Whether you’re looking for the perfect car for that soon to be new graduate in your life, or you’re ready to get something sporty and fun but a little bit smaller than the big family car you’ve been driving, look no further than the Mazda CX-3 Grand Touring FWD.

Last week we got to test this sleek yet sporty vehicle for ourselves and it did not disappoint. Whether it was just doing our daily run around that we all do, or exploring the Sonoma County wine country and hidden gems, the Mazda CX-3 was the perfect car to make every day life easy to handle. Don’t let the size fool you! It may appear to be a compact but on the inside this sleek SUV crossover had plenty of room throughout yet without being a gas-guzzler that so often go hand in hand when you think SUV. Here are 5 reasons why you too will quickly fall in love with the Mazda CX-3 Grand Touring FWD.

The Perfect Size

Whether you’re shopping for the perfect first car for your new graduate about to leave the nest, or looking for something a little smaller for yourself, but not so small that you still can’t take the family out in, the Mazda CX-3 Grand Touring FWD is the just the car you’re looking for. Considered a crossover vehicle, meaning it’s between a car and an SUV that drives like a car but handles like an SUV whether it’s for your child as they drive off to college, or just for you for when you suddenly don’t have that need for the big family vehicle, the Mazda CX-3 fits the bill.

From the leather seat and beautiful trim on the inside to the sleek styling right on down to the alloy wheels on the outside, it is all that attention and thought into the details that gives you the feel that you’re behind the wheel of a high-end, high priced luxury feel without the high-end price tag to go with it. Mazda goes above and beyond to ensure that you always feel that you’re behind the wheel of something very special-and that’s because you are but without breaking the bank to bring one home.

Safety First Safety Always

Whether you’re trying to navigate the Target parking lot where everyone seems to think it’s their turn to go and people walking behind moving cars is the rule and not the exception or it suddenly starts to rain and everyone on the road apparently has forgotten how to drive in the rain, thanks to all of the built in safety features of the not just the CX-3 but all of the Mazdas we have been lucky enough to test out thanks to Drive Shop, the engineers at Mazda go the extra mile when it comes to making me feel completely safe when I’m behind the wheel of one of their cars and would give me that extra peace of mind I’m seeking when looking for that first car for my son.

The Active Safety Technology is the best when it comes to helping prevent accidents by supporting my ability to predict and avoid hazards through visual and auditory alerts. The Mazda CX-3 backup camera allows me to see different angles as I back up and then even warns me when cars or people are in my blind spot or even close to the rear of the car and really helped save me during commute time when a car suddenly pulled into my lane without looking and quite literally saved me and help me avoid what could have been a situation that was much, much worse. The I-ACTIVSENSE Safety System Includes:

• Mazda Radar Cruise Control w/ Close Proximity Warning
• Smart Brake Support w/Collision Warning
• Lane Departure Warning
• High Beam Control
• Blind Spot Monitor (BSM)
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)
• Rearview Camera

As I quickly discovered confident driving is better driving and thanks to Mazda, I was in great hands. With the ongoing weather and road conditions that kept changing thanks to the Mazda’s available smart predictive i-ACTIV AWD® all-wheel-drive system which was always on alert, I always felt safe knowing that the car was helping to monitor conditions and was always ready to adjust power delivery to help give me optimal traction before my wheels could slip which was such a comfort with it being bright and sunny one moment and pouring down rain the next.

TECHNOLOGY AT ITS BEST

One of the things I’ve come to love and depend on in the Mazda is the incredible tech package that is included and the Mazda CX-3 is no exception. To be able to drive a car with everything from the navigation system to the being able to use my phone hands free all right at my fingertips means that I can have all my attention focused on driving which is how it should be and the best part, one of the navigation screens showed me where the traffic problems were so I could find an alternate route and saving me countless hours being stuck in traffic.

The touchscreen display comes equipped with Navigation, Bluetooth, Rear View Camera and Sirius XM Radio, which can be controlled, on the touchscreen panel or by a navigational knob that sits behind the gear-shift and allows you to easily switch from entertainment mode to GPS mode without ever taking your eyes off the road. Even better, the steering wheel has all the controls you need right at your fingertips to enable you to use you Bluetooth enabled phone which pairs with the car or your music and of course the cruise control.

Comfort, Comfort And Comfort

Although the Mazda CX-3 Grand Touring FWD may have the look of a compact, on the inside, you have plenty of room and room to spare and whether you sit in the front or in the back, and is the case of all of the Mazdas we’ve been lucky enough to review, Mazda is tops when it comes to comfort. The leather seats give you the feel of a luxurious ride, and even when your son happens to be 6’4” with legs that go on forever at no time did he ever feel cramped in the back and on those days when I needed to get the girls to dance lessons, there was still more than enough room for them and their car seats in the back.

Because we can never seem to settle on one temperature that works for us both, the dual climate control means neither one of us are ever too hot or too cold allowing both the driver and passenger to ride comfortably. And yes, there are some mornings that even in Florida that first thing in the morning or late at night, there is nothing better than a heated seat.

It’s The Little Things That Are The Big Things

One of the things I’ve come to appreciate with Mazda is that they think of everything so I don’t have to which again means that peace of mind that I need whether I’m diving it late at night by myself of that I am wanting to do everything I can possibly do to keep my child safe and secure when he’s driving his first car, and happens to live on the other side of the country or when I have the grandkids with me. Just take a look at all the standard security features that come with the Mazda CX-3:

• Engine immobilizer anti-theft system
•  Keyless remote panic button 
• Tire-Pressure Monitoring System
• Child-safety rear door locks
• 3-point safety belts for all seating positions
• Front safety-belt pretensioners with force limiters
• Advanced front air bags with seat belt-use, passenger-weight sensors 
• Front seat-mounted side-impact air bags and side-impact air curtains with rollover protection

• Advanced Blind Spot Monitoring with Rear Cross Traffic Alert 
• Rearview camera 
• LATCH child-safety-seat anchors & upper tether anchors 
• Side-impact door beams 
• Fold-away brake pedal assembly

Whether you’re looking for the perfect car for the new graduate in your life, or you’re searching for something just a little bit smaller but without sacrificing any of the comfort and luxury of a bigger SUV crossover, or just in need of that car to get you around town during the week, the Mazda CX-3 Grand Touring FWD is the perfect car to fill all your needs and then some.

With room for 5, fold down seating to allow you to carry that larger cargo that you need transport at times, and so much more, you’ll quickly discover as we did that every detail of the CX-3 makes it feel like a second home—and driving feel like second nature. If you’re looking for that perfect smaller yet safe car that makes you want to think of places to drive to, look no further than the all new Mazda CX-3 Grand Touring FWD-it’s the perfect car for you and your family to zoom, zoom, zoom in!

Want to find out more about the Mazda family of cars? Check them out on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram and follow along with them by looking for the hashtag #DriveMazda across Social Media.

Disclosure: We were given a Mazda CX-3 Grand Touring FWD automobile to test drive for one week through our partnership with DriveShop however the thoughts and opinions expressed here are 100% our own.