Matter Of Opinion, Perhaps
I had been awaiting the release of the 3 for some time, and with hopeful anticipation. That said, after having the chance to directly compare the 3 to nearly all other small car offerings at our local car show last week, I must say I've become disheartened by the interior space presented by it.
In terms of comfort, I found the ride quality much improved compared to the horrible experience levied by my Protege ES, and noise levels were also better-- Although not as much so as in the Focus, for instance. Road noise continues to be a problem that Mazda has not sufficiently addressed, in my opinion.
As far as interior space goes, I've determined that the back seat area in the sedan is likely the worst currently being offered amongst mainstream compact cars (as in, compared to the likes of Nissan, Toyota, Honda). The back seat area is even worse than the VW Jetta, and that I cannot accept. I've been unfortunate enough to spend extended road trip time in the back of one of those accursed Jettas, and I would not want to find myself in the back of a Mazda3 for very long. To be blatantly honest, I find it offensive; especially when the Protege before it offers such a NICE back seat area.
I also found the front seat experience cramped feeling. Although I like the interior styling, it feels claustrophobic in the 3 compared to the Corolla and Civic. I didn't get the same sense of expanse. And although my 3 test drives I thought were okay, the third time I started to feel that I might indeed run into problems being fully comfortable over long trips; which is one of my biggest problems with the Protege: It's not a good road trip car at all-- Rough riding, noisy, and no center arm rest support. The 3 DOES have a much improved center rest area, though. FINALLY!
So all in all, I'm not sure the 3 will appeal to people who make more than around town trips or perhaps spirited country road twisties. Those who like road trips or want more comfort might be better off with another car (like the Honda Accord, which I'm trying to find a way to afford).
But then again, Mazda hasn't built cars of late that are designed to appeal to civility and comfort-- They emphasize performance handling and appearance. So all in all it's likely a matter of opinion whether one is comfortable with the 3's ride qualities.
I am very interested to see how Consumer Reports rates the 3, however. Now that I've seen it in detail I think it'll be in 3rd place behind the Corolla and Civic. Maybe second place...