Thinking about getting Mazda 2, but ...

[freestyle]

I currently drive 2004 VW Jetta 1.8T. I've owned it for 3+ years and modified it slightly during this time to keep it fun. With the cat-back exhaust and performance software it is pushing 210hp+, but it is NOT all about the horsepower and torque. I am only averaging 21mpg (80% freeway, 20% city) with my driving style.

Something is telling me that I need to get something economical and fun at the same time. I want my next car to be subcompact, 100 to 140hp, manual transmission, combined mileage 30mpg+ with hard driving.

So I test-drove:
- 2011 Mazda 2 manual
- 2008 Mini Cooper manual
- Honda Fit

I like the Mazda 2 and also Mini Cooper.

Mini Cooper already comes with very tight suspension so I might just need to get some lightweight black wheels and maybe lower it a bit and it will be fun. If I get Mazda 2, I would modify the following: shocks, springs, front strut bar, rear sway bar, exhaust, lightweight wheels with some good tires.

However, I hear some bad stories about Mazda 2 having poor build quality and weird noises coming from the main components of suspension such as arms and bushings and what not. That concerns me because I would hate to deal with stuff on a brand new car. I already have VW stuff to deal with


Your input is appreciated.

Thanks,
Freestyle.

 

[fam]

Driving like a moron i average about 34, worst tank is 29, best was 39.5

Any dash creeks are very minor, if you listen to the radio youd never know, no suspension noises. Its just simpler inside than the other 2. No bluetooth, no sunroofs, just the basics. If youre comparing new prices the 2 is a billion times cheaper than a mini, and the fit is more expensive too. The fit is better for hauling things and with a longer wheel base is better in the rain under racing conditions. The 2 is a 4(5) door fwd miata, we are partial to them here so youre not going to find anyone saying to get the other car unless you are asking if you should get a 2 or a boss 302....then we would tell you to get the boss ;-)

 

[ajent420]

What fam said. I just picked mine up a month ago and have been really happy with it. I got a sport because my main reason for trading in my CX-7 was to save money (cheap car @ $15K, great mpg etc)
Stock I think it's a great zippy little car that is supprisingly fun to drive. So far, I've put a stereo in and I must say I've never had a car that has no rattles inside OR out after adding a 12 to the trunk. Satisfied with that for sure.
As far as performance, I'm not going to go over board with engine mods on this one as I want to keep my MPGs up as high as possible since this is my daily commuter (~45 Mi per day), but I do have a corksport STB and torsion bar in my garage just waiting to be put on. Add some wheels/tires and the price on all that fun stuff is still cheaper than those others you listed.

I may be biased though against the mini as I had a friend that had one (09 I think) and I was not impressed.

 

[PGTBrow]

I drove a VW 1.8T bug before and it was traded in for the 2. I greatly appreciate the jump in mpg lol. As far as build quality its ok, it is small car so theres not much to it. But keep in mind this is not a "new" chassis. Its been in Japan and Europe for years before it came over here. So im sure 99% of the bugs are worked out. If you want a diesel wait till 2013 btw, but if going with the regular gas might want to snatch up a 2012 as the 2013s are gonna be built south of the border rather than in Japan. Not sure how that would effect build quality, but it is something you might want to keep in mind.

 

[DaleNixon]

I've never owned a Mazda that didn't have some rattles somewhere eventually. I mostly blame myself for installing after market stereos with cheap mounting kits and modifying the suspension.

 

[CorkSport]

I've never owned a Mazda that didn't have some rattles somewhere eventually. I mostly blame myself for installing after market stereos with cheap mounting kits and modifying the suspension.

Lol, yeah I have been responsible for most on of the noises on my Mazdas as well.

-Derrick

 

[arcxer]

If you want a diesel wait till 2013 btw, but if going with the regular gas might want to snatch up a 2012 as the 2013s are gonna be built south of the border rather than in Japan. Not sure how that would effect build quality, but it is something you might want to keep in mind.

The build quality will certainly go the same way: south.

But in general -- yes, it's a small car, budget car. Set your expectations correctly, test one and decide. I don't know about Fit (never tested one -- those Honda sales people are so arrogant!), but Mini is kind of different league, IMHO.

I'm happy with my Two, but probably there're people who'd be turned off by its simplistic interior, etc.

 

[fam]

There are plenty of used 2's floating around now so just go drive a higher mileage one that you can find and see if its quiet enough for you.

