Mazda3 sedan has just-right appeal in crowded market

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews also can be seen in the Northern & Central California Cruisin’ News magazine published monthly out of Folsom, California.

Sacramento, California -- Pity the sedan buyer looking for the practical and affordable.

Everything priced in the low $20,000s is fairly bare bones, and those more generously equipped models sure are nice ... but the sticker edges up near the $40,000 plateau.

What to do?

Here's a thought: Head down to a Mazda dealership and give the Mazda3 a look.  My recent week in the 2020 Mazda3 all-wheel-drive sedan opened my eyes to the notable charms of the model.  Even equipped with a generous Premium Package of perks, the bottom line was a mere $30,645.

Now we're talkin'

Mazda tweaked the Mazda3 inside and out in 2019, drawing reviewer raves for an elegant, high-end upgrade inside the cabin. I'm a believer.  If you had blindfolded me, dropped me into the Mazda3's cockpit, covered all the Mazda badges and asked me where I was, I would have guessed a Lexus ... or maybe an Acura.

I believe that would have been a good guess, given that I was surrounded by comfort, leather surfaces, nicely engineered controls and an 8.8-inch color control screen for me to play with, scrolling through menus to my heart's content.

Exterior styling is smooth over the top, with the obligatory big grille on the front end.  It makes for a fine-looking sedan sculpture just parked in front of the house.

Auto-reviewing colleagues have knocked the Mazda3's driving characteristics, but I thought the criticism to be unfair in this segment.  This is not a $50,000 Mercedes-Benz, after all.

Power on the tester was delivered via a "Skyactiv-G" 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine rated at 186 horsepower.  That's a fancy way of saying that cylinder-deactivation technology has been engineered into the power package, producing greater fuel efficiency.

Fuel mileage on the tester was indeed good at 25 miles per gallon in the city and 33 mpg on the highway.  Yet critics have complained that the Mazda3's oomph has suffered.  Yes, you do have to plant your right foot firmly on the accelerator when strong performance is needed.  But for me, the engine response was adequate.

Handling is likewise pretty fair, with just a bit of body sway on sharp curves taken at brisk speed.

All in all, this is a good sedan offering from Mazda.  Given the pricing, I think it should be on the frugal buyer's test-drive list.