"The Mazda3 is probably too exciting and "sporty" for most of these vehicular lemmings." Are you calling my GF a rodent??
Actually when shopping in this class (she ended up with a Fit), I took her to the Mazda dealer and had her sit in the 3. She was there about 2 seconds and got out complaining about the huge number of dials and switches. High tech appeals to some but is very intimidating for others so add "ease of use" to the Corolla list of reasons to buy.
Also, it is no tin can and it can move when called upon. More than good enough for most people all of the time and most enthusiasts most of the time.
Cheers,
John M.