DaedalusZero that's awesome. with the Mazda you reach the limits quick in regular spirited driving so it's fun. supercar you can't. is it stock? I don't have one but someday maybe. I test drove one but couldn't put it to it's paces
Zap Rowsdower212 Stock? No way! Haha Feel free to visit my channel and check out my cars there. If you're considering a Mazda2 in the future, I strongly recommend one. They're great cars.
Every Mazda.. EVERY Mazda I've driven, always feels like it was developed by folks who like to drive. That include this little gem of a car. While it was offered new, it was the lightest car you could get in the US new.
Yeah this - early 2000's fords had something magic in their lower end smaller cars at the time and the reviews all said so (the chassis and steering on the mk1 focus for example always got a mention, with good reason, cos it was actually brilliant in which ever engine) but i always thought Mazda were as good if not better. And i dont think a lot's changed. So nice to see people appreciating normal small car.
That is the very reason why Mazda has been my favorite car company for as long as I can remember (going on 37 yrs old). They know how to make a car 'work'!
My brother used to own a 2014 Mazda2 and I pretty much learned to drive in it. It's AMAZING, I loved it so much that I plan on buying it for my first car. So glad to see others who appreciate it for how awesome it is :)
We have one of these lightly modded too, and it's amazing how much fun you can have around city streets and side roads. Power doesn't help there, and it just darts through corners and traffic. It makes a good noise with exhaust and intake, but it's fun to have people look over and see this comically green hatchback making all this racket.
This was the most excited I have been for a OneTake. I drive one of these and I knew Matt would enjoy it, it is just a blast to drive. I also have a sports sedan that has maybe 3 times the power and most of the time that Mazda 2 is more fun.
the reason i don't like this idea is it's not just the car it's the owners and you can't insult someones pride an joy. It would seem too much like Matt is putting people down. if he did only he favorites I believe it would work
TheyCallMeMidnight dude you are way too politically correct, matts not a mean person, the cars that would be his least favorite would probably be the ones that the owners knew were pieces of poo poo
Yo Andrew, political correctness and taking into account the feelings of others are not synonymous. How would you feel if your pride and joy was Matt's least favorite one-take? You probably won't even bother to imagine that because "MY CAR IS DEFINITELY BETTER THAN ALL OF THOSE HURHUHRUHUR". keep up the freestyling brother.
I had a Honda Fit, and I see Mazda2's around and always wonder what they'd be like with some chassis and suspension mods like this. Thanks for reviewing!
Always had a soft spot for the Mazda 2 and I would consider it as my first car in a few years time. So logically I was really happy when I saw this in my inbox!
As a student living next to my uni and close to the city center, I won't need a car and don't want to spend my money on a car yet. But in a few years time, it will have depreciated a bit more and then I can look into some. i would want the 1.5-litre one and in the way of modifications... Don't know yet, but that doesn't matter for now
This is why I love these small cars a lot more than something like a Ferrari. You get to use every bit of what has been engineered into them for a fun driving experience while almost never breaking speed laws. Why spend a fortune for horsepower you can never use legally on the road. And, you always get the same thrill as you could get in that supercar at a safe and reasonable speed. My personal absolutes are a strong clutch, a great suspension, and a close ratio gearbox.
People who covet " things" like you do are the reason we have problems in this world. I can afford a Ferrari - but chose a Maserati way back when I was 16 - I admit - Dad was paying then. Today, with the world like it is - owning a "so called" supercar is something men with the brain power of a human with an Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weenie aspire to achieve. A Ferrari is totally useless if you cannot get out of 2nd gear in traffic. A small econobox which you can wind to the max and fling it around a corner and stay legal is about 1,000 times more fun that that Maserati I owned as a teenager. So - you go gawking at the window of a Ferrari dealership every day and dream as you drool over something you will never have because owning "things" is more important to you than saving for your future..
I feel the same way driving my 2011 compared to my Jeep. You respect the power you have in a bigger vehicle but this thing is just fun. The Bean, it’s my street legal go-cart.
Cute little thing with a great little chassis, even if it is most an A to B commuter. Must be fun in the twisties, and you can thrash it all the time no worries because it has no power. For the segment, I prefer the Abarth 500, but this thing could give many smiles per mile with those suspension mods. Great fun first car for someone IMO.
The best thing with cars like this is you can just hoon it everywhere, knowing that with just the basics of engine maintenance and some mechanical sympathy, it will still be as reliable as clockwork. This Mazda2 is a great car for getting into motorsport with - you can't rely on power as a crutch. It's all down to driving technique and squeezing every drop of momentum juice out of the orange.
My sister has one and it is a fun little car to drive and amazing value for money. She bought it with 15k miles for £6000 and loves it still after 40k miles.
