BBC Topgear Road Test - November 01 1999 Mazda - 323

“Tom, would you take the 323 at the weekend?”
“Oh, why me, Col?”
“Well, because you booked it in, because it needs a minitest and because no-one else can.”
“Did I? Does it? Can’t they? Um, well, yeah I s’pose so.”
“Cheers, Tom.”

And so it was that one spoilt bastard reluctantly fished the Mazda keys out of the key-pot one Friday evening and, lower lip proud, sloped toward the garage with little to look forward to, other than racking up a few miles in just another anodyne, lacklustre Japanese hatchback.

Then I saw it – looks like an Almera, but the Nissan is ugly in any guise and this limited-edition Mazda 323 Sport certainly isn’t. Black mica paintwork, full body kit, cheeky little foglamps, fancy chrome tailpipe, low-profile tyres and tasty alloys. Could be worse, I thought.

I got in and looked around: Sony single-CD stereo with 10 radio presets, air-conditioning, leather wheel, decent driving position and a good looking facia with a subtle brushed metal-effect finish. There is some suspiciously-patterned cloth trim but it all seems well finished. Could be much worse.

Into the Friday traffic and I’m reminded just how easy these, supposedly anodyne, Jap hatches are to drive. Gears, clutch and throttle, all a cinch. Steering feels good too – not over-light, but not heavy either. Not excessively powerful (112bhp with 118lb ft of torque) but responsive at low revs and it handles my brain-off-but-hurried commute home well.

Next day it’s ‘load up the children and off down the M4 and A4 for lunch with the rellies’. There’s plenty of space in the boot for buggy and babywalker, plenty in the rear for child seats (times two), and there’s plenty of stowage in the front for fags, phone, sunglasses, juice mugs (times two), rice cakes, breadsticks, raisins and Wet Wipes.

No problems on the motorway. The 323 drives well – it’s quiet enough, with a comfortable, though not exactly plush ride, and, from behind the wheel, the steering and chassis both feel surprisingly lithe and taut.

Onto the A4 and a succession of swiftly negotiated roundabouts reveal minimal body roll, good grip and eager brakes. Then we’re onto a bumpy B-road where, just as I’m beginning to enjoy the drive, one of the children musters vocal complaint and, being a responsible parent, I ease off and cruise the last couple of miles to arrive without further hysterics from the rear.

Back in the office on Monday.
“Morning, Col.”
“Morning, Tom.”
“Nice car that 323. Apparently Mazda are only producing 300 of those Sports initially, but I reckon it deserves better than that.”
“Good, glad you enjoyed driving it, Tom.”
“I did, Col, I did.”