• by Tanya Gazdik , Staff Writer, Yesterday

Subaru WRX tS (Photo credit: Tanya Gazdik/MediaPost)

Not every car has morphed into an SUV, thank heavens. 

My test drives from the previous two weeks were the Subaru WRX tS and the Mazda3 Hatchback Turbo. Both made driving a pleasure rather than a chore.  

The Subaru WRX offers up a performance-oriented 6-speed manual transmission with 271 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. The Mazda3 has a 2.5-liter turbo engine available, which delivers up to 250 hp and 320 lb.-ft of torque.

The Subaru definitely looks and sounds the part. The engine has a very pleasant audible growl and the hood features a large vent. Besides looking cool, the vent helps extract hot air from the engine bay, improving both cooling and aerodynamics. And there's just no beating a manual transmission. 

The Subaru fan club is alive and well -- I got several honks and thumbs-up from other Subie drivers. 

The WRX also features standard all-wheel drive, while Mazda3's all-wheel drive system is optional (but was included on the Hatchback 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus I drove.)

The Mazda3, while still very fun to drive, was quieter and overall felt more refined. The upscale interior includes features like leatherette upholstery. There’s an infotainment screen, but it's not touch-interactive. You must use a rotary dial -- which Mazda calls the “commander knob” -- and interact with it, which takes some getting used to. 

The reason behind the lack of a touchscreen is that engineers wanted to minimize visual, cognitive and manual distractions. I’d argue it actually promotes more distraction when you're trying to figure out what to click through on the screen to perform the desired tasks. 

If you think small vehicle means no storage, think again. Both these cars have hatches with a very generous amount of storage space.  I picked up the Mazda3 at the airport and was able to fit two small suitcases and three small bags into the back with room to spare. 

I was a little disappointed that the Mazda does not offer a button on the key fob to offer the hatch — something that has become commonplace with even entry-level SUVs. The Subaru key fob does include such a button. 

The base price for the 2025 Subaru WRX tS is $48,045, including destination, while the base price for the 2025 Mazda Mazda3 Hatchback 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus is $36,950.

Mazda3 trunk is surprisingly roomy (Photo credit: Tanya Gazdik/MediaPost)