Living with the 2014 Mazda3, the long-term test

It’s no secret that we’re fans of the new, zoom-zoomy 2014 Mazda3, seeing that we gave it the award for Best Compact Car of the Year. More stylish compared to its gap-toothed predecessor, the 3 is one of the more handsome cars in the segment with its long hood and flowing creases. Will those affections last if we live with it day in and day out? To answer that, Mazda has loaned us a fully loaded model as a one-year long-term tester.

Unlike the 2.0-liter we’ve previous tested, this one ticks off almost every option available. The 2.5-liter Grand Touring sedan feels surprisingly upscale with its leather-trimmed seats, navigation and adaptive bi-xenon lights. There’s also the $2,600 SGT technology package with the i-ELOOP regenerative braking system, which uses a capacitor instead of batteries to recover energy.

Compared the 2.5 to the 155-horsepower 2.0-liter, there’s more grunt in the mid-range, but similar to other Skyactiv cars the throttle is a bit sluggish on tip-in, like an old Mercedes tank from the ‘80s. Fortunately, hitting the sport button livens up the initial response, and the Mazda3 feels spritely and eager as the revs rise above 4000.

The muted feel carries over into the transmission, too. The downside to the 2.5-liter is there’s no manual option; while the six-speed automatic seamlessly glides through gears in every-day driving, there’s a delayed response when flicking the steering-mounted paddles. Though not as crisp on turn-in as a sports car, it still loves to be thrown around corners and make those 215/45/18 Dunlop all-season tires chirp.

Initial feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with drivers noting its luxurious interior, button-up chassis and agile handling. “A Civic with 3 Series handling” said one tester. While not as fuel efficient as the smaller displacement versions, it still delivered a 33-mpg average in a split of highway and city driving, and getting as high as 38 mpg in freeway driving. Build quality looks top-notch, and all the panels fit together with a precision that punches above its weight class.

So no, the honeymoon hasn’t ended with the Mazda3 just yet. Stay tuned for monthly updates as we log more miles on the car.

2014 Mazda3 Grand Touring sedan
Price as tested: $29,885
Miles on odometer: 2305 miles
Average fuel economy: 33 mpg
Maintenance costs: none
Fuel cost: $260.79