I grew up driving an 89 Colt hatch in blue ridge mountain back roads. The roads were much tighter than this, and that car was great for it. All these (faster) cars later I still think about the fun I had back then. I'd still enjoy a car like this!
Dear Matt - I've said this before, but I love watching your review of small, simple cars. FOr a guy who drives everything up to Ferarris, Lambos, and McLarens, you really get what it's all about when you're driving a fun little cheapy that someone's put some work into. One would think that you'd be jaded, but you're not. It's great!
I got one, a stick. Corners are fun as heck and once you get it up to speed its good on the highway. Straight lines blows. I think stock it sits a tad high but its more sporty than many other stock cars.
I like how you're open to driving any car and aren't "stuck up" I guess you can say and only want the cool fast expensive cars. Good work Matt. Keep making cool videos.
Owned one of these little beauties for 2 months now. And I love it most fun Ive had since a Supra I owned, sure it doesn't have the same power but the cornering is fun, it's a great little car. I got a diesel one and it can out pull a few cars I love people's faces when I'm either right next to them or pulling away. They assume it's a 1.2 petrol
this video is so crazy. a) I never actually got to see one of the beautiful roads farah is driving on with so much detail because he's usually going so fast, but I can never recognize when and how fast he's going b) he's def. talented at sharing those enthusiast thoughts and feels, I only feel different in one point "I only want to drive it full throttle all the time" when I learned how not warming up my engine damages it I started to warm it up every time, even though it's stolen, but ofc after that I start and keep driving like I stole it.
I have a Mazda 2 as well but it was equipped with an auto 'box. I would have loved it otherwise. The Chassis is so good you can chuck it to a corner confidently. It'll keep gripping until you hear the tyres scream.
I keep saying the Scion iA (Mazda 2) have some of the nicest shifters in any regular car I've felt. Probably a solid link and not cable linked. I'm glad Matt noticed it after only 20 seconds of driving. This car rocks!
These are really fun little cars. I had one for a few years and then traded it in on a Fiesta ST. Surprisingly quick in the right conditions, too, all I had on mine were a rear sway, springs, and slightly wider wheels with mediocre summer tires, and I ran in the mid-30s at Streets of Willow. It easily could have been in the high 20s with better tires and a better driver, too. I think that if the aftermarket ever gets a bit better, the 2 could be the next generation of enthusiasts' equivalent of what the CRX or EG Civic were for ours. A friend of mine has a very extensively modded 2 and a pretty big pile of parts waiting to go onto it. MCS remote reservoir coilovers with Swift springs and custom camber plates, carbon hood and hatch (which will get a polycarbonate window), Recaro buckets, RPF1s with sticky tires, intake/header/exhaust and an ECU tune, and eventually it'll get an LSD. I think Matt would love it, and I've been encouraging my friend to try and get it on the show once it's done.
my mom got one of these as a town car... then i started searching around for aftermarket parts for them just to see whats possible. to my surprise a lot of people use these for autocross!
I love it. It just goes to show that you don't always need mega power to have fun. Some of my best driving cars have been low power. My first car was a 1977 Mini Clubman 1100. That thing was on rails and so much fun. Another was an 84 Porsche 944 LUX. Only 177 BHP but could be thrown around and steered from the rear like no other car I have ever owned. Well maybe apart from my MB 2.3-16. Now that was fucking amazing and one of the cars I miss the most.
There is never a day when driving our manual techno pink Chevy Spark that it fails to make me smile. Yeah the gear changes are a bit rubbery, but the clutch is light as a feather and the steering input is sharp. That little car is a blast to drive flat out; which I can do nearly every time I drive it. On the street the principle remains the same: Slow cars fast > Fast cars slow.
You mentioned that you believed the car's weigh to be between 2,500 and 2,600 lbs - close, but you were 200lbs off! It's actually 2,300 lbs :) Lighter than a Miata, with three extra seats and a real trunk (just hauled a dishwasher home in mine). Plus it gets incredible gas mileage on regular (averaging over 30mpg with city commutes). While I can afford plenty of more expensive cars, I just cannot find a good reason to sell the 2.
I have a Mazda 2 and I tell people I like it because it feels like a go kart, plus in tight turns I almost never slow down to the point I'm used to it and get confused as to why other cars slow down on turns.
@ rumble Hi. Do you have any steering clunking noise? The grease in the steering column on mine needed greased and it stopped the noise. But it comes back in a few months. The grease must be dispersing or escaping. I just said hell with it and let it make a little noise. It only makes noise clunk in parking lot speeds.
gross weight is actually 3263lb curb weight is 2350 and HP is 100 with 98 torque, the sedan in Japan made 111hp. looks like corksport sri which can "make" up to 5hp 😂
I see a guy at the track with a mazda 2 sometimes and ive never seen a car pick up the inner rear tire as high as him before lol, It has a ton of body roll and looks fun as hell
Matt - I appreciate that you can be objective and enjoy the good things about cars no matter their price point. For example just in your last two vids...the 200K Mercedes AMG S63 and a Mazda 2. I'm not sure I could pull that off.
