Small details are already jumping out at me. Things like the red trim on the door cards and the texturing of the hard trim. My wife noticed immediately that the dashboard top is not leather – which means she’s more into leather than I thought. Good news, that.

Cabin storage is a big thing for me and I was pleased to find a holder for my phone in the centre console. Good news is it’s deep and tight so won’t let my phone go flying about the cabin when I’m playing witches-hat slalom in construction zones, equally good news it’s back at the back of the console, effectively out of sight and therefore mind of the driver. I’ve been putting my phone in the glovebox of late just to avoid the temptation of the flashing blue notification light, so I like that storage solution. The tray at the front of the console is shallow and not sizeable, so expect a groan and grump about that as this long-term test continues.

We’ve got a lot planned for the CX-3. We’ve got lots of questions, we know you do to. Feel free to leave them in our forum comments section.

First impressions are strong and it will be interesting to see if those impressions are more than skin deep. Will they last? Is the size right for our small family? Will the lustre of thrilling driving dynamics stay with us or fade? Fair to say this has evoked a passion already, but as Romeo and Juliet can attest, passion is often fleeting.

Pricing: 2016 Mazda CX-3 GT with Technology Package
Base Price (GX): $20,695
Base Price (GT): $28,995
Options: $1,500 (Techology Package: Blind Spot Monitoring, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning and satellite radio)
A/C Tax: $100
Freight and PDI: $1,895
Price as Tested: $32,490

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