2024 Author: Eric Donovan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:13
The Mazda 2 has an endurance runner image. Anyone interested in the Japanese small car should, however, take a closer look.
If you are looking for a good and cheap small car, you will probably come across the Mazda 2 at some point. Although the Mazda 2 built between 2007 and 2014 is considered a rock-solid small car, the problem areas are increasing in view of its advancing age.
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Those who put off high mileage will find models with moderate mileage for less than 3000 euros. A six-digit odometer reading is by no means a killer criterion.
Compact representative among the small cars
At 3.89 meters, the Mazda 2 is one of the more compact representatives in the small car segment. With a weight of around one ton, it is also lightweight. You shouldn't expect miracles in terms of space economy: At the front you sit comfortably on chairs that are also suitable for long journeys. If the guests are medium-sized, there is also enough space in the rear. Up to 250 liters of luggage fit in the trunk. With the rear seat folded down, it is almost 800 liters as high as a window. The Mazda 2 was offered as a two- and four-door model. If you are traveling with children, you should better look for copies with additional rear doors.
The chassis of the Mazda 2 offers a somewhat indifferent, but for everyday use quite acceptable compromise between comfort and agility - but on a small car level. Some testers criticized the substructure as too tight and its turning circle as large. In the summer of 2010, the Mazda2 received a subtle facelift in which, among other things, the front bumper was redesigned.
Focus on gasoline cars
As usual for city cars, the focus of the Mazda 2 is on gasoline engines. If you prefer a more leisurely driving style, you can get by with the 1.3-liter unit, which is available with 75 hp and 84 hp. The 102 hp 1.5-liter petrol engine is already quite fast. Only the powerful petrol engine can be obtained in the automatic version, which is extremely rare on the used market.
In the first two model years, the Mazda 2 was also offered with a 68 hp 1.4-liter diesel and henceforth with a 1.6-liter diesel with 95 hp. Both diesel engines are modest with just over 4 liters of diesel per 100 kilometers. The petrol engines consume a good one to two liters more. In practice, in the case of top petrol, consumption will be around eight liters per 100 kilometers.
Good security equipment
With up to six airbags and the anti-skid ESP the Mazda2 offers a respectable safety equipment even from today's perspective. Accordingly, it was enough for the maximum score of five stars in the Euro NCAP crash test in 2007. With regard to the further equipment, it is worth looking for higher quality variants such as Independence, Impression or Dynamic in view of the lean basic version Impuls.
These can then also come up with niceties such as air conditioning, window lifters, CD radio, leather steering wheel, cruise control or heated seats in the front. Even nobly equipped variants do not hide the hard plastic surfaces of the interior, which appear somewhat coarse in places.
Solid, even in old age
Basically, the Mazda 2 is a solid small car - even in old age. Its endurance qualities are underlined, among other things, by a very high number of used copies with a mileage of well over 200,000 kilometers. Across all age groups, the defect rate in the TÜV report remains well below the segment average, although the average mileage of the examined specimens is also lower.
During the main inspections, however, specific foci of defects emerged. This includes the steering, in which the joints can show signs of wear relatively early, which is noticeable, among other things, by suspicious noises when maneuvering. Other chassis components such as springs, dampers and axle suspensions are also frequently criticized during TÜV visits. The wheel bearings should also be susceptible to wear. A critical look is also recommended with the Mazda2 with regard to possible rust spots.
For a vehicle in its price range, the Mazda2 is a real model boy. If you want a reasonably agile and quite economical city flea and don't have too much to transport, you'll be happy with the Japanese. For around 3,000 euros, well-preserved specimens with less than 100,000 kilometers are currently on the common used car markets. It is also much cheaper. (SP-X)
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