The Mazda 3 Review, Best Compact Car of 2007

The Mazda 3 first hit the market in 2004 and quickly established itself as one of the most fun-to-drive compact cars around, even better than its closest rivals such as the Honda Civic, Mitsubishi Lancer, Nissan Sentra and Volkswagen Rabbit. The new Mazda 3 for 2007 has been unveiled as well, with its own hot new updates.

With many of its competitors having redesigned as well, how does the 2007 Mazda 3 compare to its new, souped up competition?

For starters, let's look at how the Mazda 3 has updated itself both inside and out. The new model has added two new grilles, a squarish housing for its fog lights, new alloy wheels and more aerodynamic bumpers. It looks like the new changes were made with an eye towards greater stability. Gone are the five-spoke alloy wheels from last year's model, which a lot of people were raving about, but the new wheels aren't so bad either.

The body also looks more rigid, adding to the greater stability factor, while its suspension was tweaked a bit for better handling and greater steering response.

More good news: the new Mazda 3 still has the same two body styles as before (the four-door sedan and the five-door hatchback) and the same two engine types (the "i" model's 148 horsepower, two-liter engine and the "s" model's 156 horsepower, 2.3 liter engine). The three trim levels are back as well -- Sport, Touring and Grand Touring, but the latter is only for the "s" model. Select Mazda 3 models also have antilock brakes, and front seat and side-curtain airbags.

The Mazda 3's interiors also boast of superior new quality. The "i" models come in beige or black interiors while the "s" model comes only in black. Of course, it's not all black and comes with red and grey plastic trim. In terms of interiors, however, the Honda Civic and Nissan Sentra, seem to have a more modern design.

All Mazda 3 models for 2007 are equipped with stereos with a CD player and a jack for MP3s. Air-conditioners are optional. Power windows, locks and mirrors are available for the Touring and Grand Touring models. The Grand Touring also has leather seats, automatic headlights, climate control and rain-sensing wipers.

The area where the Mazda 3 dominates the competition is in the way it handles on the road. It's agile, responsive and superior in steering. Try driving it on curvy roads and you can easily spot the difference. CarAndDriver.com ranks the 2007 Mazda 3 as the fourth quickest car of the year, zooming from 0-to-60 miles/hour in 7.3 seconds.