Ride & Handling

The Mazda5's steering response is designed to engage the driver. A turn of the wheel delivers a quick change of direction, and there's a fair amount of feedback. The suspension is on the firm side, but it provides a tolerable ride even on the broken pavement that's prevalent near Cars.com's Chicago headquarters.

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    A sporty cockpit that improves functional beauty
    The new "zone layout" approach focuses on improving visibility and more intuitive controls which provide "a sense of the car and driver as one" and "a reassuring sense of ...

    Manual Transaxle Operation
    Manual Transaxle Shift Pattern The vehicle is equipped with either a 5- speed or 6-speed manual transaxle. The shift pattern for each is shown above. Depress the clutch pedal all the way down w ...

    Exterior
    Comparatively upright in profile, the Mazda3 is built with a wide track and a relatively long (103.9-inch) wheelbase for its size. A Sport Package that includes sport bumpers, side skirts, 17-inch ...