2012 Mazda MAZDA3 I SV

The Mazda 3 has long been one of our favorite compact cars, largely because it's fun to drive, well constructed, and practical. In 2.3-liter turbocharged Mazdaspeed 3 form, it's a rough-and-tumble riot. The 3 can be very well equipped with options befitting larger cars--things like rain-sensing wipers; swiveling, automatic bixenon headlights; LED taillights; a Bose ten-speaker sound system; and, for the first time, a blind-spot monitoring system. The big focus this year is on fuel economy, and where some of this car's competitors have included efficiency as standard equipment, Mazda is allowing its customers to decide for themselves the importance of fuel economy is. Customers who don't care can choose one of the port-injected, normally aspirated four-cylinders, which carry over from last year. For a bump in economy, they can choose a Skyactiv model. For an extra $850, ecoconscious customers get the direct-injected 155-hp, 2.0-liter engine; headlights with transparent blue rings around them; and badges inside and out. It's an outspoken strategy for a car that can just barely match the regular Hyundai Elantra's EPA ratings. Having four engines, three transmissions, and two body styles (sedan and hatchback) might seem excessive, but the 3 accounts for more than half of Mazda's sales in the United States, and having choices is rarely a bad thing for customers.