2011 Mazda2 100000 km / 62k miles owner review

Review of my 2011 Mazda2 after 4 years and 62,000 miles (100000 km) of ownership.
Note: 34.4 MPG U.S. = 41.3 MPG Imperial = 6.84 L/100km

[@HiroshimaSpirit]

This video is one of many that helped bolster my decision to buy a Mazda2, so thank you. I purchased one of the last few of this generation, fresh off the boat back in November of 2014 and have enjoyed nearly 17,000 miles with the car so far. In fact, my girlfriend and I liked mine so much that we bought a pre-owned 2013 for her to drive. Even with almost 68,000 miles on the clock, hers runs just as well as mine, and equally trouble free. They're awesome cars. I recommend one (or more!) to anybody who's watching this video and considering picking up a Mazda2 second hand.

[@Jallge]

I've got a fever, and the only prescription, is more wood grain! You bought that car on my birthday! I've never seen anyone record their fuel fill-ups like that, it's good to have records.

[@doug834]

You maintain your car impeccably and your review is very thorough and well-done. I must say that seeing your mileage charts at the end put a smile on my face because I've been doing something similar for years and thought I was the only one. Glad to see I'm not the only one so concerned with performance details.

[@gc2696]

That's one lucky Mazda to have had such a diligent owner.

[@wilkes85]

Your modifications look good! The wood trim in the interior is great. It adds a bit of contrast, and it looks more classy. It's nice that it never needed any service, other than the general maintanence. Side blinkers really are a good thing to have. There's some angles where you can't tell if someone's turn signal is on. Another feature that should make a comeback is cornering lights! They're great to have if you're turning a corner on a narrow country road with a steep ditch at night, since the headlights don't shine far enough out the sides. All in all, you've got a good car there. I bet you could keep it running for decades since it seems quite reliable, and because of your meticulous care.

[@KewlQT]

She's a beaut! Love, love, love the colour. I wish they didn't faze out the Mazda 2. The only upgrade I would want today on my 2012 is the big entertainment screen with backup camera. A really nice feature to have these days. You don't mention much about the poor rear passenger space for adults on this vehicle. Personally I like it as I usually only have one passenger who sits shotgun. I love driving this car on curvy roads - you can easily pass just about everyone else. Great handling on corners, one of the best!

[@7amido12]

Very thorough! Thanks for the review. I am looking to buy a second hand 2013 mazda 2 neo but I am not too sure about fuel consumption. the car looks and drives really well

[@Erdie5]

I'll likely always own a hatchback. Tried a small SUV, hated it, got rid of it. Tried a full size sedan, hated it, got rid of it. Bought another hatch :)

[@ctsfiddler]

I have a Touring model and love it. IF you use the key in the driver's door and turn it to the right and hold for 1 second, all doors and hatch will open.

[@AaronRMartin]

I'll be right back, I am running outside to try this now - wow the things ya learn on YT, TY

[@ResellTheWorld]

Tom will 6 years to learn this 😂

[@pegdunn9236]

if you hit the remote twice, it opens all.

[@CamelJam]

I just bought this car (2012). I absolutely love it.

[@johnlevine3210]

Very impressive mpg log. That deserves a thumbs up

[@IchiBanSanBro]

Great work man! Very slow and dry but so informative!

[@ataristeve9753]

I like the woodgrain also. You've kept the car really well, I'm impressed with the mileage chart. Do you plan on keeping the car for a while?

[@dantosinferne]

oh damn, you mighta just sold me on the mazda 2s. being able to judge where the end of the car is pretty well by the window, hot damn!

