Topic: Test Drive: 2011 Ford Fiesta vs 2011 Mazda2

[Autos_Editor]

Despite a common lineage, these two sub-compacts have two distinct personalities, says Peter Bleakney.  "The Mazda leans toward driver involvement while the Ford is tuned more for a big car feel," he says.

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[Shnak]

Sounds like the powertrain (especially the transmissions) let the Fiesta down big time! On the other hand, the Mazda2's transmissions seem to make the most of the engine... which is how it should be.

No question I'd go for the Mazda if I was in this market.

[D70]

An excellent review

Having driven both cars with the 5 speed manual my conclusions were the same and as a NA Miata driver I would favour the Mazda2

Another selling point is that I can sit behind the drivers seat in the 2 when its adjusted for my driving position, not so with the Fiesta.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/d70w7/4478984748/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/d70w7/5079452813/

[AirCanada]

These two cars and the Honda Fit are the best sub compacts in the Canadian marketplace, hopefully soon we will see a "euro" Suzuki Swift, Nissan Micra and a Mitsubishi Colt!

[Mike]

Excellent article.  I too would lean towards the Mazda 2 if I were in the market

[toolatecrew]

One of the better articles recently. Lots of people comparing these cars so its great to see. From looks and spec sheet I thought Fiesta was the easy winner but the more iread the more the Mazda sounds like it would be the ticket for my intended mission..a second car for zipping around or for wife to car the young kids in. If its your ONLY car the Fiesta sounds like its the best compromise as it would serve highway duty as well but for zipping around town I want fun and responsive. I give thumbs down to Bluetooth being a 380$ option..not only is is STANDARD on the Kia Forte no matter what model but the alternative systems (speakerphone and headset) at a fraction of the price. On such a basic car a basic inexpensive or even standard bluetooth makes more sense.

Now to wait a year or 2 for some used Mazda 2s to hit the market for sub 10 K prices and I'll be all set

[Dante]

I haven't driven the N/A Fiesta (I did drive the Euro 5M/T though), but I drove both auto and manual Mazda2.

The review is spot on with Mazda2 5M/T - a joy to drive despite the little engine and lower HP numbers (again numbers don't tell the whole story). Without comparing it back-to-back to Fiesta, I found the highway ride in Mazda2 acceptable and reasonably comfortable.

However, the 4A/T Mazda2 give such a different feel; a "kill-joy" indeed. I know I would not want one as a fun-to-drive car.
I'm sure if you compare the A/T versions, I cannot see how Mazda2 could be better than Fiesta, unless something went really wrong with Ford's drive train setup. What I hear from Fiesta forums though is that the N/A 5M/T in the Fiesta is also calibrated for fuel economy, which makes is not as enjoyable as the Euro setup (which I found great and so did most who drove that version).

Good remark on the seats – the seats in Mazda2 are too flat for my liking. Fiesta has nicer seats IMO. On the other hand, I prefer Mazda’s upholstery versus Fiesta’s. Too bad Ford did not bring the Euro upholstery – too edgy for American tastes perhaps.

Overall, these are two nice sub-compacts; no longer penalty-boxes for sure. More new models should be welcome in this segment.

[wing]

Funny when I drove these two cars.  I was given a Manual Fiesta and Auto Mazda2 and didn't like either gearbox.

The Mazda2 is better with the Manual and the Fiesta better with the Auto.

[Erik]

Considering that 90 % of these cars will likely be sold with automatics, looks like a major win for Ford.

[Dante]

The Mazda2 is better with the Manual and the Fiesta better with the Auto.

Man, I've got to go and drive a Fiesta manual ASAP (luckily I have a Ford dealer next door at the office). I'm very curious how bad it is with the 5M/T. I found Euro Fiesta 5M/T excellent.

@Wing
You drove them both, what is your recollection?

[Dante]

Considering that 90 % of these cars will likely be sold with automatics, looks like a major win for Ford.

Correct. But most of the people here are in the other 10%. 

[wing]

Problem is the 5-speed has dead zones because the gears are too long.

[TopGun]

Considering that 90 % of these cars will likely be sold with automatics, looks like a major win for Ford.

Correct. But most of the people here are in the other 10%. 

Not from what I see!  Automatics are more efficient...and they're quicker! 

[Shnak]

Considering that 90 % of these cars will likely be sold with automatics, looks like a major win for Ford.

