I have been remiss. My husband transplanted to my native state, Washington of course, after the military and we have lived up here for around 8 years now and I still hadn’t taken him to see Deception Pass.

It was about damn time, but we didn’t just take any car – we took the 2015 Mazda3 and it was the perfect car for the job.

About the Car
The 2015 Mazda3 is a sporty 4-door sedan that can carry five people in comfort and style, while only costing around $26,000, as optioned.

The Mazda3’s 5-star crash safety rating will keep all those inside safe with curtain airbags for all. You may not see the safety features, but what you will see is the leather-trimmed seats, the vibrant stitching on all the surfaces and carbon fiber bits all around the car. Elegance and sporty, mixed for a Zoom-Zoom experience.

A 184 horsepower 2.5L 4-cylinder SkyActiv engine drives the car through a 6-speed manual gearbox – great engineering for some great road-borne fun. The engine is quick and spirited, while the sporty suspension effectively transfers that power to the road, where all the computer gizmos help keep you there.

While on the way up to Deception Pass I used cruise control and averaged approximately 45 miles per gallon (mpg), though that dropped when I got near the pass and it’s curvy roads, then (and in the city) the Mazda3 got around 30 mpgs.

The sun was deceptively shining on Deception Pass – it was cold! But that didn’t matter because we traveled in comfort and luxury.

However, the heated front seats for driver and passenger and the dual climate control kept us warm and comfortable inside as we rolled down the road listening to our Bluetooth connected Pandora Radio through the 6-speaker Bose sound system.

The mildly bumpy gravel roads (with divots made by larger trucks) were not problem for the Mazda3, and we made it to Deception Pass unscathed and eager to see it (and for the drive around it!).

Deception Pass
At the top end of Whidbey Island, in Washington State, Deception Pass straddles part of the Puget Sound and connects it with the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

The waters swirl at around 9 miles per hour below this 200 foot tall bridge (depending on the tide) has an ever constant whirlpool, dangerous riptides and an ever-constant beauty when looking in any direction.

Hitting up the State Park which surrounds the bridge is a great way to stretch the legs after the long trip up there and also helps support the state parks through the Discover Pass.

However, more than seeing the bridge from below, you’ll want to park your car on one or the other side and walk a bit into it – it seems taller than it is!

Overview
While the trip was perfect, the car we completed it in was perfect, too. I couldn’t imagine driving a more comfortable, more sporty, or more fun car up to the Pass than the 2015 Mazda3. A great driving car for a great drive.