I worry about the future of smaller car firms. With so much new technology to invest in and develop and new rivals flooding the market, the relative minnows are getting squeezed.

That's why, like many of its contemporaries, Mazda is increasingly reliant on partnerships, sharing development with Toyota and Changan. Such deals give a firm like Mazda a path into the future, but the fear is that they lose some of the individuality that is a core part of their appeal.

I've been reminded of that every time I've jumped behind the wheel of this 3 because, gosh, Mazda really does know how to make a car handle nicely. Even in a humble family hatchback – never mind, say, an MX-5 – there's a certain sharpness and feel to the steering of a Mazda that is both enriching and rewarding.

The firm makes much of its 'jinba ittai' ('horse and rider') philosophy, which prioritises making the driving experience feel natural. And when you're behind the wheel of a Mazda, you know it's more than a marketing slogan. A few weekend jaunts into the Hampshire countryside recently have given me the chance to enjoy driving the 3 on some entertaining, flowing roads, and while it isn't an outright hot hatch, it's certainly engaging.

The steering is direct and well weighted in a very pleasing Mazda sort of way, so when you turn into a corner you have confidence the car will go where you point it. Helping the Mazda's cornering stability is that the ride is on the firm side, although there's clearly a drawback to this given the current state of British roads.

Hit a bump or a pothole and it can jar a bit, although thankfully that nimble steering means that if you're paying attention you've got a decent chance of missing them.

My habit of entering random running events in the countryside often involves having to park up in a field, which can be quite unpleasant in some stiff hatches. But Mazda seems to have found a reasonable balance in firming up the handling without making life too uncomfortable, impressive given that I suspect most hatchback buyers these days are likely to be chasing a level of driver engagement beyond what mass-market SUVs and crossovers usually offer.

The 3's mildly hybridised but naturally aspirated 2.5-litre petrol four is nicely responsive too, although it confuses me a little. Given the unusually large displacement for a family hatch, I had expected it to be noisier than some rivals, but it's actually really rather quiet.

In fact, a few times when stopped at traffic lights and the auto stop-start has kicked in, it has been hard to know when the engine has re-engaged, so hushed and smooth is it at idle.

In a way, the engine note is a bit like the 3 itself: nicely understated. It's engaging and entertaining in all the right ways, yet simultaneously quite relaxing and calming. It just feels right and is a pleasure to drive. And that's why I spent a few weeks filling up my diary so that I was too busy to hand it over to magazine editor Rachel Burgess, who is running the 3. Sadly she finally insisted I relinquish the keys a week or so back. 

So I'm left finding excuses to ask for another go, and hoping that Mazda can find some way to preserve its ability to make cars handle in a future of shared development.