2012 Mazda3 i Sport

About this Mazda3

The Mazda3 has always been the one to buy if you actually like driving but still need a sensible car. It steers better than a Corolla, it's more fun on a back road than a Civic, and it costs the same to run as either one. This is the i Sport sedan in Liquid Silver on blacked-out wheels, which suits it.

The 2.0-liter four-cylinder and automatic are a proven combination - not fast, but willing, and easy on gas in the mid-thirties on the highway. Parts are everywhere and any shop in town can work on it. This is a car you buy to drive for years without thinking about it much.

Inside it's clean and simple: cloth seats, air conditioning, power windows and locks, cruise control, and audio controls on the steering wheel. The back seat fits adults and the trunk is bigger than the car looks. Everything works the way it should.

Mechanically it's sound and it drives well. The blacked-out alloy wheels give it a sharper look than a stock one, and the equipment list covers everything you use daily - air conditioning, power windows and locks, cruise control for the highway, and audio controls right on the steering wheel so you're not reaching across the dash. The rear seats fold for longer loads and the trunk is bigger than the car's footprint suggests.

Features & equipment