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The Mazda3 is one of the most important cars of the 21st century and now it's quite the deal, too.

Truth is, the Mazda3 set the compact commuter car segment on its ear when it was introduced in 2002. The competition has spent the last five years trying to catch up.

Yes, Honda will argue that Canada's best-selling car, the Civic, is the benchmark and Toyota will say the world's best-selling car, the compact Corolla, is king. And so on and so on down the list of players in this crowded compact car field.

They can all argue all they like. The proof of my point is in what Honda and Toyota have done for the recent remakes of the Civic and Corolla, respectively. They've gone sporty, mimicking the Mazda3 in their own different ways.

But even as it nears the end of its run, before a major styling and engineering remake due in the next year, the Mazda3 remains an entertaining treat. This car is a quick, tight and responsive runabout, with everything pulled together nicely.

Which brings us to the deal and it's eye-popping.

On the GS version, Mazda is offering a $3,300 stackable cash incentive, which if you bargain for it all, chops the $21,095 base price down to a far more manageable $17,795.

That is a screaming offer, folks, but you'll need to work a bit to get all of it, or most of it. That said, being "stackable," it can be combined with any other Mazda offers out there. The rest of the various Mazda3 models also are being pushed with similar incentives.

Ah, the lineup. Mazda sells both a sedan and four-door hatchback "Sport" versions of the 3. The hatchback is more practical and versatile — like a station wagon — and the sedan is prettier.

More than anything, the sedan, because it's a sedan, is better proportioned and less beholden to form following function, as the hatch is. And the sedan's rear seats do fold down 60-40, expanding an already good-sized trunk.

In either version, the cabin is mostly a strength. The interior is snugly put together with lots of upscale touches — and personality.

The single standout feature among many in the cabin is the deep-set electroluminescent gauges illuminated in red and backlit in blue. That effect, along with red LED lights that flash along a strip in the centre console when the stereo is on, give the car the look of a more expensive vehicle.

On the other hand, a not-so-brilliant bit is the back seat. It feels cramped despite good headroom. The back also lacks air vents and the middle seat has no headrest.

Meanwhile, the chassis is more upscale than you might think. The Mazda3 is the Japanese offshoot of a shared engineering job between Ford Motor Co., Mazda Motor Corp. and Volvo. Ford has a controlling interest in Mazda and owns Volvo outright, so you see what happened here.

In fact, the Mazda3 comes off the same front-wheel-drive platform as the pricier Volvo S40 sedan and the European version of the Ford Focus. Unfortunately, we don't get the Euro Focus in Canada, but we should.

Let me digress. I've driven the Euro Focus and it is lights-out better than the Focus sold in Canada and the United States.

Ford, using the sort of wisdom that has brought the company to the brink and from which it is now fighting back, chose not to bring the Euro Focus to Canada and the Americans.

Digression over, but you do have to wonder about how these million-dollar decision-makers at the top of the company actually earn their keep.

The Mazda3 comes in three trim levels, starting with a $16,895 version that is equipped with a 2.0-litre, twin-cam, inline-four-cylinder engine. It makes 148 horsepower.

Racier and more expensive versions get a 2.3-litre, twin-cam, inline-four that makes 156 horsepower. The dearest version, the Sport GT, lists for $23,495, but rest assured, you can do much better than that on the final price. Push hard on this deal.

All three versions come standard with a five-speed manual transmission. The optional five-speed automatic transmission with a sport-mode feature for clutchless shifting is an extra $1,100.

The styling of this car remains smooth and sexy even though it was introduced nearly five years ago. What seals the deal for me is the driving. This is a very satisfying economy car.

In particular, the 2.3-litre engine has plenty of power for passing and merging on the highway. Regular fuel is all you need and, in the GT, fuel economy is decent at 9.2 litres/100 km in the city, 6.7 on the highway. The base version also uses regular fuel and less of it — 8.4 city/6.1 highway.

Now here is a warning. The Mazda3 is not a car for anyone who wants a mush-mobile. The ride, even in the least expensive model, is firm, which can also mean rugged on bad roads. You'll really notice this in the back seat — so be warned if you have kids.

On the safety front, the Mazda3 comes with front, side and curtain airbags no matter how little you pay. The driver and front passenger seats are also designed to provide protection against whiplash in a crash.

Oddly, traction control and anti-skid control are not available on the Mazda3. Both should be. Nonetheless, this is a safe car over all.

Mazda also needs to make more progress on the quality front. The brand finished well below average in the latest J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study and that's been Mazda's consistent showing for years now. Mazda simply cannot brag, as Toyota and Honda can, about bullet-proof quality based on the research.

That said, I've tested at least half a dozen Mazda3s in recent times and they seemed very well put together. I have also recommended the car to many friends and those who have bought one still have me over for dinner without complaint.

I really like this little compact and, with the deals out there now, it sells at a price more in line with a subcompact like the Honda Fit. Give it a look if you're shopping for an economical commuter car.

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2008 MAZDA3 GS SPORT

Type: Compact four-door hatchback

Price: $21,095

Engine: 2.3-litre, inline-four, DOHC

Horsepower/torque: 156 hp/150 lb-ft

Transmission: Five-speed manual or five-speed automatic ($1,100)

Fuel economy (litres/100 km): 9.2 city/6.7 highway; regular gas

Alternatives: Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Matrix, Suzuki SX4, Ford Focus, Chevrolet Cobalt, Pontiac G5, Nissan Sentra, Mitsubishi Lancer, Dodge Caliber, Saturn Astra, Subaru Impreza, Volkswagen Golf and Jetta