[@elizabethharkins5769]

I've had mine since 2011 I do have the alloy rims. Mine is an automatic. But she drives like a dream . I have cruise control. The steering is amazing. If I need to take off quick... SHE GOES! ZOOM ZOOM

[@PretentiousBrownie]

I only do about 3000 miles per year in my daily commuter (a '00 Audi A6 2.8 Quattro), but I change the oil twice a year on it regardless. The original spec called for 5W-40, but per recommendations by Audi technicians and pals in the forums, 5W-30 and 0W-30 are definitely smarter options to go. I tend to use Ravenol 0W-30 full-synth, and the car runs like a charm with that stuff; it feels smoother, it idled slightly lower w/o issues, and the return on fuel economy is noticeable. With my truck and Mini, both do roughly 3000 miles a year too, and they get the same two-interval oil changes with full synthetic. Although synth is rated for 15,000 miles or more, in many cases, I'm not sure I'd ever run it that much. Even after a 1500 mile or 3000 mile change, the oil is still clearly used, so I keep to my cautious interval. Hey, whatever works, right?

[@shadowrider460]

I’m glad to see other people realizing the benefits of synthetic motor oil. If I had to remove the valve cover on that engine, I’m confident I would find little to no sludge/varnish even after 62,000 miles. Just be careful about the wet gauze filters. In some circumstances, the tack oil can migrate onto the MAF sensor elements and trigger the MIL.

[@zyxzyx3030]

Yawn .. All motor oil is "synthetic".

[@letsseewherethisgoes]

I picked up a 2011 Mazda2 5 Spd in 2017 for a pretty fair price as my daily driver - essentially the same package as this one but in white, with only 2 speakers (the rear speakers are only dummies), with 116000 Kms on the clock. 18 months or so later I'm at 148000 Kms and still pretty happy with it. Surprisingly roomy for the size of car, and with the seats down you can fit a lot of stuff. I sit around 34-36 MPG most of the time. Some minor issues - the clutch pedal has developed some play and a bit of a clicky sound, I've had to replace one rear wheel bearing and one rear strut. There's a little bit of rust that I'm maintaining with undercoat, and I've stuck with 0w20 synthetic oil every 7000 kms or so, so far. Otherwise it's been very low maintenance, hasn't needed much attention, I think it even still has the original battery (or at least a factory OEM one). I'll probably put better tires on it soon, the ones that the dealership put on it were mediocre cheap tires.

[@rowsdower12]

love it. Soft spot for this car. especially green. even had a dream driving one. I did test drive a red auto one too. couldn't really test too much but fun. revved easy

[@radoo2341]

Nice review. Congrats

[@robertelizondo7702]

had the exact same car with standard transmission. Love the gas mileage and ran very well. Low maintenance needed on the car.

[@Waltzkon]

Cool stuff! Personally I am not a huge fan of cars like these, I just don't like the look of the body and interior. However, I can't say they aren't practical, good cars. Where do you get the chart for keeping track of gas mileage? Do you make them yourself or do you just print out an image? I'm a little curious because I'd like to use it myself. I do it now through the smartphone I begrudgingly have, but all apps I've used for this always give me issues. Thanks.

[@Bae_Dreary]

I was hoping the carpeting in the trunk would be green too xD I have a 2012 Mazda 2, I also had a 2004 Mazda 3 Hatchback. I love this car so much more, quicker, more efficient, better turning and cornering and good visibility

[@nerminbabic3988]

I recommend that every two oil changes, change the air filter. The car works perfectly. Also, the cabin filter on the passenger side should be changed every 6 months. My Mazda 2 Sport 2014 currently has 208,000 miles and is still doing great.

[@brianbenton7791]

Nermin Babic does the engine have a timing belt or chain?

[@nerminbabic3988]

brian benton. My mazda have chain. I hapy with this car.

[@dedfrog]

Nice car! Where did you get those handy cool sheets for keeping track of mileage?

[@johnschulman1565]

FYI: When the battery died in my key fob, I noticed I could unlock all doors and the hatch lid by holding the key a little longer in the unlock position. Thanks for the presentation.

[@paulgriffiths8488]

Wow!! I follow you for audio stuff but own a Mazda 2 and was looking at Mazda uploads. I thought " I recognise this guy" :) We have 2 things in common. Paul. U.K.

