 This is the first non-Toyota vehicle I have owned since 1985.  I have owned it for about 6 months and it continues to be a pleasure to drive.  I considered a few other cars (Mini Cooper S, Nissan 370Z and the Audi TT).  The Audi and Nissan were about 10 grand more and the Mini dealer was extremely arrogant).  Overall, I chose the Mazda because of the styling, performance and power hard top.  The reliability was also a big sell for me.