The three door shares almost the same external design as the five door and has not been made to look like a coupe. The front doors are larger so this means that getting in and out of the rear is fairly easy, but the front seats do not have a memory function so they do not go back to their original position. The rear of the vehicle is comfortable and the rear windows are quite large so there is plenty of light coming in. You don’t feel as claustrophobic, which can sometimes be the case in some of these small hatchbacks.

The gear stick is mounted on the dash so it is close to the steering wheel and gear changing is easy and effortless. The interior has been well put together and the quality of materials used is fairly high.

The new Mazda 2 is a competent car that has quite a large boot space considering it is a small hatchback. It will appeal to all age groups and for the first time Mazda now have a hatchback that young people, especially young females, will feel good to own and drive.

The best value Mazda 2 available at the moment is the limited edition Tamura 1.3 petrol. It has a sport body kit and loads of other standard equipment for a very reasonable £10,745. The car we tested costs £13,495, making the Tamura look like a real bargain.