[neomonkey]

Last night I saw and drove the Mazda3 for the first time and here is my review:

I have always been a Honda/ Acura fan, they are the only cars I have owned but I first saw the 3 on the net and really like the way it looked so I went to see it. This car is more than I expected., love the 17 inch mags, the fit and finish on the exterior was top notch. A couple of things inside really were not up to snuff in my opinion however.

1) the headliner material seems very cheap and easy to dent
2) ditto for the carpet, too thin
3) no dead pedal for left foot
4) some of the plastic trimmings (eg door and A pillar) seem to come off with just a slight tug.
5) Where are those European ventilation controls? Much nicer than the ones we're getting her in North America!

Other than these minor qualms I think the rest of it is fantastic. It drives really well, handles great and doesn't break your back or your bank account in doing so. Well done Mazda, you might convert me after all.

When you say that the plastic trimmings seem to come off, what do you exactly mean by that? If you touch the plastic, it just falls off? Or do you have to put a significant amount of pressure before it releases? Most of the minor details should be ironed out for the 2005 model. I am still sitting on the fence as to when to make my purchase.