 I have had my Mazda 3 for about a year and a half now, and love it! It is very responsive and fun to drive. Driving it feels "sporty", unlike other cars I test drove (the Nissan Sentra for example). I also felt like it had more interior room and better visibility than the Civic.  It would be nice if the fuel economy was a little better, however, I still usually get about 28 miles to the gallon (suburban driving), and on road trips it averages about 31. 