The development theme for the all-new Mazda 3's dynamic performance was "exhilarating driving." It refers to the satisfaction derived when a car acts in perfect concert with the driver's intentions. It could also be described as the sense of accomplishment derived when the driver can handle the car easily and have it respond exactly as desired to their will.

Toward this end, the development team didn't settle for merely adding small changes to the already high levels of body rigidity and driving performance. Rather, they made every effort to completely eliminate all negative aspects, from the engine noise, vibration in the body and road noise. At the same time, the team retained all positive aspects including the sound of the engine, the feeling of acceleration, the quality of brake response and control and the road holding sensations.