MazdaSpeed3 starting at $22,800

Observant Autoblog reader Matt Miller informed us that Mazda has quietly released the pricing of its forthcoming MazdaSpeed3 on the car's website. The 250-hp wonder wagon will start at $22,800 for the Sport model and feature a six-speed manual transmission, stability and traction control, 18-inch wheels, four-wheel ABS, and more. The Sport model will be topped by the Grand Touring, which begins at $24,515 and adds automatic on/off headlights, rain-sensing wipers, Xenon HID headlights, LED rear combination taillights, leather bolsters on its black cloth seats, a premium BOSE sound system and available DVD navigation. We'd say Mazda's asking a fair price for a four-door hatchwagon that can reach sixty in under six seconds and return nearly 30 mpg on the highway.

[Source: Mazda]