I purchased my 2007 Mazdaspeed 3 with just under 10,000 miles in September 2008. I too had the occasional turbo smoking issues and VVT actuator recall which Mazda took care of (2007 models were prone to this). The only issues that I had was replacing the timing chain $800 @ 110k miles and thermostat $180 @ 130k miles. This car delivers so much to what todays car try to duplicate.
Now … 7-1/2 years later with 150,000 miles on the clock it runs as great as ever. Holding on 'til 3rd gen comes out.
Pros: Fast, Reliable, Easy to Maintain, Utility - You can pick one up now for a good deal (2007-2009 Gen 1 Models)
Cons: None really