I had an '04 Mazda 3 which I bought in December of '03, when they first came out. I had always been told to avoid a new model car for the first couple of years so they mfr could get the hiccups ironed out. I sold it in 2010 with 169k on the clock. It was a great, trouble-free car, and I'd buy another in a heartbeat. It had a nice ride (not too harsh), but handled like it was on rails. Looooved the twisties. It was the hatchback (oh, sorry, "five door") and all stock. Doesn't fit my needs now, but I wouldn't have any reservations about recommending one. I think Mazda needs to tout their quality more than they do. Seems that my Toyota is in the shop regularly.