Mazda2 2016 Review

Mazda Mazda2 Maxx (sedan)
Road Test

Mazda occupies a unique place for the brand in Australia. It's a significant sales player in a major market. Pat yourself on the back Australian new car buyers for your world-leading good sense. In a car-building world where near enough is often good enough (dieselgate anyone, Takata airbags anyone, Jeep Grand Cherokee anyone?), the small Japanese manufacturer continues to set the high water mark for engineering quality and design at an affordable price. So having said all that do you think we liked the new Mazda2 Maxx sedan. Damn right we did.

Bloody hell we write a lot of stories about Mazdas at motoring.com.au.

I dunno if we could possibly come up with another angle on the future of MPS or the return of the rotary engine, but hey, we will keep trying.

And here's another common theme; we've road tested a new model Mazda and guess what? It's good.

In this case it's the Mazda2 Maxx sedan, the three-box version of the latest generation mini-car that graced these shores as a hatchback in 2014.

This thing is so good it's undoubtedly among the best minis on offer in Australia these days. It is easily the best sedan in its class and – like the 2 hatch – a true rival for the likes of the Volkswagen Polo, Skoda Fabia and Renault Clio (none of which come as sedans).

The 2 Maxx sedan looks good, feels good, drives good and doesn't suck much fuel. And that's good too.

But back to the basics. The Maxx is the upper-spec of two you can get in the 2 sedan, as there is no Genki.

The starter is the Neo at $14,990 (plus ORCs), with the Maxx coming in at $17,690 (plus ORCs). Both are powered by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder SKYACTIV-G engines that drive the font wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. The optional six-speed auto is an extra $2000.

Standard equipment includes six airbags, stability control with electronic brake-force distribution, emergency brake assist and ISOFIX child safety seat anchorages. The Mazda2 was awarded a maximum five-star rating by the independent crash testing authority, ANCAP.

Features fitted as standard to all Mazda2 sedans include electric windows and mirrors, air-conditioning, cruise control, trip computer, MP3-compatible audio with CD, Bluetooth connectivity with audio streaming, multi-function steering wheel, keyless start and (acoustic) rear parking sensors.

The Maxx alone gets 15-inch alloy wheels, unique seat upholstery (fabric), leather-trimmed gear knob, handbrake lever and steering wheel rim, 7.0-inch infotainment screen, six-speaker audio with internet integration (Pandora, Stitcher, Aha) and a reversing camera. The spare tyre is a space saver. Smart City auto braking (AEB) is optional.

It's worth noting the Maxx comes with a 'high-spec' engine that courtesy of a number of modifications including a higher compression ratio and 4-2-1 exhaust (versus 4-1) boosts power by 2kW to 81 and torque by 2Nm to 141.

The high-spec version also gets a fuel saving idle-stop system, which works unobtrusively by the standard of such things and helps drop fuel consumption as low as a claimed 4.9L/100km when mated with the auto. As a manual – which is how we tested the Mazda2 – the claimed fuel consumption rate was 5.2L.

OK, all very impressive in theory, but this is where it starts to impress in reality. Our week-long average over a significant variety of driving conditions came out at just 5.4L/100km. That's on 91 RON unleaded.

So with a 44-litre fuel tank that's a range close to 800km. At current 91 RON ULP costs, and working on around 15,000km travel per annum, you may not have to refuel this thing for weeks at a time. Now that's impressive.

But what really adds another layer to all this is the Maxx doesn't drive like a fuel miser – as the Honda Civic road-tested a few weeks ago did. The free-spinning DOHC engine with its 6500rpm redline is light and zesty, happily zotting up and down the range, supported beautifully by the clean-shifting manual gearbox.

Look, it's not going to leap tall buildings in a torque-laden bound – a low-blow turbo would ensure it could do that (Mazda turbo? Now there's another story staple) – but at least flipping back through the box to tackle a steep climb is neatly done. In the week with the Maxx, I only wrong-slotted once.

The enthusiasm of the drivetrain is matched by the sharpness of the light, responsive and evenly weighted steering and the sure handling, all aided by a typical Mazda suspension set-up that some people may find sterner on bumps than to their liking. But the overall body control and ability of the car to respond to inputs not only makes it more enjoyable but also more helpful in an emergency 'swerve and recover' situation than its less dynamic rivals.

In the challenging environs of the shopping centre carpark the small 9.8m turning circle is a boon. But the lack of front parking sensors and the rising rear window line – which kids won't like either – are not.

Both engine response and dynamic crispness are aided by the car's light weight. The Maxx manual weighs in at just 1045kg (kerb), which undercuts lesser rivals like the Honda City and Hyundai Accent.

Much of what you have read here could be interchangeable between the 2 sedan and hatch, but one area where the three-box design steps ahead is cabin quietness. Noise suppression has never been a Mazda strength and, although it's hardly the issue it once was, the three-box sedan still blocks out noise from the rear-end better than the hatch.

So what do you give up in return? Okay, there's a flexibility loss just because it's easier to throw bigger stuff into a hatch than a sedan boot. But the Maxx's boot claims a total 440 litres of storage compared to the hatch's 250. All that is generated by a 260mm longer body. The rear seats do fold down – albeit not fully flat – via cable releases in the boot to provide enough room to carry a large mountain bike with the front wheel removed.

Moving forward to the driver's seat there's an instrument panel – that looks like the bisected fuselage of a monoplane – dominated by a central speedo, with supplementary digital tacho. At the top of the centre stack is an iPad-style 7.0-inch screen which is controlled by a combination of touch buttons and the MZD Connect dial in the centre console. Functions accessed here include communications, entertainment and navigation (if optioned). Mostly, it works well although I did find fiddling around looking for radio pre-sets a chore. Reflections also made the screen hard to read occasionally.

The steering wheel is reach and rake adjustable, there's a sizeable left footrest and a large seat. In fact, the seat is a good example of the way Mazda has spent money wisely around the cabin. It's full-sized, comfortable and comes with substantial wings for support. Yep, feel around and you'll find hard plastics on the dash-top and below the eyeline. There are also no soft linings in bins and pockets, but if you are going to prioritise a limited spend, then would you rather have a comfortable seat, a lid on a bin or a damped glovebox opening?

Mind you, as is the Mazda way the economising goes too far in the back seat. There are no door pockets or adjustable rear air-con vents. But there are three adjustable headrests and three lap-sash seatbelts. Access to the rear seat is via small but wide opening doors. A 1.8m adult sitting behind similar will grind their knees into the front-seat. You sit upright, but headroom is reasonable.

So from headroom to the bottom-line; and it's a pretty simple summation. The Mazda2 Maxx is more than enough car for most people. It is spacious for its size both in the cabin and in the boot. It is incredibly thrifty yet also enjoyable to drive.

There is no better sedan in this category than the Mazda2. In fact, it's debatable whether there's any better car in this category at all. It's that good.

2016 Mazda Mazda2 Maxx (sedan) pricing and specifications:
Price: $17,690 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.5-litre petrol four-cylinder
Output: 81kW/141Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel: 5.2L/100km (ADR combined)
CO2: 121g/km (ADR combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star (ANCAP)

Also consider:
>> Honda City (from $15,990 plus ORCs)
>> Skoda Fabia (from $17,140 plus ORCs)
>> Volkswagen Polo (from $16,990 plus ORCs)