The respected motor vehicle industry journal, NRMA Open Road magazine, has put to the test Mazda’s 18-month-old Mazda 2 model against Ford’s new Fiesta in its current March/April edition.

In last year’s Australia’s Best Cars Awards, the Mazda 2 was the clear Small Car category winner, but with the new Fiesta attracting attention in the small car sector, Open Road was keen to compare their performance, driveability and aesthetics.

Among the experts were Tim Pomroy and Scott Nargar, both members of the Best Car judging panel, who concluded that, overall, the Mazda 2 ‘is a more refined package and has a more comfortable ride and smoother driveline’.

Head to EurocarsMazda to try out the Mazda 2 and see why it was the winner