Category: Superminis 
Price Range: No data available
Cheeky but sophisticated design, clever cabin storage, light weight for good economy, refined engine, fun to drive, good ride.
Plasticky interior surfaces, steering could be more precise, cabin storage lacks non-slip mats, no side airbags in entry-level model.
Light, nimble, good looking and cleverly thought-out: exactly what a modern supermini should be.
First enter your Mazda 2. If it's a high-spec model it will have a keyless entry system, so you can keep the remote control 'key' in your pocket or bag. As you get in you'll be welcomed by a 'hello' message on the central information display. Turn the knob on the steering column to start the engine, engage gear with the high-mounted lever, and off you go. Thankfully, Mazda has ditched the seatbelt warning that beeps at you as soon as the ignition is turned on, and it now vocalises only if you move off unbelted.
The sloping waistline gives a light, airy feel up front and a good view out. You'd think the bases of the screen pillars would create a blind spot but they're too low to be a problem. The view aft is better than expected, too. There's no reach adjustment for the steering wheel, but with adjustments for wheel rake and seat height most people should find a good driving position.
Mazda makes much of the 2's agility, and the new car certainly attacks bends with enthusiasm. The steering is geared to respond quickly but the first bit of movement feels a touch rubbery and imprecise. Enter a corner quickly and back off the accelerator, and you'll feel the cornering line tighten surprisingly keenly but without threatening to unstick the tail. It's a rubbery movement which echoes that initial steering response, and the soft rubber bushes which locate the rear torsion-beam axle are responsible for both.
The Mazda is best driven in a flowing style, the better to enjoy its good suspension damping and supple ride. The steering uses electric power assistance with a motor mounted on the column; it has credible, confident weighting but road feel is smothered by the system's inherent friction.
That high-mounted gear lever controls a neatly shifting gearbox and the brakes feel firm and progressive enough to inspire confidence. The rear brakes are drums - rare in new car designs.
The 1.5 produces 103bhp at 6,000rpm, with a peak torque of 101lb-ft at 4,000rpm .The two 1.3s have torque figures near-identical to each other - 89 or 90lb-ft - both at 3,500rpm, despite having 75 and 86bhp, respectively.
These outputs result in an adequately brisk 10.4-second 0-62mph time for the 1.5, and less impressive 12.9 and 14.0-second times for the 1.3s. Top speeds score 104, 107 and 117mph as you rise through the power hierarchy.
The engines are developed from those fitted to the previous Japanese-market Mazda 2 (European cars had Ford-made Sigma units, as fitted to Fiestas). For the new car, these engines gain variable inlet-cam timing plus valves to increase swirl (and therefore combustion efficiency) at low speeds in four of the eight inlet ports. The 1.5 has variable-length inlet tracts, too, which further helps low-speed pulling power.
The rigid body structure and much work on noise, vibration and harshness have made the 1.5 quite a smooth, civilised unit which stays that way even when revved hard. Not that there's much point in doing that because the engine pulls happily throughout its rev range with no obvious steps or any feeling of flatness. Its transmission is shorter-geared than those of the 1.3s - it's the opposite of what you would expect, given the engine's extra torque, but the idea is to make the most of the power increase to give a sportier feel. The 1.5 is notably quicker and smoother than either of the 1.3s, which run out of puff rather too easily. They're good urban runarounds, but struggle when climbing steep hills or when overtaking at motorway speeds. There's very little difference in performance between them.
