The Racer
A perfect driving position, excellent handling, and a responsive and sweet sounding engine make this a choice for those that enjoy driving.
Check off the Moonroof/Bose package and 16 gallon gas tank, and you'll never want to turn it off.
The Penny Pincher
It starts at $16k for i SV trim, but buyers have to upgrade to the i Sport for an extra $900 to get air conditioning.
The Mazda3 was fourth in a recent evalution of small car bumpers by the IIHS, doing much better than the Lancer, Corolla, Cobalt, Civic, and VW Rabbit. Mazda's are not know for reliability though, and this one is not the most efficient either.
The Environmentalist
The Mazda 3 s Grand Touring's 2.5L four-cylinder engine is rated at a lousy 22 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway. Lower trim levels with a 2.0L engine are more competitive, attaining 24 mpg in the city and 33 on the highway.
The EPA gives the car a PZEV, or Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle rating and a carbon footprint of 7.3 tons of CO2 per year.
