At Last: Mazda Brings Back the Fun-Loving Small Sedan

Filed in archive Information About , Mazda , News on March 31, 2010

It's been a long time since Mazda has been willing to offer North Americans a small, affordable car. And by that I mean a car smaller and less expensive than the current Mazda3. Anyone remember the GLC, as in "Great Little Car?" Or the 323 hatchback? Regardless, I'm happy to report that an all-new 2011 Mazda2 has just been launched at the New York Auto Show and will go on sale sometime this summer. This is good news, indeed, as Mazda has lately been building family cars that perform, handle, and drive with more than a hint of sportiness.

The base car is fitted with a sprightly1.5-liter four, aided by a choice of 5-cylinder manual or 4-speed automatic transmissions. The list of standard features is impressive, including ABS, stability control, traction control, 15" wheels and an AM/FM/CD/MP3 stereo. That's pretty impressive for a list price of $14,730 including destination charge. A top-of-the-line Touring version adds alloy wheels, upgraded seat cloth, fog lights, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, chrome exhaust tip, and the inevitable rear spoiler. For this, the sticker goes up to $16,045 including delivery.

The Mazda2 enters a growing category of cars that were once quite common but faded away during the financial fantasies of the last twenty years. Now that reality has settled in, along with awareness that higher gasoline prices are inevitable, many consumers are seeking fuel-sipping, fun-driving subcompacts. Volkswagen is getting ready to bring us the Polo, a popular model in Europe for decades; Audi has one called the Audi1 (though so far has declined to export it in our direction); BMW has its new 1-series waiting in the wings. Incidentally, the Mazda2 shares its platform with the new Ford Fiesta, which should give you some idea of how well it will perform.