The Mazda3 seems like a smaller version of the very stylish Mazda6, and in sedan form, its rear is even more successful and better proportioned, I think. It’s not only nice design that makes the 3 an interesting choice, but also its decent efficiency and the fun-to-drive factor which is mostly absent among its rivals bar the Ford Focus, though even that is not as fun around the twisties as the previous-gen.
Consumer Reports says yes too to the Mazda3, noting that it improves on its appreciated predecessor in many key areas that overall make it a better car. Then there’s the design which really sets it apart, and also the excellent manual gearbox – too bad not that many US buyers will get to use it, as most will opt for the automatic.
On the other hand, the new 3 is let down by poor refinement (though better than before, it is said), with road noise intruding into the cabin at higher sustained speeds.
Moreover, the entertainment unit on lower-spec cars, the one without the touchscreen and extra controls mounted next to the handbrake lever, is very far out of reach, but it does look much better and more modern than the solution they went for with the larger 6 (effectively a hole in the dashboard).
By Andrei Nedelea
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