[mywittyname]

> Blows any hybrid out of the water for total COO.

Not so sure about this. I have a 2014 3i GT and my wife has a 2014 Prius. Hers was cheaper to buy, gets way better mileage (29 v. 44) and needs less frequent oil changes (which are free), and is worth about $1200 more now.

It's a little faster, nicer inside, and much more fun to drive. But cheaper, nah.

[raman325]

I'd assume the parent comment is referring to the base package version of the Mazda 3. I was able to get a 2015 Mazda3 S Touring for ~$25k with all taxes and fees included, so I think $20k is a fair estimate if you assume the base package

[neogodless]

Indeed. I was shopping recently and the 2017 Sport was going for under $18k with current Mazda incentives ($2k cash.)

(I ended up with a 2015 S GT for $20k - only 8k miles on the odometer :)!)

Also - that's an i (2.0L) which gets 30/40 mpg (about 34-35 overall) so not quite the stark difference in fuel economy compared to a Prius that the 2.5L has.

(gallons per 100 mile difference between 35 mpg and 44 mpg is 2.86 vs 2.27)