Reminds me of my 2001 ford focus zx3. It handled really great for a economy car and was geared well with the 5 speed that it felt pepe. great first car. loved the visibility and great turning radius
Ian Townsend I am working on it. I have to buy a Mazda3 2 liter engine and a Mazda MX-5 2 liter engine and swap some parts including the transmission to make it fit.
Just bought a 2012 Mazda2 5 spd for my daughter. Even with the stock suspension this thing is a blast to drive on back roads! Slow is an understatement. There is absolutely no reason to take this thing above 4K rpm, This car is all about weight and chassis.
Now this size is 35% / 40% of the cars that ride around in Holland. Small country, tight roads, high taxes. Ofcourse VW is very popular aswell, golfs and passats and shit. But this is what all moms and young guys drive. Cool to see on your channel.
Holy cow it only weighs 2,300lbs!!! Never realized they were so light, it's like a Spec B car for the road. This is actually looking like a perfect car for the wifey, but with me driving a Fiesta ST it might be better to get something a bit bigger.
I had a regular Mazda3 before I had a Mazdaspeed3, and I dare say the regular 3 was more fun in every day driving. You could just romp on it without going too fast for the road.
I had a 2011 Mazda 2 for about a year. It was a great car for a daily driver but I could never get over the clutch in it. Every car I've owned has been a manual and I've never had the same issue, even in similarly underpowered cars. I don't know if it was lack of feel in the clutch or the lack of torque but for first and second gear I had to slip the hell out of the clutch or I'd bog the engine. It was incredibly frustrating stuck in stop and go traffic everyday with that.
Robert Milchling You're just a bad driver... there's no way you should've been slipping the clutch in 2nd.. just rev it higher in first before u change up. 1st gear pulling away I'd say its lack of torque for sure so revs have to be higher or it will bog.
Yeah, no. Perhaps I didn't phrase it well and should have elaborated more that it was more about careful clutch engagement into second rather than slipping it like coming away from a stop. The clutch feel was pretty terrible and it could be difficult to nail the exact engagement point when driving gently to normal.
Also, it's been 4 years and two cars ago since I drove that car. It's a little tough to remember my exact experiences with it, so I may not be able to make my point as clear as I want. Tldr; the clutch feel was less than ideal and made driving frustrating at times.
Funnest car i've owned was an 02 Mitsubishi lancer wasn't very quick compared to most cars but on the rolling winding roads i never had a muscle car keep up. The thing drove like it was on rails. It was slightly faster than a 99 civic ex, but having good tires and eliminating some body roll made a huge difference. I love small cars on roads the wind alot they're so enjoyable. i got rid of it before AutoX took off in my area but it was a great little car until the timing chain went. replaced the engine and sold it shortly after the replacement engine felt so weak. I remember wanting to SRT4 swap it.
Robert Bidochon totally agree. So much unecessary bullshit in cars nowadays. My brother has one of these little Mazda's and I'm very happy with my 1990 crx
I can't figure out why I like this car so much, especially when it has that sort of 'cup' stance. It would appear Matt is having entirely too much fun as well, only reinforcing my 'strange love' with this car. A shame the redesign never made to the States.
Amazing coincidence that Mr. Regular published his review of the Scion iA just a day before you posted this. For those who don't know, the two cars are identical, only differing in bodystyle (sedan v hatchback). Makes it very interesting to compare the comments each of you had on the vehicles.
My wife has a 2012 Mazda 2 with an auto trans. She already wants us to do lightweight alloys, sport tires, sway bars, and coilovers. I hope I can talk her into a manual swap once the rest of the work is done. It is a pleasant little buggy despite the high mileage.
I have a N/A Fiesta with a similar setup (suspension, wheels, & tires). I have the same Direzza's as well, makes for a very fun car to drive at the limit. It may not be fast by any means but cornering is tight enough to scare most of my passengers.
Hey Matt, long time fan. I don't know how difficult it would be, but if you could get a g-meter into your vids it would be an awesome addition. It would help a lot with the viewer feeling the power and handling of the car.
There is a way to do telemetry relatively easily, but honestly, I don't want to share any more information about the drive or the car than I already do. I don't want to appear in any way that I"m attempting to push the limits of the cars on a public road, which I'm certainly not.
