Overview

Now that the Ford Fiesta has been pulled from the showrooms, the Mazda 2 finds itself in a very interesting position. It’s always been a great-driving supermini, but it’s always lived in the Fiesta’s shadow. Now the shadow has been removed, this little Mazda finds itself far closer to the top of its class in the driveability stakes, jostling for place with the Renault Clio.

Mazda has built a reputation for doing things a little differently to its rivals. For starters, the 2 shuns the small-capacity turbocharged engines you’ll find in the likes of the Skoda Fabia and Vauxhall Corsa in favour of larger capacity, less stressed, non-turbocharged engines.

This helps to boost the 2’s real-world fuel economy, because its engines are more flexible than a the turbocharged units from competitors. Its pulling power comes from the extra cubic capacity rather than relying on high engine speed to make the turbocharger spin quickly enough to create boost. That means you can be gentler on the throttle.

You have a choice of three 1.5-litre four-cylinder engines. The entry-level model has 75hp, the middling option has 90hp and the range-topper has 115hp. And if those figures don’t tell the whole story, allow us to spoil it for you – the 2 isn’t a fast car. Plus, there isn’t a hot model to match the likes of the Hyundai i20 N and Volkswagen Polo GTI. That means, if you want to go quickly, you’ll need to stir vigorously through the six-speed manual gearbox to keep the engines on the boil.

It feels a little more upmarket than its rivals inside, though. Mazda likes to throw plenty of soft-touch plastics and deep fabrics at its cars – and the 2 is no exception. The technology housed within the fancy trims is starting to show its age, but we reckon that’s a forgivable foible considering the car is now eight years old. By comparison, the recently departed Fiesta barely lived to see six.

Confusingly, there are two versions of the Mazda 2 being sold side-by-side. There’s this pure-petrol variant and a self-charging hybrid model, which is effectively a Toyota Yaris with a Mazda badge gaffer taped to its snout. We’re yet to spend any time with the Mazda 2 Hybrid but, because its basically identical to the Yaris, you can learn more about it by following the link above to our Yaris review.

If you’d rather stick with pure combustion, keep reading to learn more about the standard Mazda 2. Over the next five pages, we’ll review each aspect of the car, covering its practicality, interior, comfort, technology, driving experience and running costs before offering our final verdict on the car.