2011 Mazda Mazda2

Mazda2 is a small car that drives like a small car - and it's a compliment. Some cars seem larger than themselves, which can be good if there is a feeling of strength and solidity.

However, as the Mazda2 is a welterweight fighter: the speed and agility, without sacrificing the ride and practicality. I kept looking for excuses to drive it.

City Driving
Driving in town is the highlight of the Mazda2. I drove the Mazda2 with two transmissions available: a five-speed manual and four-speed automatic. Of course, having the right equipment on hand for quick maneuvers is simple with the manual, since the control of gear selection, but the machine is also well suited to the engine. When I wanted to zip in a place where traffic is usually automatically selects the correct speed.

The manual is a light switch that is easy to hear when you're taking up the gear and the shift lever is short and direct. None of persistent feelings that can plague some of the entry-level cars. It 'fun to move through the gears, the Mazda2, and it feels good and stable.

The administration is also good. It is very light and fast, but does not feel very stimulated or twisted in city driving. It felt as if I were manager of a very light car - because I was. Such as transmission, management feels like it is done well with the car. The same goes for the brakes, instead of a soft pedal, I got the exact amount of information to judge the difficulty I had to press the pedal to stop. Does not take much effort, yes, but the brakes are easy to get an idea. Cornered, and also even in the limited space in Chicago.

All the stuff that makes you stop, turn and go really well tuned. Car feels like a single machine, ready to zip anywhere you want in the city.

There was only one real problem I noticed: The slope of A-pillar (the one that supports the windshield) can hide the pedestrians down the sidewalk. I'm used to more I drove, but you judge for yourself. Aside from that, the visibility is very good.

Highway Driving
On the highway is where you will find that you run a small light car, and it is not always a good thing. Straight ahead, there was a fair amount of road noise, and the passengers noticed a lot of wind noise. It may be common to lighter cars because they tend to have a lot of soundproofing. Neither the noise was intrusive.

The steering is heavy on the highway. I never felt the car was nervous, but other vendors, who led the Mazda2 said the steering is too light at speeds over 70 mph.

If I liked the car for cruising around town, the road was a place where I really preferred the manual transmission. The automatic Mazda2 running out of steam at high speed, and I think it's because he could use more equipment. When you spend what you get is basically what you expect of a small four-cylinder engine: a lot of noise but not much to drive forward. This was a minor problem with the manual.

The Mazda2 is absolutely shines in one of the aspects of driving on the road: in their wake. You hear the car go over the expansion joints, but not really sorry. In addition, some small cars - including the Honda Fit - porpoises seem more bumps on the road, but actually absorbs the Mazda2 in its place. I took the Mazda2 for a weekend of bike races and let it cool as I have some other cars, more - perhaps colder. Mazda2 Suspension listener should be commended, especially as the Mazda2 is the winding road on the ramps rather flat, too. It is difficult to get both attributes into a car.

Family Relation
Mazda2 is related to the Ford Fiesta, where I also spent time. My point of view quickly, is: Fiesta Interior flashy, but then he has more power than the Mazda2, I can not say I really noticed a huge difference in speed or power. (This may be because the Fiesta weighs more than the Mazda2.)

Mazda2 everything is simply more fun to drive and ride is more comfortable. Fiesta is available in sedan or wagon, while the Mazda2 sedan you can only have.

Exterior and Interior
As is the case with many new models from Mazda, the Mazda 2 has a big smile to open the door. I love that other Mazda and I love it even more on the Mazda2, because the car is smaller. It looks like a little baby with a smile away. There are also some subtle fenderlike bumps on the side that remind me of the Mazda3. Together, we can honestly say that is a member of the family Mazda.

The interior is very nice, although some parts. There are plenty of cup holders, gauges are easy to read and the radio is easy to use, but there is no "wow" gadget. Heck, the only way to connect your iPod to your stereo is via an extra headphone jack.

Somehow, I think it's good: There are too many things in modern interiors, which distracted from driving. But I also know that I am in the minority at the mercy of a simple decoration. Regardless, I think Mazda deserves a star for not wrap the area stack dash / center in some cheap, metallic plastic. Mazda2 is the simple, clean design.

Mileage, Safety & Reliability
As I said, the Mazda2 is related to the Fiesta, but an area where there is a difference between the two is in the Department of mileage. When the Mazda gets an estimated 27-29 miles per gallon city and 33 to 35 mpg on the highway, the Fiesta is from 28 to 29 mpg city and 37 to 38 mpg highway (40 mpg fuel economy editing SFE ).

When a new model, the Mazda2 has not yet been crash tested, nor is it enough votes reliability of the data.