I've a 2012 with 130k on the clock. I drive like an absolute idiot 90% of the time. New belt, shocks/struts, motor mounts, and brakes. Zero issues, otherwise. Fun every time.
I'm here because my partners car is a Mazda 2 2014. Even completely stock I find it still handles very well. Would love to dump some $$ on a handling package and hit the twisties or a track day. Like someone else said about Mazda cars. They make you want to drive them in a spirited fashion. Zoom. Zoom.
I love my pair of Mazda2s! It's not flashy or fast, but if it puts a smile on the face of a man who drives supercars for a living, it can't be bad.
Why do you have two of them?
Brian Hoffman After purchasing one new in 2014, my girlfriend and I liked it so much that we got a pre-owned one for her to drive.
sure...
DaedalusZero that's awesome. with the Mazda you reach the limits quick in regular spirited driving so it's fun. supercar you can't. is it stock? I don't have one but someday maybe. I test drove one but couldn't put it to it's paces
Zap Rowsdower212 Stock? No way! Haha Feel free to visit my channel and check out my cars there. If you're considering a Mazda2 in the future, I strongly recommend one. They're great cars.
The Mazda2 is more like the original Mini than the new Mini is.
Josh Lee VW up
UP!
^
Josh Lee more reliable to boot. I love the mini but it's pricey to own and reliability isn't it's strong suit
Would of been awesome if they made a Mazdaspeed version of this. Kinda like a Mazda2 ST
Every Mazda.. EVERY Mazda I've driven, always feels like it was developed by folks who like to drive. That include this little gem of a car. While it was offered new, it was the lightest car you could get in the US new.
Yeah this - early 2000's fords had something magic in their lower end smaller cars at the time and the reviews all said so (the chassis and steering on the mk1 focus for example always got a mention, with good reason, cos it was actually brilliant in which ever engine) but i always thought Mazda were as good if not better. And i dont think a lot's changed. So nice to see people appreciating normal small car.
ratodoesgato momentum cars teach you more about driving. And i love that.
That is the very reason why Mazda has been my favorite car company for as long as I can remember (going on 37 yrs old). They know how to make a car 'work'!
Andre G The lightest car in the us you can get new is the Smart car. The Mazda2 is the second lightest.
Stas G. Thats not a car bro
My brother used to own a 2014 Mazda2 and I pretty much learned to drive in it. It's AMAZING, I loved it so much that I plan on buying it for my first car. So glad to see others who appreciate it for how awesome it is :)
We have one of these lightly modded too, and it's amazing how much fun you can have around city streets and side roads. Power doesn't help there, and it just darts through corners and traffic. It makes a good noise with exhaust and intake, but it's fun to have people look over and see this comically green hatchback making all this racket.
what mods have u done to it
This was the most excited I have been for a OneTake. I drive one of these and I knew Matt would enjoy it, it is just a blast to drive. I also have a sports sedan that has maybe 3 times the power and most of the time that Mazda 2 is more fun.
Driving a slow car fast is more fun that driving a fast car slow.
Agreed
Damn right!
Duhhh who even likes to drive slow
TH-cam Star in a Reasonably Priced Car
I love cars like this, realistically you can have more fun in a daily driver like this than you could in most other cars.
Grip for days...
Gas for weeks...
Things I love about my 2011 Mazda2
It was cheap, and it's paid off
and never had a mechanical issue in 60,000 miles
James Buschell I just bought a 2011 Mazda2! I love it!
Cori Lynn it will do you good, never had a mechanical issue
it's a great little car no doubt, props to mazda for making such a great handling light weight car.
JB TV I never seen anybody put a rotary engine in a Mazda 2 that would be sick
Same here dude. Love my 2011 to the moon in back.
Rumor has it, Matt is still going full flat WOT in this Mazda 2.
He's almost home
I think as a year end celebration, you should compile a list of your favorite and least favorite one takes.
off the top of my head the 2 worst are likely that prius and the koup
Top 5 best and worst cars you tested
the reason i don't like this idea is it's not just the car it's the owners and you can't insult someones pride an joy. It would seem too much like Matt is putting people down. if he did only he favorites I believe it would work
TheyCallMeMidnight dude you are way too politically correct, matts not a mean person, the cars that would be his least favorite would probably be the ones that the owners knew were pieces of poo poo
Yo Andrew, political correctness and taking into account the feelings of others are not synonymous. How would you feel if your pride and joy was Matt's least favorite one-take? You probably won't even bother to imagine that because "MY CAR IS DEFINITELY BETTER THAN ALL OF THOSE HURHUHRUHUR". keep up the freestyling brother.
This is why I love the " one takes". It's cool to see cars most people don't think could be modified. Work with what ya got!
My wife used to have one of these. I used to unashamedly love taking her 2 out for a spin, throwing it into corners. A really fun cheap car.
