Faults:

When car was first acquired, the rear tail lights did not work; this was the result of someone at the factory not plugging in the tail light plug into the socket all the way. The dealer fixed it in 5 minutes.

Slight rattle when going highway speeds; this was the result of the gas door cable rattling against the body of the car; dealer fixed it easily.

General Comments:

If you want a BMW 3 Series but don't want the unreliability of one, then get a top trip Mazda 3 or 6.

Pros: Drives well, good MPG (30/35) for the amount of power it delivers (185HP), interior quality is very top notch, the car feels very solid, and the car offers good value for the money (purchased new for 24.5K) while making it feel like an Audi or BMW. My favorite thing about the car is the BMW like dial knob used to control the navigation display - very easy and ergonomic (unlike Hondas or Toyotas where you have to reach). Overall I feel Mazda's design and engineering philosophy is driver focused, whereas Honda's or Toyota's are family all around focused, which isn't for me.

Cons: Road noise plugs my ears sometimes (due to the S GT sport tires) If they fixed the road noise, you basically have a copy of a BMW or Audi that is slightly less comfy and handles slightly less good, which is a good trade off to save an extra 30k LOL.

ONLY BUY A MAZDA IF YOU WANT THE RELIABILITY OF A TOYOTA AND THE QUALITY, PERFORMANCE, HANDLING OF A HIGHER END CAR. IT IS THE PERFECT IN-BETWEEN.

Dealer remarks: No free maintenance, which is lame. On the positive, I negotiated the price of the car down by 3k; they are not pushy scumbag salesmen like some dealers are.