Auto News 5

The old Mazda 3 was already one of our favorite small cars. Twice an AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE All-Star, the previous 3 was a cut above its contemporaries. When Mazda's highest-volume car went in for a redesign for the 2010 model year, it emerged with a more powerful engine (in the "s" models, at least), an additional gear for its manual and automatic transmissions, a plethora of new luxury features, and new styling led off by a front end that West Coast editor Jason Cammisa described as "an anime gremlin wearing an I've-been-naughty grin."