I have a 2012 Mazda2.
To me, it's a more modern version of a 70's Civic that i owned a few of.
Small, light, and fun!
I had a Honda Fit, and I see Mazda2's around and always wonder what they'd be like with some chassis and suspension mods like this. Thanks for reviewing!
Always had a soft spot for the Mazda 2 and I would consider it as my first car in a few years time. So logically I was really happy when I saw this in my inbox!
Bart96 if you plan to keep it. Strip the car to bring it down to 900kg. Then focus on suspension and brakes and u got a mint track car for cheap
As a student living next to my uni and close to the city center, I won't need a car and don't want to spend my money on a car yet. But in a few years time, it will have depreciated a bit more and then I can look into some. i would want the 1.5-litre one and in the way of modifications... Don't know yet, but that doesn't matter for now
This is why I love these small cars a lot more than something like a Ferrari. You get to use every bit of what has been engineered into them for a fun driving experience while almost never breaking speed laws. Why spend a fortune for horsepower you can never use legally on the road. And, you always get the same thrill as you could get in that supercar at a safe and reasonable speed. My personal absolutes are a strong clutch, a great suspension, and a close ratio gearbox.
Tracer Loenan spoken like someone who can't afford a Ferrari.
People who covet " things" like you do are the reason we have problems in this world. I can afford a Ferrari - but chose a Maserati way back when I was 16 - I admit - Dad was paying then. Today, with the world like it is - owning a "so called" supercar is something men with the brain power of a human with an Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weenie aspire to achieve. A Ferrari is totally useless if you cannot get out of 2nd gear in traffic. A small econobox which you can wind to the max and fling it around a corner and stay legal is about 1,000 times more fun that that Maserati I owned as a teenager. So - you go gawking at the window of a Ferrari dealership every day and dream as you drool over something you will never have because owning "things" is more important to you than saving for your future..
I feel the same way driving my 2011 compared to my Jeep. You respect the power you have in a bigger vehicle but this thing is just fun. The Bean, it’s my street legal go-cart.
Cute little thing with a great little chassis, even if it is most an A to B commuter. Must be fun in the twisties, and you can thrash it all the time no worries because it has no power. For the segment, I prefer the Abarth 500, but this thing could give many smiles per mile with those suspension mods. Great fun first car for someone IMO.
The best thing with cars like this is you can just hoon it everywhere, knowing that with just the basics of engine maintenance and some mechanical sympathy, it will still be as reliable as clockwork. This Mazda2 is a great car for getting into motorsport with - you can't rely on power as a crutch. It's all down to driving technique and squeezing every drop of momentum juice out of the orange.
+Mattia “Zck-SnS” Cappai if only it didn't lean that much on the corners.
My sister has one and it is a fun little car to drive and amazing value for money. She bought it with 15k miles for £6000 and loves it still after 40k miles.
I grew up driving an 89 Colt hatch in blue ridge mountain back roads. The roads were much tighter than this, and that car was great for it. All these (faster) cars later I still think about the fun I had back then. I'd still enjoy a car like this!
Rockit181 hell yea!
similar in character to my Swift Sport. Small cars are great fun here on our twisty british B roads
Dear Matt - I've said this before, but I love watching your review of small, simple cars. FOr a guy who drives everything up to Ferarris, Lambos, and McLarens, you really get what it's all about when you're driving a fun little cheapy that someone's put some work into.
One would think that you'd be jaded, but you're not. It's great!
That's what you gotta love about this channel, one guy reviews Mazda2's and 675LT's.
I got one, a stick. Corners are fun as heck and once you get it up to speed its good on the highway. Straight lines blows. I think stock it sits a tad high but its more sporty than many other stock cars.
there's so much fun that can be had with a well sorted under powered car. these are the reviews that I like seeing.
I like how you're open to driving any car and aren't "stuck up" I guess you can say and only want the cool fast expensive cars. Good work Matt. Keep making cool videos.
I really like these ordinary little car reviews, really a nice break from the crazy fast stuff!
Owned one of these little beauties for 2 months now. And I love it most fun Ive had since a Supra I owned, sure it doesn't have the same power but the cornering is fun, it's a great little car. I got a diesel one and it can out pull a few cars I love people's faces when I'm either right next to them or pulling away. They assume it's a 1.2 petrol
Gran Turismo first car style.
The Demio came to mind. That thing had a whole 50 whp though haha
+Ariel Szewczyk whoa, this one has double that!
