i'll just share to u guys what i came across fm. the Mazda3 Forums.
by : jerryf
Subject: Speed3 review from a Honda Owner's perspective
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I have had my Speed3 a week and half now and put about 270 miles on it. This is my first Mazda, before this I had an Integra gsr with bolt-on mods, and we still have a S2000. The mileage has been mostly in town (Atlanta traffic) and a bit of highway. Coming from small displacement, high revving engines, the disi turbo engine is a revelation. Rather than two downshifts to get any power, you just step on the gas. The first few days, I revved the engine too high (between 5-6K rpms) until I got used to it and now I generally shift down a little past 4000. Before, I rarely let my Integra ever fall below 4,000 and would shift at 6000 to 7000! It makes for a more relaxing driving experience.

The suspension is perfect for me. Not too harsh, but still responsive enough for performance driving. Only on really bad road surfaces did things get uncomfortable, but pretty much any car would have a problem at that point. The steering feel is better than the Integra, which felt a bit light. The Speed3 feels more like the S2000 in terms of its weight, but with a slower ratio -which is good because sometimes the S2000 can get tiresome because it demands constant attention.

The shifter and clutch is ok, but neither is as good as on the Integra and certainly not as good as the S2000, which is my favorite of any car I have ever driven. The clutch take up point took a bit of getting used to but now it's fine. The shifter is ok, but just feels a bit light and rubbery.

The overall package of size and layout and practicality is great. The car holds a lot, is good for four people, the controls work well and are easily used. The stereo sounds great to me, but I'm not a stereo guy and often I would just turn it off on the Integra (it had a catback) or the S2000(it's just loud). I give it top scores in these categories. Overall, it's a great car and I could not more pleased with it. I will be interested to see how the maintenance and dealer service goes.