Like the first-gen 3, this one moves the line in the compact-car sandbox.
If a car’s goodness could be determined from something as mundane as a
single bit of switchgear, you likely wouldn’t need us to weigh in on the
latest rides. Luckily for our job security, proper analysis can rarely
be distilled from such a minute detail. But in the case of the 2014 Mazda 3,
the slick, well-damped iDrive-like infotainment controller knob on the
center console of Grand Touring and some Touring trims is a microcosm of
the whole car: precisely engineered, more expensive-feeling than its
price point, and simply wonderful to use. Is our praise too effusive? Go
to a Mazda dealer, give the knob (called the “commander switch”) a few
twirls and clicks, and tell us we’re wrong. Don’t forget to take the car
for a twirl, too, because it’s a pretty sweet drive.
s Is for Sporty
Zoom-(zoom)ing out and looking at the 3 beyond its lovely switchgear,
this test focuses on the more-powerful s model, available in sedan and
five-door hatchback forms. With a 184-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder, our
top-spec s Grand Touring hatch test car is 29 horsepower stronger than
lesser, 2.0-liter four 3 i variants. The s brings more standard
equipment and a sportier overall vibe. (Check full Mazda 3 pricing here—there
is a ton of possible configurations.) Six-speed manual and automatic
transmissions will be available in the s, but early-production models
are all automatics, as is our 3 s GT test car.
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