Topic: Feature: Price comparison - 2011 Ford Fiesta vs 2011 Mazda2

[Autos_Editor]

After comparing pricing for the similar-looking Ford Fiesta and Mazda2, editor Greg Wilson concludes that one of these cars "seems to be a better deal."   And the winner is'.

Read More...

[Ex-airbalancer]

And the winner is'

Honda Fit,

 I do not believe any over 5 ft can fit in the back seat in the Fiesta & Mazda

[tpl]

And the winner is'

Honda Fit, I do not believe any over 5 ft can fit in the back seat

You mean that  in the Fiesta and Mazda  no-one over 5 ft can fit in the back seat. They certainly can in the Fit as the roof line is preserved way past the seating positions.

[Ex-airbalancer]

And the winner is'

Honda Fit, I do not believe any over 5 ft can fit in the back seat

You mean that  in the Fiesta and Mazda  no-one over 5 ft can fit in the back seat. They certainly can in the Fit as the roof line is preserved way past the seating positions.

Yes I mean Fiesta & Mazda
In the Fit I was amazed I could adjust the drive seat for me, and then get into the rear seat

[Shnak]

And the winner is'

Honda Fit, I do not believe any over 5 ft can fit in the back seat

You mean that  in the Fiesta and Mazda  no-one over 5 ft can fit in the back seat. They certainly can in the Fit as the roof line is preserved way past the seating positions.

Yes I mean Fiesta & Mazda
In the Fit I was amazed I could adjust the drive seat for me, and then get into the rear seat

Yep same here. The Fit is incredible for passenger comfort. When you can fit 4 people of my size in such a small vehicle, it's a huge feat IMO. The same might be true about the Versa; I've never sat in one, but everyone keeps saying how big it is.

[Dante]

5'10" and I could fit in the rear seat of the Fiesta just fine, with the driver seat set for myself. I even had a bit of head room to spare. I think the problem may start at around 6'. I haven't tried the Mazda2 yet.
The rear seat space, both head room and leg room, in the Fit is definitely better, but the trade-off for that and the cargo versatility is the seats are merely a park bench with a little padding. I wouldn't call them comfortable, but certainly usable.
Most likely Fit's setup would be preferable for most people, but not for everyone.

[sacrat]

While the outcome may not change too much, it seems strange to compare the two cars' pricing using Ford's TEMPORARY employee pricing incentive that ends in about two weeks (Sept.30). It would be more realistic to compare apples to apples, then point out the savings on the Ford for those ready to buy "right now".

[Jaeger]

The Fit does keep racking up comparison test wins, despite the challenge presented by more recent entries. 

As between the Fiesta and Mazda - the latter presents a compelling value only so long as you are dealing with the stick shift.  For me, in this day and age, a retro 4 speed slushbox would be a deal-breaker.  And straight up, I just prefer the Fiesta to the 2.

5'10" and I could fit in the rear seat of the Fiesta just fine, with the driver seat set for myself. I even had a bit of head room to spare. I think the problem may start at around 6'. I haven't tried the Mazda2 yet.
The rear seat space, both head room and leg room, in the Fit is definitely better, but the trade-off for that and the cargo versatility is the seats are merely a park bench with a little padding. I wouldn't call them comfortable, but certainly usable.
Most likely Fit's setup would be preferable for most people, but not for everyone.

As usual, your comments are quite balanced and fair.  And I quite agree.

Jaeger

[libraman]

Like the interior of the 2 better.  If I wanted a bare bones vehicle I would get the cheapest 2. Apparently the stick shift is good.  Maybe add AC.  Personally, I would not buy a car like this loaded with convenience features.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Despite being a bit pricey strongly prefer the Fiesta, inside and out, and appreciate the colour selection and available features list.

Saw my first Fiesta on the road yesterday, a black sedan.

[Motor Mike]

Nice to place my 1st post after lots of reading them.

