2008 Mazda 2 – 3 door review
May 22, 2008 by Karl Peskett
The steering is a bit of a mixed bag, and is probably the 2’s weakest link. It is light and doesn’t have much feel, but it’s quick and accurate, much like a lot of cars these days. Where it gets let down is it tends to not want to self centre. But apart from that, the dynamics are all good.
Even the chassis. The ride is firmed but well damped and with excellent body control. It resists understeer fairly well for a small car, and doesn’t squirm or wallow in hard cornering. You could even call it fun to drive.
Based on the five-door’s build, Mazda is confident that the 2 three-door will receive the same 5-star EuroNCAP safety rating. Just make sure you tick the box for the optional safety pack for that added security.
The Mazda 2 is a cute, nimble, zippy city car which fits the bill for an economical runabout that doesn’t compromise on quality and comfort. Toyota’s Yaris, and Suzuki’s Swift had better watch out. The stylish 2 has stamped its authority in the marketplace…
..and made a space in our hearts.
2008 Mazda 2 – 3 door Maxx auto specifications
Engine: 1.5-litre
Power: 76kW
Torque: 137Nm
0-100km/h: 10.0-seconds
Top Speed: 168km/h (auto)
Fuel tank: 42-litres
Fuel consumption: 6.8 litres/100km (claimed)
Fuel type: 91RON
*****PRIMO!*****
Its a great car, but WAY to expensive, its almost into the B segmant catagory in price, yet its clearly a A segment sized vehicle.
Needs to be $14999 like all the other rubbish, a Tiida is a better job for around the same coin.
Cheers
F-0
Speaking of mighty Mazda, what about a test/review on the CX7?
After all you guys @ C/A did promise a test/review on it……..
:-)
Cheers
F-0
Maybe it just needs a bench seat and LPG option.
DLR1 -
LOL, thats GOLD!!
E.V.E.R.Y car can benefit from LPG, seen even a Chev Matiz with LPG, its just a [cheap] fuel after all.
Bench seat only required if not rear seat supplied, this has a rear seat, with a APPALLING fabric pattern!
Cheers
F-0
I have to say I think it is too expensive as well.
Great car.
Although for that price the extra safety gear should come standard.
It is a bit too expensive, i agree too!
CarAdvice (I’ve got you as my homepage now), you could try a small car (hatch 3 door) comparison between lets say………………………Mazda 2, Hyundai Getz, Toyota Yaris, Ford Fiesta & (I know, i know but give it a try) a Holden Barina and a Volkswagen Polo (look I know polo is a bit more expensive than rest but try it and see if its better than rest).
OR/AND
You could do a small 5 door hatch comparison between lets say……………Mazda 2, Hyundai Getz, Toyota Yaris, Ford Fiesta, Holden Barina, Honda Jazz, Kia Rio, Mitsubishi Colt, Nissan Micra, Suzuki Swift & Volkswagen Polo (i knopw polo is a bit more expensive than others but should see if IT is better than the rest).
Thats always a thought CarAdvice.
“..and made a space in our hearts.”
Come on… Really? Way Corny.
Hate the fabric pattern. But its a huge improvement on the look of that box style Mazda 2 which looks like it had been designed by the guy that invented the rubix cube.
Although the interior does look fresh & funky I’m not too sure about the tiny display for the stereo system imagine trying to read mp3 tracknames of that as well as the lack of any sort of cloth insert on the doors something found on the hyundai i30 base model not from on of japans finest..
Frugal One Says:
May 22nd, 2008 at 3:30 pm
*****PRIMO!*****
Its a great car, but WAY to expensive, its almost into the B segmant catagory in price, yet its clearly a A segment sized vehicle.
Needs to be $14999 like all the other rubbish, a Tiida is a better job for around the same coin.
Cheers
F-0
If you have read many of the reports on the Tiida its universally agreed it is a pretty cheap vehicle for its size but has been quite a dissapointment in the eyes of the many motoring journalists here in Oz
^^^^^^^Very true about the Tiida there Jeiz!
