Price Car Mazda2 Hatchback

Mazda2 Hatchback Design

What doesn’t work on the Mazda2 are the pair of oversized headlamps melted into the front end. Their design is fine, but their powers of illumination leave a lot to be desired. We used the fog lights in conjunction with the main beams just to throw a little more light on nighttime situations. The Mazda2 may be a small, inexpensive ride, but that doesn’t mean it deserves a set of dim eyes.

And it is small. 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). These dimensions create a car reminiscent of something you’d find playing Car Town on Facebook (not that we’d know).

Nevertheless, the Mazda2 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.

Mazda2 Hatchback Engine

If the exterior merely suggests the Mazda2 is fun to drive, then 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. Mazda’s message inside the 2 is clear: You’re here to drive, not collect flowers in a dash-mounted vase or admire some retro toggle switches.

If you’re so inclined, you’ll essentially have to look to the aftermarket to spruce up the Mazda2, because what you see is what you get from the factory. The smallest Mazda is offered in appropriately two trims: Sport, starting at $14,180, and Touring price at $15,635. Our tester was a Touring model, and for the extra price $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.