The Mazda 3 has always been a bright spot in the compact car segment. It was young and vibrant. Even after five years on the market, its design still looked fresh specially when compared to most of its competitors.

It drives well too. Its handling is more sport-biased than say a Corolla, which makes it a whole lot more fun to drive around. Mazda also put in good engines and a good transmission to make sure that the car not only looked fast but was actually really fast.

All good things must come to an end though, and the Mazda 3’s lifecycle is now over. The good thing about this is that there is already an all-new Mazda 3.

The new second-generation Mazda 3 was unveiled at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show. The exterior of the 3 borrows many design cues from the new Mazda 6, which is a good thing as the new 6 is a stunner. The front is dominated by a new grille that seems as if it’s smiling when looked at directly.

The overall shape and profile of the new car evokes images of the previous generation which means that the 3 still looks like its moving fast even while just standing still.

The new Mazda 3 remains true to the original’s core values: good looks, sporty handling, all in a not-so-expensive package.