As a young Ford salesman and then manager in the late 70’s through the 1980’s, 90’s and noughties I was quietly jealous of Ford supplier, Mazda. We had Laser, they had Mazda 323 We had Telstar, they had Mazda 626. Always that little bit better than our Fords. Ours were built in the same factory as theirs (Mazda 626 and Telstar) but they were a bit better equipped, better built and just, well a bit better. And here I am driving a Mazda2 in a market where Ford is just a bit lost
Mazda 323 was built in Japan where our Laser was built at the Ford factory in Sydney Things haven’t changed for Mazda. This Mazda2 is a quality built car, well equiped and very well accepted in the Australian market place. So where does the little Mazda2 shine? Frankly don’t think about extensive highway travel. Being small it doesn’t battle well against big 4wds towing even bigger caravans And don’t even talk to me about Semi’s with long trailers But where the Mazda2 exceeds expectations is around the suburbs and in the city. Its compact size makes parking a breeze. ‘It’s diminutive size and economical engine allows plenty of kilometres- sipping fuel rather than gulping like the big SUVs’.
What Mazda Has to Say
NEW MAZDA2
MOVES LIKE YOU. RESTYLED AND REVAMPED
New Mazda2 comes with a stylish new look, improved performance and impressive efficiency. It’s been redesigned to move like you, because life never stops.
Pricing
Mazda2 Pure starts out from $26,126 drive away in manual form. Unlike most other brands, most metallic paints are no charge. Some of Mazda’s special colours (Soul Red Crystal Metallic for example) are extra but only $595. The top of the range Mazda2 GT is $31,482 Drive Away.
Mazda Australia put me in the Pure SP version of the Mazda2 for my test drive. This particular vehicle gets Automatic Transmission, Black 16″ Alloy Wheels, Black Exterior Mirrors, Carbon Fibre Style Roof and a Shark Fin Antenna over the base model, at a premium of $2,884. The colour is Machine Grey, which is one of the premium colours for $595 more
Mazda2 – On the Road
Ok, so I’ve done a fair bit of driving in the little Mazda2. In fact I took it to Jandowe for a weekend away. Jandowe is over 3 hours from Brisbane and I travelled on a combination of highway, back roads, and even some gravel, but the Mazda2 didn’t let me down. I managed to pack a full sized golf bag (back seats down) along with some luggage and an esky.
The car was frugal with fuel – I managed the whole trip on one tank of fuel. Don’t think for a moment that I was travelling at over the speed limit – those forementioned 4WD’s with caravans were diffiult to get around and only then in the overtaking zones.
From a drivers perspective, there’s plenty of room in the front, instrumentation is a breeze to use, but I did get into trouble trying to find a radio station to lock into. Thank goodness for Apple Car Play – without it I would have been singing to myself and that wouldn’t be a good thing
Overall I loved the Mazda2 – just the right size for urban commuting, it’s priced right and is cheap to run. And. ok, so it can do the highway run, but I’d want something bigger. Just saying. Congrats Mazda
Mazda2 Engine/Transmission
1.5 litre in-line 4 cylinder 16 valve DOHC S-VT petrol (Skyactiv-G) with i-stop
» Drivetrain: FWD
» Maximum power: 82 kW @ 6,000 rpm (man) or 81 kW @ 6,000rpm (auto)
» Maximum torque: 144 Nm @ 4,000 rpm (man) or 142 Nm @ 3,500 rpm (auto)
» Fuel consumption (combined): 5.4 l/100km* (man) or 5.0 l/100km* (auto)
» Transmission: 6-speed manual (Skyactiv-MT) or 6-speed auto (Skyactiv-Drive)
Mazda2 – Safety
» Airbags SRS: front (driver and passenger), side (front) and curtain (front and rear)
» Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)†
» Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM)†
» Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)†
» Emergency Stop Signal (ESS)
» G-Vectoring Control Plus (GVC-Plus)
» Hill Launch Assist (HLA)
» Lane Departure Warning (LDW)†
» Lane keep Assist System (LAS)†
