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Yesterday, while I was couting for boxes under the bridge where I live, I saw a Mazda 2 DY on the street and I thought I'd write an review about something like that. Such a fascinating little car.

Mazda Demio for Japan aka half of the Earth and Mazda 2 DY for the rest. And today we are talking about Mazda 2 DY, the European one. Or rather, we are talking about the differences between the Mazda 2 DY and the Ford Fusion, which is actually a sister car and which are actually both built on the Ford Fiesta platform. Not to be confused with the american Ford Fusion. And the main difference between the Mazda 2 and the Mazda Demio is that the Mazda 2 fully uses Fiesta and Fusion parts, while the Demio has some Mazda specific parts.

So we have Ford Fiesta, Ford Fusion and Mazda 2. What is the difference between them and what should each one do?

• First of all we have the looks, all 3 look different.


• Secondly, 2 of them are Ford and one is Mazda. At that time, Mazda was not well-known in Europe and was a low-budget brand, right up there with Nissan, Daewoo and Hyundai in terms of pubic perception. So the Mazda 2 was perceived as cheaper but it was also cheaper to buy so it kinda evened out.


• Thirdly, they are different tools for different jobs. The Ford Fiesta was a classic city car, the Ford Fusion was a proto-crossover and the Mazda 2 was a small minivan. Practically, with these 3 cars, Ford pretty much secures the city car market. Mazda 2 DY had to fight with Renault Modus and Opel Meriva and all 3 remained obscure because this kind of automotive genre didn't really catch on. Only Meriva is still moving because it rode on the Zafira's name, but that's about it.

Who is the Mazda 2 for?

Just like we talked about the Modus, Agila and Meriva, the Mazda 2 DY is an excellent car for young families, but it's an even better car for the elderly. You have a higher seating position to get in and out of the car than the Fiesta and you have bigger windows than the Fusion, so you have much better visibility. Plus it's small enough to be nimble around town. It has small and reliable engines. And it has the dashboard mounted gearshifter instead of the classic location for the Fiesta, also for comfort. Mazda 2 DY may have as little in common with Mazda as Bud Light has in common with actual beer, but it sure made some sales and had a small following.

Mazda 2 DY Engines

Petrol

• 1.25 MZI of 70 horsepower - It actually has 68 horsepower and this is the same Sigma engine developed in conjunction with Yamaha that you also find on the Fiesta and it has no specific issues here either. Sometimes it is advertised as a 1.3 petrol, but it is actually 1.25.


• 1.3 ZJ-VE of 91 horsepower - Which is sort of confusing, as there is also a 1.3 petrol available on sale, or rather was. And this is a Mazda recipe. I can't believe I am making comparisons between 1.3 litre petrols, but the Yamaha engine has less poower but more faun than the Mazda unit, whereas the Mazda engine is more sedate and easier to live with. Which is important, when you've gotten already used to arthritis.


• 1.4 MZI of 80 horsepower - Then we make a big leap to the second engine of Mazda origin and it is not an engine that will particularly surprise you. Sure, the water pump has a tendency to get tired before the deadline, but that's about it. No wonder this is the most popular engine on the Mazda 2 DY.


• 1.5 ZY-VE of 111 horsepower - As always, Mazda decided to keep for it's self the glorious 1.5 ZY-VE and this engine is loads on fun on the 3, but on the 2 is abit much. 


• 1.6 MZI of 100 horsepower – This doesn't really have 100 horses either, but 98, but what does it matter. This is essentially the bigger cousin of the 1.4 and it's actually the bigger brother because it's the same engine. So the same Mazda and Japanese reliability in general, as far as petrol engines are concerned atleast.

Diesel

1.4 MZ-CDTi of 68 horsepower -  Yes, the same 1.4 TDCi of 68 horses from the Fiesta. Yes, that engine with a huge appetite for injectors. Plus, it's as useless as the 24 beer per day limit set for Bathurst 1000. Nobody's buying it. Chiefly because the Mazda 2 is a city car and a diesel is a bad ideea in this scenario, and the poor reliability doesn't help it's case very much aswell.

Mazda 2 DY Reliability Issues

• The suspension is borrowed from the Fiesta V, and it doesn't shine particularly here either, and it doesn't even articulate. But at least it's cheap. 


• No meal without soy and no Mazda without rust. I mean, the Mazda 3 couldn't be left alone in the night, eaten by rust underneath.

Mazda 2 DY Verdict

Whether you look at it as a budget Renault Modus or a Fiesta for the elderly, the Mazda 2 DY clearly has its customer base. It has excellent visibility in traffic, it's very comfortable, it's practical, it's easy to drive and it's cheap to buy and run. Sure, Mazda 2 will lead a city life and won't impress anyone, but if you want something cheap and good, then Mazda 2 DY offers serious competition to Suzuki Splash / Opel Agila. The problem is that the kind of person who would buy something like this, I don't think would ever visit this website. 

What engines do I recommend? For petrol power any engine is basically decent, but I will choose the 80 horsepower 1.4 lump for the best all-rounder. And for diesel, I recommend 1.4 CDTi because it's the only one available, but I have doubts about it and you should too.