[@murraypatterson9190]

I bought a 2008 Mazda manual shift same green car. Still got it in 2023 and only done 100,000km. Fun car. Was the 2008 “Car of the Year” because of its design which others hace followed. I’ve had a lot more expensive cars, but I love the green Mazda 2, as my around town run about. Yes, I should sell it, but I won’t and so many people these days can’t drive manual shift it may be hard to sell it. Who cares, may I’ll keep for another 10 years!

[@dankeihanaikukauakahihulih7969]

beautiful car!

[@Eyetrauma]

I like your vwestlife brand extends even to your license plate!

[@ricardogarcia6453]

Thks for the video, great

[@1marcelfilms]

Real nice, i love the color but the woodgrain on the inside doesn't really fit with the modern design

[@seanyoon636]

Great review do you still have the xar?

[@paulyosef7550]

You sure do take nice care of a car. I had the same car. I bought mine in 2013 with 28,000 miles on it and just sold it on Nov 7 2022 with 94,000 on it. I had zero trouble with it. Just don't get in an accident with it.

[@club1fan552]

Very good, realistic, no bullshit review.

[@DVaEtc]

Is your favorite color green?

[@MattSmith-ks2lc]

Those are the best looking steel rims with covers. From a distance the wheels looked like alloys.

[@doomloop1977]

really nice colour^^

[@WaybackTECH]

I really appreciate how well taken care of you keep your cars. I too have not seen a real performance benefit to performance filters in general on a stock 4cyl. I do on a heavier breathing V8 though. You might try E3 spark plugs. I tried some in my car and I get up to 40MPG in city and closer to 50 highway now, but in winter I drop down to the low 30's. Before the best plug I used was the Bosch 2 and got about 28 city / 35 highway at best.

[@Rustbelt_Research]

E3 spark plugs are amazing.. I use them in everything and they really make a difference.

[@WaybackTECH]

+Cap10323 I buy them from Advanceautoparts.com and use a discount code to get them cheaper. I love doing that and picking them up at the store :) I found E3 dont help me with less than 91 octane. But i get more for the money even with the higher cost of 91 gas.

[@Rustbelt_Research]

In all honesty I mostly use them in my Lawn Mowers and other Outdoor power equipment.. They use half the fuel and it makes them run So smooth.. Especially the 2 strokes.

[@WaybackTECH]

As hard as it is to believe a spark plug can essentially double the fuel economy, the E3's do seem to do that. I don't know if it is every case. I'd be curious what the economy jump would be on a more modern fuel efficient car.

[@saxman112]

Now that's not a bad-looking car! I've seen a few of these on the road by me, and they're some of the better looking subcompacts out there. As I said before, I have a 2011 Toyota Highlander, and it's not a bad car for what it is. I have the base model for mine too, and it has just enough features for me. It's just the base model, so it's nothing too fancy, but it gets the job done. But, I really like how it has automatic headlights, a windshield de-icer, and heated mirrors. Those features will come in handy this winter.

[@zachary159]

I think the interior trim would look nice if it was the same colour as the outside of the car (: the wood looks pretty awesome though!

[@nerminbabic3988]

I have Mazda 2 2014 . And already have 200000 miles right now

[@guillermoortiz1492]

Nermin Babic any regrets? Hows it holding up? Issues? ..im communiting 80miles+ more daily n looking into a 14 used mazda 2 or mazda 3

[@asad5067]

thank god, i just bought the yaris ia which is a mazda 2. its the only toyota style i liked, i liked the style better than the frs.

[@brookexp4710]

I just got done signing a bunch of paperwork for a car just like this, same color and year . I'm excited but nervous

[@undeadelite]

Dude, you are awesome

[@dantosinferne]

damn i love that color

[@dantosinferne]

i'm trying to figure out if i want a green one or not. on one end, it's gorgeous, unique, and fun. on the other, might be tacky, it'll draw attention, and maybe too cheery. i can't tell if i love it or just like like it. I love the look artistically, but I'm trying to figure out if i'd like driving around in one. it's tempting if only because it makes finding it in the parking lot easy!

