Mazda2 review: the sedan for a Mazda3 driving feel on a Sunny budget
3.6/5MotorsSouq Editorial Team
If your budget puts you in the entry-sedan class and you actually enjoy driving, the Mazda2 is the one to test before you default to a Sunny. It gives up some rear space and outright value for a chassis and cabin that feel like they were engineered by the same team that built the Mazda3 — because they were. Just confirm parts and service pricing with a Bahrain workshop before buying, since the Mazda2 sees far fewer of them than a Sunny does.
Pros
- Steering and chassis feel borrowed from the Mazda3, a class above
- Cabin design and switchgear quality above the budget-sedan norm
- Smooth conventional 6-speed automatic, not a CVT
- Competitive fuel economy for the class
Cons
- Rear-seat space trails a Sunny or Accent
- 107 hp is adequate rather than quick
- Independent workshop familiarity and used-parts availability are thinner than for a Nissan or Hyundai
- Fewer used examples on the Bahrain market to choose from
Mazda applies the same philosophy to its cheapest car as it does to its most expensive one, and the Mazda2 sedan is the proof: a 1.5-litre four that revs cleanly rather than just gets the job done, steering with real weight to it, and a cabin that borrows switchgear and design language from the Mazda3 one class up. It is a genuinely nicer thing to sit in and drive than its budget-sedan positioning suggests.
What you give up for it
The trade-offs are honest ones. Rear-seat space trails a Sunny, which was designed from the outset to maximise interior room over driving feel, and the six-speed automatic — a proper torque converter rather than a CVT — is smooth but not quick; 107 hp in a car this light is adequate rather than exciting. Fuel economy in the high fives per 100 km in mixed driving is competitive with anything in the class.
The bigger practical consideration in Bahrain is parts and service availability: the Mazda2 is a far less common sight than a Sunny or an Accent, so while Khalil Kanoo's dealer network covers it fully, independent workshop familiarity and used-parts availability are thinner. This does not make it expensive to run, but it is worth confirming before you commit.
Who it actually suits
A single buyer or a couple who wants their entry-level car to still feel like a car, rather than a box that gets from A to B, is the honest target. Anyone who needs maximum rear-seat space or the lowest possible running cost on paper should look at a Sunny first and drive both before deciding.