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<\/p>\n<\/div>When I turned off my Mazda 3 tester at 10 p.m., the last thing to fade into darkness was the tachometer.<\/p>\n
That was fitting, because I had been rowing the terrific 3\u2019s gearbox all day.<\/p>\n
Finding fun driving opportunities in the middle of winter isn\u2019t easy. The weather doesn\u2019t cooperate. The Mazda arrived in my driveway the morning of an ice storm. Walking across the asphalt to the 3 was more treacherous than Washington\u2019s crossing of the Delaware. But even in such conditions, the 3 begs to be driven aggressively.<\/p>\n
Start with design. Like all Mazdas these days, the compact hatch is gorgeous. Since its jack-o\u2019-lantern crisis (designed by a kid with a crayon and carving knife as I recall) of the mid-2000s, Mazda visited a proper stylist and cleaned up its act.<\/p>\n
My hot-hatch preference is for the Volkswagen GTI (for reasons to be detailed later), but there is no better-looking compact car out there than the 3 \u2014 even when painted gray to match the weather. It has a shark nose, flowing lines, slit headlights. The 3 is a front-wheel driver with the expected long front overhang \u2014 yet with its long hood, the Mazda hatch sits back on its haunches like a rear-wheel-drive BMW Z4 coupe.<\/p>\n
Mazda calls its design philosophy \u201cKodo\u201d \u2014 which translates to \u201csoul of motion.\u201d That is, Mazda\u2019s designers look at their cars as living creatures. They have soul, all right. Even on the biggest car Mazda makes, the CX-9 crossover (a finalist for 2017 North American Utility of the Year), the design stands out.<\/p>\n
For 2017 the 3 has been lightly tweaked with Kodo-rific exterior detail and a quieter interior. The Mazda brand is all about the joy of driving. Zoom-zoom-zoom go the ads. Where other brands add a sporty car as a brand halo, Mazda starts with its MX-5 Miata and grows from there. Every vehicle shares the MX-5\u2019s drivable DNA. As my colleague Ron Sessions likes to say when we do Mazda test drives: \u201cI don\u2019t think we\u2019ll be talking autonomous much today.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yet, Mazda is also building a reputation for rich content \u2014 part of its philosophy that cars should make the time we spend with them enjoyable.<\/p>\n
I approach my 3 with key in pocket and depress a small, door-handle button to unlock the doors. That\u2019s a slick detail for an entry-level vehicle.<\/p>\n
Inside, the Japanese car speaks with a German accent: It has a tight, predictable stick shift with short throws. Closely placed pedals for double-clutch downshifts. Tablet infotainment display controlled by remote rotary dial (happily, for this touchscreen fan, it can also be controlled by fingertip when the car is stationary). Gauges accented by chrome like Porsche-Audi premium models.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the little, fussy details that impress: Head-up display. Push-button start. Dual-climate control. Auto-adjust high beams. The sticker price says $28,450, but these are touches you expect (and often don\u2019t find) on luxury mules costing twice as much.<\/p>\n
The high-beams are particularly useful this wintry day because my schedule will take me through the pocked, wet streets of Detroit well after dark.<\/p>\n
Over Motown\u2019s dreadful roads, I probably should have brought a right-seat rally navigator. Google Maps would have to do. Driving I-94 to the Grosse Pointe War Memorial is a stage on the Dakar Rally. But the predictable, balanced 3 makes every rut and slick patch manageable.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a landscape that needs maximum lighting, so I flick on the high beams \u2014 and leave them there. With the auto high beam feature, they smartly read oncoming traffic and turn off when another car comes into view. That\u2019s one less thing for me to worry about as I negotiate streets that are rougher than Normandy Beach.<\/p>\n
I turn off the traction control for maximum fun, and here I pine for my favorite GTI for the first time.<\/p>\n