[@MichaelWebber]

Wind takes the paint off the steel wheels? I always thought it was the power nozzles at car washes.

[@AaronRMartin]

Very Impressive Mileage! I have a 2012 Touring Auto with ~58,000 miles and I try to Hypermile it, but the best I am averaging is 30.2 MPG according to the Trip Computer. However, I have been quite the cheapskate and mostly doing Synthetic BLEND about 3,500 - 5,000 miles, maybe the lower viscosity of PURE Synthetic is less stress on your engine? Where did You get the wood inserts?

[@vwestlife]

As far as I know the only 0W-20 oil that is available to consumers is full synthetic. You can get 5W-20 synthetic blend, but that is a higher viscosity (thicker oil) than what Mazda recommends. I got the wood trim on eBay.

[@MR_FIAT]

neat car, i should consider putting woodgrain in my 2006 punto. (kinda grayish plastic interior) and i can agree that having a short end is realy nice, my car pretty much ends at the wheels aswel.

[@Matt_Electronics]

I must agree with you on the "Average" meter on cars not being that accurate; my instant meter on my car believes it gets around 12 L/100 but my "Instant" meter is a completely different story as it shows between the 8 & 9 L/100 range. I don't know if even that is more accurate.

[@darkwaterblue]

We were looking for a new car a few years ago, when you bought yours. We loved the outside of it, very good looking car but we found inside pretty horrid. And they weren't particularly cheap here in the UK either, certainly not bargain basement. I still like them though, would consider one 2nd hand if we ever needed to change again.

[@iNFECTED_pIE]

I have one of the automatic Mazda2's. My god, you will never experience a more cranky transmission in your life haha. MPG is poor too. I average around 30mpg with the thing. Definitely want to go for the stick shift if you intend to get one of these! That said, I live in San Francisco, so running around in a manual on those hills is kinda terrifying. Oh well.

[@adamburns1077]

Nice car, do you still have it? If so, would you consider doing another video like this, how's it holding up? I usually stick with Fords, my MK1 Focus is a very comfortable car for its age and gets decent mileage, I have it with the 1.4 engine, depending how you drive it, I get anywhere between 37 and 45 mpg in UK measurements, its a great car and I'll be sad to see it go!

[@vwestlife]

No, in late 2014 I traded it in for a Subaru Impeza: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eZendXmBg82mfq8

[@punishedexistence]

That's a really nice little car!! I especially like the small size and color...I have an '05 Honda civic hybrid, actually got it for a great deal, 5,500 bucks used with about 150 thousand miles, it gets roughly the same mileage as your does, about 35 mpg, it has a lotta miles now, 170 thousand some miles but runs like a champ. Takes same oil too, expensive but lasts a long time. I love America but I have to say our Japanese counterparts are just better built for economy and durability. Love the video, man!

[@vwestlife]

***** The U.S. car companies are making some really nice cars now, such as the Ford Focus & Fiesta, Chevy Cruze, Sonic & Spark, and Dodge Dart. I just happened to like the Mazda2 better.

[@punishedexistence]

vwestlife Agreed, I actually like the Fusion quite a bit, it's a really nice car, but also quite expensive. I'm probably thinking more back to the 90's, those weren't built so great in my opinion. Of course, when it comes to trucks, you can't beat Ford, Dodge and Chevy.

[@andljoy]

That is a nice car! I cannot believe that the side repeaters are not required in the US that's crazy. And i think i have said this before but some of the parts on that car are identical to that of my 2009 fiesta such as the round air vents and the shape and plastic fittings in the boot ( trunk), the steering wheel is very similar as well.

