So I'm now shopping for a Mazda2...good choice, or no?

Well, that 2ZZ Vibe sold before I could go look at it. I ended up giving my financial advisor a call shortly after to ask what he thought about getting a newer/more efficient vehicle to make the most of my paid company mileage. He suggested that I should look at financing something I can afford as it will be a great credit building tool to prepare for buying a house a few years down the road, as my company mileage rate will cover more than half of the payments if I can get a decent loan.

That led me to this charming little green Mazda2 touring.

These 2s seem to be the GRM econobox of choice right now. This one seems to be priced very fairly, has the touring package (cruise is a necessity to me), and is by far my favorite color offered on the 2. By trading in my Volvo and putting another $2k or so down I should end up with a very reasonable loan payment on a $6k or so note. I was looking at Toyota Matrixes before I thought about the 2; oddly, they trade hands near $7-8k with nearly 100k, so there wouldn't seem to be a whole lot of value there. Plus, the 2 just seems like it would be so much more fun to own and drive. (The 500 Abarth briefly showed up on my radar as well, but I'm not sure I want to swing the extra $5k for something smaller and thirstier...plus I have a feeling that depreciation will hit them pretty hard in the coming years)

So, what say ye, GRM? Any 2 owners care to chime in and share their experiences?

I have a 2011 Touring with the automatic (wife/winter car). I love the way it drives, very solid for an inexpensive car. Super lightweight. Nice interior, seats clean really easily.

100 hp seems more adequate than I expected around town, but it definitely wheezes under heavy acceleration on the highway.

I haven't had any trouble with mine, but here are some words of wisdom.

It requires synthetic oil. If you're not used to doing fancy synthetic oil changes, get used to it.

The way the body is shaped the wheels throw up a lot of crap onto the rocker panels, I put some Chinese mudflaps I got on ebay on and they seem to be doing the trick.

No tire shops carry the 2's tire size in stock. If you need tires, just order them from TireRack since the tire store will have to order them anyway.

I can't tell you much about working on them, because I've had the car 2.5 years and put around 13k miles on it and haven't really had to do any maintenance other than oil and filter changes and have had no repairs to do.

Anyway, I highly recommend it.

If I were in your shoes I'd probably lean more toward a 3 sedan, 2.0 6-speed over the 2. From the numbers I've seen they actually get slightly better fuel economy.

Avoid the auto as the 2 puts down double digit hp to the wheels and the auto makes it feel slow. Now they are slow but the auto just makes it worse. They seem to be reliable, iirc they get 35mpg highway and are fun to drive. I am looking at picking up a used 2 or a new 1.0 fiesta in the next month or so. The 2 and fiesta have a surprisingly high insurance cost though, like close to mustang and brz high.

In reply to The_Jed:

The thought crossed my mind (though it would have to be a hatchback), but the $5-8k premium 3s fetch with higher miles and the unknown long-term track record of the DI motors has me leaning towards the 2. Plus, it's only a difference of like 2MPG for that extra premium.

FWIW, I get more like 31-32 mpg in my 2 on the highway. If I kept it to like 65 mph or so I could probably get 35, but I don't.

I've had my 2 since 2012. Same colour too which I still like. I rather enjoy my 2 - it has a willing, eager to please character. Hard to explain. I've auto'd it, ice raced it and used like my (small) truck. Just about to hit 50k and no issues. Oil changes are super easy - no need to jack the thing up. I've done all my own filters and oil. I have maybe $200 in maintenance. Manual gearbox is really, really nice. Clutch is a little odd. It has clutch cushioning which is supposed to help beginners. It still screws me up once and a while and I do a rougher 1-2 shift than normal. But its ok. Rear seat head rests are a little annoying but otherwise it has been good to me. Gas mileage in city is fantastic - seems to go forever on a tank. Highway is good but not amazing.

Paging Mazdadeuce!

SWMBO had one as a rental and she really liked it. Says when the Prius dies (will it ever?) she's going to consider one.

I found the Mazda2 to be uninspired and wheezy.

The Fit seems to best it on just about every front except price.

I'll second The_Jed. Heck, go find an '04-05 Mazda3 in a similar configuration (2.0L, 5 speed). More fun to drive and they can nudge 40mph highway

I know that if you pull the fuse for the traction control the odometer also stops working.

I know that with a set of Hankook RS3s in 225/45/15 you can win a 2nd place overall at the Quebec Provincials thanks to PAX . . .