 

[genericmoniker]

I have a single annoying rattle I found after I installed my sub. The little panel that hides the jack. Other than that, it's really nothing a little music can't hide. Not that's it noticeable with the radio off.

I test drove the Fiesta, and liked it quite a bit. My only subtraction from the Fiesta would be that the tranmission felt...."off". Like it had too many gears or something as it would randomly downshift/upshift while cruising. Mind you, I never test drove a manual Fiesta (they didn't have one on lot wtf?) so I can't compare the two in that regard.

The fit is a great car in it's own right, but I don't look at it as a drivers car. IMO, it's more of a utility vehicle with the amount of room in it. Whilst test driving I felt the ride was harsh and I felt disconnected from the rest of the car.

Minis are great cars, but are indeed in a completely different class. I'd assume that maintenance and parts costs are through the roof in comparison to the 2.

 

[Phontsolo]

Take it from me. I own a Mini Cooper S and a Mazda 2. Both have some interior creaking noises. But it's really not a big deal.

 

[Ted_R]

as the 2013s are gonna be built south of the border rather than in Japan.

Is this a definite ? What I read was that the majority of the Mexican Mazda 2's and 3's would be going to Central and South America.

How many, if any, would make it to the US seems to be unclear. I don't know one way or the other but I am curious.

I am also glad I bought mine when I did.

 

[mazdapunk87]

i have had my 2 for about 3 weeks now and for the most part noise/creekwise alls i ever hear (when music is down or off) is the ac condenser kicking on and off , i bought this car with only intention being to use it for work(i make deliveries) but have enjoyed it so much that now im looking at doing a few mods to it because its a blast to drive , hope you get the mazda 2 ,mini cooper is cool too but im more of a mazda guy , hope peoples reviews help shed some light on any questions or concerns

 

[mazdapunk87]

yeah from what i have been reading was majority of the 2/3's coming out of that plant would be going to cen -south america as Ted_R said. , plus if anything you could always look at the production tag and not buy one from south of the border,



ah just found this , here
"
The joint venture facility, between Mazda and Sumitomo, is named Mazda Motor Manufacturing de Mexico S.A. de C.V. (MMMdM) and is located in the Mexican city of Salamanca, in the state of Guanajuato. The Mexican plant will help Mazda keep up with the growing demand in the Central and South American markets as well as to reduce its dependence its Japanese facilities.

The companies held a special ceremony during the past week to mark the beginning of construction of the factory, and the guest of honour at the event was the Minister of Economy of Mexico, Mr Bruno Ferrari. The Mexican facility will include both vehicle and engine assembly plants and will begin operations in March 2014 with an estimated annual production capacity of 140,000 units. The plant will produce both the Mazda2 and Mazda3 compact models."

http://www.sgcarmart.com/news/article.php?AID=4874

 

[dsgrey]

Cooper would probably be funner to drive but they've cheaped out on the interior. M2 mpgs are nice, no issues with mine at 20k but realize the drop in HPs to get 40mpg. Don't but one then sink thousands trying to eek out 10 more HPs to the whopping 110 HP range.

Fiesta was my first choice since I have owned many Fords, 2 Focuses and do own Ford stock. But the new auto tranny is a lemmon thus why I started looking at sticks again which led to the M2. The M2 is fun to drive but nothing like my Miata and nothing like your 200 HP car so realize the major change before you take the leap to mpgs.

 

[colonelangus]

my mazda is new and no noises so far havnt heard of anyone complaining of it..wouldnt touch a mini if you paid me ..ill say of the 5 other brand new cars ive purchased in the last 10 years this is by far the best built car of them all.the fit and finish is perfect ..just head down to a local gm or ford dealer check out the bad paint jobs and the bad fit and finish then go check out the mazda again you will pleasantly surprised how well its put together and its there cheapest car..my 45,000.00 dollar equinox's paint was orange peeled when i complained they showed me a new cobalt and a new corvette both were orange peeled just as bad..that was the last time i purchased a domestic car new..i traded the eq in on the mazda2 and have had a blast since and have saved about 300.00 in fuel in the last month..

