If a car’s goodness could be determined from something as mundane as a single bit of switchgear, you likely wouldn’t need us to weigh in on the latest rides. Luckily for our job security, proper analysis can rarely be distilled from such a minute detail. But in the case of the 2014 Mazda 3, the slick, well-damped iDrive-like infotainment controller knob on the center console of Grand Touring and some Touring trims is a microcosm of the whole car: precisely engineered, more expensive-feeling than its price point, and simply wonderful to use. Is our praise too effusive? Go to a Mazda dealer, give the knob (called the “commander switch”) a few twirls and clicks, and tell us we’re wrong. Don’t forget to take the car for a twirl, too, because it’s a pretty sweet drive.

s Is for Sporty

Zoom-(zoom)ing out and looking at the 3 beyond its lovely switchgear, this test focuses on the more-powerful s model, available in sedan and five-door hatchback forms. With a 184-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder, our top-spec s Grand Touring hatch test car is 29 horsepower stronger than lesser, 2.0-liter four 3 i variants. The s brings more standard equipment and a sportier overall vibe. (Check full Mazda 3 pricing here—there is a ton of possible configurations.) Six-speed manual and automatic transmissions will be available in the s, but early-production models are all automatics, as is our 3 s GT test car.

View Photos MICHAEL SIMARI

Complementing its neatly tailored looks, the 3 feels as tight as a drum, thanks to its stiff structure. And the firm-yet-compliant suspension teams with a balanced and frisky chassis and Miata-like steering. Our glowing real-world handling judgments weren’t dampened much by the car’s midpack 0.82-g skidpad performance or so-so 179-foot stopping distance from 70 mph. We tested the 3 at a different venue than usual, and its surface felt noticeably slicker than that on our home turf. Acceleration is fairly zippy, with 60 mph arriving in 7.2 seconds, and the automatic’s manual shift mode—operable via the shift lever or steering-wheel paddles—is quick to respond. Sport mode further sharpens the powertrain, and even when left to shift on its own, the transmission always seems to find the right gear. Despite spending most of its time in our hands being hammered down back roads, the 3 returned a respectable 26 mpg—2 mpg shy of its EPA city fuel-economy estimate.

Similar to that of the CX-5 crossover and 6 sedan, the 3’s upscale cabin is a peach. Flashes of chrome and carbon-fiber-look plastics punctuate mostly black-colored, high-quality plastics. On s models, the McLaren 12C–like gauge cluster—with a central analog tachometer flanked by two squarish digital screens—sits ahead of a thick and perfectly formed three-spoke steering wheel. A visorlike clear head-up display deploys from the gauge hood, but we’re split over whether it’s cool or cheesy. At a minimum, we agree we’d like a way to fold it down while on the move. Front passengers perch on supportive, well-bolstered seats, and either occupant can operate the aforementioned central commander switch and audio volume knob. Unlike the Ford Focus hatchback’s, the 3’s front-seat area offers room to spare, although the back can be tight with three passengers.

View Photos MICHAEL SIMARI

All the Trappings of Home an Audi

Buyers can step into a five-door i Sport model for $19,740 (an i Sport sedan is available for $19,240), but our loaded s Grand Touring test car cost $29,185. That heady sum includes the $1600 GT Technology package (Mazda’s i-ELOOP brake-energy recuperation system and active grille shutters) and $295 worth of door-sill plates, cargo mat, and rear bumper guard. Leather seats (heated in front), 18-inch wheels, a sunroof, rain-sensing wipers, dual-zone automatic climate control, a power driver’s seat, automatic and adaptive bixenon headlights, a seven-inch touch-screen display, navigation, and a backup camera are standard on this trim.

We suspect a nearly $30,000 Mazda 3 might not be for everyone, especially in a world where Mercedes-Benz sells the base CLA250 at a similar price, but at least the Mazda feels just as premium. Stick with less-expensive 3s for the same basic goodness, and be sure to revel in their wonderful dynamics—and the way the commander switch is more satisfying to use than the Benz’s COMAND toggle.

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