Practical experience Mazda 2: long-lasting little one through the eyes of users

What stands out in comparison tests is Mazda’s tenacity. Or call it stubbornness, if you like. Because even in 2024 you will not find compact turbo engines in the Mazda 2. It doesn’t matter whether you choose a petrol with 75, 90 or 115 hp or a diesel, the engine capacity was and is always 1.5 liters and is always divided over four cylinders. The exception to this rule is the Mazda 2 Hybrid, but that is a special case anyway. This hybrid brother not only has completely different technology, but also a different bodywork. Yes, if you look very closely you can still somewhat see the contours of a Toyota Yaris. We have previously paid attention to reviews of this Toyota, in this article it is about the real Mazda 2.

Is the Mazda 2 spacious?

If you’ve ever read comparative tests, you know that the answer is ‘not necessarily’. “You don’t buy a Mazda 2 for space,” the owner of a 2019 Mazda 2 endorses that finding. “With my height of 1.81 meters and my seating position quite close to the handlebars, I can sit behind myself, but there is no room left.” And what about the trunk? “The luggage compartment is clearly larger than that of the Mitsubishi Space Star, but does not match the latest Clio from Renault.”

There is something in return, reports a taller driver. “I sit well in the car at 1.94 meters and still have plenty of headroom,” he writes. When passengers have to come along, they have to make arrangements. “An adult person cannot sit behind me. I then have to pull my driver’s seat forward for a moment.”

There is little criticism of the contents of the trunk, but several drivers report that it is not very accessible. “Yes, that is quite a thing,” writes the owner of a 2016 Mazda 2, “it is very deep and has a high lifting threshold. That is not really useful for small people.”

And what about the seat?

So you have plenty of space in the front, but it gets a bit tighter in the back. Opinions are divided about the comfort of the seats. “I have really liked the 2 over the years,” writes the driver of a SkyActiv-G 115 SkyLease GT. “Now, after 5 years, the driver’s seat is becoming less comfortable, but with my height of 1.85 I was always comfortable in it. On long distances I missed some neck support.” Another rider could also use a little more support. “I found the disadvantages to be less comfort on long journeys, the seats and the upper back support.” A Mazda 2 diesel driver disagrees. “We found the seats to be very comfortable and even after 1,000 km of driving we had no back or leg problems. It is very pleasant to travel in this car.”

Infotainment and controls

You read it before, stubbornness. Mazda also follows its own course when it comes to infotainment. The following rider describes how that works. “I really like the infotainment system, especially the operation via the large rotary/push button on the center console is really great!” And now the stubborn part. “The touchscreen is turned off while driving, but I don’t miss that for a moment. In fact, when the touchscreen is available (when stationary), I still use the commander!”

It does not stop at one lyrical response. No: “Mazda’s MZD system is really great,” writes another enthusiastic user. “In which other car in the B-segment can you find such a nice control panel between the seats? It’s self-explanatory, everything works easily and you quickly understand the system.” He still has some comments about the software. “What strikes me is that the navigation sometimes chooses a (in my opinion) very illogical route. Why does he send me off the highway, then go 10 km through a few villages and then send me back onto the same highway?”

Driving the Mazda 2

Then the driving, another point where Mazda traditionally scores. The same here. “The car drives wonderfully, it likes to corner and remains very stable,” writes the driver of a Mazda 2 SkyActiv-G 90 Sport Selected. A point of attention: “Power steering takes some getting used to, you lose the mechanical, refined feeling in your steering wheel. The suspension is a bit stiff but not uncomfortable.” The driver of a 2 in GT-M trim fully endorses this. “The Mazda 2 is a pleasure to drive. I didn’t expect anything else because my previous Mazda 3 was also a fun car. Nice and compact, takes some getting used to in the beginning. The car steers directly and has slightly tight suspension.” The driver of a 2 SkyLease GT is also enthusiastic. “The shock absorbers are relatively stiff without the feeling that you are bouncing over the road. This has 16-inch rims, so the cheaper versions will experience a little more damping. It handles wonderfully in corners, something that reviewers previously praised the new 2 for.”

