Any major differences between the two engine offerings? I drove the bigger one, loved it and will buy one the day that I sell my car.

I have the 2.0 i model. Its pretty fast I think. I used to have a 94 integra and it had a 1.8 DOHC and that car was pretty quick because it was so small. this mazda 3 is nice as well. i havent really "gotten on it" yet until the other night and it does get up and go. Also if you didn't know, the tranny has alittle bit of a stall on it, it takes awhile to shift when you give it gas, but the dealer said that is normal for that car, its a delayed response. why? i dont know! haha! 2.0 is awesome for the money!!!

The bigggest difference is that the 2.3l has a little more displacement but also has variable valve timing which should give a bit more power than without.

My salesperson, who's a very nice young man, said that I might as well go with the 2.3 since it comes with power windows, etc. standard. Makes sense to me.
I drive A LOT so I wonder if the non-variable timing version might last longer, by chance, and if the power gains are really more in the upper RPM range anyway. I'm an oil changing fanatic, by the way.

Remember, when in doubt, always go with a the bigger engine. Everybody I've ever talked too say that the bigger engines, in that particular class, usually have less problems. Just a thought, I have the 2.3s hatchback, and I love it.