Mazda2 Neo 2008 Review

Road Test - Mazda2 Neo

RRP: $15,750
Price as tested: $17,400 ($1650 auto)
Crash rating: five stars
Fuel: petrol
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 6.8
CO2 emissions (g/km): 152
Also consider: Toyota Yaris (more here), Ford Fiesta (more here), VW Polo (more here).

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 3.5/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.0/5.0
Safety: 3.5/5.0
Behind the wheel: 3.5/5.0
X-factor: 3.5/5.0

About our ratings

Mazda quietly slipped the three-door version of its benchmark Mazda2 on the Australian market during May. It was Mazda's first three-door entry in the Light Car segment since the first 121 was launched in 1987. The overwhelming question is: why now?

Compared to the five-door Mazda2, the loss of two rear doors cuts only 10kg from the weight and $750 from the price. As the Light Car segment becomes the source of more small car substitutes for more buyers, there's a chance that as this trend becomes more entrenched in five-year's time, resale for the three door Mazda2 could be an issue.

The five-door version of the previous Holden TS Astra walks out the door as a used car almost as soon as the ad goes up. So why does the cheekier, cheaper and slightly sportier three-door version still struggle to generate enquiries in these more frugal times? If you don't need the extra doors, the three-door version of almost any small car will deliver a substantial saving as a used model when many second family car and older buyers are removed from the cut.

The Light segment was built on three-door models when cheap transport was the priority. The latest Mazda2 Neo three-door is not competing at the bargain basement end of the Light Car segment, however, as with an auto box and on road costs it gets close to the sharp all-inclusive $20,000 Small Car deals.

Priced well above its main Korean rival, the Mazda2 three-door is targeting a niche as a stylish, fun hatch similar to the various Honda Civic three-door models from the 1980s. Even though the Civic was from the next segment up, bracket creep in the Light Car segment ensures that the Mazda2 is now significantly bigger in wheelbase and length. And even if they are remarkably similar in what they do, the Mazda2 now offers crash protection and driver feel that an old Civic could not approach.

The Mazda2's extra size means it also fills a gap left by the exit of the Lancer-based Mitsubishi Mirage which, like the Civic hatch, was based on a model from the larger segment.

The three-door 2 immediately makes a statement that it's a car your mum wouldn't drive giving it extra appeal for a younger driver of either gender. Indeed, it's arguably the sportiest-looking sub-$20,000 buy on the market with sculptured panels that evoke the RX-8 and CX-7.

Can it live up to Mazda's claim that "only the Mazda2 three-door offers Japanese quality and style with an exhilarating mix of sportiness, safety and value" ?

The plastics are hard and basic and the cheap overall feel is a contrast to the detailed exterior. The bar graph fuel gauge is a pet hate and the open glovebox slot and the limited storage areas around the cabin are more last generation European than latest Japanese. The rear seating area is tight and so is the luggage area.

The Mazda2's five-star safety is commendable in this class and reflects the presence of stability control and good frontal crash protection, but there are other factors to consider before buying one as a student's pool transport or a second family car.

The three-door doesn't pretend to be safe or convenient transport for five when the rear cabin entry is tight and a rear seat this close to the rear bumper is not somewhere anyone would want to be if a LandCruiser decided to pay a visit. In the Mazda2's case, its sporty styling is almost shrink-wrapped around the rear occupants leaving just enough room for a temporary spare and what appears to be token rear impact absorption.

Yet these sharp looks are backed by a driving experience that is really top-shelf. In some ways, it is a more sophisticated drive than the Mazda3 missing out on the jiggly and crashy ride of some more expensive stablemates.

The relatively powerful 1.5-litre engine pumps out 76kW and 137Nm. Although not quite the class best, it is more than enough when combined with just over 1000kg.

The major departure from best practice in this segment is the conventional four-speed auto when CVT autos are becoming the norm. This is an important distinction when it generates a combined fuel figure of 6.8L/100km -- 1.2L/100km higher than the Mitsubishi Colt CVT which is bigger and heavier with an engine almost identical in output.

Today's CVT auto options usually deliver a fuel saving over the manual version but the Mazda2's old-school auto delivers an increase. Over stop-start city driving, our testing revealed that this gap in fuel consumption could be even higher.

Where a CVT ensures that the engine is nearly always operating at peak efficiency with wider choice of ratios, the Mazda2's auto has to constantly slip and slur like an old taxi to cover the gaps in just four 'cogs'. Despite that, some drivers might prefer the more decisive ratio shifts of the Madza2's conventional auto over the slipping clutch feel of a CVT.

The bottom line is that the Mazda2 at this premium end of the Light Car segment really deserves a five or six-speed auto with sequential shift, if it's going to live up to Mazda's claim of "exhilarating sportiness".

Accept the basic auto for its simplicity, long life and cheap repair costs (still issues with some CVT transmissions), and there is still much to like about the Mazda2.

The Mazda2's sports focus is real enough to forgive most practicality shortfalls. It is one of the best drives for the money, with a solid, planted feel on the road way beyond its size and weight. Its good vision, direct steering and willing engine enhance driver confidence, while the neutral handling stance and balance through corners add a big fun factor.

For a driver on a budget, male or female, the Mazda2 can still have you looking forward to the next drive, every time. In this area, it even surpasses the Ford Fiesta benchmark and its looks, freshness and attitude place it convincingly ahead.

When the new generation Fiesta arrives in 2009 Australian buyers will be presented with the choice of two very similar cars. Under Mazda's Zoom-Zoom mantra, however, the Mazda2 will continue to challenge those Australians who enjoy their driving to consider the extra tightness and the cleaner looks of the three-door body.

If the word got around that it's a good thing, used buyers might start to see the three-door as a stand alone model in much the same way as a Laser TX3 or Mazda 323 SS was once viewed.

If Mazda is genuine about the three-door's extra sportiness, it needs to help the process by giving its three-door range its own badging, exterior and cabin detailing so it cannot be seen as a cheapskate Mazda2 missing two doors.

Without it, the relatively small $750 saving now might not be enough to ease the resale pain later.

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