» Parking sensors (rear)†
» Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)†
» Reverse camera†
» Smart City Brake Support-Forward (SCBS-F) with pedestrian detection†
» Smart City Brake Support-Reverse (SCBS-R)†
Mazda Factory Warranty and Service Plans
Mazda has a 5-year unlimited kilometre warranty and offers capped-price servicing for the first seven-years or 105,000 kilometres. My firmest advice is to have your Mazda serviced by a Mazda dealer. Unlike aftermarket workshops, your car is hooked into the Mazda computer which checks for necessary software updates. Something your local workshop can’t do at the moment. And apart from the 2 year and 6 year services, the dealer prices are very competitive
| Service | Manual | Automatic |
|---|---|---|
| 12 months or 15,000km | $334 | $334 |
| 24 months or 30,000km | $526 | $526 |
| 36 months or 45,000km | $396 | $396 |
| 48 months or 60,000km | $526 | $526 |
| 60 months or 75,000km | $473 | $334 |
| 72 months or 90,000km | $587 | $587 |
| 84 months or 105,000km | $334 | $334 |
| Total: | $3176 | $3037 |
Comprehensive Car Insurance – Comparisons
The first company I go to for a quote is typically RACQ, but I also use others for comparisons, just to be sure.
The strongest advice I can give you is to never buy or renew with your current company without price checking. You should get at least 2 quotes to ensure that you’ve got the best deal from a reputable company. In this comparison, RACQ are nearly $300 more expensive than the next cheapest, Oceania, and close to $200 more expensive than Budget Direct. And that’s a lot of money out of your pocket. However, I recommend that you try to check the ‘claims ability’ of any insurer. Saving a bit up front may be lost if your insurer doesn’t provide you with excellent service in the event of an accident. Google them
| Vehicle | RACQ | Budget Direct | Oceania |
| Mazda2 | $730 | $555 | $467 |
Summary
When I was in primary school, teachers issued reports to show my parents and me what I’d achieved during the school year. I really liked the simplicty of the system, so thought I’d share my thoughts on the good and not so good of the test vehicle
| Well Done | Could Have Done Better |
| Very comfortable and roomy for a small car | Infotainment Screen could be larger and better configured |
| Economical and uses 91 RON fuel | Boot space is compromised – the sedan version is roomier |
| Cheap to run and service | Wired Apple Car Play – BLAH. |
NOTE – One of the better and arguably unbiased reviews you’ll see is from carexpert.com.au. This link to carexpert review on the Mazda2 is written rather than than a video – MAZDA2 – but it’s still a 2nd opinion and thats always a good thing.
I did find a video review of the Mazda2 bu Iain Curry from Chasing Cars. I’ve included it for your viewing pleasure
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The Houghton Highway, Ted Smout Bridge and what’s left of the Hornibrook Highway are generally included. For the information of those not well versed about Redcliffe, the Hornibrook Highway was constructed from 1932 and opened in 1935. All that remains are the entrance and exit of the bridge – the tollhouses. At the time of completion the Hornibrook Viaduct (as it was called then) was the longest road viaduct, built over water in the Southern Hemisphere. The deck was constructed of ironbark timber sourced from the Sunshine Coast hinterland.
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Bob Aldons – BIO
Bob Aldons has spent all his working life (almost) around cars, as a salesman, sales manager, dealer principal, franchise owner or collecting automotive memorabilia. Bob is the current steward of a 1969 Ford Mustang, a 2005 Mini Cooper S and a 2001 Jeep Wrangler. His current ‘daily drive’ is a Kia EV6 GT. He kicked off Car Business and The Car Guy in 2015 after selling his dealer group, Northstar Chrysler Jeep Dodge, Northstar Fiat and Alfa Romeo, Northstar Isuzu Ute and Northstar Volkswagen. Bob and his wife, Suzi, live in Newport, Queensland.
