2016 Mazda Mazda3 i Grand Touring review – Roadshow

The Good The Mazda3 features an engaging ride, interior design above its class and an infotainment system with redundant touch and physical controls.

The Bad The infotainment system lacks the latest smartphone connectivity options, the gorgeous interior can be a bit drab in all black and its ride will not appeal to drivers of all flavors.

The Bottom Line With excellent on-road poise, bang-on aesthetics and an attractive price, the Mazda3 stands as a solid alternative to the segment’s stalwarts.

In a stomping ground long owned by two major players, the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, other small sedans seem like they’re just playing second fiddle. But the Mazda3 carves its own path, and it’s doing so in the only way that Mazda knows how — driving dynamics.

It would be tough to outclass the stalwarts in other ways. No economy car can truly be a technological runaway these days, not in the era of standard touchscreens and high-tech safety systems. The same goes for the interior — nearly every automaker realizes the days of the hard-plastic penalty box are behind us.

But when it comes to making a car that’s fun to drive without being a complete (and literal) pain in the tuchus for your average owner, boy howdy, that’s where the Mazda3 shines. Aside from the new-for-2016 Honda Civic, the Mazda3 has the whole segment by its neck in this regard.

Handsome without trying too hard

The Mazda3 has one of the strongest body lines I’ve seen. It could cut butter, albeit on a warm day.

Andrew Krok/Roadshow

The Mazda3 keeps to some pretty classic proportions. It doesn’t err on the side of gaudy, choosing thicker tire sidewalls even on higher trim levels. Although prominent, the character lines on the side refrain from giving the car a boy-racer aesthetic. It’s a pretty car that’s a little less futuristic than the new Civic, and it’s likely to age better as a result.

The real visual gem of this car lies inside. The 3’s interior is one of, if not the best in its class. Sure, there’s a bit of hard plastic here and there, but bear in mind this car starts below $20,000. Just like the exterior, the interior manages to avoid being boring without looking like it’s trying too hard.

The leather on the steering wheel and seats feels soft and pleasant to touch. The sensibly laid-out gauges include a perhaps-too-small digital tachometer to the left, and an information display to the right. The infotainment controls, including those mounted on the steering wheel, are easy to figure out and easy to use without distraction.

The biggest point of consternation is the standalone LCD display atop the dashboard. Not everyone likes the look, but I do. It’s certainly better than trying to build a dash bulky enough to swallow the whole screen, and it makes for good sight lines.

Sadly, the rear seat lacks much legroom. It’s smaller than both the Civic and Corolla, which is quite apparent with longer-legged front-seat occupants. Headroom can also be a bit cramped for passengers taller than 6 feet.

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Infotainment, two ways

The knob’s so good, you might even forget the screen is touch-capable.

Andrew Krok/Roadshow

Mazda caters to both early adopters and Luddites with its Mazda Connect system, which features both a touchscreen and redundant controls just aft of the shifter. In fact, I found the physical controls so easy to figure out, that I almost never touched the screen itself.

Mazda Connect is one of my favorite infotainment systems because it’s straightforward. Every page gets its own little dock of icons with descriptions. The navigation map is easy to use, even if not every street name pops up as I approach it. I can stream audio via Bluetooth while the phone is plugged in, which is not a possibility on every model, so my battery won’t die just because I want to listen to music not stored on my phone.

Connectivity options are limited, though. The car lacks both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, or an onboard data connection for destination searches. I found its Aha integration a convenient way to find new points of interest while also expanding my listening options, even though it requires downloading and signing up for Aha’s service.