Antoine
Administrator
By: Jcell & Focus
* Major Props to Jcell (Jaime) & Focus (John) for stepping up to the plate
on such short notice. They did a fantastic job representing the
Mazdas247.com Community on my behalf! (2thumbs)
Mazdas247.com was invited to experience the all new 2011 Mazda2 in Montreal, Canada. The main event was for us to take the car around the city and try to capture the essence of the Mazda2...Zoom ZoomConcentrated. Focus and I drove the Aquatic Blue 5 Speed Touring model.
First things first, this is not a rebadged Ford Fiesta. While they do share the B3 platform, the weight alone shows the difference, 2500lbs for the Fiesta and 2300lbs for the Mazda2; both equipped with similar features. We were also told by Chris Hill, one of the engineers behind the Mazda2 and RX-8:
While parts may also look similar, the Mazda2 was engineered entirely by Mazda Engineers in Japan and thus delivers a different driving experience.
* Im keeping the review short for ease of reading; if you have any specific questions or want us to go into more detail, feel free to ask in this thread.
The car will be available in six colors. Brilliant Black, Liquid Silver, Spirited Green, True Red, Crystal White Pearl, and Aquatic Blue. Everywhere we parked this Mazda, it got attention, the car is so unique and the colors so vibrant that you cant help but check it out! While doing the challenge, we would ask security personnel if we could go in restricted areas and take pictures. Most all said yes and then they called fellow coworkers over to look at the car as well!
Interestingly enough, it also has the smiley front bumper, but its not as loud as the MAZDASPEED3. Inside you will find a steering wheel similar to the CX-7, but the dash feels inspired by the Mazda3. Basic radio controls in the steering wheel are nice, and there is a large Answer/Hang up button left of the wheel for your Bluetooth cell phone.
Both my co-driver (Focus) and myself are not small people, I am 6 foot even and fit extremely comfortably inside the car, I even had to move my seat one click up. The rear headrests in normal position completely hide inside the back seat, this provides a much greater view of what is going on behind you. Trunk space is sufficient for daily activities, plus the rear seats also provide plenty of space. However, the lack of an armrest really bugged me. I suppose Mazda engineers assumed that with the stick shift being on the dash, drivers would keep their hand on it at all times.
The whole concept behind the Mazda2 is weight reduction. I got a chance to feel the weight of both regular speakers and Mazda2 speakers and its no joke, the speakers get to be as light as feathers by using the smallest magnets imaginable as well as clever wiring. Yet, the tunes come out loud and clear, there is not a lot of bass but its enough to enjoy. Another extra is the audio jack at the bottom on the console which helps keep the wires from your mp3 player out of sight.
We drove mostly with the windows down, to be able to experience the true ZOOM-ZOOM feeling that Mazda intended. We did hear a clunk when going over a bump, we hit a couple more to check but it had gone away. It may have just been a one-time thing.
Most everything is standard, proven triple H construction, side airbags and air curtains, ABS and DSC with TCS are standard safety features on all trim models. Also, Mazda makes 53% of the frame with high tensile steel, this increases cost but also increases strength while keeping the weight in check.
Now of course, the driving experience. The first thing I noticed when I jumped in was how solid everything felt. We drove the 5-speed Touring and couldnt have been happier. The suspension and brakes are very sporty. Chris, one of the engineers, explained how by keeping the weight as low as possible, even with soft suspension, the car can go around corners surprisingly well and still provide feedback and a smooth ride.
The 1.5 all aluminum engine lacks punch, but gets the job done. Around the city torque was always available. However, we went up a mountain to a church, to try and get the whole city in a picture...With only 2 people in the car, the little motor just couldnt keep the ZOOM-ZOOM going, we were constantly downshifting just to keep up with traffic. This was the only time we were not smiling while driving. The downhill run got us back into ZOOM-ZOOM mode really quickly and available power never became an issue again.
Overall, most cars in this segment are jacks of all trades, able to do multiple tasks well but no single task extremely well. The Mazda2 is more focused, designed to do what we use a car 80% of the time for...Its meant to zip around the city with light luggage and usually alone. Everything in the car screams individuality with great form. For interested buyers, keep in mind the car relies on weight for the fun factor, add too much and the fun factor will drop but for the price, you cant go wrong. It was released overseas back in 2007 and has had huge success, racking up 48 awards so far!
(attn) Plenty of juicy PHOTOS & VIDEOS coming soon, so please STAY TUNED! 
