Quote Originally Posted by RTEnthusiast View Post

It's a well put-together review of the Mazda3 from an owner's (and therefore heavily biased) perspective.
Please provide evidence of heavy bias. My opinion regarding handling is not mine alone, but just about every automotive magazine praises Mazda's handling.

Where my personal opinion does come into play is the design/styling, mainly of the exterior. To me, the 3 fits me and my likes/dislike better. It comes in a car that overall feels better and provides a better driving experience. There's also plenty of criticism for both (Mazda 3 and Elantra) using cheap materials.

My expectation is not high for interior materials. It's a sub-20K car. There's a reason the VW GTI goes over $30K, but the base Jetta is priced at $15K.

I've owned a Mazda 3, and I've driven an Elantra for 2 weeks. I can tell you that the Hyundai still felt like a car from an up and coming manufacturer.