I wish there were more cars available like the simple and straightforward 2025 Mazda3 2.5S Carbon Edition AWD I tested this week. For a bottom line of $31,095 it’s possible to buy a relatively sporty all-wheel drive sedan that does just about everything you want a car to do.

At first, I was taken aback by the Mazda having a conventional gauge set complemented by a smallish center-mounted 8.8-inch non-touchscreen display. Navigating GPS, Apple CarPlay and other functions was via a rotating dial on the console. It seemed annoying, but was actually easy to use. If you owned it, getting around would soon be second nature.

The mid-pack Carbon Edition comes with AWD and a 191-horsepower (and 186 pound-feet) Skyactiv 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. Buyers can opt for the Carbon Turbo trim, which sells for $33,595 and ups the ante to 250 horsepower. That might be a good upgrade, because with the standard engine the car is adequate but not terribly exciting to drive. But the standard’s 30 mpg combined (35 mpg on the highway) is nice.

The interior of the Carbon featured very comfortable red leather seats (standard) and features high-quality materials, redolent of a more expensive vehicle. As Car and Driver put it, “The Mazda 3 is a mainstream compact sedan that punches above its weight. It can almost pass for a premium-class compact, as its top trim levels boast elegantly furnished interiors lined with materials that exude a sense of luxury that rivals like the Hyundai Elantra and Honda Civic just cannot equal.”

Everything about this Mazda3 was just uncomplicated and convenient. It’s actually a car I’d consider buying, and I never say that. It was easy to park, had good road manners and plenty of storage as well as legroom, looked reasonable enough, and was economical in use and likely to be reliable. There’s a hatchback available that gives it more of a crossover look, but the view to the rear isn’t great. In my opinion, the sedan is the one to have.

Please note that the Mazda3 is assembled at a plant in Salamanca, Mexico and has only 10 percent U.S. or Canadian content. Fifteen percent is via Japan. So, this lovely vehicle is a tariff target, but of course it’s complicated. The tariff would be 25 percent, but under Trump’s revised guidelines from March if the car meets specific U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement requirements that’s likely to go down to 15 percent. Anyway, the pricing is subject to change.