Well, my parents and I have owned our CX-3 for seven months and I have to say it's still a great little car! It has a little over 5600 miles (yeah, I know, that's not a lot. It should have way more at this point!) and drives like a sporty champ! Although it's not my car, it's my parents, I still have my fair share in driving it. As much as it is fun and sporty to drive, it does have a couple cons going for it. But let's start with the pros. Firstly, the simplistic interior layout comes in handy very well when compared to the thousands of complicated buttons and gadgets that make up many cars today. You have your simple climate control nobs, user-friendly buttons on the steering wheel, an easy-to-read instrument cluster, a well shifting dual-clutch transmission, a big built-in screen mounted on the dash that's easy to read and function, and rounded a/c vents with air flow control. It even has a CD player which comes handy to old-school music-lovers like my parents and I who rely on CD's. To me, that's all you really need to make for a great daily driver! The styling cues are what really makes this Mazda stand out from other cars. Every time when we're in a parking lot and examining all the other cars around, nothing compares to the look of this one. This is one of the most stylish-looking compacts in this segment, with its predatory stance, sleek body lines, soft corners, and pointy lights and grille. That's what makes Mazdas great overall. They keep a simplistic layout while still expressing aggressive and sleek body lines and curves, both inside and out. The acceleration is great in heavy traffic or open road. When you need to get up and go, this car will deliver with no hesitation. I always end up leaving other cars behind me in the dust because of its great pep. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a speeder, but when I drive this sometimes, it sure feels like it! Braking distance is superb! If you need to stop quickly, it sure will brake hard, which is good. The 4-wheel pads are very sturdy and stiff. It comes in handy to be alert for not-so-smart drivers out there! The crash safety rating is very comforting. The IIHS recently released the frontal and side crash test ratings and was rated an IIHS Safety+. That's very good to know, especially for a compact! As great as it may seem to be, it's had a few cons going for it. Firstly, the rather cheap plastics. My pet peeve with this car is the wrap-around plastic. You know how plastics are. They easily scratch, discolor, pop off, or crunch if in an accident. Although newer plastics have gotten better, they're still a little cheap. I've noticed many chips, scratches, and sun-faded areas all around the plastic. I use Turtle Wax trim restorer on it every once in a while, but I still see them. The inside has its fair share in hard-touch plastics too and as a result, there are many scratches, especially in the occupied areas. One example is the panel that's aside where the seat-belt rests. Since the seat-belt constantly rubs and hits that area, there are many scratches on it. Although you can't really help that, it doesn't look the greatest. It may sound like OCD, bit I just happen to notice areas that others don't really pay attention to. Recently, we had to go to our dealer to look at the driver side headlight because of a leaking problem. Several weeks ago, I noticed when I washed the car and was starting to dry it, water and moisture seeped inside the driver-side headlight lens. The bulb still worked, but if it we waited any longer, it would've blew. So, the dealership had to replace the lens in a two-hour process but it was worth it. Ever since, the light has been fine. However, the original light shouldn't have done that in the first place. The main drawback to this car is the lack of storage capacity. Like I said before, even a small load of groceries will fill the trunk! Even when the rear seats are folded down, there's still a lack of space. Good luck trying to load big and bulky boxes in there! We've done that before but it was a pain! The space was so cramped that the box actually scraped up the headliner towards the back, which really irked me! So if you're a light traveler, this may be the best option. If you want a more family-oriented car, I'd go to its bigger brother, the CX-5. On the whole, it's a great little car! It's had its fair share in cons, but when you think about it, all cars have that. There's no such thing as a perfect car in my book. Every car is going to have its ups and downs, and many people are going to focus on the pros rather than the cons. That's what this is. It has more pros than cons which is something to be desired. I would still recommend this car to any person who's looking for a daily driver that's practical, sporty, fun, stylish, and light-weight with enough room for family and friends and a little bit of light storage. Zoom zoom!
