Mazda 2 1.5 (A) Review

The moment pictures of the new 2 leaked out, people were already lavishing it with "oooohs" and "aaaahs". The car was totally stripped and remade; less the engine of course. So does it look as good in real life as it did in the pictures?

The answer is yes. My lips suddenly stretched into a mile long smile as I approached the Mazda showroom. Maybe it was the hearty breakfast I had or maybe it was because it was a good morning. One thing is for sure though, that little car really looked good in that red paintjob, gleaming in the sunlight.

To make a good car better is really an uphill task. The old 2 was already quite a hit in the small car market with its sporty stance and options to customize. This new 2, however, will definitely brew up a storm. The car has lost all angular lines it had before and has adopted sexy curves and yes, it has lost weight. Almost a 100kg. With a svelte slim figure, the new 2 is now a lot more economical. To those concerned with the rising prices of oil today, this, I am sure, is good news. With an improved power to weight ratio, this car also promises to be a better performing car.

The space within the new 2 will not make it on the front page of any motoring newsletter but it is decent. It is able to hold four adults without sacrificing comfort. At the same time, it can swallow your weekender bag, a couple of umbrellas, your gym gear and some shopping in its boot. So a weekend getaway up north with a few of your friends is definitely possible.

The instrument cluster, made up of a tachometer, speedometer and the usual gauges is neat and pleasant looking. It flows well with the rest of the dashboard and the best part would be at night when the lights are switched on. The entire dashboard glows a warm yet exciting red. The factory audio system with multi disc changer is rather satisfactory. It helps too that Mazda Singapore decided to bring in the car with audio controls on the steering wheel. To those who will never leave the house without their MP3 players, listen up, this little hot car comes with auxiliary input placed tactfully near the handbrake. Never again will you see nasty, messy cables coming out from the player or the glove box.

Enough about how the car is stationary. Does it drive as good as it looks?

In order for me to conduct my test drive, I had to get out of Macpherson Road. With the amount of traffic there, I had to drive carefully and quickly and safely all at the same time. Not knowing how the car would perform, I proceeded to filter out to the main road with extreme caution. However, I quickly found out that the car could accelerate when I needed it too and had responsive brakes which came in useful when I had to avoid that pesky Toyota Crown. Steering was not too light nor was it too heavy. As I maneuvered my way around the twists and turns of Upper Paya Lebar Road, the suspension showed its true colours. The car was not tuned for absolute comfort. The ride was bumpy and hard with every bump on the road felt but I was still smiling because it gave the car a somewhat sporty feel. Anchored to a comfortable and supportive seat, I was enjoying the ride as much as I could. On the highway, the car had no problems pulling up to speed and executing an overtaking move was not too difficult either. The 1.5 litre engine was preppy and ready to go although when mated to an automatic transmission, it lost a bit of zest.

I was very happy with this machine that I was controlling. While it is not a supercar, it does not pretend to be. This car is all about fun and smiles all around. The car is easy to drive, a definite head turner and will not bust your bank account where petrol is concerned. It can occupy your mahjong "kakis" and will impress your mother-in-law and her friends. That is my opinion. I wondered what my friends would think of the car. It would be nice to get different perspectives. I called some of them out to have a feel of the car. These friends of mine are all working adults working in different sectors.

Mike, the advertising mogul, was impressed with the interior. To him, style is everything. He felt that the car is almost European. As for the drive, he exclaimed that the pickup was terrific and he felt good in the car.

Azuan, a teacher, was very taken by the shape of the car but was concerned about the space as he is almost 2 metres tall. However, the moment he stepped into the car, all his concerns faded. He sat comfortably and there was space for passengers at the back.

Lastly, Sean, who is in sales, commented that this car would definitely score him some brownie points with the ladies and at the same time allowing him to zip around town in style, comfort and relative speed. When told of the claimed fuel consumption figures, he simply would not return the keys to me.

It is unfortunate that I could not get a lady's opinion but from what I have gathered so far, the new Mazda 2 would definitely go well with people from all walks of life. It is almost like the people's car.

The only grouse I had while driving it was the lack of some creature comfort features. The car has no light in the middle to illuminate the cabin. The only light source is situated right in front just above the rear view mirror. The lack of a handle at the top of all doors also annoyed me a little as did the lack of a pocket at the back of the front seats. Otherwise, the car is simply terrific.

All in all, I wished the car had been given a little more horsepower so that I could "zoom zoom" around a little bit faster. Oh yes, did I mention the new 2 has 6 airbags??