2012 Mazda2 Her Highway Review: A Fun Little Zoomer

Who says saving money can’t be fun? Whether you’re a college student, single mom, or long distance commuter looking for an economy car, be sure to put the new 2012 Mazda2 on your test-drive list. With a base price of about $13,980 for the Sport model, it’s more affordable than flashier subcompacts, such as the Mini Cooper and Fiat 500, but it’s just as much fun to drive.

Although the Mazda2 boasts only 100 horsepower, this light little hatchback only weighs about 2200 pounds. So the “little engine that could” feels like it has plenty of power for quickly accelerating up to freeway speed or climbing fairly steep grades. And when you find a stretch of twisting highway, you’ll appreciate the Mazda 2’s sporty suspension that combines MacPherson struts up front and a torsion beam axle in the rear.

The 2012 Mazda2 delivers a respectable 29 mpg city and 35-highway miles when outfitted with the manual five-speed transmission. Switch to the four-speed automatic gearbox and the mileage drops slightly to 27 city and 33 highway. So ask yourself: to shift or not to shift?

The 2012 Mazda2 is offered in two trim levels: Sport and Touring. The Sport has 15-inch steel wheels, air-conditioning, full power accessories, a tilt steering wheel plus a four-speaker CD/MP3 audio system with an auxiliary input jack. Step up to the Touring package and you’ll get 15-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, a rear roof spoiler, chrome exhaust tips, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, a trip computer, cruise control, upgraded cloth seats, and two additional audio speakers.

As you might expect from a subcompact, there’s not a lot of cargo capacity, but plenty for my Skittles. Fold down the 60/40-split seats, however, and you’ll be able to stash up to 27.8 cubes worth of luggage, camping gear, or a pretty good haul from Marshall’s, Kohls, Target or Walmart.

Standard safety features both trim levels include antilock brakes, front-seat side airbags, side curtain airbags and stability and traction control.

Courtesy of Her Highway.