I believe that's what they're called in Japan (the Mazda 2's I mean)
#SundayCupStatus
+Ariel Szewczyk lol i'm not even sure if that really was WHP!
this video is so crazy. a) I never actually got to see one of the beautiful roads farah is driving on with so much detail because he's usually going so fast, but I can never recognize when and how fast he's going b) he's def. talented at sharing those enthusiast thoughts and feels, I only feel different in one point "I only want to drive it full throttle all the time" when I learned how not warming up my engine damages it I started to warm it up every time, even though it's stolen, but ofc after that I start and keep driving like I stole it.
I have a Mazda 2 as well but it was equipped with an auto 'box. I would have loved it otherwise. The Chassis is so good you can chuck it to a corner confidently. It'll keep gripping until you hear the tyres scream.
I have the 1.5L ND MX5 which is based on this motor. It makes 130hp and its FUN AS. You are full throttle most of the time like Matt in this mazda2.
I keep saying the Scion iA (Mazda 2) have some of the nicest shifters in any regular car I've felt. Probably a solid link and not cable linked. I'm glad Matt noticed it after only 20 seconds of driving. This car rocks!
These are really fun little cars. I had one for a few years and then traded it in on a Fiesta ST. Surprisingly quick in the right conditions, too, all I had on mine were a rear sway, springs, and slightly wider wheels with mediocre summer tires, and I ran in the mid-30s at Streets of Willow. It easily could have been in the high 20s with better tires and a better driver, too.
I think that if the aftermarket ever gets a bit better, the 2 could be the next generation of enthusiasts' equivalent of what the CRX or EG Civic were for ours.
A friend of mine has a very extensively modded 2 and a pretty big pile of parts waiting to go onto it. MCS remote reservoir coilovers with Swift springs and custom camber plates, carbon hood and hatch (which will get a polycarbonate window), Recaro buckets, RPF1s with sticky tires, intake/header/exhaust and an ECU tune, and eventually it'll get an LSD. I think Matt would love it, and I've been encouraging my friend to try and get it on the show once it's done.
Definitely want to see this. I dream over parts like this for my CX-3 (very similar to current gen Mazda 2)
Max Archer swap the Mazda speed3 engine 🤔☺ or the Fiesta st swap
What’s the power the modified 2 is making ?
I am a current owner of a Mazda 2, Automatic and 2011. No complaints. Just installed a new A/M radio. I love it
my mom got one of these as a town car... then i started searching around for aftermarket parts for them just to see whats possible. to my surprise a lot of people use these for autocross!
I love it. It just goes to show that you don't always need mega power to have fun. Some of my best driving cars have been low power. My first car was a 1977 Mini Clubman 1100. That thing was on rails and so much fun. Another was an 84 Porsche 944 LUX. Only 177 BHP but could be thrown around and steered from the rear like no other car I have ever owned. Well maybe apart from my MB 2.3-16. Now that was fucking amazing and one of the cars I miss the most.
this was my first car. it was fantastic because it had literally zero power but was extremely maneuverable. great car for your teenagers.
I've always digged these little things...glad to see one on here!
There is never a day when driving our manual techno pink Chevy Spark that it fails to make me smile. Yeah the gear changes are a bit rubbery, but the clutch is light as a feather and the steering input is sharp. That little car is a blast to drive flat out; which I can do nearly every time I drive it. On the street the principle remains the same: Slow cars fast > Fast cars slow.
would not mind this as a daily
Zygrene yo yo yo
Zygrene I wouldn't mind an nsx as a daily
Definitely. I've been seriously considering ditching my DC5 ITR and moving to one of these.
Zygrene Yeah, but merging on the freeway? Maybe with 30 more hp
InfiNRG the nsx would actually be a pretty good daily, if it weren't for my constant paranoia
This is a perfect example of "it's better to drive a slow car fast, than a fast car slow."
Whenever I see a freshly uploaded TST video I know it's about time to go to bed lmfao thanks Matt
You mentioned that you believed the car's weigh to be between 2,500 and 2,600 lbs - close, but you were 200lbs off! It's actually 2,300 lbs :) Lighter than a Miata, with three extra seats and a real trunk (just hauled a dishwasher home in mine). Plus it gets incredible gas mileage on regular (averaging over 30mpg with city commutes). While I can afford plenty of more expensive cars, I just cannot find a good reason to sell the 2.
A I and here in the uk its even less I think. Closer to 2150
I have a Mazda 2 and I tell people I like it because it feels like a go kart, plus in tight turns I almost never slow down to the point I'm used to it and get confused as to why other cars slow down on turns.
@ rumble Hi. Do you have any steering clunking noise? The grease in the steering column on mine needed greased and it stopped the noise. But it comes back in a few months. The grease must be dispersing or escaping. I just said hell with it and let it make a little noise. It only makes noise clunk in parking lot speeds.
@@bobwreck3775 Still own it? Clunking at parking speeds comes from the brake pad clips, need regreasing.
