Gizmo Guy: Mazda CX-3 steals the show in safety, flair and fun

A sporty spice of a ride she was, just the right size - compact but muscular - for city and highway crawling, with great attitude and attributes. Got me humming "When I fall in love, it will be". . . for 10 years, at least.

But was I fantasizing, overly smitten with this pre-production teaser first glimpsed in January at the Philadelphia Auto Show?

So I started stalking the Mazda CX-3 around the world, watching her charm other tech reporters as they took this new breed compact SUV out for a spin during market rollouts.

The girl formally debuted in March in Australia and her native Japan, where 10,000 had already signed up to woo her.

Next she alighted in Germany, Great Britain and Canada, garnering many a road test video proclaiming the CX-3 queen of the category. Besting such rivals as the Nissan Juke, Honda HR-V, Subaru XV Crosstrek, Mini Countryman, Jeep Renegade, Kia Soul, Fiat 500X (aka "The Popemobile") and twins-under-the-skin Chevrolet Trax and Buick Encore.

So when this car of my dreams finally landed in Philadelphia on Aug. 18 at my local dealer (Pacifico), I bought one and took it home, fully loaded in top Grand Touring trim, with a $29,000 sticker price.

I used to counsel would-be car buyers "don't rush into a relationship" with a new model. "Wait til they work the kinks out." But in today's Web-linked world, with a new model that's virtually the same in every country, good and bad news travels fast.

So what was the worst on the CX-3?

That the rear seat and trunk are "snug," though this taller hatchback opens up enough with the back seat down to toss a road bike back there with front wheel removed. The space would be no problem for single folks or empty nesters like me. But if you have a growing family, the Honda and Subaru are better bets.

A "slow acceleration" charge was leveled against a lower-powered (120 HP versus 146 HP) version of the CX-3 not even sold in the United States. Nor is Mazda selling its diesel version or a CX-3 with stick shift here. The latter may change.

If we never get the "iStop" feature standard with CX-3s in eco-conscious Germany and Australia, it will be too soon for me. iStop temporarily shuts off the engine at a red light if you press hard on the brake.

It would be nice to have the auto-retracting outside mirrors spotted on British-sent models. At 70 inches wide (including mirrors) and 169 inches long, a CX-3 fits into my garage (yes, I measured first). But it's a tight squeeze into the stall behind my sister's Toll Bros. townhouse.

In Ireland, the only standard color for a CX-3 is a snowy Arctic White; all other tones cost more. Can you imagine that happening here? (I chose ceramic metallic - a grayish putty white that shines silvery under night lights. Red Soul Metallic was its serious rival.)

Wails from abroad that a center armrest shouldn't be a $300 extra clearly reached U.S. dealers. A flip-up armrest is standard on cars sold here but impedes access for some (not me) to the center console wheel controller, steering the infotainment system. Love it.

Yes, Mazda's high compression, voom-voom engine puts out a throaty sound when pressed hard (another early 'plaint.) But to me, that just supports the fun, sporty vibe the CX-3 exudes with its tight steering, stable cornering and pretty snappy pickup - 0 to 60 m.p.h. in 8.1 seconds - faster than all category rivals but the Juke. And did I mention that the CX-3 manages best-in-class gas mileage on regular petrol?

Had to throw down $1,250 more for the smart all-wheel drive, which shamed Subaru's AWD in a Canadian showdown on YouTube.

It's no surprise that Gizmo Guy was smitten with the GT cabin full of high-tech gadgetry and upscale materials. iActiveSense safety features (a $1,920 package, not offered in lower priced models) are making me a better driver. And will likely do the same for my granddaughter, now 5, when I pass the car to her in 11 years (knock on wood)!

A rare heads-up display hovering above the dash makes it impossible to miss how fast you're going. I've also been chastened by audible and visual warnings when "drifting" out of my lane.

If there's trouble ahead, to the sides or rear, radar sensors (a first in an under-$30G ride) and cameras slow the pre-set cruise control, offer alerts, and even hit the brakes to mitigate an accident (though likely not as well as Subaru's top-rated EyeSight system). Autonomous emergency braking should be in all cars in a few years.

Life's also nicer with the CX-3's keyless entry and start button, plus wipers and LED headlights that kick on automatically, as needed.

And a seven-speaker Bose sound system - cleverly stashing the subwoofer in the middle of the doughnut spare tire - makes me giddy, especially tapping on a robust HD radio feed (like WRTI's jazz and classical options), SiriusXM, or Bluetooth-linked calls and streams.

takiffj@phillynews.com

215-854-5960@JTakiff