I still love my car!

Our last car was a 1993 Nissan NX. What can I say - the price was right; free. It was my mother-in-law's car, and she gave it to us when my wife and I were starting out.

So, after cramming our 6' bodies into this miniature car for several years, our backs finally held us ransom and demanded an upgrade. We began our search by renting a Mazda 3 for a week-long wine country tour.

We rented (of course) the low-end Mazda 3. It had the 2.0l engine, automatic tranny, and fabric interior. We drove for over an hour at a time, with NO back pain at all. Cornering at speed was a challenge, but otherwise, we found it a very nice alternative to our existing basic transportation.

Upon returning home, we went to a local dealer and found that the Mazda 3 was as expensive as the larger 6, after taking into account the cost of financing. I tried the 6, but didn't really warm to it. I hated the dealership so, at the time, wrote off the Mazda entirely.

Months went by. I test drove Jettas (I still LOVE VW) but was concerned by the amount of negative press they got here on epinions. I looked at the Audi A4, BMW 3-series, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima & Acura TSX. Of the bunch, the best was the TSX, but at 35k Canadian, well, I was a little hesitant to pull the trigger.

I decided to give Mazda one last chance, and went to a different dealership. My wife & I sat in several different trims of the 3, then finally went for a test drive in a top-end 3 (2.3l engine, automatic tranny, leather seats). LOVED IT!!!! Great handling (no wiggle in the steering column, tight donuts in the parking lot); lots of zip (ok - it's no Beemer, but I've got 15k left in my pocket!) The 17 inch, low profile wheels made a BIG difference in cornering performance (the 15-inch on the base model provides a lot of wobble in corners). Seats were firm but very supportive, and there is enough room in the rear (behind my 6'1" frame) for my 5'11" wife to fit comfortably.

Power is more-than-ample for the city driving I do. The few times I get onto the highway, the car is clearly upset that we're stuck with 90km/h limits (50mph). I occasionally push it, and can easily cruise at 120km/h (65mph) without even feeling it. This car wants to run. I've test-driven the manual, and loved it (my wife demanded the automatic) but I gotta admit, the automatic transmission works very well with the 2.3l engine, and provides plenty of power whenever needed. Again, this isn't a BMW or other sports car, but then, I'm not making those kinds of payments either. For the money, it's easily the best option on the road.

The base sound system is plenty nice - no need to upgrade (and I have a Bose sound system at home). Skip the $800 mp3 player option & get a iPod with iTrip. I regularly crank the stereo up to 25 - 30 on the volume level (ear-bleed levels) and the base is still smooth, not boomy.

We chose the sedan for its looks. The hatchback has more room and is clearly more "practical" but, hey, you can't always be practical, right? The white paint is beautiful, deep, and hasn't chipped yet (I've had the car for a year now).

I've had no mechanical issues, so I can't comment on warranty service (oh, darn!).

And every time I have to go get the groceries, I keep wishing we lived more than a few blocks from the store. I love this car!

Update - I forgot to mention a few items in my original review:

1) Brakes - excellent. 4 wheel disk brakes respond quickly, and don't exhibit fade. Since it is related to Ford, it is also related to Volvo, and they had a chance to use the Volvo ABS, but chose to develop their own. According to the salesman, Mazda's #1 requirement on their cars is the brakes - don't know if that's true, but it appears to be based on this car. I've had opportunity to use the Volvo ABS in an emergency maneuver (on a test drive, no less!) and was very impressed. If Mazda's is better, well, I'm feeling pretty safe.

2) Fuel economy. I don't know that I can effectively comment. I live in the city, and get about 20mpg (Imperial gallons), but I rarely drive more than 2-3 miles, and often less, so my mileage is bound to be poor. I did take one road trip and, on the highway, I got about 33mpg (again, Imperial gallons) - much better.