Up Close: 2010 Mazda3 Hatchback

Last night, the Cars.com staff sat around talking cars — as we usually do after a day covering an auto show — and the question of “What would you buy?” inevitably came up. Many of us picked the new Mazda3 hatchback. We saw the sedan at the L.A. auto show in November, but this was the first time the hatchback had been put on display. Surprisingly, though, it was not the hatchback aspects that were impressive.

What blew me away was the dark red and tan leather interior color combination displayed on the auto show floor. It was very elegant, and the quality definitely held up compared to the all-black interior I saw in L.A. Often, a lighter-color interior let’s you see more imperfections, and it often also makes the plastic look cheaper. Not here. The top Grand Touring trim had a nice six-speed manual shifter that felt perfectly sized. I don’t know of another car in this class that has this nice of an interior. Maybe the VW Jetta.

The hatchback seems to be as big as the old one, and the seats folded down easily. The only issue I had with the hatch door was that the release mechanism is a little circle below the Mazda emblem. Before it was under the edge of the hatch, where you could place your hand to lift it up. Meaning it was hidden. Now there’s not only an extra step to lift the hatch, it’s an uglier look.

Otherwise, the Mazda3 is back on most of our shopping lists.