Zoom Zoom Zoom the 2012 Mazda Mazda3 i Grand Touring 4-Door Review

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If your looking for a stylish, roomy, and fun car to drive then the 2012 Mazda3 i Grand Touring 4-Door is the car for you!

Did you know The Mazda3 model is Mazda’s best-selling vehicle worldwide and accounts for nearly two thirds of all Mazda car sales in the United States? The Mazda3 was recently given a Face-lift with an even more refined exterior and interior, the 2012 Mazda3 also is the first Mazda in North America with innovative SKYACTIV1 fuel-saving and performance-oriented technologies, achieving an EPA-rated 40 mpg on the highway.

Mazda’s philosophy is that if it’s not worth driving, it’s not worth building. So in their quest for better environmental performance, their goal was to reduce fuel consumption and emissions without compromising driving performance. To get there, they started with a clean sheet of paper and engineered every major component of the automobile to work together in efficient harmony. The result is something revolutionary. SKYACTIV increase fuel efficiency and engine output making the Mazda3 a very nice ride.

Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) system

While driving the Mazda3 I kept noticing there was a beeping sound and on the side mirror an orange light would blink. At first I didn’t know what it was and then I realized it was the BSM system. When a car enters your blind spot or you have your signal indicator on and there is a car within the detection area the car will make a beeping sound to warn you someone is there. This was one of my favorite things about the car.

Adaptive Front Lighting System

It gets pretty dark around where I live at night, especially going up to the airport. The first time I drove the Mazda3 at night I noticed the bright headlights and I was impressed. The Mazda3 has an Adaptive Front Lighting System. The AFS provides a wider range of vision during cornering, increasing the driver’s gaze point and visible distance by taking into account both steering angle and vehicle speed to orient the headlamps to an angle.

Fuel

To say I was impressed with the Gas Mileage would be an understatement! The Mazda3 gets 28 city and 40 highway MPG. While driving the Mazda3 I noticed the distance to empty reader would say the car was getting 400-500 miles per tank. With all the running around I did during the week I still had PLENTY of gas left in the car.

Sound System

The Bose 265-watt sound system was music to my ears. I love a good sound system and I love loud music (when the kids aren’t in the car). I had some running around to do child free and I wanted to see what this sound system could do. It was loud, clear, and perfect. I called my husband and told him he needed to buy this sound system for both of our cars OR he could just buy me this car. Yes, I would totally buy the car for the sound system alone… The stereo has a CD player, is MP3 compatible, and has iPod integration. The car also has bluetooth technology.

Seating/Room

The car is very spacious and roomy. My toddlers car seat fit in the back with no issues and she wasn’t cramped. I never felt cramped or uncomfortable while driving the Mazda3 and I found the car to be very roomy. Another great thing about this car is the trunk space. When I popped open the trunk I noticed it right away. I could easily fit my big heavy duty stroller back there and still have plenty of room for groceries or whatever else I needed to fit.

I also liked that the dashboard wasn’t too busy. There weren’t a million buttons and everything was straight forward. The one thing I didn’t really like was the gear shift. I felt like I was doing a puzzle every time I needed to shift from park to reverse or to drive. It’s not a deal breaker in my opinion, but it does take some getting use to.

All in All the Mazda3 was a fun car to drive. It handled great, was a smooth ride, was roomy, and the car has a sleek sporty design. It’s a great car for the mom on the go or a commuter looking for a fuel efficient car.

The Mazda3 4-door starts at just $15,200, the price increases with upgrades.

*I was given a Mazda3 to test drive for a week in exchange for a review. No compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.