I was eating at a restaurant one time with some people from out of town when a car drove past the window. Nobody really seemed to interested when I pointed it out until I also pointed out that there is not a road outside that window. The car had jumped the curb, threaded the needle between a stop sign and fire hydrant, and made it about 80 feet through the park before stopping. The cops were still dealing with the guy when I left the restaurant, he was clearly very inebriated.
Mazda is a solid brand. All of their crossovers and SUVs are AWD so really your only option if you are in the US will be the 3. The 3 is a great car either as a sedan or hatchback and I would have one if I did not need more cargo room because of my job. The sedan has a huge trunk and is plenty roomie in the cabin. For the price Mazdas are more comfortable and fun to drive than anything else out there (IMHO).