3 is a nice ride

Kedis82ZE8

'15 CX-5 AWD GT w/Tech Pkg
Contributor
I have a '18 3 Touring hatch as a loaner while my CX-5 is in the shop.

It handles very well and has a nice ride. I can certainly tell the vehicle is peppier in this setup with the 2.5L after shedding the extra weight my CX-5 has.
 
I'm glad you like it! I love my 2013 Mazda3. I don't know any other car in it's class that has driving dynamics anywhere near as engaging.
 
My 1st gen is approaching 200k miles on it (bought it used almost 9 years ago now). I love this car, but New England winters are starting to take a toll on the rear quarters. Sad that even garaging this car 365 days a year couldn't stop this from happening.

Needless to say, when the day comes, I'll be replacing it with another 3, no question.
 
I have a '18 3 Touring hatch as a loaner while my CX-5 is in the shop.

It handles very well and has a nice ride. I can certainly tell the vehicle is peppier in this setup with the 2.5L after shedding the extra weight my CX-5 has.

At this time my wife and I both have CX-5's (a 2016 and 2019). Her next car will probably be a Mazda 3 or MX-5 Miata.
 
Test drove the new 2019 3 in GT FWD and another in GS AWD trim and really nice cars! Interior very simple yet elegant and premium in fit & finish and exterior design was well thought out. Handles well despite torsion beam rears but the NVH is great for the class as it's quiet inside the cabin. No problems with acceleration due to the 2.5L NA engine and esp the AWD where I test drove on snowy/icy roads and never lost grip on acceleration from dead stop (traction control didn't even kick in and tires were all-seasons). I compared the new 3 to the 2019 Kia Forte and that too was actually-surprisingly a good handling car with lots of features! Only issues I found on the Forte was the ride was too firm (also uses torsion beam rears) and had 17" wheels. That was also a quiet car inside cabin (low NVH) but just not sure on the CVT/IVT as totally a new transmission.

Leaning towards the new 3 once I get a compact commuter car...with the climate/weather I live in the AWD will definitely be the way to go!
 
I have a '18 3 Touring hatch as a loaner while my CX-5 is in the shop.

It handles very well and has a nice ride. I can certainly tell the vehicle is peppier in this setup with the 2.5L after shedding the extra weight my CX-5 has.

Welcome to the dark side (at least temporarily) (hi)

I was pretty set to buy a CX5 but no manual in anything but a base model, worse mileage, worse power to weight, worse handling, higher purchase cost.... The extra trunk space is nice when you need it, but otherwise, I couldn't be happier with my 3.
 
I found very early in life when I compared the RX4 (my first car) to an RX3 that lighter = more fun. And while my current 3 is lots of fun, my MX5, which is at least 350 lbs lighter, is even more fun.
The biggest difference now is both lower levels of noise and a more comfortable ride.
 
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