The 2019 Mazda 3 in Photos

Fortunately, this doesn't lead to the collapse of civilization that you might expect. The sedan and hatchback both get the same tune, so even though we only drove sedans, we can expect the hatch to handle similarly.

A 16-inch wheel is standard, and our sedan came on optional 18-inch wheels. All-season tires are fitted to both wheel sizes.

As you might expect with relatively low-profile 215/45R-18 all-season tires, the ride is definitely firm, but impacts are dispatched quickly, and even harsh ones are dissipated without drama.

Bending the suspension into a few hard corners reveals good body control. At the test track, the 3 sedan produced skidpad grip on the order of 0.87 g, as well as a decent 165-foot stop from 70 mph. Turn-in is a little sluggish for a Mazda, and the steering ratio could be quicker.

What will be obvious to potential buyers are the quality materials and the clean, simplified interior design. Large analog gauges flank a digital speedometer that mimics an analog gauge. An optional head-up display projects clear info onto the windshield, replacing the lame gunsight reflective display on the outgoing 3 that folded out of the top of the instrument binnacle and showed your speed in fuzzy numbers.

The HVAC controls appear to have been borrowed from Audi, and the steering wheel looks as if it came out of a BMW. A new 8.8-inch screen is standard on every model and sits on the dashboard, canted toward the driver.

The knobs for the climate-control system, the audio volume, and the infotainment controller (Mazda calls it the Commander) all feel the same and turn with similar resistance.

In the 3, Mazda went to the effort to make all of the car's switchgear feel cohesive. Each button offers the same tactility and reacts like the others.

To keep your in-car phone conversations private, the audio system is set up to prevent anyone outside from hearing embarrassing news from your urologist. At a normal to even a sort-of-loud volume, it's remarkable how muted it is outside the car.

The cumulative effect is that the 3's interior exudes a quality similar to that of high-end audio equipment or cars that costs tens of thousands more than the new 3's $21,895 base price.

A six-speed manual transmission will be available on the hatchback, but sedans are limited to a very smart six-speed automatic that will expertly hold ratios into and through corners.

Whoever did the transmission calibration clearly understands how to pick a gear. Sitting next to the transmission is a carryover 2.5-liter inline-four making 186 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 186 lb-ft of torque at 4000 rpm. The engine is adequately powerful, and in our hands it managed a so-so 27 mpg, matching its EPA city estimate.

In our steady-state 75-mph highway fuel-economy test, however, it bettered its official 36-mpg highway figure by 2 mpg. For comparison purposes, the VW Golf with the 1.4-liter turbo managed 43 mpg in the same highway test and the far more powerful Jetta GLI tied the Mazda's return.

The Mazda also lacks the easy low-end pull of turbocharged rivals from Honda, Volkswagen, Kia, and Hyundai. There isn't much of a push even when you spin the engine toward its 6500-rpm redline.

Still, the 3 sedan’s 7.0-second zero-to-60 time is class competitive—and identical to what the previous-generation 3 sedan could manage with the 2.5-liter engine.

While sedans open at $21,895, Mazda is asking $24,495 for the base hatch. All-wheel drive is coming after the initial launch in March, and it'll add $1400 to most models.