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"Subcompact cars...they can be cute. Some find them trendy. And for many, the large appeal lies in their inherent efficiency. But can a B-car be sporty? We&amp;#039;ve driven a few lately that have relatively sporty undertones, but seems to believe its new highly condensed package of zoom-zoominess (which goes on sale this July) will win over the enthusiast&amp;#039;s vote\u2014and who knows, the company may be right.   For starters, Mazda makes no claims that the 2 will satisfy your every need. It&amp;#039;s small and, obviously will not make for an ideal family hauler. More utilitarian subcompacts mold their unique exteriors around cubical greenhouses to maximize interior volume. This may prove a more sensible route if the main concern is space, but it&amp;#039;s not for the Mazda2. Instead, the Mazda2 is more about embracing its smallness with a smile\u2014and thankfully one not as prominently carved into the front fascia like other late model Mazdas. The Mazda2 is more of a unique 2 + 3-seater, 5-door hatch.   The interior is what you&amp;#039;d expect from Mazda, well-executed in design and probably the best you&amp;#039;re going to find in the B-segment. For someone of average height and build like myself (5 ft. 9 in., 165 lb.) front cabin space is ample with a driving position that favors driving over anything else. The seats provide the best lateral support in the segment too. The gearshift, which juts out from the center console a little higher than usual (akin to that of the previous-generation Honda Civic Si), has a solid feel to it. Also, real thought was put into proper pedal placement to allow for heel-toe downshifting, granted you opt for the 5-speed manual (which you absolutely should over the more expensive, heavier, less-efficient and less-inspiring 4-speed automatic). My long-legged 6 ft. 2 in. colleague made it through our drive of the car without much complaint, but I doubt it&amp;#039;s something he&amp;#039;d want to repeat on a regular basis. The way some car manufacturers get around this leg room issue is to have more of an upright, office chair-like seating position, which does extend the range of seating flexibility, but makes it feel like you&amp;#039;re driving the world&amp;#039;s tiniest school bus\u2014again, not exactly the zoom-zoom mission statement.   The Mazda2 comes powered by a 1.5-liter inline-4 that revs smoothly and almost eagerly to its 6300-rpm redline. It delivers about as much kick as you&amp;#039;d expect a naturally aspirated engine of this size to\u2014which isn&amp;#039;t a ton\u2014but the important part is that it doesn&amp;#039;t pad your expectations with a rating of 100 bhp at 6000 rpm and peak torque of 98 lb.-ft. at 4000 rpm. When not loaded down with human ballast, the Mazda2 tips the scales at 2306 lb. (2359 lb. with the automatic) which allows the 100-bhp engine enough freedom to get into its onramp powerband, which begins north of 3500 rpm, without too long a delay. Shift too early though, and the rpm quickly falls out of the sweet spot. Shorter gear ratios from 1st to 3rd would be all this car needs to be a real hoot around town, but that could also adversely affect the Mazda2&amp;#039;s laudable 29 mpg city/35 mpg hwy fuel economy rating.   What&amp;#039;s probably most surprising about the Mazda2 is that on less than stellar roads, with its lively and relatively stiffly sprung suspension, you don&amp;#039;t get the shake, rattle and roll tin-can acoustics that usually come with an economically priced car. The electric-assist power steering system is also impressively tuned\u2014you won&amp;#039;t miss (or can&amp;#039;t tell it from) a conventional hydraulic-assisted rack. Montreal&amp;#039;s flat roads and untimely foul weather unfortunately didn&amp;#039;t allow us a fair run to explore the dynamic capabilities of this spritely new 2011 Mazda2, but you can expect to see our full test numbers soon.   Pricing MSRP:    2011 Mazda2 Sport 5-speed manual - $13,980 2011 Mazda2 Touring 5-speed manual - $15,435 2011 Mazda2 Sport 4-speed automatic - $14,780 2011 Mazda2 Touring 4-speed automatic - $16,235  Destination - $750   "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/first-drives/reviews/a16024/2011-mazda-mazda2/>