Been anywhere interesting?
The Mazda2 has swapped homes for the rest of its time with us, as it just wasn't getting out and about enough. I've been tasked with using it and although I wasn't blown away by the 2 on its original launch - thinking it merely average - I've grown very fond of it since it has been in my tenure. I love the fact that Mazda has managed to make it lighter than its predecessor and I'm convinced it's one of the sharpest looking superminis on the market - something that's more notable due to its relative scarcity. It has not been anywhere particularly exciting since I've had the keys in my pocket though; indeed it has spent a fair amount of time sat in airport car parks as the car manufacturers seem to be launching more products than ever.
Anything stand out...?
The 2's personality. I'd only driven it a few hundred miles before it got under my skin. It's a surprisingly able all-rounder, as comfortable and capable on a long motorway schlep as it is on a quick trip to the supermarket. It's a very entertaining performer too, the 101bhp 1.5-litre engine delivering ample performance and feeling sprightlier than its 10.4 second 0-62mph time suggests. The interior is a nice place to be too; it's not the smartest, or highest quality in the segment, but it's very easy to use with big simple controls and clear instruments. The column stalks are particularly smart, shaming many cars far more expensive than the 2.
...and for the wrong reasons?
Like Georgio, I find the windscreen wipers automatic setting a touch erratic in its choices, ignoring some pretty heavy rain and going ape when there's only one of two drops of moisture on the screen. The fuel consumption isn't quite as good as we'd hoped either, though I blame that partly on my typically heavy right foot and the 2's enjoyable chassis - it goading you to push it harder. Still, 34.4mpg isn't brilliant. With all the muck on the roads and the grey paintwork it is too easy to let the 2 get absolutely filthy, though doing so means messy hands when using the boot's tiny little button.
Where next?
It'll be running to and from airports even more as the invites come flooding in for more launches. Still, it's a real measure of the 2's roundedness that even after a day out in a luxury or sports car the drive back home isn't arduous. Indeed, after the complexity of many of today's cars the Mazda2's simplicity is a refreshing antidote.
