Top Five Reasons to Buy a 2010 Mazda3

By Jim Hamel

Jim Hamel

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I am now the editor for one of High Gear Media's newest and most exciting sites called "InsiderCarReviews.com." I road test brand new vehicles each... More

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2010 Mazda3

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Due to this quirky nature, one can see that Mazda is the closest thing Japan has to an automaker like Alfa Romeo. As with Alfa, Mazda usually excels when it creates a simple car with style and substance that the masses can afford. In this sense, the 2010 Mazda3 is in reality a kind of spiritual successor to the hatchback Alfasud from the 1970s. And its not just because the two deep set dials for the speedometer and tachometer are a classic Alfa Romeo interior homage, either. Mazda really does help keep the sporty vehicle for the masses flame alive. Only unlike an Alfa, a Mazda3 probably wont break down on you.

The first generation Mazda3 (on which this new edition is based) was a huge blockbuster for Mazda. Legions of compact car drivers got turned on to the European-flavored hatchback and sedan not only for the sporty way it drove but also because it was so much more stylish than competitors like the Nissan Sentra or Toyota Corolla. But it did have a few things that kept it out of the big leagues sales-wise such as a bizarre dashboard that looked like something out of the TV show Knight Rider and a navigation option that was a joke at best.

The new 2010 Mazda3 hatchback and sedan address all of these concerns and more creating what is, in effect, the most stylish economy car on the road today. The Honda Civic may be well built and fun to drive but they are everywhere and that UFO-inspired dashboard doesnt scream classy. The Mazda3, on the other hand, feels like a car from a higher price class.

On that note, here are five reasons the 2010 Mazda3 will make owners of the previous generation want to trade in their vehicle for a new one. Or even better, Corolla owners may become moved enough to want to abandon their automotive appliance at the side of the road and hitchhike to the nearest Mazda dealer.

The New Interior is a Revelation-The dash is swoopy and stylish but not over the top. It puts all controls at hand and includes a small integrated navigation screen (still a questionable buy at this price) that doesnt require your eyes to ever leave the road. Yes, the new 2010 Mazda3 really has a much more grown up interior.

Soft touch plastics feature in the spots you touch most and brittle plastics are hard to find (although there are some if you look). Seat fabrics are also noticeably more upscale. Its not like Neiman Marcus in there but the fabrics do feel more durable. This feel-good factor should be a boon to Mazda and will no doubt help bolster repeat business down the road (like when a 3 owners new triplets force them into a CX-9).

These newfound interior improvements also make you wonder how Mazda, under Ford ownership, could add such qualities to their economy model when the inside of the new Focus feels downright chintzy. And the best part of all? Mazda changed the design of the stereo controls so it now just has one stylish knob to control on/off and tuning functions. So no more turning the stereo off when you wanted to change the radio station! Or vice versa.

It Really Does Zoom-Zoom-While the previous edition wasnt exactly underpowered, Mazda did bump up the engine displacement of the sportier s variants to 2.5 liters resulting 167 horsepower and 168 pound feet of torque. Can you say class leading?