I can easily recommend modern Mazda’s, even over Honda’s to be honest.  If I were in the market, I’d look at Toyota > Mazda > Honda.  Their engine and transmission (both the 2.5L naturally aspirated I4 and 2.5L turbocharged I4 along with the 6-speed automatic transmissions) have been holding up well (been around for ~8 years or so).  They don’t offer any CVTs or highly complex 10-speed automatic transmissions, unlike Honda.  One word of caution:  some of their 2.5L naturally aspirated I4 engines starting with 2018 model year have cylinder deactivation (you will have to check the model brochure in detail to see which trim packages have it and which don’t).  Avoid that, as it can potentially wear out/damage the engine over time.  No manufacturer has really gotten that technology right, and [slow to adopt new technology] Toyota doesn’t even offer it (that should tell you something).  The turbocharged version does NOT have it.

Scotty has spoken highly of them as well.  But otherwise, I would not hesitate to get one.

A SkyActive powered Mazda can last you even 200,000 miles if you maintain it properly.

The SkyActive 2.0/2.5 (The 1.5 is a bit on the weaker side) is one of the best modern engines (although it is a GDI engine so it does have a tiny bit of oil burn from the factory)

and the SkyDrive automatic is a conventional automatic transmission - it is quite honestly great. 

You need to do the basic maintenance: change the engine oil every 5k-7k miles, and the transmission fluid every 30k.

According to a colleague of mine that’s still in the business, you should also check the rubber components of the suspension - as that seems to be the weak spot of the new ones (but it’s not a terribly big issue, you should check them regularly anyway. I’d try aftermarket ones to see if they hold up better)

@DayWalker thanks for letting me know of this question.

No one really knows, but their quality got better in recent years. 

I personally don't feel comfortable on a newer Mazda. Putting cylinder deactivation on a four-cylinder makes no sense period. You already get good gas mileage with a four-cylinder alone. 

Nobody knows right now, and won't until they have been out long enough to get some miles on them.

I'm not a Mazda fan personally.

They’re supposedly more reliable than Toyota’s but that was from consumer reports and their list of the most reliable brands has clear red flags. Like I think they said BMW was the 4th most reliable and Ford was more unreliable than the GM brands🤣 We all know that’s false so make sure you research the individual car cause brands hardly mean anything and make sure you look at the reviews by owners since one major review website could say they’re the most reliable in its class (such as the 2021 suburban) but realistically it’s a common problem for engine failure at 5,000 miles (also the Suburban family)