Test Drive: 2011 Mazda2 GS
Drive:
Test Drive: 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
Despite the tagline “zoom-zoom concentrate” it’s hard to get too excited about the 1.5-liter, 4-cylinder that pushes out 100 horsepower -- until you get behind the wheel. Thanks to the low curb weight, the power-to-weight ratio is so fantastic that the little Mazda2 zips around quite nicely and nimbly. Now, because this car has, inevitably, been compared to the Fiesta I’ll make a comparison with the drive and the only difference I can find is that the Fiesta is less twitchy and feels sturdier on the road. Lower gears in the Mazda2 are tricky with a manual gearbox. First and second gear are extremely jerky at lower speeds in traffic and I found myself becoming increasingly annoyed with the little subcompact number the more I drove it. I just preyed for an automatic transmission every time traffic slowed to a crawl. However, other than that the Mazda2 is a fun, spirited car to drive. And really, when you’re driving around in a car that’s brighter and more cheerful looking than anything else on the road, how can you not be happy?