2.0 120ps Sport Nav 5dr

Efficient and good to drive

After a couple of disastrous ownership experiences with an Astra K and a Peugeot 308 puretech I was looking for something with a bit more of a reputation for reliability. I'm a bit of a fanboy and also own a 28 year old Mazda Eunos roadster so I don't know why I overlooked these in the first place. You don't see that many about which may explain why it slipped under the radar.

As a quick solution to a problem I came across a low mileage sportnav in soul red. The 120 might sound a bit weedy but it immediately impressed with its responsive engine. It's interesting to note that Mazda downplayed the official power output and renowned Mazda tuners BBR GTi discovered that this version is actually putting out 135bhp at the wheels. The 120 is also the same as the 165 and can easily be derestricted to 180bhp for about £400. Handling and gearshift reminded me of my roadster so it's perfect as a commuter that you can have a bit of fun with. The cabin is in some ways a bit dated but well built and well set out. It's a little on the dark side so you may want to look out for the rare two-tone leather. Space is okay but then it's only me in it 95% of the time so haven't put capacity to the test yet. Equipment is good on the sportnav, there are a couple of things that they could have included but then it has a lot that was missing from my 308. The heater and heated seats are amazing, the car warms up very quickly and within a couple of miles it's like sitting in a nuclear reactor. Note that up until late 2016 model year dab radio was unavailable so worth checking to see if it has it. The drive is very smooth and composed due to the independent suspension setup but there is a little tyre noise at higher speeds. Running costs are good, I get about 41mpg on a 35 mile mixed commute which is great for a 2 litre. Pre March 2017 also benefit from £30 a year ved. The skyactive G is known for reliability so hoping for infrequent trips to the garage, unlike the hopeless puretech 1.2 in the Peugeot.

The only negatives are possibly the looks are a bit subjective, great from some angles but slightly awkward from others. The back end seems to get very dirty in wet weather. Tyres are an odd size and expensive. Insurance is a little on the high side. Soul red is an amazing colour but very fragile so take a good look around if buying in this colour. I also found out that mine had slight accident damage to a rear door and had a slightly suspect repair but fortunately not that noticeable.

All in all a very good car although if I could rewind I would probably go for a facelift.

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