Drive in, Pt 4

Commenter Garthor sends in his daily driver. In his own words:

 Let me tell you about what I believe to be the best of the daily drivers so far.  This is the 2010 Mazda 3 hatchback from the hertz fleet.  This means it has a very sporty 2.5L dohc I4.  Doesn't sound like much, sure but at almost 170 base hp it will top most cars in its class without turbo superchargers, blowers, or other heavy modifications.  And the suspension is tuned just right for taking corners at top speed.  In fact the differences between this and the mazda speed 3 are few and far between, and I believe mazda has outdone themselves with their motto "if its not worth driving, its not worth building".  The 2.5L is no gas guzzler either, I have a meter on my dash which reads out regularly at between 23 and 24 miles per, which means not only is it sporty, but also affordable to drive on a regular basis.

You will notice the interior is not half bad either.  Bucket seats hug your posterior, even when you are sitting in good old California's bumper to bumper.  The tech savy will also notice blue tooth, a very important feature here in California (a no talking while driving state).  This also means that with my android, I can pick what I listen to when I'm sitting in traffic be it Pandora or radio.  The version I have came with some additional readouts as well, which will help you keep track of nice things like gas milage, and when the car needs its next maintenance.  The car weighs the perfect balance between zippy and practical.  With 5 seat-belts in the cabin area, and a roomy hatchback trunk (plus 60/40 rear split seats) its the perfect size for just about any occasion.  Back to performance... The triptonic sport shift goes up to 5, plus overdrive, and traction control is as easy to turn off as a single button press.  When looking between this car, and its big brother the speed 3, the only real difference I can tell is the speed three has a 2.3L (slightly smaller) T4, which adds about 100hp on my standard hatch.  Meaning my 2.5L, once I tune it up a little (ie add a turbo supercharger, and maybe a cold air intake) should get almost 300hp at my best estimate... not bad for such a little car.