With all the attention we paid to the Mazdaspeed3 in our October issue, it’s easy to overlook the standard model. A recent test drive in the Mazda3 5-Door Touring told us we shouldn’t. It’s very good.

How many cars in the sub-$25,000 category have a performance and base model with entirely separate driving characteristics, yet still retain their own charms and authenticity? As we look at the small car market, there are few companies that succeed at creating two great cars at two levels. In the case of the Mazda3 and Mazdaspeed3, both are great values. The base model doesn’t feel cheap or underpowered, yet the pricier model feels every bit a deal for what you get in terms of performance. Can we say that about the Chevrolet Cobalt and Cobalt SS? Volkswagen Rabbit and GTI? Dodge Caliber and Caliber R/T or the forthcoming SRT4? The only duo that comes close in our mind is the Honda Civic and Civic Si or, at the upper end, the Mini Cooper and Cooper S.

At $20,240, our “base” Mazda3 Touring is more expensive than most small cars, but it’s also a lot bigger and more stimulating in terms of its drivability and design. The hatchback (5-Door, as Mazda calls it) only comes in the up-market “s” line, begetting the more powerful 156-horsepower, sixteen-valve 2.3-liter four, but sedan buyers can get a bargain setup that starts under $15,000.

Where the 263-horsepower, 280-pound-foot Mazdaspeed3 provides that “instant on” power delivery that negates the need for downshifting, the Mazda3 has to be pressed into service. But, that’s not something we mind doing. The small, well-placed five-speed moves in and out of the gearbox as if it’s coated in popcorn butter. And when you’ve hit on the right gear, the little hatchback goes straight for its redline. The lack of a sixth gear doesn’t bother us, and we found the car’s fourth gear to be just about perfect. Not all cars require a nuclear amount of power, and it’s good to see something low on the MSRP totem pole that makes us feel as if we’ve struck gold.