The Mazda2 caused quite a stir when it was launched in 2007. Not only was it outstandingly better than the previous 2, it also received praise for being lighter, something that has become fairly common in the industry but was most unusual six years ago.Mazda's achievement in creating a top-notch supermini was celebrated widely. The new model was even named World Car of the Year for 2008, emerging at the top of a shortlist which included the Ford Mondeo, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the Nissan Qashqai and - get this - the Audi R8.But then the Ford Fiesta happened, and suddenly the Mazda didn't look quite so good. More recently it was shuffled further down by the rankings as Peugeot demonstrated a return to supermini form with the 208 and Renault came up with a Clio which, though actually only the fourth car to bear that name, was such an advance over the previous one that it felt like it must have been the fifth.The decline of the Mazda is shown partly by how few variants you can choose from. There are more kinds of Fiesta than there are water molecules in the Pacific Ocean, but only three 2s. There used to be a diesel version, but that's no longer on the price list, leaving just the 83bhp 1.3 petrol Tamura reviewed here, the more basic and slightly less powerful 74bhp £10,995 1.3 TS and the £12,995 1.5 TS automatic.The 1.3-litre engine (actually 1349cc, so it would be more accurate to describe it as a 1.35) is decent enough, and gives the 2 official combined fuel economy of 56.5mpg.I had more reason than usual to investigate how realistic this is, since I partly drove, though mostly navigated, an almost identical 2 on the MPG Marathon not longer after handing back the test car.I found that it's possible to average a little over 60mpg, but that takes a great deal of effort, and if you're going to match it you have to be prepared to ignore signs of frustration in whoever is driving the vehicle immediately behind you. If you want to achieve 60mpg, you have to abandon all thought of serious acceleration and resign yourself to gradually gaining momentum with the most sparing possible use of the throttle pedal.And that's quite tricky, because the throttle is very sensitive at the top end of the pedal travel. Finding a balance between tickover speed and 2000rpm is rather difficult. I'm meant to be reasonably good at driving - good Lord, I've done enough of it - but too many of my town starts involved either over-revving or stalling. This is not good news in a car which may spend most of its life being driven in urban areas.Different people have different ideas about interior styling. I'm not sure that the 2 looks or feels any classier inside than the Dacia Sandero, despite the great disparity in pricing. The most expensive Sandero undercuts the cheapest 2 by £1200, and costs £2500 less than this one.Interior space is lavish, which was a big help on the MPG Marathon because both of the occupants were over six feet tall. The undersized tailgate, however, gives slightly restricted access to a luggage compartment which, with the rear seats in place, gives only 250 litres of storage, a figure now matched by several much smaller city cars.The 2 isn't bad, and if you bought one without paying much attention to rival products you might enjoy owning it, but it is well past its prime. The latest 6 shows how expertly Mazda can craft a thoroughly up-to-date car, and it needs to do exactly that job with a future 2 if it wants to reclaim the credibility it once had in the supermini sector. Engine 1349cc, 4 cylinders Power 83bhp Transmission 5-speed manual Fuel/CO2 56.5mpg / 115g/km Acceleration 0-62mph: 13.6 seconds Top speed 106mph Price £12,295 Details correct at publication date
Our Rating
