The Mazda Tribute competing with the Jeep Liberty
Written by man on December 6th, 2009 in Other.
The all-new Mazda2 is no cock and bull attempt to make a vehicle more fascinating and user friendly. And it breaks with convention in a world where bigger is alleged to be better in lining up in the auto park smaller, lighter and distinctly more user friendly than the mini MPV-like Mazda2 it replaces. What we have here is an automobile that uses the basic underpinnings of the yet to be seen new Fiesta, one of the planet’s best sellers. And the tiny Mazda gives the belief that it might like to get in on the act. It brings the zoom-zoom experience to the little car end of the range, and Mazda expect to see around three times more of them that its progenitor. It’s tidily styled, offers a good quantity of interior space for four adults and from the rear view, the corpulent looks gives the impression of a car well planted on the road. Which it seems to be.
I drove three of them ( 1.5 Sport, 1.3 TS2 and the ‘only one of its kind in the United Kingdom and not on sale yet’ 1.4 diesel version which arrives soon ) on a lengthy and it has to be recounted superbly scenic test route thru the Scottish Highlands last week on the kind of roads that sort the men out from the boys, and the kid ticked the majority of the right boxes. I say most because on the rougher part of the route the firm ride set up was most likely a bit too firm, although there was no thumping and crashing from the under structure. Just the feeling of being a little over-firm at times , even though it comes into its own on the smoother A roads and puts in a very accomplished and less nervous performance. Its road-holding was never in peril, even on our long run to the north coast.
For the money it is a very well equipped automobile with little on the options list save for metallic paint. And it’s an cost-effective machine as well . My colleague on the day put my 28.7mpg to shame ( in my defense i did have the more desolate, press-on part of the route for my spell behind the wheel ) with a thrifty 45.9mpg against the quoted figure of 47.9 mixed and we had the aircon on too. On the inside the interior is well finished, with a neat cluster of switches and dials for the radio and heater controls centrally situated with the gigantic main speedo and smaller rev counter right in front of you line of vision.
Costs start at £8,499 and there’s a selection of three engines and 3 equipment levels ( TS, TS2 and Sport ). Factors buyers will most likely consider are its good fuel economy, low CO2 emissions and the fact it’s really fun to drive. It drops into a sector of the market that accounts for some twenty-five percent of all sales and will have far bigger appeal to younger buyers than its boxy predecessor. And it would not be a bad car to think about for anyone downsizing either.
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