The owner of the SkyActiv-D is also enthusiastic. “A lot has already been written about it, but even as a diesel the 2 is a wonderful car to drive! The wonderfully sharp steering and the pleasant, sturdy chassis provide a sporty, but still comfortable driving feeling. The whole thing feels very sturdy and solid. It gives a lot of confidence in the car and safety on the road. You steer into the entry and exit ramps of the speeds and the car follows the rest of the bend undisturbed.” He casually compares it to his previous car. “Here it really feels half a class higher than the Polo (1.2 Bluemotion) that I drove! There you steered in a direction you wanted and the car went approximately there. The Mazda goes exactly where you aim. Delicious!”

There are few models where users pay attention to the feeling that the manual gearbox gives, but we read it more often with the Mazda 2. “The gearbox is extremely direct,” writes the SkyLease GT driver, for example. “According to the seller, this is derived from the MX-5, and in my opinion a reason to always choose manual transmission! The clutch is smooth and engages neatly. My favorite gearbox of all the cars I have driven.”

Keep going

When it comes to steering, the Mazda 2 does well, but that does not mean that there are no criticisms. “For example, the wind noise is something I notice more on the highway,” writes the owner of an early Mazda 2 Intro Edition from 2015. “The engine is holding up well, but the wind can sometimes get quite bad. I sometimes have to turn up the speakers considerably, especially compared to driving within built-up areas.” This rider also points out a point that can be interpreted both negatively and positively. “The engine is very quiet, at a speed of 100 km/h the engine only runs at 2,200 rpm, which is certainly not bad for a car with a five-speed gearbox.” The downside: “Switching early and driving at low revs brings me to a disadvantage of the Mazda 2. It feels very slow at low revs.”

We don’t read the comment about wind noise more often, rolling noises are more often experienced as disturbing. The engine’s hunger for revs is shared more widely, as is also shared by the next 90 hp driver. “This version has 90 hp, which seems sufficient for daily use. It is clearly an engine that is meant to be kept at low revs. The computer indicates on the dashboard what the optimal gear is, and preferably does not let you exceed 2,000 rpm. 60 in 5th gear is not strange for these 2.” Here too the downside: “This frugality comes at a price. Below 2,500 rpm little or nothing happens. If you want to accelerate suddenly, for example when overtaking, you really have to downshift. Above 3,000 rpm the 90 horses come to life.”

Maintenance, malfunctions and irritations

Now we have arrived at the most interesting part of this article for many. But rest assured, after all the obvious pluses and minuses, the Mazda 2 appears to have one more important plus: its reliability. A used car buyer is quite short-tempered. After purchasing it at 41,270 km, he places an update at 66,000 kilometers with the title ‘top’. With the counter at 73,000 it sounds ‘still satisfied’ and at 100,000 kilometers it simply sounds ‘the same’. The content: ‘no problems, does what it’s supposed to do.’

Other reviewers also indicate how few special features there are, although things are not going well for one rider. “After more than a week and a half of being at the dealer due to the 3rd emergency run, I picked up the car again yesterday. One of the injectors had a lot of contamination and to be on the safe side, all injectors have been replaced. These are not half measures.” The likely cause of this mishap: “This car is very young, but has a special background. Due to circumstances it stood still for a long time before I bought it. That, in combination with (probably) that nasty E10 in the tank, has contaminated the fuel system with water and gum and with the injectors as a bottleneck. This way, even a car for which you can hardly find any faults on the web can still be felled.” After replacing the injectors, this rider reports no more problems.

The more kilometers, the better we at AutoWeek think. We don’t find any real ‘high-milers’ in our reviews, but one driver reports just before the clock rings: “The odometer now reads 98,500 km and he still drives exactly as he did in the beginning. No rattles, squeaks or loose parts.” He does report the only problem we read more about: “The software sometimes has a hiccup. I have it set to Dutch and sometimes it suddenly jumps to English. That has happened four times so far.”

All in all, Mazda’s choice to keep the 2 for a while seems well defensible. Even though it is not very spacious for rear passengers and the trunk is difficult to access, outside of that it does a lot of good and proves to be quite solid and reliable. If you don’t mind keeping the 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine revving, you’ll make good progress. And that with, as we concluded earlier, very reasonable fuel consumption.