Modified Mazda2 - OneTake 

The Mazda2 is more like the original Mini than the new Mini is.

Grip for days... Gas for weeks...

Driving a slow car fast is more fun that driving a fast car slow.

I love my pair of Mazda2s! It's not flashy or fast, but if it puts a smile on the face of a man who drives supercars for a living, it can't be bad.

Every Mazda.. EVERY Mazda I've driven, always feels like it was developed by folks who like to drive. That include this little gem of a car. While it was offered new, it was the lightest car you could get in the US new.

I think as a year end celebration, you should compile a list of your favorite and least favorite one takes.

RU-vid Star in a Reasonably Priced Car

Gran Turismo first car style.

Rumor has it, Matt is still going full flat WOT in this Mazda 2.

Things I love about my 2011 Mazda2 It was cheap, and it's paid off and never had a mechanical issue in 60,000 miles

Still flat... LOL!

This was the most excited I have been for a OneTake. I drive one of these and I knew Matt would enjoy it, it is just a blast to drive. I also have a sports sedan that has maybe 3 times the power and most of the time that Mazda 2 is more fun.

would not mind this as a daily

Slow car fast > Fast car slow.

We have one of these lightly modded too, and it's amazing how much fun you can have around city streets and side roads. Power doesn't help there, and it just darts through corners and traffic. It makes a good noise with exhaust and intake, but it's fun to have people look over and see this comically green hatchback making all this racket.

I think Mazda should put in the 2 litre from the Mx5

Aha! He has 1.5 liters! It's a supercar compared to my 1.3 liter 2 LOL

Cute little thing with a great little chassis, even if it is most an A to B commuter. Must be fun in the twisties, and you can thrash it all the time no worries because it has no power. For the segment, I prefer the Abarth 500, but this thing could give many smiles per mile with those suspension mods. Great fun first car for someone IMO.

My brother used to own a 2014 Mazda2 and I pretty much learned to drive in it. It's AMAZING, I loved it so much that I plan on buying it for my first car. So glad to see others who appreciate it for how awesome it is :)

I love these small-reliable-basic cars. Please bring this type of N/ basic cars in Europe back ! Keep your hi tech unreliable junk !

I had a Honda Fit, and I see Mazda2's around and always wonder what they'd be like with some chassis and suspension mods like this. Thanks for reviewing!

Needs a teensy bit more weight reduction and a tiny turbo or a supercharger.

Base models are fun.

cheap slow cars that are well sorted out are the best.

This is why I love these small cars a lot more than something like a Ferrari. You get to use every bit of what has been engineered into them for a fun driving experience while almost never breaking speed laws. Why spend a fortune for horsepower you can never use legally on the road. And, you always get the same thrill as you could get in that supercar at a safe and reasonable speed. My personal absolutes are a strong clutch, a great suspension, and a close ratio gearbox.

Mines slower 1349cc 82 bhp 😒

This is why I love the " one takes". It's cool to see cars most people don't think could be modified. Work with what ya got!

You mentioned that you believed the car's weigh to be between 2,500 and 2,600 lbs - close, but you were 200lbs off! It's actually 2,300 lbs :) Lighter than a Miata, with three extra seats and a real trunk (just hauled a dishwasher home in mine). Plus it gets incredible gas mileage on regular (averaging over 30mpg with city commutes). While I can afford plenty of more expensive cars, I just cannot find a good reason to sell the 2.

I love cars like this, realistically you can have more fun in a daily driver like this than you could in most other cars.

I feel the same way driving my 2011 compared to my Jeep. You respect the power you have in a bigger vehicle but this thing is just fun. The Bean, it’s my street legal go-cart.

Is it really that slow? I had a 75 HP Mk I Focus with a tiny little 1.4l engine and the second/third gear accelerations reminded me a bit of that and too many forced second gear downshifts when driving up hills. In reviews, the 1.5 MZR engine was even considered quite "torqy" and revving, but that really looks like the card needs around 150 HP and a two-liter engine just like the good old European hot-hatches before all of them got turbochargers to have some fun with.

This is why cars even like the Hyundai Accent aren't bad at all with a decent set of rubber and basic suspension mods. 138hp/123ft lb torque, less than 2500lbs and a six speed manual or auto. Very zippy for what it is. Cars like this make you want to drive them 'fast'.

Did you and regular car reviews plan that?

similar in character to my Swift Sport. Small cars are great fun here on our twisty british B roads

The Mazda2 hatchback weighs 2300 lbs. In non-U.S markets, it's even lighter.

