Mazda's "muscular beauty" is defined by a wide wheelbase and stance typically called athletic, complemented by a long-but-low nose with the front windshield set back as in sports coupes.

The infotainment system is better than most at this price point. It's based around a knob in the console, like the German luxury makes, that works far better than systems in Lexus, Acura and Buick. The knob means the 8-inch touch screen mounted in the dash doesn't need to be touched.