Damn. The 2 is one of the few new cars I would go out and buy. It is a great value for the money, but when you only get two model packages, 7 or 8 colors with one interior color choice, and no additional options, makes it a hard sell to anyone.
Damn. The 2 is one of the few new cars I would go out and buy. It is a great value for the money, but when you only get two model packages, 7 or 8 colors with one interior color choice, and no additional options, makes it a hard sell to anyone.
I think the 2 is a niche car in a niche segment. The base strippy model is (I think) a fantastic car for the enthusiast and trounces the immediate competition of stripped out base models. Most people aren't enthusiasts that want stripped out base models though. They either want the absolute lowest price (yay Versa) or they want some plush with their tiny car. The 'upscale' 2 basically adds cruise and alloys and changes absolutely nothing about the experience for the driver and at that price point you really are better off looking at a 3. I'd personally love it if they kept it as a low volume enthusiast car. Give us the two door version, up the power and offer it in a super legarra version. To hell with volume, just make it awesome and see if the enthusiasts come.
Not gonna happen, but I'd have another one in the driveway next to the one I have if they did.
Bobzilla wrote: Don'tforget the "other asians" are just plain doing it better. The Accent/Rio twins have 6 gears, more power, more room and better economy along with more advertisement. Seriously... for someone wanting a daily driver (which this class is) there are better options with longer warranties that look better and drive nicer with the doodads that people want.
Except for driving. The Rio (haven't driven the Accent) just wasn't nearly as fun as the 2 or 500. The Rio was just boring to drive and look at. Also the cheapest one at the local dealer was $19k...
Well, your local dealer had some serious markup. Top level Rio's are $19k. base cars start in the $14k range.
But "boring to drive" is what 95% of the buying public wants.
If the 2 was a two door I would have one right now.
chandlerGTi wrote: Our local dealer has five of them by has them behind the dealership and his lot is overflowing with 3's and Miatas. I asked the salesman why and he said why would anyone buy that?
I will bet that dealer profit (or lack of on a 2) has some to do with both the placement and the attitude.
nicksta43 wrote: If the 2 was a two door I would have one right now.
Indeed. It'd be an updated mk1 GTI. Which, IMO, wouldn't be a bad thing. I think more people would "get it" if it came in that package. I overlooked it when searching for cars. The power is on the lower side, it has 5 gears, it has 4 doors while lacking the interior space to match. I thought it was a half assed attempt at an econo box, like the Aveo. Had I known about it's joyous "thrashability" I would've considered it.
Bobzilla wrote: Well, your local dealer had some serious markup. Top level Rio's are $19k. base cars start in the $14k range. But "boring to drive" is what 95% of the buying public wants.
This ^^^^^
The Deuce is the most entertaining car to drive in it's class but.....
The Fit has more space
The Rio / Accent have more features
The Fiesta is more Merikan
The 2 is a typical Mazda. It provides unexpected driver enjoyment. Shame is, most folks looking to buy a $15K car, care less about driving than they care about their iPod hookup, or fancy stereo, or bluetooth compatibility.
I absolutely love the Mazda 2-- it's a simple, fun, practical machine. It sounds strange, but you can feel the Miata DNA in the way it drives.
nicksta43 wrote: If the 2 was a two door I would have one right now.
Don't worry everyone who tries to get in it thinks its a 2 door.
I used to stop people now I wait until they figure it out,
IE: they try and slide the front seat forward in efforts to get into the back seat not realizing its 4 doors...
This happens from time to time, so often that now I just step back, watch... and laugh!
Because rotary!!!
My opinion on why the 2 isn't a huge seller for Mazda?
1.) as a previous poster has noted...no advertising for this car by Mazda.
2.) even in Europe, the 2 is derided for NOT having any hot or warm hatch model...EVERY other make it competes with, has a "cooking" version. Madza, give the 2 a dose of ZOOOM ZOOOOM.