I looked at the Mazda2 yesterday and found the hatch to be a bit smaller than the Versa front to to back. Both have the stepped version back seats which coming from the Mazda 3 near flat doesn't cut it for me. The Versa my wife leased, is definitely larger in leg room and overall size with the seats up. Versa does have oodles of space back there. I really feel the 2 would not feel substantial enough in interior leg room front and back compared with the Versa, however the 2 would win in driving pleasure easily. Thankfully the Mazda2 would be without the CVT drone effect and the terrible toe in lag to an initial quick burst -offsetting the relative slow acceleration. Mazda 2 also has a beautiful comfy leather steering wheel, with volume control !(Fiesta doesn't have!). 

Having said all this we haven't looked at the Fiesta. Even if both cars are from one of the same, my wife is mired in the -NO Ford mentality. A drive with both cars similarily equipped with an auto would tell her lots I'm sure. Then again she was completely turned off at the sight of Mazda2s red-orange instrumentation color...

I told her to place a visit to Kia and look at the Soul 2u AT. Get a fun car with heated seats, lots of back bench leg room, fold flat hatch, steering wheel volume control, traction and stability control, and a 5 yr comprehensive. Na no way, its ugly!!             Thoughts?

[Sival]

I told her to place a visit to Kia and look at the Soul 2u AT. Get a fun car with heated seats, lots of back bench leg room, fold flat hatch, steering wheel volume control, traction and stability control, and a 5 yr comprehensive. Na no way, its ugly!!             Thoughts?

The Soul is basically a compact with relatively lackluster fuel economy with the 2.0L (especially on the highway), and better fuel economy but awful acceleration with the 1.6L. I concur with your wife that it's ugly as hell. I don't think "fun car" is a title it can claim either and it's pricier than the Mazda2 you were looking at.

The biggest problem would be that it's a KIA. Now, I know the brand itself has become much better in recent times, and the brand itself is not what bothers me. It's the dealer network. Every KIA dealer I've seen looked a bit... well, let's just say they make used car sellers look good in comparison. I would try to know to get some feedback on customer service where you are before buying one.

As to the Mazda2 and Fiesta, personally despite the worse powertrain of the Mazda2, I might be tempted toward it more than the Fiesta. I did see the Fiesta in person and I found the interior room just plain awful. I couldn't find a really comfortable spot in the driver's seat, when the front seat was set for me, physics would prevent anyone from sitting behind me and the cargo room was also a deception. The Fiesta is a driver's subcompact (handling, suspension, etc...), and they've sacrificed versatility for it, the Mazda2 is supposedly a bit better despite being smaller in exterior dimensions. Then again, I'm 6-3, so adjust my observations for your own size.

[Motor Mike]

Sival,
I agree the Soul fuel economy and price is a bit less advantageous. Can be seen as ugly. The Kia network I don't see as a problem out here.

As for Mazda2 interior, I must say I am 5'11", the seat travel was very good to the point where I my legs were stretched back to comfort. In comparison to the Mazda 3, with the seat travel at very back position, the clutch pedal would not hit the floor from that position as the 2 pedal travel did. The 2 had lots of seat travel however the console which is a quibble in my Mazda3 seemed a bit too tight to the leg. Versa provides more lateral leg room than in the Mazda2 or 3. In terms of long range comfort we would rather be seated in the Versa.

The Mazda 2 seats however are very comfortable, if a bit squishy over the 3's I've come to be used to. I don't recollect the back seat leg room after adjusting to my likes up front but looking back to the seating area definitely looked confining.

I figure in this class the Mazda 2's lack of an updated 5 sp auto powertrain will not be a glaring consumer issue. Not for most of the buyers. Mazda has never excelled in the mileage game...maybe they will issue an upgrade/probably not?

Theres no taking away the fact that the lack of conection the Versa's experience provides -would be replaced big time with the dynamics the Mazda2 has been engineered to have. I just want my wife to go into something thats not a step back in versatility and cargo room. Both the Ford and Mazda2 would be much more enjoyable as the grocery runabout! If she was fine with an MT and no air cond. I'd be tickled to go with the base Mazda2. Then again its her call and money?!


