I read that initially but, they aren't actually saying it handles better. They are saying it has a "superior ride and handling balance" which to my ears meant the Corolla was softer while still offering good handling. I would be very surprised if the Corolla actually handles better than the Mazda.
They kind of are saying the Corolla handles better.
1) Corolla absorbs bumps well and doesn't get upset by road imperfections, whereas "the Mazda3's suspension crashes violently, sending a nasty jolt into the cabin and causing a loud bang upon contact." And also the Mazda "felt like the rear end was dancing a bit on the twisty roads whenever I ran into a small bump."
2) More body roll
in the Mazda3) Better "body control" in the Mazda, but....
4) The Corolla " takes corners confidently and has good high-speed stability." Whereas the Mazda " behaves like a comfort-oriented sedan; it understeers excessively, plows into corners when you ask it to hustle, and lacks the liveliness of its predecessors."
5) And when it comes to stopping... "the Mazda3's brakes didn't inspire confidence. "The pedal feel is so off that I almost had an 'oh s***' moment while trying to brake downhill,"
If that isn't a solid net dynamic win for the Corolla then I am seriously misreading the article. Maybe you should read it out loud.
![Grin ;D](https://www.autos.ca/forum/Smileys/CarTalk/grin.gif)