Why Mazda never made a 185hp Mazdaspeed2 when they still had that Ford money to play around with is beyond me

This is a perfect example of "it's better to drive a slow car fast, than a fast car slow."

Don´t worry... In Europe it also came with a 1,3 version called Sport!

these are quicker than u think because of the weight. kinda like a fwd MX5

To this day some say hes still flat on that throttle

Hey Matt. Could you try to do a video on the GH Mazda 6? The 2008-2012 one. Preferably with the 2.5 engine. Appreciate it loads.

Would be better with a stripped interior

Whenever I see a freshly uploaded TST video I know it's about time to go to bed lmfao thanks Matt

Nice to see a Mazda in the canyons:)

I have a Mazda 2 as well but it was equipped with an auto 'box. I would have loved it otherwise. The Chassis is so good you can chuck it to a corner confidently. It'll keep gripping until you hear the tyres scream.

2,200 pounds +TheSmokingTire and they were $12,000 brand new :)

That's what you gotta love about this channel, one guy reviews Mazda2's and 675LT's.

My wife used to have one of these. I used to unashamedly love taking her 2 out for a spin, throwing it into corners. A really fun cheap car.

I daily drive a 16 Chrysler 300s and a 10 Mazdaspeed 3. I am considering getting a Mazda 2 and creating something like this. And getting rid of my MS3 for obvious reasons. I beat the crap out of it for 6 years. Does anyone recommend a Mazda 2? and if so, do you have any experience with them, also is a mechanical differential available for it aftermarket? Thank you.

Its a pretty simple car and I'm out if things to say

I have a Mazda 2 and I tell people I like it because it feels like a go kart, plus in tight turns I almost never slow down to the point I'm used to it and get confused as to why other cars slow down on turns.

The fact Mr. Regular just did a Scion iA......

I like small econ boxes with little power that you can drive at 100%, 90% of the time without getting into trouble or killing yourself.

I got one, a stick. Corners are fun as heck and once you get it up to speed its good on the highway. Straight lines blows. I think stock it sits a tad high but its more sporty than many other stock cars.

Now this size is 35% / 40% of the cars that ride around in Holland. Small country, tight roads, high taxes. Ofcourse VW is very popular aswell, golfs and passats and shit. But this is what all moms and young guys drive. Cool to see on your channel.

allwaya loved the mazda 2 and thay are under 1000 kg i think

I have the 1.5L ND MX5 which is based on this motor. It makes 130hp and its FUN AS. You are full throttle most of the time like Matt in this mazda2.

I had a 2011 Mazda 2 for about a year. It was a great car for a daily driver but I could never get over the clutch in it. Every car I've owned has been a manual and I've never had the same issue, even in similarly underpowered cars. I don't know if it was lack of feel in the clutch or the lack of torque but for first and second gear I had to slip the hell out of the clutch or I'd bog the engine. It was incredibly frustrating stuck in stop and go traffic everyday with that.

Good thing you didnt get stuck behind those Harleys.

I had a regular Mazda3 before I had a Mazdaspeed3, and I dare say the regular 3 was more fun in every day driving. You could just romp on it without going too fast for the road.

Hey Matt, long time fan. I don't know how difficult it would be, but if you could get a g-meter into your vids it would be an awesome addition. It would help a lot with the viewer feeling the power and handling of the car.

Always had a soft spot for the Mazda 2 and I would consider it as my first car in a few years time. So logically I was really happy when I saw this in my inbox!

You should come over to the UK, lots of fun light FWD cars over here.

I've a 2012 with 130k on the clock. I drive like an absolute idiot 90% of the time. New belt, shocks/struts, motor mounts, and brakes. Zero issues, otherwise. Fun every time.

My sister has one and it is a fun little car to drive and amazing value for money. She bought it with 15k miles for £6000 and loves it still after 40k miles.

Hey Matt great videos. How can I get in touch with you to collaborate on some of these videos? I am a film maker in Los Angeles.

Kerb weight should be bang on 2400lbs (depending on spec). Mazda always focus on light weight, handling and feel (steering, brakes, box and clutch). The Mazda 3 is prob the best thing they make though, a bit more grunt and luxury over this.

Holy cow it only weighs 2,300lbs!!! Never realized they were so light, it's like a Spec B car for the road. This is actually looking like a perfect car for the wifey, but with me driving a Fiesta ST it might be better to get something a bit bigger.

I grew up driving an 89 Colt hatch in blue ridge mountain back roads. The roads were much tighter than this, and that car was great for it. All these (faster) cars later I still think about the fun I had back then. I'd still enjoy a car like this!