     

[Coast]

Personally I think the two cars are close enough that most people will choose by brand prefer (do you like Fords or Mazdas),  dealer experience and which company has a car with the options you want in a colour you like in stock at the time.

The Fiesta is powerful but the 2 is several hundred pounds lighter.  The 2 only has a 4 speed auto but I hear it works really well and I'm not certain about the long term durabilty of dual clutch trans.

In the end I would likely go with the base 2.  It is quite a bit cheaper and the only significant thing it's lacking is A/C which you rarely if ever need in Vancouver.

[johngenx]

I'd have a tough time if buying an automatic.  A conventional four speed transmission is probably the safer bet for long term reliability, but the six speed Ford unit would be way more fun.

[Schmengie]

And the winner is'

Honda Fit, I do not believe any over 5 ft can fit in the back seat

You mean that  in the Fiesta and Mazda  no-one over 5 ft can fit in the back seat. They certainly can in the Fit as the roof line is preserved way past the seating positions.

Yes I mean Fiesta & Mazda
In the Fit I was amazed I could adjust the drive seat for me, and then get into the rear seat

Yep same here. The Fit is incredible for passenger comfort. When you can fit 4 people of my size in such a small vehicle, it's a huge feat IMO. The same might be true about the Versa; I've never sat in one, but everyone keeps saying how big it is.

At 5'11" I had more than enough room in the Fit's back seat after I set the driver's seat for myself, but I can't say I was comfortable. The back seat's padding was so thin I could actually feel the metal frame underneath.  That seat's folding tricks are pretty cool, but the price paid in comfort was just too high. The Versa's back seat is far better padded and more comfortable and it feels roomier in most dimensions, especially head and leg room. Those qualities mean less cargo versatility, but that wasn't a big deal for us.

 I had a peek at a Fiesta the other day and it's not bad at all, a lot more substantial-looking than the Mazda2 IMO which seems a bit toy-like for some reason. Not as attractive as the Fit though, which I think is the best-looking small car out there right now. And definitely not designed for old farts like me. 

[Mozeby]

A lot of you guys who are Honda Fit fans are ignoring one important advantage of the Fiesta.  The fuel economy.  I know that the U.S ratings for the Fiesta auto is over 40 mpg on the highway versus low 30s for the Fit.  That's a pretty big difference.  Plus I've read that the Fit really revs high on the highway because of it's short gearing.

[johngenx]

Short gearing does not automatically mean poor highway fuel economy.  Engine size, throttle position, aerodynamics and torque curve all play roles.  If the gearing is too tall for a low torque engine, you'll have to downshift at the slightest grade.  Driving one or two gears down all the time helps?  Nope.  People criticize the Corolla for not having a fifth speed and revving a bit high on the highway, but the car has no problem achieving 5.0L/100km on the highway.  If gearing were all it took, all cars would tick along at idle at 100.

The Fiesta is rated for 7.1L/100km city and 5.3L/100km highway.  The Fit is rated at 7.1/5.5, or pretty much identical to the Fiesta.

[chrischasescars]

A lot of you guys who are Honda Fit fans are ignoring one important advantage of the Fiesta.  The fuel economy.  I know that the U.S ratings for the Fiesta auto is over 40 mpg on the highway versus low 30s for the Fit.  That's a pretty big difference.  Plus I've read that the Fit really revs high on the highway because of it's short gearing.

I averaged 6.7 L/100 km in a 2009 Fit with a stick, in what I think was about a 50/50 mix of city/highway. The Fiesta managed 7.6-ish in the city and 6.4 on the highway.

And yeah, the Fit revs high on the highway, but that's only annoying in terms of noise, rather than an automatic detriment to fuel economy.

[robsaw]

Why are people throwing the Versa in the comparison mix - and then stating the obvious about more room?  It is a class-size larger than the Fiesta, Mazda2, Fit, etc, even if it still is an econo-hatchback.