Mazda2: month 2

Arrived: Dec 2007
List price (including options): £11,799
Average economy: 34.4mpg

The Mazda2 has been -

Swapping owners recently. Originally run by our man Georgio at Yahoo! Cars, the little 2 wasn't really being pressed into service enough, so I've taken it over for a while. That's no reflection on the Mazda's talents; indeed Georgio was a big fan of it; it's just that even the 2's compact dimensions did little to make his journey to central London in rush hour traffic any quicker. So the train is taking the strain instead. Georgio's loss is unquestionably my gain though, the little 2 getting under my skin pretty quickly with its peppy performance, good looks and enjoyable handling. I drove the 2 on its original launch and don't remember it being so much fun, but after a few weeks in my tenure I'm looking for excuses to take it for a run.

We're loving the -

The 2's cheeky charm. It's easy to get jaded when you drive as many cars as the average motoring hack does, but the 2 never fails to put a smile on my face. I love the way it looks, especially from the rear, and although I'm now seeing more of them around it still feels like you're driving something different. It really couldn't be any further removed in the style stakes over its bread van-like predecessor, the 2 now one of the best looking superminis on the road. It feels nimbler and smaller than its numerous rivals, which only adds to its fun-to-drive nature, though it's not so small that it feels overwhelmed by a long journey.

But not so impressed by -

The fuel consumption. Mazda reckons the 2 is able to return 47.9mpg on the official combined cycle, but it's never anything like that when I drive it. On a long run it's in the mid 30s, however that's more a reflection of my inability not to push the willing little 1.5-litre engine than anything else. In a bid to improve it I lent it to my parents for a few days who quickly saw the trip computer leap up to around 40mpg, but within a few miles of my driving it was dropping back down again. Like Georgio I'm not blown away by the automatic wipers' decisions either - sometimes they ignore a downpour yet go mad when the merest spot of water lands on the windscreen. I'm hopeless at keeping cars clean, and if the 2's not been in the autowash for a while it's almost impossible to get the boot open without getting manky.

We're looking forward to -

More miles running under the 2's wheels, it really has spent too long sitting idle as we've been busy driving other cars. That's all about to change, as I've rather taken to it, the little 2 being a real hoot to drive. I know it says Sport on the boot of ours, but Mazda is missing a trick by not producing an MPS version, as another 50bhp or so would turn the 2 into a real firecracker.

Kyle Fortune