2017 Mazda2 GT She says, he says review

She: With urban populations booming, city cars are becoming big players in the small vehicle market. For some time, the Mazda2 has been setting the benchmark. It's been crowned Drive's Best City Car of the Year for the past three consecutive years. Now the Japanese brand has raised the bar even higher, adding advanced safety features as standard on its latest update range. I was pleasantly surprised. What was your reaction, Amac? 
 
He: This is a fairly blink-and-you'll-miss-it kind of facelift for the Mazda2, but I admire the fact the Japanese car maker has put more effort into addressing safety and improving refinement at this end of the business rather than spending up big on new bumpers and tail lights, for example. The big ticket items for this update is the addition of automated emergency braking across the range, which is rare in this class, and a new flagship model variant, the GT, which we're testing here. Before we get stuck into the nitty gritty, small cars generally sell on style before anything else as they are designed to appeal predominantly to young female buyers. With that in mind, do you like the look of the Mazda2?

She: It's a nice looking car. Like you said, the changes are subtle but they add some sharpness. The electric folding side mirrors are practical, especially if you've parked in a tight city street but what really caught my eye was the cabin. The white leather seats with the black cloth look terrific. The dash looks high end, while the contrasting door trims with that splash of red in the air vents blend seamlessly. It reminds me of a Mini Cooper, and the touchscreen and rotary dial add a BMW touch to it. While the seats are comfortable, it felt a bit low and some adjusting was required to ensure I could see the info display properly. Like its predecessor, the rear remains pretty cramped. Now Mazda claims this revised version is quieter. What was it like for you on the road?

He: Firstly, I agree that the cabin looks sensational, particularly for this class of car; the white leather touches are quite classy and lighten up the cockpit, but you'd want to take care of it over the long term as it could get marked pretty easily. Anyway, as you indicated Dani, Mazda claims it has addressed on-road refinement with this update through additional insulation under the bonnet and in the boot as well as the adoption of a laminated windscreen. It is hard to quantify the improvements without driving the old one back-to-back, but on face value it seems marginally quieter. Beyond that, it remains a cheeky and engaging little car to drive, no matter what the environment. The 1.5-litre engine revs willingly, and is nicely calibrated to the six-speed automatic, making the 2 easy to manouevre through the urban jungle yet also fun to punt around when outside the city limits. Would you agree?

She: I really enjoyed the drive. The engine feels perky, and the car feels agile and takes sharp corners well. As it has done recently with the Mazda3 and CX-5 SUV, the 2 now features G-Vectoring control that Mazda claims improves cornering. I couldn't feel it working, and it's no hot-hatch but you can still have a bit of fun if you stick it in sports mode and use the manual shifts.The hologram-like head-up display is a handy addition as it helps keep your eyes on the road, which makes for safer driving. Speaking of safety, it's great to have advanced aids such as blind-spot monitoring and city braking in a small car. As a parent it makes this an appealing first car for your teenager. The other carrot dangler is that Mazda2's pricing hasn't changed.
 
He: It really does tick a lot of boxes, especially as a first car for young drivers - it's fun to drive and funky to look at, it has good connectivity features (although not having Apple CarPlay or Android Auto is a glaring omission these days) and it's efficient, as I wasn't that far off its claimed average fuel consumption of 4.9L/100km. While you pointed out Mazda hasn't upped the price of the 2 - and now offers affordable drive-away pricing across the range and across the country - this GT hatch with an automatic that we're testing will set you back more than $25k to put in your garage, which is a lot of coin for a city car. Still convinced?

She: The Mazda2 remains competitive and in my view is money well spent, more so at the mid-level Maxx variant for around $20k. It still gets the punchy engine, funky style and practical features that would appeal to young drivers but, as a whole, the introduction of standard safety gear ensures the entire Mazda 2 range is a cut above the rest in a big small car market. These days advanced safety technology has become somewhat of an expectation in family or luxury cars. It should be no different for our younger, more vulnerable drivers. For me, that's the deal clincher.

He: Me too. I would be more than willing to pay a premium for the knowledge that my children - or me...or anyone for that matter - is in the safest possible machinery for the money. That the Mazda2 is also a great car to drive, is stylish and not lacking for modern conveniences compensates for any shortcomings it still has - rear-seat space and debatable improvements in road noise - and only cements its position at the top of the city car class.

2017 Mazda2 GT Hatch price and specifications 

Price: $25,680 (drive-away)

Engine: 1.5-litre four cylinder petrol

Power: 81kW at 6000rpm

Torque: 141Nm at 4000rpm

Transmission: Six-speed automatic, front-wheel drive

Fuel use: 4.9L/100km

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