@@Isaki138 Hi. I still have it. great car. Honesty I think the little bit of clunk went away or I just got used to it.
video hasn't started yet and already gave it a thumbs up. DE5FS owner (mazda2)
gross weight is actually 3263lb curb weight is 2350 and HP is 100 with 98 torque, the sedan in Japan made 111hp. looks like corksport sri which can "make" up to 5hp 😂
Makes me miss my little Ford Ka, 1.3 litres of pushrod fury. Great chassis with a few handling mods. To this day the most fun I've had with a car.
This has to be the lightest 4 door available that was made recently.
I see a guy at the track with a mazda 2 sometimes and ive never seen a car pick up the inner rear tire as high as him before lol, It has a ton of body roll and looks fun as hell
Base models are fun.
Matt - I appreciate that you can be objective and enjoy the good things about cars no matter their price point. For example just in your last two vids...the 200K Mercedes AMG S63 and a Mazda 2. I'm not sure I could pull that off.
Reminds me of my 2001 ford focus zx3. It handled really great for a economy car and was geared well with the 5 speed that it felt pepe. great first car. loved the visibility and great turning radius
I think Mazda should put in the 2 litre from the Mx5
Petar Bogdanov then the 2.0 from the 3...
Ian Townsend I am working on it. I have to buy a Mazda3 2 liter engine and a Mazda MX-5 2 liter engine and swap some parts including the transmission to make it fit.
ProjectM97 Sounds like a good build & will be great fun to driver
+Petar Bogdanov Mazda 2 is like 2300 lbs, I have a feeling even with the 2L it's still been a decent chunk lighter.
Ian Townsend how about the 185hp 2.5?
I used to have one of these as my first car! Very fun to drive, clutch was always a bit weird in them though. Would love to see a Mazdaspeed 2 soon.
Man, the Regular Car Reviews and Matt's videos line up just so often.
I love that I come home and a smoking tyre video is up for my lunch 👍
Just bought a 2012 Mazda2 5 spd for my daughter. Even with the stock suspension this thing is a blast to drive on back roads! Slow is an understatement. There is absolutely no reason to take this thing above 4K rpm, This car is all about weight and chassis.
I almost bought this same year model when they were new. It's not fast, at all, but they are so much fun to toss around.
Now this size is 35% / 40% of the cars that ride around in Holland. Small country, tight roads, high taxes. Ofcourse VW is very popular aswell, golfs and passats and shit. But this is what all moms and young guys drive. Cool to see on your channel.
Nice to see a Mazda in the canyons:)
At least this owner is honest about power gains.. still looks like a super fun car
"Wastes none of your time but really improves my day" amen brother
I haven't heard a high pitched "whee" (4:23) out of him in awhile so go Mazda!
Don´t worry... In Europe it also came with a 1,3 version called Sport!
Holy cow it only weighs 2,300lbs!!! Never realized they were so light, it's like a Spec B car for the road. This is actually looking like a perfect car for the wifey, but with me driving a Fiesta ST it might be better to get something a bit bigger.
You should come over to the UK, lots of fun light FWD cars over here.
This is the type of car that made mighty car mods big
I had a regular Mazda3 before I had a Mazdaspeed3, and I dare say the regular 3 was more fun in every day driving. You could just romp on it without going too fast for the road.
Slow car fast > Fast car slow.
My sister has one of these. Brakes r surprising even with drums at the rear.
"... I am not capable of restraint..." gotta love it! Nice work.
Didn't originally intend on getting a Mazda 2 but I've been pleasantly surprised by its durability.💯💯💯
I had a 2011 Mazda 2 for about a year. It was a great car for a daily driver but I could never get over the clutch in it. Every car I've owned has been a manual and I've never had the same issue, even in similarly underpowered cars. I don't know if it was lack of feel in the clutch or the lack of torque but for first and second gear I had to slip the hell out of the clutch or I'd bog the engine. It was incredibly frustrating stuck in stop and go traffic everyday with that.
Robert Milchling You're just a bad driver... there's no way you should've been slipping the clutch in 2nd.. just rev it higher in first before u change up. 1st gear pulling away I'd say its lack of torque for sure so revs have to be higher or it will bog.
Yeah, no. Perhaps I didn't phrase it well and should have elaborated more that it was more about careful clutch engagement into second rather than slipping it like coming away from a stop. The clutch feel was pretty terrible and it could be difficult to nail the exact engagement point when driving gently to normal.
Robert Milchling So the revs dropped too quick and it had to bring the revs up again? A lot of shit cars do that
BarbecuedPossum no, more like the car would fall on its face.
Also, it's been 4 years and two cars ago since I drove that car. It's a little tough to remember my exact experiences with it, so I may not be able to make my point as clear as I want.