Its not really that expensive, the base model starts at $15750, standard with a 1.5l engine, the Yaris is $15190 with a 1.3l engine and $16990 with a 1.5l engine. The Mazda 2 is better value for money, better to drive and has the option of ESP and when added on, it is still cheaper than the 1.5l Yaris.
Yeah as Myke said the tested model isn’t the base one, you can get it for over $2000 less than the review car.
Looks a lot better than a Tiida! And seriously, can anyone drive one of those Tiidas without feeling embarrassed after those stupid ads?
Like the others have said before, a comparo between the small cars currently on the market would be awesome. For my money, i would definitely get the 2 over any other simply because of the way it drives, looks, quality, saftey. Its all worth it in my opinion. At least after i’ve spent the money on it, i won’t have any regrets.
Oh and Frugal One, i too would like a review of the CX-7 and also the CX-9. But how about you go and take one out for a test drive and get first hand experience and knowledge of it?
Fanstastic little car……… I want one in black one with brembos all round, 17 inch bbs ch rims and a hks muffler and i`ll be happy!!! Beats the shit out yaris!!
To me like really it is toooooooooooo curvy everywhere and less is better. Then upside it sweeps up and all gels not as hot as a Yaris. The Yaris looks trendy, cute and not overkill and wins me period!
The mazda2 is expensive. I’d like to see anyone try and get it for under 20k DRIVEAWAY. Maybe in a year or so the demand will die down, but nor right now.
The best value car in the class is the Swift. Its reasonably priced and one of the better cars to drive, definitely craps over the yaris in terms of driving involvement and enjoyment. And is arguably better in the looks department, which I don’t think the mazda2 is a real winner, its too curvy, and the nose looks out of place on a car that size.
Looks better than the brick it replaced. But when I test drove both old and new, the old was built better.
Interior quality was much better. It felt like a more expensive car. The new one really defies the typical high quality that Mazda seems to put in (now) all their other models.
SteveC
Price is a little up there, but you get what you pay for and with Mazda that’s a whole lot.
I’m not sold on the seat pattern or external colour on this one, but the car overall looks the goods – especially the three door – and is HEAPS better than the Yaris in my opinion.
No doubt like most Mazdas it also drives good, looking forward to a spin now ;)
Obviously to each there own….but those rear tailights so upturned smiling massively is too much. Too much curves all over and that hooter snout is tooooooo much for a small car!
Geezzuzzz some of you ppl are once again dribbling diarrorea. Mazda2 price starts off at $15750 plus on roads for a Neo 3 door manual. Wooooppy doooo if a dog bone Barina is $12990+ or a Getz Fudged is $13990+ or whatever. What do you want? Decent Japanese build quality and reliability? Or death trap poor resale Korean garbage?
Mazda all the way,
great car to drive
Ads are great.
BAJI -
“Oh and Frugal One, i too would like a review of the CX-7 and also the CX-9. But how about you go and take one out for a test drive and get first hand experience and knowledge of it?”
NOT for the sake of trying, the weird thing is C/A said that they WOULD be reviewing it but have not.
I would be happy to work with C/A team and drive and test the CX7 with them.
Have not tested it myself [what are you going to gain in a 5min. drive anyway?]gone cold on it anyway.
RATHER alarmed that its average fuel use is 18L+/100km, oh and thats with PULP thats required!Have spoken to a few owners and SELLERS, and the fuel use figure is confirmed.The also state 350/400km range.
It needs the V6 out of the Tribute in it and ditch the turbo.
Its the nicest SUV on the market, BUT i think i am over it now.
Looking more and more like the updated Corolla [rear elec. windows and ESP as std. on Accent?]
Cheers
F-0
F-O, FYI, Mazda doesn’t have any CX-7s or CX-9s on its press fleet anymore, so a road test won’t be happening anytime soon.
I own a 4door 2 Genki with DSC and its a great little car far better than the others in its class. It wouldn’t have won so many awards if it was rubbish…and I stepped down from a 4×4 dual cab ute…
Well done Mazda and make sure the MPS 2 comes at the end of next like all the rumours have been tossed around..