Try the Fiesta, nicer interior, more power. Better gas mileage.

If your commute is primarily surface streets, fantastic car. If it is primarily freeway 70+ mph, it is not the ideal tool for the job.
I loved mine. Drove the snot out of it for almost two years. Hauled four kids back and forth to school. The car that got me back into autocross and rallycross. The car is fantastic starting, stopping and turning. If you do these things a lot, you will almost certainly enjoy the car. It is not a fantastic freeway car. Above about 63mph mileage plumets. The short wheelbase and suspension tuning that make the car so fun around town make it less comfortable at 70.
Most of the B segment cars are like this. For around town, Fit, Mazda2, Fiesta, for lots of freeway driving, Civic, Mazda3, Focus.

Yay! A thread relevant to me: I have a 2013 touring with 16k. I like it a lot but I am not in like with it. It is as reliable as a hammer, I assume it would be easy to work on, warranty Ftw...

The pros: park anywhere, decent milage: I got 41 mpg on the highway going to Door County with two guys and packed full of camping gear at 70 mph with the air on. It looks good, a little high but looks good. It is simple: After 16k it still feels tight, but I can feel how it will be sloppy at 30k. The car is a hoot! The manual shifter is the best and I put a Racing beat muffler on it so I feel like I am racing where ever I go! It's like driving a video game in a good way. I just went to my sisters for Thanksgiving and I had more fun than any one else on the road! It was a lot of work, but I had more fun!

Cons: Soo slow... I am used to 150 hp up front, passing on a single lane road is a struggle. I am 5' 10" and the shifter binnacle is always on my right leg... always... the foot box is ok but sometimes I want to stretch my legs. It will cruise all day at 80 mph but get about 33 mpg doing it, and you can only do it for 3 hours at a time. I have driven the auto: junk! No matter what: do not! If you live in an area that has snow... The mirrors always need some sort of fussing about, icy or foggy. Oh and huge blind spots. No matter where you put your power mirrors you will have to look to pass on the interstate...(probably the thing I hate the most). The A pillar gets in the way... all the time (maybe for all new cars idk) But I was looking at my next corner in a couple of auto crosses and while I was looking \2 turns away and the damn a pillar was in my way! Believe it or not it is decent in the snow: it will "tell" you when things are slippery, the ass wiggles... slow down. As grm stated: it is under damped in the strut area, (however I am used to koni's). It seems a little "bouncy". In stock form the lights are bright but aimed a bit low, stock tires, wipers suck!

So the money shot: Would I buy it again...I am on the fence... It needs 10% more of everything... Tire, length, interior room, lower, power, class, I was even talking to my Dad today about my car, (he even likes it) but when he got out after a 45 min trip..."IDK if I could do any more than that." I have autocrossed my stone stock car with an instructor that had an AS vette, on my first run: "I think you found the potential of the car, you maybe have a half a second you can get." That is a novice on a 40 sec run, sure I was on stock tires but still. I topped my car out on my second run.... I also had another instructor tell me to "lift lift lift" I kept my foot down and scrubbed off some speed (2 mph) and made it 3 wheel and he was like

"Wow! that is a fun car" He codrives a STS miata. Even my first instructor liked it and he has a 1991 Si civic and came to my car because he wanted to see what it could do.

It is a terribly fun car! You will be a hero, feel like a hero! But if I had the cash...I would buy the 6 speed mazda 3... I bet it feels like a wallowy pig compared to a new 2 but it would be just a bit bigger, faster, glam, and more of what I wanted...

(my discosure: The car I am working on is a pro-touring Mopar A body, my last car was an ACR neon with high rates,)

In reply to Brokenbrakes:

So you are basically describing a fiesta? Same chassis/suspension and all that stuff(it has been tested that the fiesta st suspension bits bolt up in a 2), but with more power(and yes wight), amenities, etc...

That is the exact model and colour my wife is driving as a loaner while her Mazda 3 is getting fixed (some texting moron ran into her while she was stopped at a light).

Cute little cars, but frankly you get a lot more with the 3 than the 2.

I know you did not ask but I went looking anyway...

Auto and non-turbo but still could be a cheap commuter:
http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/4780709055.html

Edit: I am completely surprised. I checked and EPA rating is only 19/22/26 for the MX-6 with auto.

Here is an odd one:
http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/4737033790.html

No mention of miles but asking $1900.