Tldr; the clutch feel was less than ideal and made driving frustrating at times.
I like small econ boxes with little power that you can drive at 100%, 90% of the time without getting into trouble or killing yourself.
I like those crawl-by shots.
Got one as my first car last week and honestly is so much fun!
I’ve had a lot of cars over the years. I take my modded 2 out whenever I can. Best car I have ever owned.
Funnest car i've owned was an 02 Mitsubishi lancer wasn't very quick compared to most cars but on the rolling winding roads i never had a muscle car keep up. The thing drove like it was on rails. It was slightly faster than a 99 civic ex, but having good tires and eliminating some body roll made a huge difference. I love small cars on roads the wind alot they're so enjoyable. i got rid of it before AutoX took off in my area but it was a great little car until the timing chain went. replaced the engine and sold it shortly after the replacement engine felt so weak. I remember wanting to SRT4 swap it.
I love these small-reliable-basic cars. Please bring this type of N/ basic cars in Europe back ! Keep your hi tech unreliable junk !
Robert Bidochon totally agree. So much unecessary bullshit in cars nowadays. My brother has one of these little Mazda's and I'm very happy with my 1990 crx
I can't figure out why I like this car so much, especially when it has that sort of 'cup' stance. It would appear Matt is having entirely too much fun as well, only reinforcing my 'strange love' with this car. A shame the redesign never made to the States.
Amazing coincidence that Mr. Regular published his review of the Scion iA just a day before you posted this. For those who don't know, the two cars are identical, only differing in bodystyle (sedan v hatchback). Makes it very interesting to compare the comments each of you had on the vehicles.
Austin Huffman The one on RCR is actually the latest generation of the 2, which isn't sold here. Similar chassis layout, but not the exact same car.
Oh, well that's unfortunate. Still makes for an interesting comparison. Thanks for the info.
I learned driving in a mazda 2 2010 model. Only thing is, it's auto. But it's a fun zippy car to drive and suuuuper easy to drive. great little cars!
I respect all builds. This Mazda2 is no different.
Those cars are so much fun.
My wife has a 2012 Mazda 2 with an auto trans. She already wants us to do lightweight alloys, sport tires, sway bars, and coilovers. I hope I can talk her into a manual swap once the rest of the work is done. It is a pleasant little buggy despite the high mileage.
always thought this car was cute and it's cool that you had it on the show!
Good thing you didnt get stuck behind those Harleys.
I love these odd ball one takes
I have a N/A Fiesta with a similar setup (suspension, wheels, & tires). I have the same Direzza's as well, makes for a very fun car to drive at the limit. It may not be fast by any means but cornering is tight enough to scare most of my passengers.
appleinfl hell yeah! The 2 passes the gf test, meaning it scares the shit out of gfs in the corners
The Autocross Yaris he mentioned was my car 😃. I've competed with Mazda 2's and they are great cars. Hi Matt!
Dear Matt, driving is not about going fast, but about going. That's all there is to it.
I basically have the same set up, I love mine!
The Mazda2 hatchback weighs 2300 lbs. In non-U.S markets, it's even lighter.
ProjectM97 960kg in the uk so less than 2150 lbs
Hey Matt, long time fan. I don't know how difficult it would be, but if you could get a g-meter into your vids it would be an awesome addition. It would help a lot with the viewer feeling the power and handling of the car.
There is a way to do telemetry relatively easily, but honestly, I don't want to share any more information about the drive or the car than I already do. I don't want to appear in any way that I"m attempting to push the limits of the cars on a public road, which I'm certainly not.
TheSmokingTire A pedal camera would be perfect to make ourselves an idea of the car.
+Passion is Racing
like Hot Version International lol.
put a sealed glass with a sticky bottom on the dash for each car. make sure the glass has water or some form of liquid :D
pbfloyd13 You're right ! It is awesome
The fact Mr. Regular just did a Scion iA......
Andrew Quartararo That's a 2016 Mazda 2 underneath though. This is the last gen mazda 2.
tunkor Close enough lol
Underneath AND on top. The only thing Toyota changes are the badges and the grille.
It has 100-ish Horsepower and 4 TORQUES
and they followed traditional scion fashion and made it ugly as all hell
I've a 2012 with 130k on the clock. I drive like an absolute idiot 90% of the time. New belt, shocks/struts, motor mounts, and brakes. Zero issues, otherwise. Fun every time.
I'm here because my partners car is a Mazda 2 2014. Even completely stock I find it still handles very well. Would love to dump some $$ on a handling package and hit the twisties or a track day.
Like someone else said about Mazda cars. They make you want to drive them in a spirited fashion. Zoom. Zoom.