There will be fresh up on the CX7 in a months time so maybe Car could hang out till then..
Hey Frugal One, the corolla doesn’t even come with ESP as an option. I reckon you should go with a Mazda 3
Thats a bit of a big rump on this, having seen them in the flesh i’d save my dosh for Fords forthcoming Fiesta. Much nicer balance on the bodywork.
Also the dash on this seems really plasticky and cheap and quite spartan.
6.8litres/100. A 2.0litre diesel Mondeo will better that, come on get a 1.4diesel in it and do 4’s/100km. OK Iknow it would cost more before you say it.
I thought the Tiida was in the same class as the focus, astra, mazda 3 etc?
Not the Mazda 2 class.
Tiida is indeed in the class you mentioned.
Just its priced/sells for the same coin as a Mazda 2
^The Tiida is in the class of Mazda 3, Corolla etc. but the Tiida isn’t that good.
We bought a Ford Fiesta two months ago. On our list of potential buys were the Mazda 2 Genki, Toyota Yaris YRX and the Ford Fiesta. Essentially, the Yaris was overpriced. The Mazda, had our budget been just a little higher, would’ve have been the car we eventually bought, but it was the Ford that got the money. It’s a cracker to drive, as was the Mazda. The toyota, while build quality is high (all 3 cars seemed to have high build quality), is to dead to drive. Totally unengaging. The mazda was a hoot to drive, but i just couldn’t justify the extra cost. Not wanting to sound like i’m justifying my purchase, the Ford isn’t that bad a car. Its the best small car in the class to drive. Engine is rather tractable. All the other doodads that come with it are good. The doors feel like those of an Accord Euro. They shut with a reassuring thunk. Super easy on fuel when i drive conservatively (780 kms per tank), and it isn’t half ugly (maybe 1/3rd ugly). What ever floats your boat really. The mazda, as CA writer states, is a pretty fine car for the bucks. Shop aound though, and don’t buy blind.
Actually I felt a little disappointed after driving this new Mazda 2 today. Small, underpowered and expensive, engine was not that responsive. The driving dynamic of this car might be good but for average users, there are other more important factors to be considered, such as comfort, price, warranty, maintenance, etc. Different people have different feeling when doing test drive. You really need to look beyond a car brand and all those perceptions associated with it when looking for a new car. Do test drive by yourself and get the feeling by yourself, and compare specifications carefully.
I much prefer the Mitsubishi Colt with the CVT box…. feisty little engine, great fuel economy and tons of space…
The Jazz is quite nice too, just waiting for the updated second generation model to be launched in australia in a couple of months!
Definitely worth the extra money, especially over the Swift. The Suzuki’s steering, pedal travel and interior switches are too light, too short and too fiddly respectively.
Besides which, if you look at the Mazda2 Genki and the Yaris YRS, they’re practically on par for price.
Duck…
I totally agree, the new corolla is even nicer to drive than the tiida.
It has no chance against the focus, astra, golf or Mazda 3.
I just bought a Mazda 2 Maxx 5 door (manual) a couple of days ago, and I absolutely love it. The car is quite responsive, the steering very precise, and it looks great, both inside and outside. I mainly bought it for my daily commute to work, so petrol bills should be lower. My wife was sold on the 6disk stacker – she didn’t really care about what car it was anyway. Interior is great and quite functional, thought I’m still discovering things as I go – I’ve had too much fun driving it to look around. Even though the boot is small, it has plenty of space for our thursday night shopping run. Back seat is comfortable enough for passengers, but then again, I wasn’t after a people mover.
I was just in at mazda today and test drove the 2 door Neo.
I got quoted $19990 on the road for the Maxx with fog lights. I couldn’t stretch for the safety pack though :(
I loved the feel of it, one downside for me though is that there are a couple of blind spots on it.
OMG, EVERY Car has a ‘few” blind spots, unless you drive a convertible…
Remember ALL you knockers out there, THIS Mazda 2 won ,
WORLD CAR OF THE YEAR 2008..
