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The auto show season is in high gear. The North American International Auto Show is done and the New York Auto Show is looming. There was one in between, however, the Chicago Auto Show, where some manufacturers made a splash.

Toyota and Chevrolet took this opportunity to reveal potentially game changing vehicles, the 2014 Tundra and 2014 Cruze Diesel, respectively, while Nissan highlighted its performance lineup.

The purpose of a long-term vehicle test, besides getting more seat time, is to provide a real world experience with the vehicle. Issues can crop up that necessitate dealing with the dealership or even regular maintenance may need to be addressed.

In the car writing business, getting more than a week to test drive a vehicle is rare, so when Mazda agreed to loan me a Mazda3 Touring for three months, I was stoked.

My experience with Mazdas has been they all live up to the advertised “Zoom, zoom,” tag line and since the model I’ll be driving is a six-speed manual version, it’s sure to be peppy. But what will set this Mazda3 apart from other models I’ve tested is the SKYACTIV technology.

Historically, my experience with auto shows involves racing from one manufacturer’s stand to another to find a seat. The reveals have gotten much tamer since the last time a Jeep crashed through the glass at the North American International Auto Show, but to get a first look at vehicles that manufacturers hope to energize the brand is still a bit of a thrill.