Overview

The Mazda2 is one of the latest small cars to face the axe, with its petrol-powered supermini being discontinued after 10 years on sale in its third and final generation. That said, fear not as the Mazda2 Hybrid continues, though this is really nothing more than a rebadged Toyota Yaris.

Like the Ford Fiesta, which was also axed in recent years, the Mazda2 is a small car that majored on being fun to drive, being one of the best ‘normal’ small cars behind the wheel. Though new versions were discontinued in 2025, it will remain a fine used buy for years to come.

Mazda has built a reputation for doing things a little differently to its rivals. For starters, the 2 shuns the small-capacity turbocharged engines you’ll find in the likes of the Skoda Fabia and Vauxhall Corsa in favour of larger capacity, less stressed, non-turbocharged engines.

This helps to boost the 2’s real-world fuel economy, because its engines are more flexible than a the turbocharged units from competitors. Its pulling power comes from the extra cubic capacity rather than relying on high engine speed to make the turbocharger spin quickly enough to create boost. That means you can be gentler on the throttle.

You have a choice of three 1.5-litre four-cylinder engines. The entry-level model has 75hp, the middling option has 90hp and the range-topper has 115hp. And if those figures don’t tell the whole story, allow us to spoil it for you – the 2 isn’t a fast car. Plus, there isn’t a hot model to match the likes of the Hyundai i20 N and Volkswagen Polo GTI. That means, if you want to go quickly, you’ll need to stir vigorously through the six-speed manual gearbox to keep the engines on the boil.

It feels a little more upmarket than its rivals inside, though. Mazda likes to throw plenty of soft-touch plastics and deep fabrics at its cars – and the 2 is no exception. The technology housed within the fancy trims was really starting to show its age in this Mazda’s latter years, but we reckon that’s a forgivable foible considering the car was 10 years old when. it was finally axed. By comparison, the recently departed Fiesta barely lived to see six.

If you’d rather stick with the petrol Mazda2 over the new reskinned hybrid Toyota model keep reading to learn more about it. Over the next five pages, we’ll review each aspect of the car, covering its practicality, interior, comfort, technology, driving experience and running costs before offering our final verdict on the car. Read more about how we test cars at Parkers.