[@markhealey9409]

US & Canada specs are different to Europe...there are quite a few differences. There rear fog lights are not required,like in Europe since 1980,which i think it stupid! A few European made cars sold in the US & Canada do have rear fogs,but i can only think of a couple of American made cars made for that market have them,one Oldsmobile is the one I can remember. You can buy after market rear fog lights there,of course,but not that many people fit them. Also side marker lights & reflectors,amber front & red rear,have been law in North America since around 1968,they are allowed in Europe,& some European made cars them,but not required here. Side indicators on the side view mirrors are actually on most American made cars these days,and some have them on the wings/fenders,but not required. However,some American made cars have the amber side marker lights flashing with the turn signals. Also rear indicators in The US & Canada can still be red OR Amber,which i think is kinda dangerous! Amber rear turn signals in The US weren't even permitted till around 1973 or 1974,I think. The same year catalytic converters & shock absorbing bumpers front & rear were mandated there. Unleaded fuel,surprisingly,was first sold in The USA in 1968,but not in The United Kingdom until 1986...and cars in Europe weren't required to run on unleaded & have catalysts until about 1990 or so. Leaded gasoline was phased out in The US from around 1990 to 1991-'92. Leaded was still available in Europe for about 8 more years or so. I had a 1980 Audi 80 here in England,that i bought in 1992,& it had no cat,but was fine to run on unleaded without any adjustments....it ran fine for the 3 years I had it.

[@watershed44]

What I never understood is why Mazda didn't focus more on the absolutely amazing handing qualities of this model, it essentially is a modern version of the MKII VW Golf GTI. It seems like Mazda USA only cared about selling their crossovers, a stupid craze in the USA but the manufactures like it because their is a huge profit margin in these oversized station wagons.

[@djkenny1202]

I have a 92 VW GTI 16v. I have been looking gat new cars for about 15 years... nothing had the feel and fun. This one is close as I have found. Well. the current Toyota iA, which is the Mazda 2 another areas. I might get one.

[@grassulo]

Your car reminds me a lot of the old Mazda 323, which for a very inexpensive car, was quite a nice little one, you still see a lot of them on the road in warmer climates, not up north where you and I live though, salt kills cars.

[@sean8081a]

I want to drive one, i have a yaris and it drives like a truck but its okay. the only thing bad i've heard of the mazda 2 is the brakes and rotor wear out early, not sure what that's all about.

[@Lachlant1984]

I'm pretty sure side mounted indicator lights are legally required here in Australia too, I've not seen any cars without them fitted. Of course sometime I've seen indicator lights mounted on the wing mirrors. I wonder why side mounted indicator lights aren't mandatory in the US.

[@markhealey9409]

I agree they should be required in the US....most cars there have side view mirror ones there in the past 10-20 years,and some do have fender/wing ones. Either red OR amber turn signals being allowed in the US is also stupid & dangerous!

[@Snicolaisen]

Haha how funny. My Mazda2 from 2010 has also run 100.000 km today. Just love that car. Mine is a 1.6 Diesel. Still runs perfect :-)

[@d00m798504092]

I put engine cleaner in my Ford Focus and it was getting around 45 MPG...then the rain caused me to hydroplane and I totaled the car. Now...a Buick.

[@BenjaminBranca]

I love this car.

[@ctsfiddler]

+Ben Branca me too. I have a 5 speed and I like it more than my Mazda 3. It's just more lively feeling.

[@claireeileen1430]

I would say the weather would have more to do with the wheels rusting rather than wind.

[@spyralspyder]

120 on mine so far. Brakes and oil.... Gonna do belt and bearings next caus they are wear parts so seems right.

[@djkenny1202]

I wish these got over 45 MPG. Is there a base model discounted under 13 grand? Of course MSRP means nothing< I have always paid a few grand below that for cars. I want a simple econo box closer to 10 grand than 14 grand. No need for power windows and locks, either.

[@netoe]

I miss my peugeot 206 :( very similar to your Mazda.

[@elizabethharkins5769]

I have the same car.. she's silver . All I've ever had to do is change the oil and rotate the wheels. I did stay with the Yokohama tires. They just top off the fluids and re-oil her and rotate the tires. I also had had a Mazda 3. I like my2 better. My boyfriend is afraid to drive my car. He say's it's like a ROCKET!

[@compu85]

I hope those Hankooks work out OK for you. We are SO glad to be rid of them on our Passat. Why VW would put such a horrible tire on a new car is beyond me.

