Gadgetory

if you want to find the hot spot the US and European car market right now you're almost certainly going to end up what they call the subcompact crossover like the Honda HRV the Nissan Juke or the new Jeep renegade notice Mazda is not on my list well they are now let's drive the cx-3 check the tech now a subcompact crossover is subcompact this guy's based on a Mazda two that fits in your pocket I swear a lot of folks buy cars in this class cuz they're kind of like Hot Wheels you just want to collect a bunch of them that said I had tons of head room in the front honestly too much 2nd row seats credible rear cargo bay is stubby but it's got this cool Smuggler's box full width in the back overall good space use now Mazda does some really handsome sporty cabins these days I think and I would not have said that about them even three model years ago this is a nice step up unfortunately they let you screw it all up with color schemes this car is mica blue with black and ivory and burgundy are they kidding this looks awful luckily the technology has improved quite a bit beautiful tight resolution display this little things what they call the ad display it's a poor man's HUD leaves me kind of underwhelmed it shows too little information with too little resolution on too little real estate luckily you've got a touchscreen and you've got some of the better voice command in an affordable car I find it's quick to recognize phrases addresses as a single throw unfortunately though the prompts are horsey and rigid for the things you can say and it's not online search so you're gonna have to pull out your phone and search for the address and then put it in here by then you're just gonna stay on your phone the home menu is logical the map looks really clean apps primarily live under entertainment and include Pandora stitcher and AHA both are excellently integrated I found there is an apps menu but it's nonsense it's more like a few vehicle services screens all this is controlled by one of the more awkward knob sets in the business straight down in front of the armrest first thing I see is what I don't see cuz I'm blinded by this amazingly shiny bezel on top of the screen how did that get through wow when the Sun is just right you can't even see the screen because this thing's glaring you so much Mazda's tend to be taught compared to their competitors also didn't have a growl note this is not a car that tries to isolate out the powertrain like so many other vehicles I let you know it's whirring and grinding and buzzing away in there that can be a little atonal when you step on this under my right hand is a real 6-speed automatic by the way not some kind of CVT or otherwise newfangled gearbox it's got real bite between the gears it's bright perky overall it's just a vehicle that feels tight and well sprung and kind of honest and unfiltered that's kind of a Mazda trait ok now out of the freeway listen to this sounds like I got a bad subwoofer channel or something that's actually what they call a rumble sound to alert you that you're drifting across the lane it's passive but it sounds weird and to me it doesn't sound like a lane warning I'm not sure it's good HMI or not the optional driver assist technology continues from there to include smart city brake support from around 2 to 18 miles an hour a forward-looking laser detects if you're about to run into something gives you a warning pre charges the brakes and then brakes on its own if you don't also includes adaptive cruise control blind spot warning technology and adaptive steering front headlights to do a CX 3 CNET style you're starting about 25 9 delivered that's for a Grand Touring pretty well loaded another 1250 for all-wheel-drive that's your call just under 2 grand for the adaptive driver assist technologies the price isn't bad there and I'm at about 27 eight out the door