch and hold the blue button on the steering wheel for neutral, and click the right-hand shift paddle once for first gear in the Xtrac-built six-speed sequential manual racing 'box. Foot off the brake, hit the throttle, and the automated clutch (there is no pedal) engages, and you're off.You bounce around as you trundle down pit lane, typical race-car behavior thanks to a limited-travel pushrod suspension that doesn't like painfully slow driving. The rear suspension is mounted straight to the gearbox, which serves as a stressed structural chassis element (common race-car architecture that's rare in production vehicles).Kill the pit-speed limiter by clicking a button on the wheel, and bam! The Essenza howls like only a naturally aspirated Italian V-12 does, noises exaggerated by the SCV12's unique and unrestricted Capristo exhaust system. The engine is the same as the Aventador's, but thanks to a less restrictive exhaust, a bespoke air-intake system that makes use of ram effect via the engine-feeding roof scoop, and a Motech motorsports ECU, it produces 820 hp at 8,500 rpm and 568 lb-ft at 6,000. That's a 60-hp and 37-lb-ft increase compared to the stonking Aventador SVJ road car. Gulp.But within a few laps, even once we turned the power all the way up—a mode switch on the wheel offers five settings beginning at 695 hp and ramping up in 25-hp increments with each click of the dial—the nuclear straight-line speed isn't what got us. Rather, with bespoke Pirelli slick tires and monster downforce from the aero package, the car's grip and handling have you shaking your head and giggling even on a slow track like the one we drove. For perspective, Lamborghini claims 2,645 pounds of downforce at 155 mph, with even more at higher speeds; that exceeds the downforce of a true GT3 race car. It's darn near almost enough to theoretically allow the car to drive upside down without falling off the ceiling, if the track allowed it.The LVMS road course didn't let us get near what the Essenza's aero and tire package can really do, but we still felt the massive grip, especially through a flat-out third-gear kink toward the end of the lap, and also in how late we could brake into Turn 1. (The steel brakes are by Brembo, with carbon-ceramics also available.) Braking-marker boards on the side of the front straight served as guides; Lamborghini pro drivers present during our test drive suggested braking at the third board from the end as we learned the car, and then suggested working our way down to braking between it and the second board. But after a few laps of feeling what the car was capable of and finding our confidence buoyed, we rocked the Essenza down the front straight past the third board, past the halfway point, and nearly all the way to the second marker before crushing the pedal.Holy Ferruccio, did it ever work. The brake pedal feels softer than you might expect in its first bit of travel then firms up significantly and provides outstanding modulation and control. There are no latency issues with the pedal, and that fact allowed us to bleed massive speed immediately, then remain easily in control as the back end wobbled before gripping back up through the middle of the braking zone. Finally, downshifts completed with a few satisfyingly solid clicks of the left-hand paddle, we trailed off the pedal at the turn-in point and the Essenza dug in, nailed the apex, and tracked out the other side with what we swear was a yawn. We're convinced we could have gone another 20 feet deeper into the braking zone—and we also weren't stupid enough to try it. But the fact we believe it after such a brief experience of the Essenza SCV12 says a lot about how much confidence the car inspires. We didn't bother recording lap times on this day, but Lamborghini told us the Essenza is some 3 to 4 seconds quicker than the Huracán GT3 race car around medium-to-high-speed tracks in the hands of pro drivers, despite it weighing a few hundred pounds more. We have little doubt this is accurate.Odds and EndsThe car's overall setup during our drive was tuned toward understeer just to keep things manageable for the amateur drivers Lamborghini invited to sample it, but there's a huge amount of adjustability in the Essenza. Even with this setup, we discovered we could rotate the chassis somewhat into the corners using the brakes and then confidently go to the power. One thing for drivers to keep in mind is that this is a heavier, long-wheelbase (114.4 inches) car compared to most racing models, so it's a bit more deliberate, relatively speaking, in its responses to inputs. Some people might even initially find it counterintuitive if they get into it with only the eye-catching power and torque specs in mind while expecting the knife-edge, snappy reactions of a car boasting a smaller footprint.With more time, we would have found a slightly more comfortable position for the steering wheel, which, just like the pedals, is easily and quickly adjustable to accommodate a range of driver sizes and preferences, and we disliked the screen mounted in the center of the roof above the dash. The latter is for displaying data to technicians after on-track sessions, but its location impedes your field of view somewhat when you try to look ahead through corners like you should always do. To its credit, Lamborghini says it has heard the same comment from some owners and is working on a better solution.Our biggest gripe, though, is we didn't have time to run another 50 laps. Not only for fun and to increase our speed and adapt ourselves more to what the car likes, but to also explore deeper into exactly what it can do when you make adjustments. Along with the power/engine map, the trick steering wheel (which we didn't mess with outside of the power settings) allows you to tune the differential, clutch, traction control, ABS, and power steering to your preferences depending on the circuit and the specific corners you're driving. There are also controls for brake bias, throttle behavior, and more. The total package makes for a mighty engaging and pure race car experience, even though this isn't technically a race car. Well, at least not a homologated one you'll ever see in true competition.In a way, then, you could call the Lamborghini Essenza SCV12 a car without a home, except Lamborghini and Squadra Corsa have created a community around it for the 40 owners who understood the vision and what the Essenza offers. But because of the car's limited numbers and track-only usability, there's a good chance you'll never see one in the wild, let alone running in anger. From that perspective, it's massively tempting to lump it in with those other rare, virtually one-off modern Lamborghinis that have come and gone and are now distant memories mentioned only occasionally by diehard hypercar nerds. And that's a shame, because after driving the Essenza SCV12 as it's made to be driven, we suspect we'll forever remember this one as being in an entirely different league.Lamborghini Essenza SCV12 BASE PRICE $2,488,357 (est) LAYOUT Mid-engine, RWD, 2-pass, 2-door coupe ENGINE 6.5L/820 hp @ 8,500, 568 lb-ft @ 6,000 DOHC 48-valve V-12 TRANSMISSION 6-speed sequential CURB WEIGHT 3,230 lb (est) WHEELBASE 114.4 in L x W x H NA 0-60 MPH 2.8 sec (est) EPA FUEL ECON NA EPA RANGE (COMB) NA ON SALE Sold out Show All

This used to be a much easier decision. Between the compact Hyundai Tucson and the company's midsize Santa Fe SUVs, the latter was an obvious pick when interior space was important to you. Now, the new-for-2022 Hyundai Tucson boasts handsome, angular styling and top-of-its-segment interior space. That doesn't leave out the midsize Hyundai Santa Fe, whose pricing is so reasonable with its base engine that compact SUV buyers might want to consider it, too. We've driven both; read on for pros and cons on the two Hyundais.