Well, yesterday I took my first road trip in the new Mazda3 and it was quite pleasant. The best thing was I went around 300 miles and only had to fill up once. It was mostly freeway and I figure I was averaging the EPA estimate of 29 m.p.g.
The car was comfortable and, with the windows and moonroof closed, quiet. I spent most of the time listening to my iPhone via Bluetooth, which worked very well. I also tuned in to the Sirius and found no problems there either.
One bonus I've noticed is that Mazda seems to have fixed the clutch pedal/gas pedal distance problem. In the RX-8 and the Miatas before it I always found that either the clutch pedal was too far away or the gas pedal was too close. The result was that when the seat was in a position where I could comfortably engage the clutch my right leg was bent to 90°. Consequently I've always had to "mod" my clutch pedal by zip-tying a block of wood to the clutch so as to "extend" it out towards me. With the Mazda3 the problem seems to have been resolved as I don't feel the need to extend the clutch pedal.
That being said, I'm still trying to find that perfect seat/steering wheel position. I generally like my seat scooted forward (I have short legs) and my seat back reclined a bit. I also tend to like my seat to be lower to the floor. The Mazda3 has a tilt and telescoping steering wheel which definitely helps with the seating position. I'm pretty sure I've got it where I want it but only time will tell.
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