Performance - 3.5/5: It's a peppy little car but it's far from what I'd call fast. It's more of a revver than a stump puller, but that's to be expected from a 2.0L 4-banger. The engine was very smooth and got up to redline without any fuss. Everything I've read, however, recommends the 2.5L engine option if you're going for the performance aspect.
The shifter was crisp and precise, the steering was tight and the clutch was light with lots of feedback. The brakes felt pretty strong but I didn't do any hard stops. Overall it has a sporty feel, but remains smooth.
Comfort - 3.5/5: The seats were nicely bolstered and kept me planted fairly well. It is still a small car and has that small car feel. It's that feeling where every bump comes up through the seats. Making this worse is the sportier tuned suspension that gives the Mazda its so called "zoom-zoom". This definitely isn't a problem for me but I know some people like a softer ride.
Economy - 4.5/5: Mazda claims a rating of 29MPG city and 40MPG highway out of the 2.0L. Although I doubt you would net these numbers in the real world, I suspect you wouldn't be far off. Of course that's under average driving. If you so feel the need to let the car loose that number will go down, but that's true of any car. With an MSRP of $15,995 CAD it's definitely a contender in the economy car market.
Appearance - 4/5: You either love Mazda's new smiley face grill or you hate it. I must admit that I wasn't fond of it when they first hit the road, but it's grown on me. I like it better than the last generation of 3s. It's almost as if the car's grinning and wants you to push it hard. The wheels looked nice but they were just hubcaps on top of steelies. I don't know what the higher trims get.
Interior: - 4/5: It's not a Rolls, but you definitely don't feel like your in a $16k car when you sit it in. The seat material is nice and the seats are low and slanted, giving you a great driving position and leaving the shifter right at hand. The gauges are nicely lit in blue and red and they are clear and easy to read. The plastic in the interior is nice and soft and everything fits together without rattling. The buttons, dials and switches were all smooth and are easily accessible. All entertainment and bluetooth controls are steering wheel mounted.
FOSE: - 2/5: Good luck with that. There isn't a whole lot of room in the back, and there sure isn't a bench seat up front.
Overall - 3.75/5: I didn't want to give a 4 but I also didn't want to give it a 3.5. It's a great car for the money and it's probably the one I'd pick in it's class. The problem is that you end up paying for the sportiness and Mazda's reputation. It outperforms most cars in it's class but you get less standard options. When you add on some options, or go up in trim levels you end up in the $20k+ range. If you want a basic, no-nonsense, sporty car the 3 is a good bet. If you want a softer ride or more standard options you may be looking elsewhere.
. There are so many more choices nowadays in the "small" car market, and the 3 is definitely a competitor. With the Civic, you get good handling, but not so great numbers. I've heard the 3 is pretty much the best of both worlds.