Haven't driven the Mazda. I hear it's a hoot. I'm not a fan of the Mazda3's styling, and the interior doesn't do anything for me. OTOH, I like the way the GTI looks (inside and out) quite a bit.
It would come down to the drive. From everything I've read, and from the spec sheets, the 3 is the better car. Better enough to overcome the homely styling? Dunno.
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