Mazda2 vs. Ford Fiesta

Has anyone mentioned the part where the 2 has drum brakes in the rear?
That's not a difference between the Mazda 2 and the Fiesta, at least in US spec. All the Fiesta trim levels listed here have "disc/drum" brakes, so they all have rear drums.

While that sucks to some extent, it's not really a difference between the two cars. Also, this is a front engine FWD car. The rear brakes are just there to lock up the back so it'll slide more effectively. Drums are good at that. ;)
 
x2

The Fiesta's interior looks much more expensive and a lot less tinny. For me that would be reason enough to go Ford.
x3 I'd never seen a 2's interior before, but that looks cheap, and old.
 
The problem with drums is the maintenance of them. Drums are a bitch to work on, disc = dream.

I haven't had an issue with dismantling and assembling drums. If I can manage it anyone else can. :p
 
I haven't had an issue with dismantling and assembling drums. If I can manage it anyone else can. :p
"I can do it" isn't the same as "It's as easy as the other options." Drums are a pain compared with disks, especially when it comes to keeping the brakes adjusted as wanted in a high performance environment.

I don't know that I'd want to deal with rear drums. It's less of an issue on the FF, because it'll wear through them less quickly and is less sensitive to the rear brake behavior, but it's still annoying. Then again, I'm not exactly in the market for a little hatchback.
 
"I can do it" isn't the same as "It's as easy as the other options." Drums are a pain compared with disks, especially when it comes to keeping the brakes adjusted as wanted in a high performance environment.

What high performance environment will he be using the car in?
 
What high performance environment will he be using the car in?
*shrug* I didn't see a specified use for the car. Even if there is an intended use, sometimes those change. I'm just mentioning real, valid downsides. Whether or not they're important to the reader (Dogbert or anyone else reading the thread) is up to the reader.

I'm sure the original buyer of our Type 3 had no intention of racing the car and had no idea the car would ever be raced. Yet not only has it been raced, it's award-winning.
 
Obviously I'd go for the Mazda 2 then. The interior looks like it is easier to rip out to lighten it for racing.
 
What high performance environment will he be using the car in?
None. I'm done thrashing my daily driver around. It may show up to the occasional autocross if I have a free Sunday, but I have a dedicated thrasher now so I don't beat up the DD.

That being said, I don't want a lifeless washing machine, but I also want a simple and uncomplicated car.
 
x2

The Fiesta's interior looks much more expensive and a lot less tinny. For me that would be reason enough to go Ford.

So the dashboard is squishable...so what? The rest of the fiesta is just as cheaply appointed as the Mazda2, here in the states the Versa SL holds the crown for subcompact interior quality. Also, the Fiesta's center stack controls are horrible...absolute distracting, overly complicated garbage.

More importantly, the Fiesta simply doesn't drive as well as the 2 here. It's a lot more "big car" in terms of ride...more Versa than Fit if you will.
 
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IIRC, a slushbox Mazda2 did a 1:52 at Harris Hill with four dudes in it. :lol:
it's still faster than me
 
Having spent a good amount of time with both the Fiesta and the 2 (cross-shopping), the Fiesta is a much better car. It's much more well-built, handles 99% as well as the 2, and has a much better interior. The 2 has about the worst interior of any car on the US market today, even in highest spec. It simply has very, very low-rent plastics. It feels a tiny bit quicker than the Fiesta and the steering may have a bit better feel, but the lack of refinement isn't worth the trade. Unless you're a person who can buy a new car every couple of years (and you're not, if you're looking at the 2), it seems like a very bad proposition for holding up in the long-run. The Feista isn't an Audi by any means, but it's quite well-made and feels very, very solid. The 2 feels more like a Mazda 3 in tuning, the Fiesta feels like a GTI. Also, an odd difference I have noted is that the 2's shifter feels very metal-on-metal, like a good Honda 'box. The Fiesta feels very liquid and smooth, like the GTI or a 5-series.
 