 

[shortfuse12]

when i was out to buy a car my choices were honda fit. nissan versa hatch and mazda2. i chose the 2 cause of the price. versa was actually cheaper but u have to pay for the extra stuff that i would want. fit is just over priced honda, so i went for the 2 it came with everything i need. seeing that u are from so.cal u shouldn't be worried about the bushing issue so far the problem happens to the eastcoast owners where the weather goes below zero. my car is about 1 yr now still no issue with noise and such. u'll notice a big difference in mpg specially driving on the 405/5 every day. i feel up my tank about 1 1/2to 2weeks remember the tank on the 2 is only 8gallons so u will need to fill up regardless of ur driving. and heres another plus most new cars is sggested to use 91 or higher the 2 is 87 with the gas price its nice to know u can fill up with a cheap gas and knowing it wont cause any bad effects on the engine.

 

[freestyle]

Thank you all for your information. It is very helpful.

Some people mentioned the simplicity of Mazda 2. That's what I actually like about it. If it were legal, I would probably strip out the interior and put some racing seats with roll cage, but I still need to drop off the kids to school

As for taking the leap to MPG from my relatively powerful VW Jetta 1.8T, that should not be a big deal as my previous two cars were both 115hp (VW Golf 2.0L and Honda Civic). Yes, Mazda 2 would be the least powerful I've owned, but it would also be the most lightweight. I would probably need to ask for a longer testdrive to make sure that the power would be sufficient. As for the fun-factor and handling, I am not worried about that.

If I decide to get Mazda2, I would keep it simple and try to make it look like the white one in this picture

http://images.pistonheads.com/nimg/22721/mazdasema_1-L.jpg

Thanks,
Freestyle.

 

[Slow Paul]

I came from a MINI as well and I am really happy with my 2. I had a Cooper so the power is similar in the 2. The fit and finish is excellent on my Mazda and at nearly 15k on the odometer, I have not had any weird suspension noises, or any other noises for that matter. Get a 2, you wont regret it. Excellent mpgs, fun to drive, and it's pretty damn cheap.

 

[shaowq]

Thank you all for your information. It is very helpful.

Some people mentioned the simplicity of Mazda 2. That's what I actually like about it. If it were legal, I would probably strip out the interior and put some racing seats with roll cage, but I still need to drop off the kids to school

As for taking the leap to MPG from my relatively powerful VW Jetta 1.8T, that should not be a big deal as my previous two cars were both 115hp (VW Golf 2.0L and Honda Civic). Yes, Mazda 2 would be the least powerful I've owned, but it would also be the most lightweight. I would probably need to ask for a longer testdrive to make sure that the power would be sufficient. As for the fun-factor and handling, I am not worried about that.

If I decide to get Mazda2, I would keep it simple and try to make it look like the white one in this picture

http://images.pistonheads.com/nimg/22721/mazdasema_1-L.jpg

Thanks,
Freestyle.

I came from a Supercharged 1.8L 2003 corolla, all bolt-ons, I/H/E, pullies, meth inj, emanage, all in all i was running about 180-185 whp and DBC(drive by cable).

Power difference is huge and honestly, it takes a lot to be able to swallow my pride when dick heads pull up next to me to try to **** with me cuz i have no power to back it up. Freeway merging is kind of scarey sometimes.

Once you hit a nice curve or twisties of some sort however...it's all worth it. My stock 2 handles the same if not better than my corner balanced corolla with $3000 in suspension mods...it's really kind of sad.

Like one of the previous people say, when i drive like an idiot i get 33-34 mpg average. Passing people on the freeway and such is surprisingly painless. 90% of the time I don't take it out of 5th gear when im on the freeway passing from 65-80. It takes a couple extra seconds but it's not a big deal. It's pretty peppy in 5th gear. It's actually supposed to be faster than the new 170hp beetle according to motor trend stats.

To make the driving more fun im getting I/E and crank pulley from corksport before the end of the month, im really happy about that. And i plan to see if i can get an aftermarket header and then get my ECU reflashed/tuned.

As for the creaks and such, i notice popping noises when i have the heater turned up on full blast on 3 or higher cuz it gets so hot...otherwise there's not a whole lot of noises i hear right now...I'm at 13k miles. My corolla rattled a lot too...but it was all my fault like many others have said...this car will be the same as well

So in the end! Great car, good bargain, fun to drive, great gas mileage, not too expensive to make MORE fun to drive, and a lot more unique and lighter than the mini.

 

[Ted_R]

When I purchase a car my main concerns are long life, reliability, price and mpg's.

I have had 6 mazdas over the last 30 years and they have all handled each of those concerns in a miraculous fashion.