[@kpfloyd01]

Does any one know how many miles you get out of a tank ??

[@saxman112]

Interesting how the base model for your car doesn't come with cruise control. I thought that was something that came standard with all cars nowadays. I guess base models of economy cars are different than some other cars.

[@Behindstage]

What are fuel prices in the states? its £1.30 here (about $2.12) per ltr.

[@vwestlife]

***** Right now it's around $3.10 per gallon for regular-grade gasoline (petrol) -- that's about $0.82 per liter. But our fuel taxes are low compared to most other countries, and NJ has low fuel taxes compared to other U.S. states.

[@blakegoss8720]

You should check out some of the phone apps out there for gas mileage. They'll track everything you have and then organize it into a graph, execl spread sheets, pie chart and forecast gas prices ;) . Nice car.

[@vwestlife]

I don't have a smartphone.

[@gmcnewlook]

i like woodgrain trim in a car nice and classy even though its all plastic in most cars unless you have something like a rolls royce that uses real wood.....

[@jvanegas14]

NEVER be ashamed of your steelies!

[@danpete6623]

My friend has a madza 6 2007 has 203,000 miles on it. We have it because it needs a fuel pump for it

[@ramenpayen6372]

I want to know where I can purchase the wood grain trims for the interiors

[@vwestlife]

I got them on eBay.

[@GruszkuEntertainment]

Rather high consumption, my '99 BMW 1.9 liter makes about 7 L/100km, and my previous SEAT 1.6 liter easily made 6-6/5 L/100km.

[@mikesk356]

How common is it in U.S. to find a petrol station that sells diesel? How about CNG?

[@vwestlife]

Michal Szabó About 60% of all U.S. gas stations sell diesel fuel. CNG is much less common. According to the data I could find, there are only 749 CNG filling stations in the USA (not counting private filling stations that companies use), versus over 121000 gas stations.

[@stephenmurray2851]

I like that wood trim

[@kbhasi]

I kinda like the woodgrain…

[@xnopyt13]

A yellow spare! That's interesting

[@kennethku7036]

Where do i get the wood grain trim

[@vwestlife]

eBay.

[@oshaneallien9561]

I have the same car in Jamaica but its called Mazda demio it's a different name in the USA and my car is automatic it's like a little rocket.

[@delavago5379]

Oshane Allien ah fi real. I'm looking into getting on or the honda fit

[@nychan8958]

dela vago get the demio they better than fit

[@HunterSkowronPDX]

brakes done twice in 4 years...is that normal?

[@vwestlife]

It was for me. Both brakes and tires only lasted around 30,000 miles on this car.

[@iNFECTED_pIE]

Sadly the new Mazda2 won't be coming to the USA. Mazda sales were too weak for the model and they decided to focus on the CX-3 as their "small car" for this market.

[@rancosteel]

How is it in the snow?

[@janetd5317]

My 2011 Mazda 2 does fine in the snow...no winter tires either...just do the "winter driving " rules, easy on the gas and brake...

[@rancosteel]

@@janetd5317 I bought one rust-free sight unseen from Austin Texas. I live in RI. I invested 2K into it. I like the ride even though is slightly fatiguing to drive. I love the handling and gas mileage. I put Made in Japan BF Goodrich Blizzak tire on it. This is the no-frills car VW should have made for the introduction to the Beetle.

[@Peppermint1]

Really no issue to 60K miles ? Not even a faulty sensor ? That's hard to believe for any car these days. Not saying it's a bad car, but it too easy to say "not problems". The Mazda 2 didn't rank that well in consumer survey www.whatcar.com/news/2019-what-car-reliability-survey/n20042

[@vwestlife]

No problems for me other than the tires and brakes wearing out more quickly than I would've liked. It also developed an exhaust rattle, but I was able to fix that by bending a piece of the heat shield away from the exhaust pipe.

