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Since its debut, the Mazda 3 has been one of the best choices for enthusiasts on a budget. The 2012 3 has lost some of the previous car's character but it makes noticeable gains in refinement. In the cabin, the central console is still dominated by hard plastic, but its shiny finish has been toned down slightly and the new HVAC controls are easier to use by feel, so you don't have to take your eyes off the road. The overall design is also more cohesive and the look is more upscale, especially in the two-tone color scheme in this tester.
Ford has done a great job with the exhaust note on the 6.2-liter engine. There's an authoritative rumble when you fire it up and it walks the line between annoying drone while cruising and emitting a deep growl while accelerating. The soundtrack fits the Harley-Davidson theme of this truck particularly well.
Goldilocks wants a new compact crossover. As circumstances would have it, she's in luck. She's interested in a segment chock full of nice vehicles from just about every carmaker you can think of -- from Kia to Range Rover and every manufacturer in between.
We knew we were adding a dash of flash to our Four Seasons fleet when we took delivery of a Range Rover Evoque, but we did not expect our newly arrived Mazda CX-5 to turn just as many heads as the posh Range Rover.
For us, there are few better ways to relieve stress than by taking a car to the ragged edge of its abilities.
Crossovers have become the white bread of the automotive market both for their ubiquity -- more than one out of every five vehicles sold last year -- and for the fact that they're more convenient than they are interesting or enjoyable.