• Pros

• The styling is great. Looks like a more expensive, sporty car than you would expect for an Accord/Camry competitor.
• Handling is great—it really digs in on turns. Hardly any body lean. It’s the most fun of any car in this class.
• Low speed Brake Assist, which automatically stops the car from low speed when you’re about to roll into a pedestrian while checking Facebook on your iPhone, is a great safety feature every car should have.
• Ride is reasonably comfortable, even given the sharp handling.
• The transmission’s “Sport Mode” that keeps the revs higher is fun.
• There’s plenty of room in the back seat.
• SkyActiv engine (that’s Mazda’s brand name for a bunch of modern technologies that improve fuel economy) results in very good fuel economy—near 30 mpg combined and high 30s on the highway--for a large car.
• Overall, we liked this car. If you want something that is fun to drive and looks snazzier than a Camry or Accord, this is a good choice.

• Cons

• The sound and the overall feel of the engine/transmission combination, which was designed to maximize economy, gave the car the sound and feel of economy car.
• The small engine and resulting high revs had us flashing back to a 1987 Tercel. The actual performance of the engine and transmission were just fine. But the sound of a small, high revving engine in what is otherwise a premium car was a little disconcerting and would take some getting used to.
• Unfortunately, Mazda went with a small, cheesy, cheap-feeling center touch screen system. When we tried to connect an iPhone we got a loading error—and the system froze, so no other function could be used.
• The navigation system feels like an afterthought—it’s a cheap, touch-screen system. It’s as if someone at Mazda HQ remembered that the car needed a navigation after all the design work had been completed.
• $33k is on the high end for its class.

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