2011 Mazda2

The new Mazda2 is driving enjoyment, not fuel efficiency, and the Mazda2 is proof that a small, slow, inexpensive car can be fun to drive quickly. Compared to the next largest Mazda, the MX-5 Miata, the Mazda2 is 1.8 inches shorter (155.5 inches) and an inch narrower (66.7 inches), yet it’s also 8.7 inches taller (58.1 inches).

2011 Mazda2’s exterior wears its shrunken lines quite well. Its 15-inch alloy wheels fitted with 185/55 R15 Yokohama all-season tires fill up those small wheel wells nicely without being swallowed by the fenders. There’s also a soft shoulder line that begins below the top of the front wheels and rises precipitously to above the taillights.

The rear is the least expressive angle, though a roof spoiler does manage to whisper Mazda’s hyphenated catchphrase. The Crystal White Pearl paintwork of our tester also contrasted nicely with the blacked-out lower grille, fog light surrounds and rear apron, all of which manage to avoid looking cheap.

The interior gets down to brass tacks. Fun and cutesy have been left outside, replaced with somber blacks and restrained grays. In fact, a sliver of red piping on the dark, cloth-lined seats is just about the only splash of color in this otherwise midnight cabin. There are also no amenities to mess with besides the climate control and a six-speaker AM/FM/CD audio system with an auxiliary input jack.

The steering wheel tilts and the integrated audio controls don’t get in the way. The floor-mounted shifter is raised and the audio and climate controls are easy to use. One minor ding is the lack of a center armrest, something we missed on longer trips, though the comfortably cushioned seats kept our spinal columns happy.

The smallest Mazda is offered in – appropriately – two trims: Sport, starting at $14,180, and Touring at $15,635.

Our tester was a Touring model, and for the extra $1,455 came equipped with alloy wheels, halogen foglamps, rear spoiler, cruise control, the aforementioned red seat piping, steering-wheel mounted audio controls, six speakers instead of four and a trip computer. It comes down to a question of how much you’re willing to pay for a little more style and better sound, because both trim levels are light on options.

2011 Mazda2 performance using 1.5-liter inline four-cylinder producing 100 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 98 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm. It’s slow. All 100 horses propel the 2 from 0-60 miles per hour in a decidedly un-Zoom-like 10.2 seconds. The tester was fitted with a five-speed manual transmission – the standard gearbox on the 2. The 1.5-liter engine receives an EPA fuel economy rating of 29 miles per gallon in the city and 35 mpg on the highway.