This has to be the lightest 4 door available that was made recently.

my mom got one of these as a town car... then i started searching around for aftermarket parts for them just to see whats possible. to my surprise a lot of people use these for autocross!

Take out those back seats, other people can drive haha

There is never a day when driving our manual techno pink Chevy Spark that it fails to make me smile. Yeah the gear changes are a bit rubbery, but the clutch is light as a feather and the steering input is sharp. That little car is a blast to drive flat out; which I can do nearly every time I drive it. On the street the principle remains the same: Slow cars fast > Fast cars slow.

Something this light..... Could be a lot of fun with some more power

Something to be said for driving a slow car fast, huh?

oh man did I love the mazda2 b spec car and I believe they are around 2300 pounds.

Drive a slow car fast :)

Owned one of these little beauties for 2 months now. And I love it most fun Ive had since a Supra I owned, sure it doesn't have the same power but the cornering is fun, it's a great little car. I got a diesel one and it can out pull a few cars I love people's faces when I'm either right next to them or pulling away. They assume it's a 1.2 petrol

Hey Matt you finally done a video on a stock Mazda 2. I actually compete on tight autocross with Mazda 2. Watch some of the videos on my channel. Front wheels stick to the road like glue

I love these slow, little economy cars, lots of fun to drive hard. But the owner isnt getting 10hp out of that intake and cbe.

I can't figure out why I like this car so much, especially when it has that sort of 'cup' stance. It would appear Matt is having entirely too much fun as well, only reinforcing my 'strange love' with this car. A shame the redesign never made to the States.

W/O looking, I believe it weighs only 2300 lbs.

I learned driving in a mazda 2 2010 model. Only thing is, it's auto. But it's a fun zippy car to drive and suuuuper easy to drive. great little cars!

My sister has one of these. Brakes r surprising even with drums at the rear.

My Mazda 2 replaced my BMW E93. More fun, more comfortable, more efficient, WAY more reliable. Nowhere near as pretty so I still have the BMW for special occasions.

I have a 2012 Mazda2. To me, it's a more modern version of a 70's Civic that i owned a few of. Small, light, and fun!

These are really fun little cars. I had one for a few years and then traded it in on a Fiesta ST. Surprisingly quick in the right conditions, too, all I had on mine were a rear sway, springs, and slightly wider wheels with mediocre summer tires, and I ran in the mid-30s at Streets of Willow. It easily could have been in the high 20s with better tires and a better driver, too. I think that if the aftermarket ever gets a bit better, the 2 could be the next generation of enthusiasts' equivalent of what the CRX or EG Civic were for ours. A friend of mine has a very extensively modded 2 and a pretty big pile of parts waiting to go onto it. MCS remote reservoir coilovers with Swift springs and custom camber plates, carbon hood and hatch (which will get a polycarbonate window), Recaro buckets, RPF1s with sticky tires, intake/header/exhaust and an ECU tune, and eventually it'll get an LSD. I think Matt would love it, and I've been encouraging my friend to try and get it on the show once it's done.

the new one has a down graded 1.5 mx5 engin and it weighs 975 kg the same as the mx5 if someone engin svop or tune it . it basically would have been a 5 door mx5 with fwd

I haven't heard a high pitched "whee" (4:23) out of him in awhile so go Mazda!

Its true i always wanna floor my car because of how slow it is. Hard not to

Had an ex with one of these in auto with the 1.5 and it was a fun little car

I love it. It just goes to show that you don't always need mega power to have fun. Some of my best driving cars have been low power. My first car was a 1977 Mini Clubman 1100. That thing was on rails and so much fun. Another was an 84 Porsche 944 LUX. Only 177 BHP but could be thrown around and steered from the rear like no other car I have ever owned. Well maybe apart from my MB 2.3-16. Now that was fucking amazing and one of the cars I miss the most.

Sold my Mazda2 and bought a Porsche Boxster. I regret it about 80% of the time.

I respect all builds. This Mazda2 is no different.

Wow, 2300 lbs

Matt the tuned 2.0T tuned black genesis coupe you drove couple months ago. wss it any fast?

You should come review my VW up! 999cc 3-cylinder with 75hp (55kW) 5-speed manual. I drive it flat everywhere and it's the most hilarious thing. Chassis is so involving and lively and steering is lovely. Such a fun car

I really like these ordinary little car reviews, really a nice break from the crazy fast stuff!

this was my first car. it was fantastic because it had literally zero power but was extremely maneuverable. great car for your teenagers.

Just imagine this thing with a GT28 at 8psi with an LSD, stage 1/2 organic clutch and a short throw shifter.