Car and Driver: Mazda Has Been Shrewd, But It’s Also Been Lucky

One week before an orthopedic surgeon tunneled into my spine, my wife and I packed our two small parrots into a Mazda CX-3 for a trip to the Bay Area, where I was to drive the new Acura NSX. Of course, the NSX was memorable, as was a bungled attempt to sneak our squawking luggage into the St. Regis San Francisco. But the CX-3 also impressed. Say what you will about the scourge of cute utes, this car is no brain-dead appliance. It shines in every respect, from the canny space utilization to the deft handling to the thrifty fuel economy, which averaged 30 mpg despite my usual pounding pace. One interested party that has often delivered a boisterous opinion on test cars, my severely herniated L5-S1 disc (part of which is now landfill), even murmured quiet approval. READ MORE ››

Read Full Article