 This car is the best in its class.  I drove the Civic Si, Sentra SE-R spec-v, Acura RSX type S, Subaru WRX. The other cars don't even compare.  The Mazdaspeed 3 is by far the fastest on the market.  Looking to spend under $25k, I was shocked at the performance that I found with Mazdaspeed 3.  0-60 in 5.5 seconds... wow.. it's fast.   Torque steer is not noticeable after you learn how to drive it.  This car is absolutely fast and will blow away anything less than $60k in a street race (I know, I've done it).  The bottom line is that this car is hot, has a very comfortable interior, has amazing power, great handling, great breaking and did I mention... it's FAST!!!