I actually don't think the Mazda 3 is a bad car at all. I spent a few weeks in a the older generation as a rental a while back. It drove pretty well. My only real complaint would be that the engine felt buzzy on the highway, but overall it was not bad. I have not driven the new model yet, but I would imagine it is better in every way. It seems to get pretty good ratings.

The Jetta isn't bad either.

I spent some time in a Mazda 6 rental as well and I will say that that was the best rental car I have had in a long time. It had decent power and felt pretty sporty.