When you think of a green car, you should think of something small driving down the crowded streets of Europe. That school of thought is making its way to the United States, and with the release of the Mazda2 hatchback, smaller cars really are becoming the future. Think of the entire Volkswagen line up; unless you have kids, you probably wanted their sporty Golf rather than the Passat. And Reading Kia needs to jump on the hybrid bandwagon already once they are done selling their Soul to the younger crowds. And as far as the line up at NC Jeep Dealer, well, we aren't holding our breath anytime soon for off road capable vehicles to meet green criteria. Nonetheless, there are enough eco-conscious brands out there that make a wide array of fuel efficient and alternative vehicles; Ford, Toyota, and Honda quickly come to mind. This sporty four cylinder, brand new model, from Mazda may not have roaring amounts of horsepower or a turbocharged engine, but when you are getting 28 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway, you probably weren't buying this car with the hopes of winning races!
The 2011 Mazda2 has a 1.5 liter four cylinder engine that only gives you 100 horsepower. Remember though, this little car only weighs 2,300 pounds, and the tight responsive handling still make you feel like you are driving a sporty car that lives up to the "zoom zoom" motto. It is suggested you go with the manual transmission as the automatic four speed tranny is a little rough under high acceleration.
Immediate competition includes the Toyota Yaris, which boasts a smaller price tag and slightly better fuel economy. The 2011 Ford Fiesta has been highly anticipated after its success in Europe. Plus, Nissan has two models in this class, the Versa and the Cube. Tall people will fit comfortably in the front seat, but the back seat is small, cramped, and uncomfortable. Plus, there is less cargo room than lots of the competition. You only have 13.3 cubic feet of storage and the 60/40 seats don't even fold all the way flat, which is pretty much standard nowadays. With the seats folded down, you get 27.8 cubic feet of cargo room, but to put that in perspective, with the back seats of the Honda Fit folded flat, you get an impressive 57.3 cubic feet of room.
The 2011 Mazda2 has a 1.5 liter four cylinder engine that only gives you 100 horsepower. Remember though, this little car only weighs 2,300 pounds, and the tight responsive handling still make you feel like you are driving a sporty car that lives up to the "zoom zoom" motto. It is suggested you go with the manual transmission as the automatic four speed tranny is a little rough under high acceleration.
Immediate competition includes the Toyota Yaris, which boasts a smaller price tag and slightly better fuel economy. The 2011 Ford Fiesta has been highly anticipated after its success in Europe. Plus, Nissan has two models in this class, the Versa and the Cube. Tall people will fit comfortably in the front seat, but the back seat is small, cramped, and uncomfortable. Plus, there is less cargo room than lots of the competition. You only have 13.3 cubic feet of storage and the 60/40 seats don't even fold all the way flat, which is pretty much standard nowadays. With the seats folded down, you get 27.8 cubic feet of cargo room, but to put that in perspective, with the back seats of the Honda Fit folded flat, you get an impressive 57.3 cubic feet of room.
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