Got the May 2008 issue of Motor Trend and they have a comparison test between a Mazda3s GT, Honda Civic EX, Subaru Impreza 2.5i Premium and Toyota Corolla XRS (all automatics).

And the Mazda3 takes first place. Motor Trend summarized: "Still looks fresh, still dances like a sports sedan, still a steal, still the best."

Civic came in 2nd, Impreza in 3rd and Snorolla in 4th. They had some nasty comments for the Snorolla. And Motor Trend is notoriously benign and bland.

 

Not exactly a surprise, the Mazda 3 has been the darling of mag comparos for a while now. If Mazda can improve on an already great bargain with the next gen. they'll most certainly capture an even greater share of the segment and perhaps put a real scare into Honda and Toyota. The Rabbit is also a serious contender and between the two it may drive Honda and Toyota to take a little of the bland out of their entry level cars.

 

I think Toyota tried very hard with the latest Corolla with little success to show for their efforts. You have to seriously wonder if the current management and/or engineering is even capable of putting out a fun-to-drive everyday car. I think the new Rabbit is a good contender fighting against a bad VW rep for reliability. I wish that VW had put a 4 cylinder instead of 5 in the base Rabbit/Jetta.

I look forward to see the new Mazda6 fares against the new current crop of family sedans. It'd be cool if VW would bring the Polo and Mazda the 2 so we could see a Polo, Fiesta, 2, Fit, Yaris, and Versa comparison test.

 

Fifth Gear did a comaparo between the new 6 and Lancer. They didn't find it as exciting or powerful as the Lancer, but it won out because it was more comfortable, quieter, and economical.

 

I read the issue in a doctor's office. What was also interesting was a summary of the long term test fleet they had on hand.

Compared to some of the more mundane family cars, the RX-8 is the equivalent of a Prius.

 

The Mazda3 is still the best looking car and I think many people will choose it over the others on just that reason alone. I saw a black hatchback with the LED tail lights on the freeway yesterday. It had some nice wheels and a drop and I thought that's all it needed to look nice.

My little sister is looking for a new car to replace her Corolla so I'll definitely take her down to the Mazda dealership when the time comes.