Probably buying a 2025 hatch turbo premium plus! What should I know?

Hi all!

Longtime car enthusiast; never had a Mazda before. I've owned 12 vehicle over the years, and only three of them were not GM -- and those three were, without question, the ones I liked the least. My wife has never had a non-GM car.

My wife and I are looking for something small, useful, and fun to drive. AWD, decent horsepower, and a hatchback for a bit more cargo room.

After some searching, we found that the 3 Hatch is pretty much the only car that fits the bill.

Pros:

  • Nice power!
  • Sounds better than most I4 engines I've heard.
  • Transmission shift timing doesn't annoy us.
  • Great brakes & steering.
  • Big enough to do what we need, and no bigger.
  • Very comfortable seats.
  • Not a crossover!
  • Soul Crystal Red is f__king gorgeous.
  • Supports CarPlay, unlike new GM stuff.

Cons:

  • The suspension is pretty harsh over shitty Michigan roads.
  • Tire/wind noise is a bit excessive at highway speeds.
  • Nearest dealership is 20 miles from my house.
  • My wife says the steering might be too heavy. (For everything I love about GM cars, their steering has always been a bit overboosted, and she's kinda used to that. I think she'll get used to this, too!)

The sales guy seemed quite knowledgeable about cars in general, and also pretty honest. When we asked, "What's going to break on this thing?" he said, "the electronics." Is this a fair assessment? What are common issues on these cars? When we say "electronics," are we talking about infotainment, ECU, window motors, sensors, what? And what kind of longevity are we talking here? I'm probably going to trade this in on something newer in <5 years.

I've also heard horror stories about cost and availability of replacement parts with Mazdas in general.

So, please be honest: what am I in for? Anything I should know?

I'm hoping most of the noise was tires rather than wind. If that's the case, it can be mitigated with tire selection, so if it really pisses me off, I'll just get a different set. A smaller wheel paired with more sidewall could also reduce some of that harshness. I forgot to look while we were at the dealership -- is there room to downsize the wheels and still clear the brakes?

Thanks!