u/GarmonboziaBlues

I am on the fence about trading my 2022 CX-5 CE for a brand new Mazda3 Turbo Premium Plus hatchback, and I’m curious to hear from anyone who has owned both a Gen 2 CX-5 and a Gen 4 Mazda3. I have no use for an SUV at the moment and would much rather have more fun and engagement in my daily driver.

For context, I have a 2.5 hour round trip daily commute, so I’m most concerned about ride comfort since I'm spending so much time in the car. I’ve done a few test drives in the 3, and it’s felt less smooth and compliant than my CX-5 but still much better than anything else I’ve driven in the segment from other brands. However, a 20 minute test drive doesn’t really give a sense for how you’ll feel spending 12+ hours a week in a car.

My other main consideration is the sense of space in the cabin. I’m totally fine with having less cargo space and smaller backseats- in my 4 years of ownership I’ve only had backseat passengers once. However, I’m concerned that the Mazda3 cabin might start to feel claustrophobic after spending so much time inside it, whereas my current CX-5 feels bright and airy. For those of you who daily a Mazda3, does it ever start to feel too confined or claustrophobic?

I am cross shopping performance cars right now, and the EN is at the very top of my short list. However, none of the five closest Hyundai dealers I've contacted in northern NJ allow test drives without first negotiating a final sale price and receiving finance approval through their in-house F&I office. They claim that "these performance cars are really popular, and we don't want to put any extra miles on them." This really doesn't sit right with me, and I've never encountered such a ridiculous policy with other brands. In rather stark contrast, this morning my local Subaru dealer just tossed me the keys to a brand new $40k BRZ and said "Bring it back within a half hour, and try to keep it under 20 miles round trip." I don't expect this kind of treatment at every dealer, but a 3-5 mile test drive with a salesman riding shotgun doesn't seem like a huge ask.

TLDR Can anyone recommend a reputable Hyundai dealership within a 90 minute drive of Morristown, NJ that actually allows customers to test drive this car?