Yep, this sounds like a major win to me... The Fiesta can be frustratingly lethargic if you’re looking for right-now acceleration when on the move  

And that's only the transmission... the reviewer also thought that Ford's engine was a coarser unit while the Mazda engine was smoother and more eager to rev. Again, another clear win for Ford...  

Let's be real here... Ford took the apparently very good euro Fiesta and tuned it to americans' taste... soft suspension, relaxed transmission and comfy for cruising. On the other hand, Mazda stayed true to their 'zoom-zoom' image.

[TopGun]

Yep, this sounds like a major win to me... The Fiesta can be frustratingly lethargic if you’re looking for right-now acceleration when on the move  

.....

I dunno Shnak...isn't this what most people look for?

"For longer highway cruises or rush hour duty, the Fiesta SE got the nod for its auto-box, greater comfort, isolation and Bluetooth."

[Shnak]

Yep, this sounds like a major win to me... The Fiesta can be frustratingly lethargic if you’re looking for right-now acceleration when on the move  

.....

I dunno Shnak...isn't this what most people look for?

"For longer highway cruises or rush hour duty, the Fiesta SE got the nod for its auto-box, greater comfort, isolation and Bluetooth."

And here I thought the whole point of a dual-clutch transmission was to have lightning-quick reaction time, always ready to jump up or down a gear?

If Ford only aimed for a slow transmission to save fuel, why go with the the DCT at all? Stick a regular 5 speed auto and call it a day.

[Jaeger]

When the pre-release Fiesta hype was at its zenith, all we kept hearing is how the pure, undiluted "Euroness" of the Fiesta would set the cat among the pigeons in terms of razor sharp handling and high fun-to-drive factor that would make it stand both apart from and on top of all other segment competitors.

Since then, all I've seen is review after review, comparison after comparison where it sure looks to me like all that was promised has not been delivered.

A comfortable cruiser, but frustratingly lethargic when asked to hustle?  Seriously?  That's not how I remember the Fiesta being billed.  I started out thinking that the Fiesta (on paper) would be the clear winner against the Mazda 2.  I haven't driven either one, but I'm sure not thinking that anymore based on a lot of what I've read.

Jaeger

PS - Shnak - yeah - I thought the whole point of a dual-clutch transmission was super-quick and super-crisp shifts as well.  I guess Ford sees it differently.

[Dante]

I wonder what it takes to spice up Fiesta's DCT performance. Anything more than software updates?
With the 5-speed M/T I would assume mechanical changes are required, right?

Most likely Ford, like any other manufacturer launching a new tech, is going through a trial phase. It may take few iterations and some time to get the perfect balance.
Arguably this should be done before release, but on the other hand, the feedback from the buying public, auto media, etc. is impossible to obtain before launch.
Hopefully Ford is listening and it will continue to tweak the car over the next year or so. This is reminder that first model year should be avoided if possible.

I think one of the top design priorities was to get the 40 mpg highway rating and most likely the best 0-60mph time wasn't a top priority. Something has to give I guess.

I for one, would trade any day best fuel economy and average performance for the best performance and average fuel economy, but I know I'm in minority.

[Dante]

Fuel economy numbers (source EPA) for the sub-compact class. All cars have 1.5L-1.6L, 4-cylinder engines and A/T.

Fiesta – 33 (29/38)
Mazda2 – 29 (27/33)
Fit – 31 (28/35)
Versa 1.6L – 28 (25/33)
Yaris – 31 (29/35)
Accent – 30 (27/36)
Rio – 30(27/36)
Aveo – 28 (25/34)
Soul – 28 (26/31)

*Mini - 28 (25/33)

[Ex-airbalancer]

Fuel economy numbers (source EPA) for the sub-compact class. All cars have 1.5L-1.6L, 4-cylinder engines and A/T.

Fiesta – 33 (29/38)
Mazda2 – 29 (27/33)
Fit – 31 (28/35)
Versa 1.6L – 28 (25/33)
Yaris – 31 (29/35)
Accent – 30 (27/36)
Rio – 30(27/36)
Aveo – 28 (25/34)
Soul – 28 (26/31)

*Mini - 28 (25/33)

Did you know you can change mpg to l/100km on the EPA website so we can understand the what these numbers mean
is it Imp mpg or US mpg
besides I do not buy gas in any kind of gallons or drive in miles anymore