I would say you are making an excellent decision. Ford owned 20% of Mazda in 2008 but sold the stock in 2009 so Ford and Mazda would not be a bad choice. Never buy a kia, they were among the lowest in reliability around 21st place out of 30. Mazda was a little better but not good and Ford was pretty high. The Mazda 3 comes with a very nice little engine that has enough HP that a person needs in a compact car. Also, a test between Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Mazda 3, the Mazda was in first place for having the best fun factor by the testers. If I were in your situation, I really would go with a used car. You could get an 2005 Infiniti G35 Coupe for around 12-15k. Which is a better deal. I have nothing against the Mazda and I have only heard good things about the car, but I would go with a used. But if you want a new car, the Mazda would be the way to go, the look better but to be honest the reliability was rated 4/10. Give a thought to the Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra or a Mitsubishi Lancer. Good Luck! Feel free to Instant message me if you have any questions.
