I love the Mazda3 S Grand Touring - at the time of purchasing my car in 2015, it had far more features (standard and add-on) compared to other cars of its class and the best interior design. I had considered both the Honda Civic and the Toyota Corolla, but the interiors of those cars and features just didn't compare. Toyota was severely lacking in features including back-up camera, and the neither brand provided blind spot detection. Mazda added a lot of good value including blind spot detection, hill assist, back-up camera and push button start. Its HUD continues to stand out even today.

The 2016 Mazda3 is a great daily driver that balances fuel efficiency with power. This car has no issues merging onto the freeway, is comfortable and roomy for passengers, and has not needed any major maintenance at around 60,000 miles. While the interior of the sport trim is cloth, it does not feel cheap as I had anticipated. The blind spot monitoring has often saved me from many accidents and is an important safety feature. I often drive on dirt roads as a rock climber, and I have never had an issue bottoming out or getting stuck in dirt or mud!