Faults:

Services and not much else! Exhaust a bit noisy - will get it checked. Replacement should be cheap enough, I use a local garage for repairs, rarely go to Mazda main dealers for anything, no need to at this age, the car is well out of warranty.

General Comments:

Bright red 5 door Mazda 2, smart looking little car. Nice alloy wheels.

Very modern feeling despite being 12 years old now.

The car handles very sharp. 1.3 does not have much power, but that is expected. Will do 47 MPG or more all day though. Insurance, tax, general running costs are as cheap as it can get for a car nowadays.

Interior is cramped and the ride is a bit harsh. But you cannot expect much from a small city car. Seats are comfortable enough though, and the "Takuya" model has decent equipment levels.

Just love it, a very easy to use car, gets you from A to B reliably.

Faults:

New clutch, probably the most expensive thing.

Renewed battery as a precaution as it was probably the original.

Last time I had it in for a basic service I had the brakes renewed back and front.

Slight rattle from rear, could be exhaust bracket or suspension mount, will get it checked soon.

General Comments:

For a 2009 car this Mazda 2 feels like new. I bought it used back in 2018. Despite that clutch replacement (not my fault, I bet the first owner was a bad driver and wore it out early), the car has never given me any serious trouble. In general it has been cheap to run.

1.3 petrol engine is quick enough, but not a fast car by anyone's standards. It will do 40 - 50 mpg however.

Great looking in black. Interior is a bit dull and grey though. TS2 model comes with alloys, plenty of electrics, and air con.

A dependable little car that I hope to keep for another few years. Everyone says Mazda's rust early - well mine has not got a mark on it and it is 14 years old.

Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

I'm not a fan of small cars, but am growing to like this one! It's got a great engine, being smooth, very refined and extremely flexible. I drove the 1.3 version too, but the 1.5 is far superior; one of Mazda's best engines, yet you still get around 47 MPG on average!

The handling is also fun, and like most Mazdas, you can throw it round corners if you wish without body roll. It's far more taut than say a Honda Jazz (also a very good car, but completely missing any inspiration). For a very small and light car, it's also very stable at high speeds - how have they managed this? The ride is very firm in the back - need to drive another to see if it's just mine or normal.

The features of the car as standard are also pretty good - you get cruise control, automatic lights and wipers, 16" alloy wheels, DSC stability control, curtain airbags, front fog lamps and folding e/mirrors. The design of the folding mirrors is also good, as you can press the button to fold when the key is out, so it gives you a chance to open the door first.

Build quality - very solid and well finished; normal for Mazda. Reliability wise no issues either as yet, and hopefully none will occur, as anything from Mazda or Honda, in my experience, is great.

Negatives? Well being used to a bigger car, I initially found it a bit uncomfortable, but adapted after a few days, and now it's fine. It would be nice if there was a light for rear passengers, a front arm rest (an option I believe) and a 2 way steering adjustment. Also, a sunroof as an option would be very nice too. These are not major things, but would have made a great car even better.

It's practical, good looking, great to drive and the Spirited Green paint we have really suits the car! Highly recommended in all respects.