2011 Mazda 2: Pricing Announced at 2010 New York Auto Show

just read this will get 35mpg- not impressive at all considering the power and size of the car.

1487: That mpg figure is typical for subcompacts. The Yaris gets 35-36 highway and the Aveo gets 34-35 hwy. Also, the price includes the hefty list of standard features mentioned in the article. It's very hard to find a new, decently equipped car below $13k these days.

I think it looks great. HP could be 10 to 15 more but I'll withhold judgement until I find out the weight.

35 mpg is fine as it will likely actually get it unlike some other brands.

Just checked and the base model weighs 2296lb, a couple hundred less then the Fit. It's also $13,998 base in Canada too (Yeah!), a thousand less then a Fit and with more equipment.

Should be a big seller.

35mpg is not good for this kind of car. The Malibu gets 33mpg, the Fusion S gets 34mpg and the Sonata gets 35mpg. The Yaris is an also ran so its mileage isnt anything you shoot for. The Fiesta will get 40mpg on the highway and thus thats the new benchmark in efficienct. Also the Fiesta will have a 6 speed DCT while this has a 4 speed auto. Not impressed.

Firstwagon:

Claiming one brand will be more likely to hit EPA numbers than another is absurd. And yet you keep making such claims. Every automakers does the SAME thing to rate their vehicles. C&D had an article about it several months ago, its very complex and very regulated. If one car is off the mark, they all are since they are all tested the same way.

Doesn't the Fiesta make more power? So other than platform, what other similarities are there between the two?

Anyway, I'd say that's a very fair price for a car that has all the features someone wanting basic transportation would want.

Outstanding! Earlier reports indicated that Mazda2 would not come with a proper manual gearbox in the US.

A 4-speed auto? Really? How 1992 of them.

I think it is an extremely attractive car. I like it more than any other car in the class including the Fiesta.

1487- You make some good points, but, damn, you're combative. Settle down it is just a blog.

powell:

only when talking to people who willfully ignore facts in order to propagate their biased opinions. I dish it out to those who do the same. People who are arrogant and poorly informed get annoying at times.

"A 4-speed auto? Really? How 1992 of them. "

The Fiesta comes with a state of the art tranny and the 2 gets a 4 speed. I don't get that. I thought Mazda was supposed to be teaching ford how to make small cars. Looks like the student has surpassed the teacher.

"Claiming one brand will be more likely to hit EPA numbers than another is absurd. And yet you keep making such claims"

And it's true. I've owned many cars over the years and some meet (or beat) the rated numbers with ease and some don't even come close. You see the same thing in a lot of comparision tests.

The large cars you mentioned are all good examples. You can't really believe any of them will get 33 to 35 mpg in anything but a long hwy trip at the speed limit. Low to mid 20's is more the real world mileage of those cars.

Cars like the Fit, Yaris and the Mazda2 will get mid 30's day in and day out.

Maybe it's because larger cars can loaf on the test while small cars have to work harder or maybe some companies tailor thier cars to get the best government numbers possible even if it's not really easy for the average guy to reproduce. I don't know for sure.

The 6 speed auto will likely give the Fiesta higher hwy mileage (but cost more to buy). Manual trans version should be the same.

"35mpg is not good for this kind of car. The Malibu gets 33mpg, the Fusion S gets 34mpg and the Sonata gets 35mpg. "

Compare city mpg.

Fit-28 city
Yaris- 28 city

Fusion- 22 city
The Malibu gets 22 city...

"People who are arrogant and poorly informed get annoying at times. "

I feel the same way.

btw I like the look of these with some more options and in white.

FW: Doesn't the base 3 have a bad rep for mediocre real world fuel economy?

Mazda has had a 5-speed auto in the 3 for several years. The Fit is a 6-speed, The Mini is a 6-speed, the Fiesta will be a 6-speed, the iQ will be a CVT, the Versa is a CVT.

Maybe a base model loss leader gets a 4-speed. But the bread and butter car should match its competition, unless Mazda's goal is to associate the 2 with low end Hyundais and Kias (and given the direction those makes are headed, even low end models will probably offer 5 or 6 speed autos soon).

BTW.. why is it that nearly every press/show photo of the 2 in the US been that hideous shade of green? Are we supposed to associate it with being a "green" car?

bankerdanny

Considering the weight and 2 litre engine, the Mazda3 (5 sp) I'm most familiar with gets surprisingly good mileage. I've heard the 2.3/auto doesn't do as well.

Given the 2 weighs over 500lbs less and has a 1.5 I'm expecting really good real world numbers... equal to the Yaris but nicer and more fun to drive.

at least the grin on the front fits with the overall look of the car.

Mazda-
"soul of a sports car, smile of a clown"

What an awful looking car... Just sayin', I don't think anyone would, or should, want to be caught anywhere near that thing.

Hey 1487, maybe you should calm down a bit. I don't think firstwagon was "willfully [ignoring] facts in order to propagate biased opinions." He seemed to just be casually commenting on something that is not entirely accurate. Despite standard tests of mpg, cars don't always get the mileage listed in the real world. His statement is not absurd. Also, it seems as though you're the one who is ignoring facts to show your biased opinion as you cited examples of midsized cars highway mpgs but failed to mention that their city mpg and therefore the combined mpg is in fact better in small cars like this Mazda2 than in cars like the fusion, malibu etc.

Anyways, this car looks exciting and promising. Good to see it coming to the U.S.

"Doesn't the base 3 have a bad rep for mediocre real world fuel economy?"

I can get 25-27 mpg out of my MS3 in mostly suburban driving if I keep cruising speeds under 80 and decline most invitations to participate in the Stoplight Grand Prix. Not bad for a 3200 pound sled packing 287 bhp(I installed the Mazdaspeed CAI).

I do think that the Mazda 2 wins in the dashboard design department vs. the Fiesta.

PS- the Fiesta has 119hp and gets 30/40 and the Cruze Eco has 138hp and will get 40mpg highway and presumably 26-28mpg city. Those are the standards subcompacts should be aiming for these days.

Firstwagon: My wife has a mazda 3 with the 2.3/auto combination. It typically gets about 27-28 miles per gallon. If freeway only It gets about 30-31. I've had a best tank of about 32.5 and that was a solid freeway run from Houston to Dallas going 75-80 the whole way.

I dont see a reason NOT to pony up the addition $1k for a fit when compared to this!? two extra doors and a bunch more cargo space, better looking and a better builder.

I'm blind, it is a 4 door. Cargo room still applies though.

sell it for $10,000 and i'll think about it.

1487,
How wrong of you. I have 2007 Focus 3 doors and 2007 Mazda 3 both with the 2.0 l engine. My wife drives the Focus. and usually gets 17--20 mpg out of it in the suburbian driving. Highway-29 is the best. I drive Mazda 3 and get 27 suburbian driving and 35 highway. Now explain that.

It's priced similarly to the fit but w/o stability control. I actually prefer the looks of the 2 than the fit. Are there any interior shots? The fiesta is going to be the more expensive brother that sips premium fuel. It's an entry level hatchback, save your enthusiasm for something further up the food chain.

I'm surprised no one has yet to boast their 3.5L OHV also gets 35 mpg on the highway