Mazda Connect

The Commander-and-screen combo for the Mazda Connect, while not quite as clumsy as the original iDrive, suffers from the same first-effort syndrome and everything-but-the-kitchen sink approach.

The submenu for the Active Driving Display HUD is another instance of menus gone amok, and one setting doesn't really belong buried there: adjustment of the height of the image within the HUD.

Since the 2014 Mazda3 is an all-new model, the Mazda Connect system likely won't be updated for a while.

You can use voice recognition to access some of the menu items, although I found that, like most VR systems, its accuracy is hit or miss.

The controller is surrounded at the front by five buttons: Audio, Home, and Navigation along the top, and Back and Favorites on either side.

The home screen is sort of a Trojan horse, in that it has five main icons—Applications, Entertainment, Communication, Navigation, and Settings—that are easy to toggle through using the Commander. But behind each one is a labyrinth of options.

Next to the Commander is a rotary volume knob that can also be pushed in to mute the audio system.

The Mazda Connect infotainment interface consists of the center-console Commander controller that can be moved forward and back, left and right, or turned clockwise or counter-clockwise to access menu items on the 7-inch screen on top of the dash; push the Commander down to select an item in a menu.

You can use Favorites button to store and instantly access up to 50 radio stations, phone contacts, or points of interest for the navigation system—provided anyone has or needs that many favorites to tune, call, or navigate to.