2004 Mazda Verisa 1.5L petrol from Australia and New Zealand
Summary:
Why did they stop building these? Awesome hatch
Faults:
Nothing at this stage.
General Comments:
Very underrated hatch. I work for a vehicle manufacturer that specializes in small cars and the Mazda Verisa does a better job than their offerings of a similar age/spec.
Suspension is very forgiving. When you approach rough road, you expect jolts but the car remains smooth and poised. Very comfortable/quiet car to drive.
Has plenty of space and cubbies for your stuff. Plenty of features too for such a small/cheap car. The small engine is utilized fully and the car feels peppy and doesn't struggle to keep up with the traffic. Awesome for the city, but comfortable to drive on longer distances too.
The only downsides that I have noticed are that the fuel tank is quite small, and with the engine utilized at the full rev range, you'll be heading off to the gas station more often than you might expect for a small car. The only other gripe is the wing mirrors being quite small, thus you have to do a bit more work to see if anybody is in your blind spot.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 23rd August, 2017
28th Jan 2018, 06:07
After a lot of online research for a small Japanese hatchback, I decided on a Mazda Verisa.
I agree with everything the previous comment said. I am now the proud owner of a 2005 Verisa. She had done 80,000 km. She is purple! Great stuff. I have the half leather seats (wouldn't go for fabric, the half leather looks fab) with steering wheel stereo controls. Not all Verisa have these features. Be careful.
I have used her mainly for work commuting, but recently took her for a run to Taupo, 2 hours drive away. She flew over the hills, and the quick change down ability when my foot is down on the accelerator, gave her a great added boost. The cornering ability is nippy. The 1500 cc engine came into its own here.
I have bought slightly bigger tyres than what she was sold with from Japan and they have made a huge improvement to her handling. I suggest this should be done fairly soon after purchase if needed.
I just love this little car; the higher sills mean you are not collapsing into the driver's seat and it's easy to get out of for older drivers. It's a 10/10 for me.