It was going to be the Ford Fiesta – with its slick styling, spiffy electronics and heavy marketing – that would be the new subcompact car to have for drivers who want something sporty.
The Fiesta is a fine automobile. It feels more substantial than a Honda Fit, and has a better balance of a smooth ride yet agile handling. But it doesn't really have an inherently fun character.
Enter the Mazda2, a more quietly styled little hatchback with a smaller engine yet lower fuel economy ratings than the Ford with which it shares its underpinnings.
It's easy to write off this Mazda as an also-ran alongside the Fiesta from just the numbers. But although the 2 still isn't as zippy as perhaps it could be, its smaller size, lighter weight, and quicker steering make it the driver's car of its class, even as it maintains a fair bit of the Fiesta's solidity.
The Mazda2's interior isn't quite as impressive, either compared to the Fiesta or to other tiny hatchbacks. Plastics look nice enough but are hollow and flimsy, armrests are unpadded, and even this decently equipped Touring model has a conspicuous plate of five button slots that houses just one actual control among four blanks. The overall ambiance is fine for the price, but other recent Mazdas have tried to be a bit upscale of the competition.
Also, like the Fiesta, the Mazda has a severe shortage of space compared to the Honda Fit, and there's no cleverness in the design of its cargo hold: you plop the seatback down, and it sits at an angle and not flush with the floor. Because the Mazda2 is quite a bit smaller than its Ford cousin – the Fiesta is nearly five inches longer – it gives up some cargo room. There's just 13.3 cubic feet of cargo room behind the rear seat, which includes little floor space and which is cut by the slope of the back hatch. At least the head restraints don't need to be removed to fold the rear seat, which would need to be done frequently.
The front seats are at comfortable, at least, and the cloth on the higher-end Touring model is dressed up with stripes of red. The seats have better bolstering than the already-okay Fiesta, and rear visibility – while not great – is a bit better than in the Ford, thanks to bigger windows and a different head restraint design. Neither car has a roomy rear seat, but the high cushion makes keeps it supportive. The Mazda has a bit more rear seat head room.
SEE MORE PHOTOS OF THE MAZDA2 IN TODAY'S SLIDESHOW
It's the drive where the Mazda2 makes itself special. Not upscale – not in the slightest – but straightforwardly enjoyable to drive. The 1.5-liter engine's horsepower barely breaks the triple digits; at 100, it has less than anything sold in the U.S. but the two-passenger Smart ForTwo. But the car is light at 2,300 pounds, and the engine revs smoothly and easily to keep up with more powerful but heavier competitors. This tested car had the optional four-speed automatic, which is two cogs short of the Fiesta's. But while extra ratios would have definitely been appreciated, the car moves fine without them and still gets competitive, if un-stellar, EPA fuel economy ratings of 27 miles per gallon in the city and 33 on the highway. (Add two miles per gallon with the standard five-speed manual.)
More impressively, the Mazda2 has the quick, direct, responsive steering and handling that makes fine use of its compact dimensions and light weight – both of which are on the diminutive end of even the subcompact class. The steering could be sharper at low speeds, the sort of city driving where this car would be at its best, but it's plenty lively overall even with the automatic. The ride, too, is generally firm but comfortable, though it can get unsettled at higher speeds. Again, it doesn't feel bigger-than-it-is solid like the Fiesta, but it doesn't feel you-get-what-you-pay-for junky like a Toyota Yaris or, in some ways, the Honda Fit.
Of course, like the Fiesta, the Mazda2 falls on its face for bargain-priced utility. The Fit is buzzy and cheap-feeling, but it packs in monstrous amounts of room. The Kia Soul and Nissan Versa do the same for less money, but neither gets great gas mileage. None of the three is as fun as the Mazda.
But with a base price of $14,000 – which includes a full litany of safety features, plus power windows and locks (but no cruise control) – and a nicely equipped price of $17,000 for this tested automatic transmission model, just the fact that it gets good gas mileage and avoids feeling junky makes it pretty good by the class standards.
And the fact that it also throws in the most agility you'll find at budget prices makes it a standout for someone who wants a sporty feel and some level of practicality.
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Vehicle tested: 2011 Mazda2
Vehicle base price (MSRP): $13,980
Version tested: Touring
Version base price (MSRP): $15,435
Vehicle price as tested (MSRP): $17,075
Estimated transaction price as tested: $16,528
Test vehicle provided by: Koons Mazda of Silver Spring, Md.
Key specifications:
Length: 155.5 inches
Width: 66.7 inches
Height: 58.1 inches
Wheelbase: 98.0 inches
Weight: 2,359 pounds
Cargo volume behind rear seat: 13.3 cubic feet
Turning radius: 16.1 feet
Engine: 1.5-liter I4 with 100 horsepower
Transmission (as tested): 4-speed automatic
EPA city mileage: 27 miles per gallon
EPA highway mileage: 33 miles per gallon
EPA combined mileage: 29 miles per gallon
For more information: Mazda website
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