I had a 2011 Mazda 3 as a loaner. The car was OK...nothing special. The engine and trans were pretty good but the car was NOISY and the white exterior/tan and black interior was awful. I wasn't overly impressed with the interior materials...lots of hard plastic. In fairness I'm comparing it to my Suzuki Kizashi which although is in another class is far more refined (and not a lot more money than an optioned-up Mazda 3). It looks like the SkyActiv engine, new 6 spd. transmissions, styling updates and other improvements make the car more competitive in this segment.
