2005 Mazda 3 S 5-Door

Those who've been keeping their eye on Mazda know that lately the company's been doing a good job of making practical, solidly built transportation with just the right amount of sporty intention to draw buyers away from the bigger, blander Japanese manufacturers. Case in point is the Mazda3 5-Door. First impression? This car looks, feels, and drives more expensive than it really is.

When it hit the market in early 2004 as a 2005 model, it became one the best small cars for the money, dethroning the then-aging Civic and kicking the Corolla down a notch on the benchmark pole. And though Chevrolet launched its new Cobalt at about the same time as the Mazda's debut, the compact from GM doesn't measure up to the Global C1 platform underpinning the Mazda (also used in Volvo's S40 and the Euro Ford Focus).

A benefit of sharing a platform and significant chassis, suspension, and steering components with a much pricier car like the Volvo S40 is that many of the shared bits were designed to compete at a higher level in the marketplace; when engineered into a less expensive car, that lesser car reaps the reward of superior engineering. Examples of this are found throughout the Mazda. The steering feel is a cut above most of its class peers and provides better than expected feedback. The suspension also is more engaging than in many compact sedans/wagons and can be pushed to playful levels of enthusiasm without producing a harsh ride.

The four-cylinder, 160-horsepower engine, standard in this "S" version of the 3, has been the subject of many entries into our logbook. Some staffers were perfectly content with its power output, commenting that the combination of horsepower and vehicle weight allows one to drive the car to its limits without surpassing their personal limits of control. Of course, power-hungry staff members think a chassis as capable as this one deserves more juice under the hood (we're happy to report a MazdaSpeed version is on its way). Dropping in the S40's six-speed might make the car seem quicker, even though it probably wouldn't be.