Also, an odd difference I have noted is that the 2's shifter feels very metal-on-metal, like a good Honda 'box. The Fiesta feels very liquid and smooth, like the GTI or a 5-series.
I hate that, for what it's worth. "Liquid and smooth" doesn't inspire confident shifts.

My Focus has that "liquid and smooth" shifting, and I'm now doing everything I can to make it more "metal on metal" so I don't ruin a Duratec head with mis-shifts again.
 
So the dashboard is squishable...so what? The rest of the fiesta is just as cheaply appointed as the Mazda2, here in the states the Versa SL holds the crown for subcompact interior quality. Also, the Fiesta's center stack controls are horrible...absolute distracting, overly complicated garbage.

More importantly, the Fiesta simply doesn't drive as well as the 2 here. It's a lot more "big car" in terms of ride...more Versa than Fit if you will.
I don't know how badly Ford US "Americanized" (read:buggered up) the suspension, but here the situation is reversed. While the Mazda2 is considered a fun car, it's light and go-kart-ish, the Fiesta is considered more solid, more stable and the handling even better. In the end, the Fiesta manages to feel like a little big car, while the Mazda is just a little car.

That's my opinion anyway, but it seems void for the US so take no notice. :p
 
The Mazda was a tiny little bit louder, but it was the frequencies that got through that were annoying. Would be very tiring over a longish drive. And a "squishy" dash absorbs those penetrating frequencies.
 
"I can do it" isn't the same as "It's as easy as the other options." Drums are a pain compared with disks, especially when it comes to keeping the brakes adjusted as wanted in a high performance environment.

I don't know that I'd want to deal with rear drums. It's less of an issue on the FF, because it'll wear through them less quickly and is less sensitive to the rear brake behavior, but it's still annoying. Then again, I'm not exactly in the market for a little hatchback.

Drums may be a bit of a pain to work on, but keeping them adjusted isnt a big deal, just get up a little speed in reverse and then slam on the brakes once or twice; that should adjust them just fine for normal use.
 
the Fiesta is considered more solid, more stable
For me, these are bad marks. "Solid and stable" means boring and dull. I set up my Miata for less stable behavior, and love it that way.

This harkens back to my suggestions that mentioning characteristics of the car is valid, even if some people perceive them as unimportant. Different people have different preferences, so mentioning the characteristics that lead to "better" or "worse" is important to let each make their own decisions.

Edited, I forgot to say...
I hate that, for what it's worth. "Liquid and smooth" doesn't inspire confident shifts.

My Focus has that "liquid and smooth" shifting, and I'm now doing everything I can to make it more "metal on metal" so I don't ruin a Duratec head with mis-shifts again.
I, too, dislike the smooth shifters and prefer a notchy one. It doesn't need to be stiff, just with good feel. This is yet another example of one person's "good" being another person's "bad". :)
 
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I hate that, for what it's worth. "Liquid and smooth" doesn't inspire confident shifts.

My Focus has that "liquid and smooth" shifting, and I'm now doing everything I can to make it more "metal on metal" so I don't ruin a Duratec head with mis-shifts again.

Maybe not if you're driving it hard, but around town, I'd rather have the Fiesta's box. And it can move plenty quickly for my every-other-month backroad blast.
 
It should be noted at this point that I haven't driven the manual versions of either car yet. There aren't any (drivable) manual Mazda2's in St. Louis, and I have yet to fully test drive a Fiesta.
 
Just out of curiosity what other cars were on the list before you got down to these two?
 
I have test drove a manual fiesta.
Not for very long though as I am incredibly out of practice with manuals. It didn't seem much different than my uncle's Acura TL to me, but yeah I have very little to compare to. I test drove the automatic on the highway and honestly? It was kind of a deal breaker for me because it is pretty much as slow as my car and I would like my next car to not make me feel like I am about to die every time someone stops at the end of the highway ramp. :|
 
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