Mazda3 near-perfect daily driver

Within 10 minutes of sliding behind the wheel of the 2010 Mazda3 Sport hatchback, I felt as at-home as I'd be in my 16-year-old beater, albeit a heck of a lot more comfortable.

The spiritual successor of Mazda's most basic of workhorses, the 323 hatchback (of which I've owned five), the Mazda3 takes my vote for the almost-perfect daily driver. Sporty and engaging, yet upscale enough to set it apart from the boy-racer import crowd, the Mazda3 has become one of the best-selling cars in Canada since its 2004 introduction.

With the first major refresh since its inception, the new 3 is slightly taller and longer and wears the somewhat idiotic yet oddly engaging grin that's become the signature for Mazda's current lineup. There's actually a reason for the new face — the design limits air flow, allowing only what's needed to cool the engine bay, thereby reducing drag and improving aerodynamics.

A sweeping lower door crease flanked by more muscular wheel arches adds visual energy and movement to its profile.

The swoopy roofline on my sporty GT tester ends in a rear spoiler above chrome-trimmed LED taillights. Below, dual chrome exhaust tips peep out from beneath the jaunty rear end that so resembles a little duck's butt.

Inside, the cockpit — one of the best in its class — displays a level of quality and attention to detail expected in a higher segment.

The instrument cluster, housed in twin ovoid tunnels, is topped by a flat curving pod containing the heads-up information display. The pebbled soft-touch dash sweeps into a modern-looking brushed-chrome trimmed centre stack with large, straightforward knobs. Red instrumentation backlighting contrasts with the soft blue ambient lighting in footwells and on door handles. Auto-leveling, bi-xenon headlights are standard on top-of-the-line models and are greatly appreciated for night-time driving.

Cloth seats are firm and highly bolstered, in keeping with Mazda's "zoom-zoom" fun-to-drive philosophy. And they're heated in increments from one to five, in case you'd like to choose between having your buns lightly toasted or well done. The 60-40 split folding rear seats are easily accessed but that swooping roofline does limit rear headroom. The hatch lifts with a touch of the key, a nice feature when you're carrying an armload.

There are two engine choices in the Mazda3 lineup, and the GT's powered by the larger 2.5-litre four cylinder with an output of 167 hp and 168 lb. ft. of torque. It's mated to a five-speed automatic transmission that's more than adequate, although I would have preferred a manual in a fun little car like this. The steering's very sharp and accurate and I've heard it called "darty" by more than one shopper who eventually ended up buying a more placid Japanese import.

Although the suspension still consists of Macpherson struts up front and multi-link independent behind, improved body rigidity results in a stiffer ride and flatter cornering that doesn't sacrifice comfort. Despite its sporty agility, the 3's ride damping and bump absorption prove comfortable for long road trips, too.

Versatile and adaptable, the compact Mazda3 negotiates big city streets like a native, with room enough for all my hiking and riding gear for rural weekends. My 323's days are numbered.