An officemate showed me their new Mazda3 2.0R. It looks great! It would not be in the most recent 10 Best Cars for nothing. Comfortable seats, 18" wheels, great dashboard, etc. Too bad, he did not give me the chance to drive it. I wouldn't mind giving him the keys to try my Fiesta Ecoboost in return.
Based on specs, the Mazda 1.5L seem to be underpowered knowing most compacts today are above 1200kg in weight. The Civic FB 1.8L has the best power-to-weight ratio among the entry-level/mid-level compacts in the market. The Civic FB just looks bland though.