I was looking at the 3 Maxx and the Civic as well recently.. I ended up getting a Tiida ST-L Hatch and pocketing a massive amount of change. I really liked the 3 alot but couldn't justify the extra purchase cost + extra insurance cost compared with the Tiida.
I did prefer the Mazda 3's styling ten fold though but the Tiida is quite functional, I fit 4 adults without anybody being squashed the slightest, or 5 if the person in the rear middle doesnt mind being squashed a little. It still feels torquey and is fine to drive with 5 adults in the car also.
ST-L Tiida had everything I wanted -- A/C, Power Steer, Power Windows + Mirrors, ABS, Plenty of Airbags, Alloy Wheels, etc.... I've got the 6sp manual version and well, the gearbox isn't the greatest in the world as it lacks feedback but the car serves its purpose very well, it's a cheap, functional little city car. The best part of all is it's costing me sweet fcuk all to run, I get about 550km or so from a tank (~$45-48 depending on fuel price) and that's driving around with the a/c on 99% of the time, and mostly city driving in traffic, and I don't nurse it 24/7 either. I'll see how much better it is in Winter when I'm not driving around with the a/c on etc..
Anyhow, that's my 2c.
If you've got your heart set only on the 3, Civic or Kia I would go with the Mazda 3.