Living with the 2014 Mazda3: The sweet spot between sport and efficiency

Cost aside, the ideal personal fleet might include both an efficient commuter and a weekend rocket. However, that still means enduring a yawn-fest as your daily driver, not to mention garage space issues and convincing your significant other that you need a "personal fleet." On the other hand, single-vehicle folks must decide where they belong on the scale of sport to efficiency, and make an inevitable compromise.

Mazda’s distinguishing slogan is "Zoom-Zoom," a cleverly abstract way to say "sporty" without specific promises of speed, blistering 0-60 times, or German-besting handling. Spirited performance typically incurs a hefty mileage penalty, but as we’ve experienced with our one-year long-term tester, the company has found the sweet spot where sport and efficiency intersect with the 2014 Mazda3.