2005 Mazda 2 Antares 1.4 petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Reliable, comfortable and good to drive

Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

Purchased car in September 2005. It was a 'demo' model with 3000 miles on clock. We have found it to be comfortable and economic to run. We have undertaken several fairly long journeys, to Cornwall, Worcester and Derbyshire, from our home in Sussex. The car has been totally reliable and not at all tiring to drive.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 31st May, 2006

2004 Mazda 2 1.4 Antares 1.4 Zetec petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

The best small hatchback out there!

Faults:

Nothing so far.

General Comments:

The engine in the Mazda 2 1.4 Antares is the Zetec engine from the Ford Fiesta, as the Fiesta and Mazda 2 are built in the same Spanish factory. This is a great engine that is very quiet and refined for such as small engine. Performance is pretty good for a 1.4 too. The 1.4 engine is very economical on fuel, rendering the 1.25 version pointless. I would strongly advise any potential customers to go for the 1.1 or 1.6 litre versions as the 1.25 is underpowered in comparison.

The Mazda 2 handles incredibly well and has a fairly decent comfortable ride too. You can tell it is built in Europe to cater for European tastes. Refinement is particularly impressive on the motorway. It is as refined as many much larger cars.

This car is small on the outside, but is very big inside. There is plenty of space inside for four adults. Head and leg room is exceptional. The driving position is good, though a bit high up for my liking.

A very stylish looking little car inside and out. the dashboard in particular is a great piece of design. Build quality is exceptionally good and is a credit to Mazda, Ford, and the Spanish workforce.

This must be the best small hatchback available today.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 28th July, 2004

13th Mar 2021, 12:27

I can sense too much enthusiasm in this review. In fact the car is very tight inside except for legroom. Front passengers have the A pillar very close to them, it almost feels scary and not very safe. However front leg room is good for tall drivers and the seats are quite tall as well, which I actually prefer - I hate the low seating position of so many cars on the market. But make no mistake, this is a crammed car inside, the side windows sit like near your ear.

2003 Mazda 2 Mazda 1.4 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Good comfortable car well priced car, pity about the mirrors

Faults:

None.

General Comments:

The car is very nippy for a diesel.

But better to use 3rd gear in town driving.

Average MPG 53 which includes a fair bit of town driving.

Worst gripe is the mirrors. The driver's wing mirror is not a "true" mirror which leaves you thinking the vehicle is miles behind when it is almost beside you. Makes motorway driving difficult.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 5th May, 2004

2003 Mazda 2 maxx 1.5 from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

Excellent city car

Faults:

Only problem experienced is tappet noise when the car is first started. My brother also purchased a Mazda 2 proir to myself and also has the same problem. Is this a design fault. As the rest of the car is excellent.

General Comments:

Love driving this car. It drives as good as my work commodore. For a small car it does not have that small car feel. A bigger motor for the auto would be great in a car this size (1.8)..As with all manufactures they always leave you wanting!!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 9th April, 2004

17th May 2004, 03:47

In response to your comment about tappet noise on startup: in my experience at least, this has almost always been due to the use of not enough oil, old oil, or the wrong type of oil. The oil 'falls off' the top of the engine and into the sump and isn't there when the can is first started. Maybe speak to a mechanic about suggestions for different oil type, or ask Mazda.

In reply to 17th May 2004, 03:47

16th Feb 2014, 22:03

My Mazda 2 (it used to be badged Demio, but this fell off…) also has a tappet noise for the first one or two kilometers - it goes away immediately after an oil change, but is back a week later.

The car definitely has superior handling compared to other small cars of its era, due to the Ford underpinnings and "grown up" steering ratio, which feel very natural on the open road. It's a pity the suspension travel is so abbreviated that it cannot handle rough low speed roads as well.

Saying that, there are a good many rattles and shakes in the interior plastics, the front left wheel has a dent that makes the car shimmy at 90 kph, and it is too noisy to be called civilized. The seats are very hard, and the sharp edges on the bottom of the steering column regularly take skin off my knees, even at the highest position. I suppose the close intrusion of the huge central fascia could be called support for cornering, but it lends a feeling of being cramped.

Most disappointingly, my $10k purchase is now worth only $3k at best, after only three years. I now regret not buying a Nissan Primera of the 1998 - 2000 era.

2003 Mazda 2 Genki 1.5 from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

A well built, well performing car

Faults:

Nil.

General Comments:

Engine is slightly lumpy between 1000 - 2000 RPM.

Clutch pedal travel is too long, causing driver to virtually lift off or slide foot on floor.

Stereo 6 stacker is terrific.

Pulling power in 5th gear is exceptional.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 29th July, 2003

2003 Mazda 2 Maxx 1.5 S-VT from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

Zoom-Zoom excellence for Zoom-Zoom price!

Faults:

It runs on premium unleaded due to it being a S-VT (sequential valve timing) engine.

General Comments:

Only picked up the car (Mazda 2 Ma xx Auto) yesterday from the dealer and it's the best car we've ever owned! Its great for city driving, fantastic interior and powerful for a small 1.5lt 4 cylinder car.

Excellent features for a $24,000 car!

Buy one if you can - the smallness and the Premium-unleaded needed seemed like a bit of a turn off, but once you get in it you'll wonder how you lived without it.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 18th April, 2003

14th Nov 2003, 12:14

Review from Maxx. What good is a car review when you have only had the car for 1 day.

25th Jan 2004, 03:28

I don't see the problem with only having it one day. As it is a novelty you would drive it quite a bit and can form at least some opinion on it.

From another point of view many car reviews in the paper/magazines are based on a drive of less than a day! About the only thing that cannot be accurately commented on is anything to do with reliability, but not even the papers/mags can give a reliable review on that unless it is a 1000km+/long term test or they have something drastically go wrong with the car.

Good on the reviewer for enjoying their new car and writing something about it!!! In the end, isn't that what it is all about?!

View 6 more comments