Faults:

Nothing wrong with the car yet, but I've only owned it a month.

General Comments:

You've got to hand it to Mazda with this one: good looking, good performance, comfortable high quality interior, reasonable price.

The driving position is high, the ride is smooth and quiet and the performance is more than sufficient, but not astonishing. It is not the greatest of fun to drive (even with the 2.3 engine) but has a balance that will please everyone. What it lacks in sportiness, it make up for with plenty of room for occupants and storage in the hatch. Quality and interior finishing can be compared with some of the finer luxury compact vehicles.

My advice: With the sedan, no one will complain with the 2.0 engine, but any Mazda 3 model will make you happy so long as you aren't expecting a WRX.

Faults:

The all-season goodyear tires that came with the car are completely inadequate for driving on snow (even packed urban snow). The car is difficult to control and fishtails on virutally any incline.

General Comments:

I believe that without a different set of tires this car is not safe to drive with any snow on the road.

Faults:

The driver door weather-stripping removed itself from the track and was reseated under warranty.

The sunroofs exterior gasket is beginning to show signs of weathering normally reserved for cars approaching the decade mark in age.

An airbag sensor recall is in effect for some 2004 models.

General Comments:

Acceleration is decent with a minimum amount of torque-steer and power is adequate; even with 4 adults along for the journey.

There is a very strange hesitation in power application when depressing the accelerator pedal. It seems almost as if there is a built-in delay in fuel delivery to the cylinders. This characteristic is supposedly unique to the 5-speed transmission and is per design, but really effects nothing more than my curiosity.

I would prefer more torque to be present when shifting into second gear from first. Obviously a gearing design, but one I would like to see rectified. From 3rd to 2nd is fine.

The seats provide good support and are comfortable for long distances. The fabric is unique in that it repels liquids and dirt very well. In my experience that includes food, dog drool, and seawater. And dog drool.

The chassis of the 3 is shared with that of Ford's European 2005 Focus and Volvo's S40. It handles extremely well and feels like it belongs on a car with German heritage. The ride quality is slightly compromised due to chassis rigidity and the fantastic 17 inch Goodyear Eagles that come standard.

Cabin noise varies greatly depending on road surfaces. Quiet and refined on smoother roads, this quickly gives way to an almost unacceptable ruckus on roads of lesser quality. But wait a minute, doesn't this car cost under $20k? This is the only indication, and an issue that could probably be resolved with a different tire choice.

Split fold-down rear seating provides more cargo room than some compact SUVs. More stylish, fun, and a gas mileage return of over 32mpg should realistically make the 3 5dr an alternative to entry-level SUVs. For example: I regularly haul two 17 ft sea kayaks and accompanying gear for day trips.

This car is $5,000 under priced.