2011 Mazda 2

Now you can add the 2011 Mazda 2 to that list of price-conscious hatchbacks. On the plus side, the Mazda 2 is quite sporty to drive, and indeed this is one area where Mazda is quite proud of its new entry-level car. The list of standard and available features for the Mazda is quite short, too.

Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options

The 2011 Mazda 2 is a five-passenger, four-door subcompact hatchback that is available in two trim levels -- Sport and Touring. The Sport comes standard with 15-inch steel wheels with wheel covers, air-conditioning, full power accessories, a tilt steering wheel and a four-speaker CD/MP3 audio system with an auxiliary input jack.

The EPA estimates fuel economy at 28 mpg city/35 mpg highway for the manual transmission and 27/33 mpg for the automatic.

Standard safety features for the 2011 Mazda 2 include antilock brakes (discs in front/drums in rear), front-seat side airbags, side curtain airbags and stability and traction control.

The 2011 Mazda 2's interior is comparable to other hatchbacks in this economical price range. For more Interior Features information,

Typset-confounding nomenclature aside, the Mazda2 is exactly what you’d expect: A smaller companion to the automaker’s tremendously successful Mazda3. Credit both Ford and Mazda for reaping the cost benefits of platform sharing without making two badge-engineered twins. Unlike the Fiesta, the Mazda is available in just two trim grades with only an automatic transmission on the options chart. Mazda isn’t aiming for the premium subcompact market Ford wants to tackle, so luxury features are relatively limited. Finding inner peace

Mildly modified from the outgoing world-market Mazda2, the new car’s inner trappings should be familiar to those with experience behind the first generation Mazda3. Buy a bigger car. Mazda carefully selected nicely grained low-sheen interior materials. The early production test cars we sampled in Montreal felt exceptionally well screwed together, giving the interior a high quality feel lacking on most rivals.

Jenny Craig’s secret
The already light Mazda2 went on a diet for the new model year, shedding an impressive 240 lbs. for a new total weight of 2,306 lbs. with the base five-speed manual. Mazda looked high and low to drop pounds, shedding wiring, reworking the suspension and increasing the use of high tensile steel in the structure.
Mazda engineers put their effort into making the small car fun to drive and it shows through.

Highly tossable, the Mazda2 reveals its European-tested suspension settings. Mazda is relatively new to the electric steering game, but its first effort, the RX-8, set the bar high. Electric steering rarely works this well; Mazda ought to teach Ford and General Motors.

Mileage of 29/35 mpg city/highway for the five-speed and 27/33 mpg for the automatic isn’t bad, but it pales compared to the Fiesta’s 37 mpg (stick) and 40 mpg (automatic) ratings. That could be a major downfall for Mazda.