I was drawn to the Mazda 3 for a combination of price and looks. I had some experience with the brand in the past, but had never owned one myself. I looked at a few other competing options, but the others just felt cheap inside. In particular I loved the way the interior seems high tech and seems to wrap around the driver. I never really use the back seat, so I wasn't that concerned about the small amount of legroom back there. The performance is pretty good -- it feels snappy, not like other 4 cylinder cars I've driven. You can actually pass people and look good doing it. The gas mileage was really what sealed the deal though. I normally get upwards of 32-33 mpg driving around town, but when going on longer trips have gotten as much as 38 mpg, really close to the advertised 40.

My Mazda handles like a go cart and I love that. Turns on a dime. Easy to fit through tight places. The seats are very comfortable. It is nice looking. It is awesome for fuel economy but still has enough pick up when needed. If you really need to go fast you can switch it to sport and go crazy. It is however a bit of a noisy ride. I also do not like the fact that it takes a pretty expensive oil (full synthetic 80 bucks a pop). I hate to admit it but I have had a little wreck in it and it faired well. I also love the sound system and the Bluetooth.