[@customengravingsbyhuntersh657]

ive got a 2014 Mazda 2 sport auto, in jet black nd oh god yes its a peppy car for 100hp lol turn over drive off and you can fly quicker, its a great car, cheap but great ive had mine for about 3 months now and another 3 and a half years to go

[@runningbear4666]

2013 mazda2 15000 mile original owner selling for 6750.00 financial reasons

[@alansmilealot]

The new style looks so much better, it just a shame we didn't get it here. We got the Scion/Toyota clone... Which are ugly

[@TAVIII]

Find it funny that a 14k car in the US by standard has black plastic and it's expected when UK VW UPs and Polos are covered in like 3 tones of different plastics across the dash just like the bigger cars... one of the reasons these Mazda's don't sell in the UK, Europeans just don't like cars which don't have a visible quality to them and the Japanese put everything together solidly but load it with hard plastics. Case point - Yaris. Citigo, MII and UP! can all have that at like... £7k? or if you want any equiptment 9k... or even more at 11. images.cdn.autocar.co.uk/sites/autocar.co.uk/files/styles/gallery_slide/public/volkswagen-up-7.jpg?itok=iZAuC982 www.vwvortex.com/albums//Volkswagen/up/up%20(EU)/2012-Volkswagen-up-021.jpg www.mynrma.com.au/media/vw_up_interior.jpg Now cars like this are around I just could not buy a car like Mazda, they are just too boring inside. And the kicker is that the UP! platform (Mii + Citigo as well) is just a far better car than the Aygo etc, only the i10 even comes close. Mazda 2 is obviously slightly bigger but it just loses so many sales to things like the Fiesta and Hyundais now.

[@bbishoppcm]

I'll be honest; after owning a Hyundai for four years (I bought a new 2010 Elantra in Nov. 2010), I'm amazed at how much more car you get for the money from the Korean automakers. I think this generation of Mazda was truly neutered in many ways by Ford; they didn't want it cutting into the sales of its platform mate, the Fiesta.

[@vwestlife]

BBISHOPPCM's World My first new car was a 2007 Kia Rio5 (same platform as the Hyundai Accent) and while it had attractive styling, impressive interior fit & finish, powerful HVAC and a good-sounding stereo -- all things that provide good value for the money -- it was a very lackluster car in terms of how it actually drove. It had a rough, noisy engine, bouncy ride, a clunky shifter, and numb steering, and the fuel economy wasn't that great: I was only averaging 29 to 30 MPG with the Kia, versus an average of 34 MPG with my Mazda2.

[@bbishoppcm]

vwestlife I had no idea you owned a Kia! The Rio5 really was a lackluster car. My first new car was a mid-level 2007 Nissan Versa; it was a great car for the money (18k out the door), but lacked any real build quality. Handling was pretty good though. I then bought a used Nissan Murano, which was poorly built; anything that could go wrong went wrong. I nicknamed it "Murphy." Anyway, that was replaced in 2010 with the Elantra I have today; aside from some early transmission issues (fixed under warranty with a smile and a free rental car) and my poorly-maintained rural roads which tore the control arms apart after 70,000 miles... this car has proven to be solidly built, and still runs/drives like it did 86,000 miles ago. My next car will be a lightly used Toyota Avalon, which I can buy for the cost of a brand-new Elantra.

[@vwestlife]

BBISHOPPCM's World I remember your videos on the Murano and its perpetually breaking seat frames. :-) Nissan certainly has a well-earned reputation as the least reliable Japanese brand.

[@bbishoppcm]

vwestlife I was a Nissan fanatic... not anymore.

[@matthewp.5291]

I somewhat agree with you, but I prefer Toyota for reliability. I have a 94' Camry with a V6. Surprisingly, despite the car having 270,000 miles on the car it has never broken down. Very good car, my dad passed it down to me.

[@nintendoatarikiller]

Are you going to auto cross the Mazda2? (Track day, bro!) I still like the Mazda2 more than the fit even though it's down on power. It's not trying to be something it isn't. Also get this sticker www.zazzle.ca/gay_pride_stripe_bumper_stickers-128086439028410013

[@spyralspyder]

The 1% is Ford.