Test Drive: 2011 Mazda2 GS

VOICE OVER: Miranda Lightstone

Like an itty-bitty Mazda3, this brand new Mazda2 hatch might be small, but it's full of spunk and attitude. The car's trendy design packs a punch, with the most noticeable feature being the bright colors available. You'll definitely stand out on a road full of black and silver sedans in this trendy ride. There isn't much under the hood, but that's okay for the Mazda2 because it's a lightweight car that really packs some zippy power. The Mazda2 is marketed as being a bit of concentrated zoom-zoom, and after a week behind the wheel http://www.WatchMojo.com would have to agree.

Drive:

Drive:

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?

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