2021 Mazda 3 Turbo vs VW Golf R vs Subaru WRX Drag Race Shows There's a Newcomer

For a while, the plan worked. The SKYACTIV engines offered a nice mix of grunt and efficiency that may not have been on par with what other companies were putting out on the market, but they were definitely up there, not to mention full of a lot more character.

However, there was a downside to it: you defo needed a larger displacement unit to get the power output as the competition, which a lot of times meant more weight and, probably even more importantly, higher taxes. You needed a 2.0-liter Mazda to match a 1.4-liter TSI Volkswagen.

Well, it took them a while, but Mazda eventually started offering a gasoline turbocharged engine on some of its models. Now, the 2.5-liter four-cylinder unit has made its way down the Japanese manufacturer's lineup and into the engine bay of the Mazda3 hatchback.

Does that mean we're looking at the first hot Mazda3? Well, not exactly. It may be a hatchback with decent performance, but it doesn't sound like a hot hatch. Look at us, glorifying to sound of a hot hatch, but after you listen to the Mazda3 Turbo you realize that no matter how low your expectations are, that can't be it.

The larger than usual engine (most European hot hatches use two-liter engines) develops 250 hp and a whopping 320 lb-ft of torque (433 Nm) thanks to that added blower, and Mazda decided to make the most out of it by fitting an all-wheel-drive system as standard on the 3. It also gets a single transmission option in the shape of a six-speed automatic, so heel-and-toe for you.

The guys at Throttle House have gotten it out on the track next to a Volkswagen Golf R (of the old generation, since the new one is hard to come by now) and a Subaru WRX. The Golf is a bit of overkill if you look at power output (288 hp in Canada, 310 hp in other parts of the world), but the more similarly-matched GTI (245 hp) would have lacked the AWD of the other two contenders.

The Subaru WRX obviously has that, and with 268 hp, it also has more power than the Mazda3. It's severely down on torque, though, extracting just 258 lb-ft (350 Nm) out of its two-liter boxer engine. Its chances are also critically hampered by that awful CVT, which has as much in common with performance as driving blindfolded.

So, how will this pan out? Well, it's safe to say the only viable battle is for the second place and will be a national one, instead of international. Does the new Mazda3 Turbo AWD have what it takes to beat the WRX despite not making any performance claims? You know how you can find out.