2004 Mazda 3 S 5 door review from North America

That "dead spot" in first gear that others have noted. It's true. That's the only performance flaw I've been able to notice.

I just love my Mazda 3. It handles great and it has power comparable to some 6 cylinders I've driven.

Mazda definitely designed this car with the driver in mind. From the front seats, the interior is awesome. Everything is in easy reach and is quite appealing to the eye.

Mazda should have added three to six inches between the back and front seats. Though the back seats are deep, they have less leg room than my 2 door Cutlass.

Surprisingly, the fold down rear seats seemed to be an afterthought. The outside padding on the rear seats doesn't allow them to fold down correctly and I have to pull my drivers seat up just to get them down.

The multiple organizational features in the trunk are a really nice addition, though the trunk floor compartment needs to be a little deeper to really take advantage of it.

Dual compartment center console and largest glove compartment I've ever seen. Both awesome.

The moon-roof buttons could use some illumination.

The speedometer seems a little cramped, making it hard to tell whether you're going 50 or 55 (which could make a big difference in a 45 mph zone... are those red and blue flashing lights I see behind me?).

The doors, near the base of the windows could use a little padding, as it finds your funny bone perfectly when you put your arm up on the door.

Most of these negatives are rather mood points. The Mazda 3 is only in it's second model year and needs a little time to "mature". They certainly don't make me regret my purchase one bit.

Overall, Mazda put a lot of thought into the 3, and it shows. In a couple more years, I don't think any other compact on the market will be able to touch it. Even now it seems like they're having a hard time competing against the 3.

If it's any bit as reliable as the car it replaces, the protege, Mazda will have no problem stealing Honda and Toyota's thunder when it comes to the compact market.