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Buying Guides

For more than a decade, the Mazda MAZDA2 has slowly been gaining a strong international following. Currently in its third generation, this little subcompact with a big fan base won the title of World Car Design of Year in 2008. Now, for the first time, Mazda plans to bring this worldwide success stateside.

The U.S. version of the 2011 Mazda MAZDA2 is set to premier at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show (December 2nd and 3rd). The vehicle will be available for sale in late 2010.

As American interest in small, fuel-efficient vehicles continues to grow, bringing a subcompact to the market just makes sense for Mazda. Originally thought to be unprofitable, booming sales of the Honda Fit, Nissan Versa, Toyota Yaris and other Lilliputian autos has spurred Mazda to jump into the subcompact kiddie pool.

One of the major incentives of owning the new Mazda subcompact will be fuel efficiency – the current international model earns 40 mpg based on the European combined driving cycle. Given the Mazda nameplate, you can also bet on plenty of zoom-zoom from the sporty subcompact as well.

Jim O'Sullivan, President and CEO of Mazda North American Operations, sums up the MAZDA2 by saying it "will be true to everything that makes our cars stand apart from the competition: it will be stylish, fun-to-drive and a heck of a value."

While no pricing figures have been announced, American shoppers can expect the 2011 Mazda to come with a price tag similar to that of the Toyota Yaris or Honda Fit ($12,000 to $15,000).

The 2011 MAZDA2 shares much of the same architecture as the Ford Fiesta (which also debuts at the 2009 LA Auto Show). Presently, European and Japanese models are available in both 5-door and 3-door hatchback body styles. A 5-door hatchback is likely to be available here in the states. Additionally, some experts speculate that Mazda will develop a sedan body style to meet the unique needs of the American market.

Current base models of the MAZDA2 come with a 1.3-liter inline-four engine that makes 75 horsepower. An upgraded dual-overhead cam (DOHC) 1.5-liter delivers 103 horsepower. A single-cam 1.4-liter diesel is also available, which makes 68 horsepower.

While the U.S. engine lineup has yet to be nailed down, American drivers might expect a 1.6-liter engine option. Such a power plant has been announced for the Ford Fiesta, and given the similarities in the two vehicles it would make sense to incorporate the same engine into the Mazda MAZDA2.

European automakers may be off the pace a little when it comes to offering hybrid electric vehicles, but it looks like the 2010 model year will be a major turning point for the non-diesel, green cars from Europe. Although many hybrids have been revealed over the last year, Mercedes-Benz is the first to make a European-banded hybrid available in North America as well as the first to offer a mass-produced car using lithium-ion batteries. Building off the accomplishments of the S400 Hybrid and giving Mercedes its first hybrid SUV, the 2010 Mercedes-Benz ML450 Hybrid finally became available today.

The ML450 Hybrid just barely beat its main rival, the BMW X6 ActiveHybrid, to market, but ironically these two vehicles share the same two-mode hybrid transmission that helps improve fuel economy. Aside from the high-tech transmission, both hybrids take completely opposing approaches. While the BMW retains the automaker’s performance-minded attitude with a twin-turbocharged V-8, the ML450 Hybrid focuses on fuel economy with a 3.5-liter Atknison cycle V-6. As expected, the BMW setup delivers 485 horsepower and 575 lb-ft of torque which results in unimpressive fuel economy estimates of 17 miles per gallon in the city and 19 mpg on the highway, but the specially tuned ML450 Hybrid engine still delivers an impressive 335 horsepower and 381 lb-ft of torque with fuel economy estimates of 21 mpg city and 24 mpg highway. Comparatively speaking, the 2010 Mercedes-Benz ML350 BlueTEC gets an estimated 18 mpg city and 25 mpg highway, and the base ML350 gets up to 16 mpg city and 21 mpg highway.

Unlike the S400 Hybrid’s lithium-ion battery pack, the all-new ML450 Hybrid uses a liquid-cooled 288-volt nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery pack. The two-mode hybrid transmission was a cooperative development between (then) DaimlerChrysler, General Motors and BMW, but each company is coming up with their own battery systems. Passenger and cargo volume aren’t affected by the battery pack, but the added weight associated with the ML450’s hybrid system tacks on more than 500 pounds and reduces the maximum towing capacity from 7,200 pounds down to 5,000 pounds. Despite the added weight, acceleration from 0-60 miles per hour is quicker than the ML350 by a tenth of a second.

One advantage the ML450 Hybrid two-mode hybrid system has over the S400’s mild hybrid system is that it can drive on electric power only at speeds up to 34 mph up to a distance of 1.8 miles. During coasting and braking, the motors act as a generator and recharge the batteries, but in harder braking maneuvers the regenerative brakes also help to recover energy that would normally be lost in order to help recharge the batteries. To further improve the fuel efficiency, start-stop technology is used to shut the engine off at a stop and automatically restart it when the accelerator is pressed.

To differentiate the ML450 Hybrid from non-hybrid ML-Class models, it receives a subtle badging on the fenders and tailgate and a modified hood to accommodate the extra wires and computer equipment. No aerodynamic changes were made to the ML’s design (unlike the GM hybrid pickups and SUVs) in order to keep the same sleek, elegant design.

When it comes to the pricing of the ML450 Hybrid, Mercedes-Benz will initially offer it as a lease only with lease terms of either 36 or 60 months at $659 or $549 per month, respectively. This is more likely done to reduce costs to the consumers, but it could also be that Mercedes-Benz is concerned about battery life and reliability. Out of the vehicles currently on the market or planned for the near future, the Mercedes ML450 Hybrid is the only vehicle not currently available for purchase.

Other than the BMW X6 ActiveHybrid, competition to the 2010 Mercedes-Benz ML450 Hybrid includes the Cadillac Escalade Two-Mode Hybrid and the Lexus RX 450h. Like all Mercedes-Benz M-Class vehicles, the 2010 ML450 Hybrid is built in North America in Tuscaloosa, Ala., while its BMW rival is manufactured Spartanburg, S.C.

Select photos via Mercedes-Benz