First, you have to list out what are your priorities. Economy? Fun to drive? Room?
Between the 3, I will probably go for the Mazda3.
I agree...hehe mazda 3 is really fun to drive.
My suggestion is go to the dealerships and test them. If you are looking for a reliable, economy hatchback/waggon, toyota matrix also could be another choice.
I like Nissan (actually, I am a Nissan fan :lol: ). However, the Versa is still too new to prove its reliability.
I shared my experiences on VW many times already and I don't want to repeat it. You can go to Safeway (or any bookstore), grab a copy of Consumer Reports new car guide, flip to the VW pages, and look at how many black dots it has and you know what I am talking about.
Mazda is fun to drive when it is new. However, when it gets old, it is problematic too.
If safety is your top priority, then what I will recommend is, define your budget first, and get the bigger car (but with less fancy options like leather, sunroof...). Or if you have the time, you can shop for a 2-years old car, which still have some remaining warranty left.
Trust me, a bigger size car makes a big difference in the safety category. This is from a personal experience (based on the car accident I had last month).