3.) 90% of the 2s in my geographic area are equipped with automatic. Granted, that's where the market is going, but don't make the manual transmission so hard to get.
4.) in Europe, this model is available with a diesel engine, but even more importantly, it's also available as a 3 door hatch.
What's amazing is that there are more Versas and Yarises on the road, than there are Mazda2s. Admittedly, both of those cars have been around longer, but it should also prove the point that price is not all of the problem.
BTW, the CX-7 is also going in a few months.
This may help: http://www.edmunds.com/auto-shows/los-angeles/2012/2014-ford-fiesta-st-set-for-us-launch-2012-los-angeles-auto-show.html
Three door. Ultra hot.
The problem with the 2 in the US can be summed up in one word: Versa.
Most Americans looking in the subcompact segment want a boring appliance. The Versa is such a car. Boring to drive, boring to look at, and cheap. The 2 could compete if marketed well, but Mazda has never really done that well competing against the Japanese "Big 3" except in the Miata market, to my knowledge.....
Lugnut wrote: Three door. Ultra hot.
If that was available here it would have been mine. Shame.....
Especially with the Recaros pictured inside
Wow that surprises me. My little city is crawling with 2's. They're all over the place. Mazda's in general actually. Of course we have tons of VWs around too. I guess people here "get it"???
Damn you 'merikans, ruining North America's chances of getting small cars! :p
Interestingly enough, small cars sell waaaaaay better in Canada, even though our population density is way lower (so presumably, more driving).
You can just freely admit it though, you guys hate not having a place on the compact-b segment to hang your truck nuts 
I like the idea of turning it into a more performance-oriented model. Make it look like this:
Add some power, maybe use the JDM 2-door chassis, and it could compete with the Toyobarus. Yeah it's not RWD and probably wouldn't deliver the near-S2k speed, but it would be lighter, cheaper off the lot and should get much better MPG.
Ummm - Gameboy, did you realize that's the same pic I used in the original post?
GameboyRMH wrote: I like the idea of turning it into a more performance-oriented model. Make it look like this:Add some power, maybe use the JDM 2-door chassis, and it could compete with the Toyobarus. Yeah it's not RWD and probably wouldn't deliver the near-S2k speed, but it would be lighter, cheaper off the lot and should get much better MPG.
They really need to make this.
I love my 3 so far, and if I wanted to pay a little more at the pump, I could have gotten the fire breathing MS3. But when I bought the 3, I couldn't help but think about how awesome a MS2 would have been. It would have been perfect for me: good gas mileage, great handling, and fast enough to keep me interested.
jstein77 wrote: Ummm - Gameboy, did you realize that's the same pic I used in the original post?
Yeah but that's a concept at a car show right?
If the 2 was $1-2k cheaper (and I wasn't able to walk to work), I would've bought one about 8 months ago when they were doing 0% financing on them.
The biggest thing that kills the 2 is having it parked next to a Skyactiv 3. The 3 has more power, more room, I'd argue that most people would say the 3 is better looking, and it gets better highway mileage than the 2!
I know one of the other reasons I was held off is that I didn't want to buy one just to see Skyactiv 2s on the lot in <12 months.
SilverFleet wrote:GameboyRMH wrote: I like the idea of turning it into a more performance-oriented model. Make it look like this:They really need to make this. I love my 3 so far, and if I wanted to pay a little more at the pump, I could have gotten the fire breathing MS3. But when I bought the 3, I couldn't help but think about how awesome a MS2 would have been. It would have been perfect for me: good gas mileage, great handling, and fast enough to keep me interested.Add some power, maybe use the JDM 2-door chassis, and it could compete with the Toyobarus. Yeah it's not RWD and probably wouldn't deliver the near-S2k speed, but it would be lighter, cheaper off the lot and should get much better MPG.
If they just drop the new skyactive 2L that is in the 3 into that it would be that light fast and efficient.
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