WHAT WE'RE DRIVING

Before I started a drive in the 2020 Mazda3, I had to toggle the drive-select to “sport.” And release the parking brake. Each and every time.

At least the two switches are in proximity on the center console. But this annoyance mars the generally good experience of the Mazda3 (all-new in 2019) and once again suggests it's a refreshing but occasionally cockeyed prism through which Mazda engineers and planners view the world.