Hatchback options

We went through the same process and also ended up with a 2015 3. The Focus was expensive, felt cheap inside, and that auto trans needs to go to school - lots of weird jolts and actions. VW's drive nicely but anecdotal experiences of family and friends suggest that out of warranty costs will be high, and we tend to keep a car for at least ten years. Civic was a close second but the Mazda offers at the time were irresistible.
We have had NO trouble with the car.
It's my wife's car and she loves the thing. I am not such a big fan as I find it hard to see out of. Big A pillars, tiny rear window, high belt line. Our 2012 Forester feels panoramic by comparison. But...its more a function of current car design that seems hell bent on minimizing window area. But it drives well. Agree on the tires making a difference!

We are loving our 2017 Mazda 3 Hatch. It has a stick so it's great to drive. The only other car I was seriously considering would have been a used Audi A3, but we had a lease we were allowed to trade in early and 0% financing so we just went with it. I am not going to drive an A3 for fear that I might have liked it better, but if you're in the market, I would try one out for sure.

I have a 2014 Mazda3 sedan, and it is the funnest car I have ever had. I have been eyeing up the new Honda Civic Hatch. I would recommend at least checking it out. Apple Carplay and Android Auto are definate pluses for the Honda, especially since I fight with the Mazda's Pandora integration on a daily basis. It would at least worth a test drive.

I looked at the Ford Focus with the turbo-charged engine and the Recaro bucket seats before I bought my Mazda 3 S-Touring. The back seats of the Focus are suitable only for children or midgets. There was less room in the hatch area and the reliability ratings on Consumer Reports (which I read with some skepticism) were quite bad.

I also looked at the 2015 VW Jetta sedan, but the price was higher and the dealer didn't want to budge very much. I became concerned about problems with carbon-build up on the intake valves. The service writer assurred my that is not much of problem with the newer VW 4 cyl turbo engines. However, the "Humble Mechanic" guy on You Tube says that the newer engines have worse carbon build-up than the older ones. The cost of non-warranty repairs put me off.

I didn't look at the Civic. I'm not fond of their interiors. I test drove a Honda Accord Sport and it had nice steering (not as good as the Mazda 3) and a very nice manual transmission (a little better than the Mazda 3). However, it was basically a stripped down version with few options.

If I had to do it over again, I'd get another Mazda 3 S-Touring. The torque vector feature on the 2017 model's steering may make it even more maneuverable. My only gripe is the mediocre Dunlap OEM all season tires it came with. I can't wait till they wear out so I can put some Michelin Pilot Sport tires on it for the summer.