Editors' Choice for New Drivers: 2004 Mazda3
Best combination of value and excitement for first-time car buyers.

Times have changed and with time so have compacts and the cars young drivers buy. Take the all-new Mazda3, our choice for new drivers because it offers what young drivers want at an affordable price. Those things are innovation, style inside and out, enough performance to feel fun and, really, something a little different than the boring tripe Mom and Dad drive. Available as a four-door sedan or five-door hatchback, it's bigger, more powerful, safer and better-looking than most any compact on the road. Available in two trims, the i and the s, the Mazda3 comes well-equipped with a standard 2.0-liter, I4, 148-horsepower engine that gets 28-mpg in the city and 35-mpg on the highway. The s is equipped with a standard 2.3-liter, I4, 160-horsepower engine with slightly lower fuel efficiency. Manual 5-speed transmissions are standard on both cars, though there's a 4 speed auto option. And -- it's cheaper, once you match up features and compare it to the competition. At a starting price of $13,600, what's not to like?