Buying a Mazda 2: The Mazda name has been around a long time and once made quite an impact on the Irish market. Its cars were known not for their exciting designs (with the notable exception of the Mazda 323 saloon with its distinctive flip-up headlight covers), but for other innovations, their reliability and their general levels of comfort.
Then something went wrong for Mazda. Too small to keep up with the giants of the Japanese motor industry, and without the same market presence of manufacturers such as Honda, Mazda fell behind. It also fell prey to a takeover and Ford duly muscled in for a controlling interest in the struggling but still respected company.
The result was cars like the Mazda 121, the first significant co-production between the two companies. Actually, calling it a co-production is a bit of a nonsense. Ford did not so much invest as find a cheap way to market a Ford Fiesta under a Japanese name and the Dagenham-produced 121 thus became a Fiesta with little more than a Japanese name. For those of us who remembered Mazda as a dedicated and different company, it was rather sad to see its Japanese individuality pass as quickly as the cherry blossom season.
Things have now turned around for Mazda. An obvious re-think on investment and brand loyalty has seen quite a few new cars from the company in the last few years and, once again, there is a unique appeal about them. I am reminded in particular of the Mazda 2, the successor to a car called the Demio - another Ford/Mazda creation that resembled nothing more than a small bread van with windows. The 2, on the other hand, has some curves, a fluid style, quite a nice interior and a better price tag than most of its competitors.
This is especially true on the second-hand market. This car is almost as good as a Honda Jazz or a Toyota Yaris but you won't pay as much for it. Based on the Ford Fusion, a sort of mini-MPV, it has a user-friendly low loading sill at the rear, seats flatten to make for more space and for a small car there is a feeling of spaciousness inside. The dashboard has good sized dials and the switches and buttons are well thought-out. For anyone who has to fiddle with the tiny controls of a factory-fitted radio on other cars, those on the 2 are a delight.
Being a city car you would expect a soft ride, which is the case, and the handling is fine. The Fiesta-based engines are good all-rounders and the 1.25 option is the best one - you don't really need anything bigger in a car like this. Overall, it is a grand driving experience and the profile of the car is much more superior to the Demio.
There is no significant re-call history on the Mazda 2 but it has only been around for a few years. The car scored four out of a possible five stars in the EuroNCAP crash tests, but was criticised for forces being fed to the passenger's chest being "relatively high" in the frontal impact. A door latch also disconnected during the test and child protection was described as "mixed".
A 2004 version with a 1.25 engine, remote central locking, alarm, immobiliser, CD player, electric windows, twin airbags, power steering and 21,500 miles on the clock has an asking price at one garage of €12,750. A 2003 version has an asking price of €11,900.
DONAL BYRNE
FOR: Good economy, stylish and cheaper than competitors.
AGAINST: Won't be a conversation stopper.