Mazda 3 Hatchback

Make
Mazda
Segment
Hatchback

Of the current hot hatches on the market, few have received as much adulation as the Ford Focus ST. However, looking at its vital statistics there's little to differentiate it from the Mazdaspeed3. The Focus ST is powered by a 2.0-liter turbo-4; the Mazda by a 2.3-liter turbo-4. The Ford puts out 252 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque; the Mazda produces 263 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque. Both are mated to a six-speed manual, have a wheelbase of around 104 inches, and post a curb weight in the region of 3,200 pounds.

So the Ford and the Mazda are pretty evenly matched, with a slight edge towards the Mazda. In the latest Head 2 Head episode, MotorTrend's Carlos Lago and pro racer Randy Pobst pit the hot hatches against each other on the road and track to see how they compare.