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Like Rusty, I'm close to the target demographic of the Mazdaspeed 3. I've certainly sung its praises in the pages of Automobile and on these Web pages, and all of that has been well-deserved. But if given the choice, I'd put my own money towards the base Mazda 3 without a second's hesitation.inline_mediumwraptextright26071454/reviews/editors_notebook/0911_2010_mazda3_vs_mazdaspeed30911_08_z+2010_mazda3_vS_mazdaspeed3+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

Ford may be throwing a party for its new Fiesta at the 2009 Los Angeles auto show, but it's not the only automaker introducing a subcompact hatchback into North America. In fact, Mazda's using the same venue to launch its 2011 Mazda 2 into the New World.inline_mediumwraptextright31530639/features/news/0912_2011_mazda_mazda20912_06_z+2011_mazda_mazda2+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

As winter approaches, we've now fit our Mazda 3 with Continental ExtremeWinterContact winter tires in preparation for the snow, slush, and ice storms that we're sure to receive. Our new tires match the stock rubber in size at 205/50TR-17 and sell for $114 each. We're used to making compromises to ride and handling when fitting our cars with snow tires, and the Continentals are no exception. The 3's sharp steering is dulled, handling is less confident, and the ride significantly choppier. "I noticed a lot more torque steer while accelerating, and the Mazda wandered on the highway, requiring significantly more corrections than when it was on the stock all-season tires," commented copy editor Rusty Blackwell. On the other hand, we're expecting these tires to be quite grippy once the snow starts flying.inline_mediumwraptextright26071445/reviews/12_month_car_reviews/0911_2010_mazda3_s_sport_5_door_november_update0911_03_z+2010_mazda3_vS_mazdaspeed3+head_to_head.jpgTrue