Judged by motoring journalists from ALL over the world.
NO other small cars comes close for driving dynamics and value.
So i take it you have never driven a VASTLY superior in every way European car then?
The Fiesta beats the 2, and the Fiesta is a bottom feeder in the Euro class
Great for ASIAN, Euros are in another class all together
Thats Ford Fanboy talk!! Fiesta is essentially the same car as Mazda 2, just with a different skin… They both are built on the same platform!!
I test drove the Mazda 2 (5 door ) today and didn’t like it at all…despite the hype. I think the doors look cheap and thin, like a toy car. Driving on a 80kph zone in the rain was scary. When you test the acceleration it jumps gears with a clunk. The brakes are over-responsive, and the rear visibility is poor for lane changes. It has lots of ZOOM-ZOOM as they advertise, but it’s like a racecar trapped in a hatchback body. It feels unsafe. Too much power with not enough protection. The doors would probably blow open in the wind, they are so light. I decided on a Honda Jazz VTi instead, feels more solidly built, fantastic vision with the big van-like front window, and much roomier inside (exactly the same price, 22k, for auto option + safety).
Funny your nik is safetygal
Hows the traction-control and stabilty control on your Jizz like?
Mazda2 ALL-THE-WAY!
Buy a Tiida over a Mazda?
The only reasons you would buy Tiida over a ‘2′ is if you were tranpsporting extremely tall people in the back on a regular basis, or are aged/have limited mobility and need a car with a taller roof line. Thats why Nissan dropped the price below the Corolla/Focus/Mazda3 otherwise there’d be not incentive to choose the Nissan
The Nissan Tiida looks awkward, lacks basic safety kit (the hatch STILL lacks a centre lap sash belt in 2009 whereas a Corollas sedan had one in 1996!!) not to mention a lack of ESP.
You get what you pay for, a Mazda sports better engineering and quality of materials than other entry level small cars such as the Barina or Kia Rio.
The 2 looks sporting, is a sharper handler (test drove one) not to mention other things not listed in the equipment guide, such as high tensile steel structure for strength and lighter weight (better economy).
We recently bought a 2 and are very happy with it.
After shopping around, it seems that compact cars (at least those equipped with auto transmission) now fall into two classes: those under $20T and those over. Under $20T are the Hyundai Getz and Nissan Micra while the Jazz, Fiesta and Mazda 2 are over.
We recently rented a Micra to tour Tassie. It was not up to the task. Fortunately we were not in a hurry and did not mind holding up traffic so the lack of power relative to the 2 did not bother us. Having the head lights on top of the hood, as well as being ugly was distracting when driving at night especially on high beams. Verdict: this car does not belong outside the City.
The same is true of the Hyundi and its bottom punishing seats.
We might of purchased a fiesta but the model we wanted was not available. The Jazz did not come equipped with ESP and ABS which were bottom line requirements.
The Mazda gets ticks for handling, comfort and power. It has a “big car” feel and really grippy brakes. The seats are comfy for a compact especially the driver’s seat. It drives well on the freeways and I would not hesitate to take it on a long trip.
My only complaint is with the console lighting: it uses red lighting, presumably to prevent night blindness, and I find it difficult to read. this is especially true of the radio. As you can plug in your iPod this is not as much of an issue as would otherwise be the case. Given that the 2 is built for well lit urban environments designing console light to prevent light blindness is rather pointless: between the on-coming headlights and street lights the driver will be night blind anyway.
If you never intend to take the car out of the city by all means get a cheapie (but not a micra) otherwise it is worthwhile to spend the extra money for a better car.
Looking into the new 2 currently as I just totalled my old boxy one last Monday – first model (old lady ran red light & cleaned me up at speed). I managed to walk (ok stagger) away from the crash as did my passengers & after checks at hospital were released later that day with a bit of bruising & whiplash (even with bags). Çar sacrificed itself to save us (angle hit on front r/h wheel area) and thats fine by me. That model had 4* rating on crash tests, new model is a 5* with numerous safety extras purchased (4* otherwise) which I would definitily buy on any new model if available. I bought the old one because at the time it was the safest in its price + had great carrying capacity for a small car, looking at current ratings it seems the same on safety, a bit smaller on carrying I suspect. Review to come when I drive one soon. P.S. very exciting when the airbags go off I can tell you.
