Where function meets fun. . . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

Mazda has long had a reputation for superb ride-and-handling performance at an affordable price.

I think in some regards this reputation—well earned—doesn’t necessarily translate into the array of crossovers it has on the market, despite many reviewers giving those vehicles high marks for those characteristics: It is something of a reputation-based belief (i.e., if Mazdas in the past were X, then Mazdas of today are X, too).

The thing is: This doesn’t give credit where credit is due.

And the Mazda3 deserves a whole lot of credit. (Some of the crossovers: not so much. Sorry.)

This is the car—and yes, it is a car, and in this case, a hatchback (!)*—that not only has the litheness, maneuverability, and performance that are associated with Mazda. And, yes, there is the issue of affordability, too.

That is, this Turbo Premium Plus model, with AWD, the top-of-the-line model in the lineup, has an MSRP of $37,150—or some $10,000 less than the average transaction price (ATP) for vehicles out there.

Of course, the ATP covers vehicles of all configurations and sizes, and while, according to the EPA classification, the Mazda3 is a midsize car, it is on the compact side. (That is, it is 175.6 inches long, 70.7 inches high, 56.7 inches wide, and has a 107.3-inch wheelbase.)

The EPA calculates the categories based on interior volume, with midsize vehicles having from 110 to 119.9 cubic feet of space. The Mazda3 hatch has 92.7 cubic feet of passenger volume and 20.1 cubic feet of cargo volume with the rear seat up, so it comes in at 112.8 cubic feet.

(The 2025 Bentley Flying Spur is also in the EPA midsize category, which just goes to show you that one man’s categorized vehicle is another man’s absurdity.)

The thing is, the Premium Plus package puts things on the outside, like a rear spoiler and front air dam. Yes, the car is quick, but those probably are more trim than hard-working aero elements.

On the inside there are things like leather seats and a solid Bose audio system. The Premium Plus package also increases the size of the infotainment screen on board to 10.25 inches.

The car has a 2.5-liter turbocharged engine.

If you go to the gas station and fill the tank with regular, it produces 227 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque

If you opt to spend a few bucks more at the pump and go for 93 octane, then it is 250 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque.

There is a six-speed automatic. Suspension-wise, it is MacPherson strut with stabilizer bar in the front and a torsion beam in the back.

There is also a feature called “SKYACTIV-VEHICLE DYNAMICS:  G-Vectoring Control Plus.” It is as seamlessly tricky as its name is complicated. Essentially, it makes various adjustments—such as to the torque of the engine and the braking of specific wheels—when cornering or simply making lane changes.

This greatly contributes to the aforementioned reputation for ride and handling.

The Mazda3 has it.

Given the performance of the engine and the engineered ride and handling, the Mazda3 is the kind of vehicle that you can drive to work, plodding along with all of the others who are in the same jam you are, but then get a chance to make a quick maneuver that gets you another spot a bit further along.

It is the kind of vehicle that you can take to Costco and load up with Costco-sized products.

It is the kind of vehicle that you can drive on the weekends on a parkway and have fun while you’re going to the place in the park where you’re going to have some out-of-car fun.

It is one of the most enjoyable cars I’ve driven in some time.

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*As there is the increasing transition to crossovers from cars, here’s hoping that Mazda keeps the Mazda3 in its lineup. It has long offered hatchback and sedan body styles for the Mazda3, again something that I hope continues long into the future.