That particular car is continually the darling of the automotive press for it’s high fun factor. Plus the hatchback, if you get the right options, looks pretty cool too, like this one: mazda 3 hatchback images - Google Search
The best car I ever owned, regarding longest-lasting, excellent reliability, and it’s utilitarian value, was a 1st-generation Honda CR-V. It ran for 222,000 miles before I sold it, and it is still running strong at close to 300,000 (I know the guy who bought it from me). Its original clutch lasted 213,000 miles, and that includes many miles on San Francisco’s hills.
My old SDMB Marketplace ad is here: 2001 Honda CR-V EX 4WD, 5-speed MT: $5,150 / best offer (Sunnyvale, CA) - Marketplace - Straight Dope Message Board
So yeah, the 1st-gen CR-V is a true winner. Mine was near bulletproof. Also its seats fold flat to make a comfortable double bed. See the pictures in the ad.
I’m also looking for a new car. My needs aren’t quite the same as the OP, but they are similar. I’m not sure if board etiquette. Should I start a new thread? Different boards have different ideals about the value of reducing thread clutter vs. keeping threads on-topic. I’ll try here, until someone asks me to move.
Anyway, I traded my old Honda Odyssey for a Ford C-Max. I love the gas mileage of the C-Max, and it’s responsiveness. (Electric motors are fun that way.) I love that I can drive it locally for weeks before buying gas, because it’s a plug in. But I miss the hauling capability of the Odyssey. And oddly, I miss its handling. It actually has a smaller turning radius than the C-Max. Also, my car is a bit of a lemon, and I miss Honda’s reliability.
Specifically, I’d like to be able to carry large items. Speaker stands. Shrubs purchased from the nursery. A 4x4 piece of plywood. Hauling broken old chairs to the dump. I’d also like to be able to carry 3 or 4 people with luggage for a week.
I’d also like to be able to park in the city, and get decent gas mileage. Oh, and I’d like a responsive engine. I enjoy a fun car. Yeah, I know that conflicts with the mileage thing. That’s the best part of the C-Max.
Things I don’t need: No one in the family is very large. I don’t desire a lot in the way of info-tainment. I don’t drive off road, except maybe a gravel parking lot or something. I don’t need 4 wheel drive or manual.
I looked at the Pacifica hybrid. But it has an even worse turning radius than the C-Max, isn’t fun to drive, and Chrysler has even worse reliability than Ford. The Odyssey is supposed to come in a hybrid (but not plug in) version soon, and I should probably look into that. But I wonder if there isn’t a smaller car that would be big enough for us.
You are more than welcome to share my thread with me. 
Thanks everyone for your input. I did a lot of research on most of the cars suggested. No offense, but Hondas are not my thing. My brother has a Fit and while it is a damn impressive little car, not big enough in the back to put my large dog crate, and still allow 3 adults and one non-crated dog.
We seriously considered the Mazdas recommend. The dealership we ended up sold both Mazdas and Surbarus. They had on the lot a 2015 Crosstrek with a manual transmission. Subaru Certified Pre-Owned. It fit the dog crate (yes, we took said crate with us and put it in before I even drove it) with room for the other dog and the family. The low price seemed too good to be true, but we could find nothing wrong with it. Turns out the third party company who is supposed to value the vehicle and determine if it’s Subaru CPO worthy or just dealership guarantee worthy, made a mistake. He valued it for the dealership guarantee, but then accidentally listed it as Subaru CPO. So in the end, we got a Subaru Certified used car for a dealership certified price. Difference of about $4000.
As much as I didn’t want to be buying a car right now, I’m pretty happy with my purchase. It is actually nice to have all those little accommodations that come with a newer car.
Hey OP, what happened to your old Subie? Head gasket?
It needs a new engine. I’ve been having problems with misfires, leaky seals, oil leaking onto the engine, also there’s a vibration that’s causing belts to wear out faster than they should. In all, the cost to replace the engine and do everything is way more than I’m willing to put into a car that also has issues with the key fob not communicating with the door locks (I open and lock it the old fashioned way with the key itself), needs the windshield replaced, center console is cracked and back seat cup holders are broken off (poor design + tall teen boys = broken off), along with other minor stuff like that. I had hoped to get a few more years out of it and pay cash for my next one, but it is what it is. Driving the new one home last night was really fun. I didn’t realize how worn out the speakers had gotten in my old car until I was listening to the radio on the way home.
I have a Mazda3 five-door, and it’s not big enough to put a dog crate in. The Mazda CX5 is, however. I love my Mazda. It’s a 2016 and the first Mazda I’ve ever had. I started looking at is as an economy car, but as soon as I started driving it I was OMG. It’s fast and handles great. I intended to buy a manual transmission, but the closest one was in Dayton, Ohio, and when I told the local dealer, he wheeled ‘n’ dealed me, and I got the automatic for less (plus no three-hour drive to go get it).
Wow - you move fast! For anyone else interested, I was going to mention how much I enjoy my Golf GTI w/ manual. Many folk feel the standard Golf is sufficiently peppy, and they make a sportwagon with extra room and 4wd available…
Yeah, a household with three adults who all go different directions toward different parts of the city/county each day, with only two cars is a household in desperation. My husband loves his Passat, and we did think about the Golf, but even the sportwagon wasn’t tall enough for my dog crate.
Yay! Do I win a cookie? Congrats on the car, the Crosstrek is my No.1 contender to replace my Legacy Wagon at this point. I just wish they made a turbo version because I like the WRX but I want a wagon or hatchback. The GTI and Focus ST/RS are on the list as well but my budget may not allow for that.