I just bought a 09 mazda2 maxx auto a month ago. It is a great car. Good braking and unique exterior styling. Interior styling is a little bit weird, maybe I need more time to get used to it but very practical and build quality is excellent. However, fuel consumption is not as economical as i was expected. I quoted around 9.0L/100km combined normal driving. I don’t understand why yaris is the most popular car in the small car market. For me, Mazda2 and Fiesta is the best out there.
typo, i mean light car market.
Im looking at buying a new small under 20k by mid january next yr to get around from uni and back, and some night shopping! So I was tossing up between a mazda 2 and a honda jazz. Ive heard many good feedback from my friend who owns a neo 2 demo, she likes it and no complaints.. she mentioned how good it is on fuel. And i chose to look at the jazz as ive looked at honda as reliable and reasonable for repair/service, cheapest/smallest from them was ‘jazz’.
However, today i had test drive on both jazz and 2, and i must say the jazz is like a mini van.. abit too big/roomy for my liking although space is good (I realised how boxy or big it is when i turned my head to reverse!), abit of wasted space on the dash board too, changing gears was hard to feel the fiction point (maybe im not used to new jazz), car felt very filmzzy. But I got to say the 2 was fun to drive (manual), changing of the gears was smooth and easy. I actually could imagine myself driving that thing for 5 yrs or more, swirling through tight streets and taking those “Oh! i aint gonna fit my car in that spot”.
I do admit honda makes more appealing interiors, but maybe the 2 has just the same features but i didnt look into it so much, i cared safety, ergonomics and the drive respectively. After todays testdrive, I say no to the jazz, bubble car too big for its own good. And i only found out their cars are manufactures in thailand, i would prefer a car made in japan.
The reason i may have written such a LONGGGG review bcos i was so frustrated, just too much choices..(cars to choose, this/that option and pricing) I want to choose 1 car i like and like it after yrs of purchase! I really did want to purchase a honda, so i had alook at the City, yet again over priced! 1.5 ltr as well for a heavier car.
Overall, I said no to Jazz, may buy the honda city, but im leaning towards the mazda2 just bcos they won so many awards and my test drive experience was good.
Anyone want to give me some advice?
Sure.
I bought a Mazda2 Neo 3-door (with saftey pack) earlier this year having test driven a Yaris and a Jazz as well, and indeed having driven a rented Yaris around a few months earlier for a week. I was gunning for a combination of value and performance. I’m very happy with it; besides the day to day commute, I’ve taken it around the Dandenongs and the Black Spur and out on day trips to Ballarat, and it handles it all well (except steep hills, but that’s an issue for all light 1.5L cars). I was pushing the 2 hard enough on the road past Marysville to need the traction control a couple of times (buy the safety package, incidentally), so when I say that the 2’s handling limits are surprisingly good, I’m not kidding around. There are much more expensive cars that I would really, really not want to drive like that.
The downside of this is that the 2 lacks the roominess of the Jazz (which is starting to seriously creep up into the next size segment.. what is it with Honda and size creep, 20 years ago the Civic was tiny, now it’s practically a medium size car), and probably has the most road noise in the cabin and the stiffest suspension out of 2, Yaris and Jazz. I think the Jazz has slightly better fuel efficiency too, although we’re talking cents per week at this point. It really comes down to how important handling is to you, compared to ride comfort, noise and roominess.
Just make sure whichever car you get, get a 1.5L version (Yaris and Jazz still come in 1.3 as well I think, which must be seriously underpowered) and make sure you option stability control or get a version which has it standard.
Oh, and don’t get the City, it’s terrible. Don’t understand why Honda make it. If you want something bigger than a light car, go for a base 3 or Civic or Focus or whatever instead (or if luxury is the issue, the top trim level of a 2 or a Jazz or whatever).