First Drive To Si Racha In The Mazda2

11,500km in, 95% of journeys in Bangkok - the Mazda2 is crying for some open roads. 13 months in, it hasn't been entirely smooth sailing. Dealer was stuff of nightmares (won’t go into it), got into a minor accident that required rear right bumper skimming and faulty ECU readings meant that it hasn't really lived up to Jap reliability standards (ahem, although car is made in Thailand).

But the past couple of months were great - the car loosened up, engine felt smooth, gearbox tighter, tyres more grippy. Time to attack one of our favourite destinations - Si Richa.

The roads are not what car guys call joyous, but it's a good route to test fuel economy figures. We set off at around 9am on a Sunday, so traffic is light. 23km/l easy on the first 100km stretch, no issues. Then we hit town, got locked into traffic due to the ongoing vegetarian festivities (Jae Festival - big stuff in Thailand), consumption dropped to 20km/l - still brilliant figures for a 90+hp, pure NA automatic.

Car felt floaty above 100km/h but given it’s on 185 section tyres, it could feel more uneasy. I need to applaud engineers on suspension tuning. It’s far from jarring, and yet when it’s perfect for 4th to 3rd gear sweepers it somehow comes to life, reacting to your input. You can feel the weight shifts easily to anchor the front tyres to find grip.

It has good flow, something similar to a Mk6 Golf and no, my March Nismo S could never achieve this. For the March, it does corner carving the old-fashioned way - ignore damping and just hoon it, let coilovers do the work. You’ll get there, but at the expense of a sore back. 

In the Mazda, the thin Dunlop eco tyres are tip-toeing, easing into the apex. Even when it reaches the limits of grip, I can feel confident enough to brake hard. Car’s lightness plays to its advantage, and most importantly, I can feel that it’s nimble and control it.

For a small family car, it’s rather sporty. Mazda Thailand has been marketing it as a car for first time drivers. Sure, that works. But keen drivers shouldn’t overlook this lil’ car. I’ve driven so many cars in my lifetime, and its driving ability is far from inert. Mazda has a way of making their cars fun to drive. If I have to pinpoint one reason it’s the 6-speed auto. Opt for the spec with paddle shifters, it ups the fun factor.

270km clocked, from Bangkok to Si Racha and back. I think I’ve driven there close to ten times, all previously with Toyotas. No doubt, this Mazda made the food hunt even more fun. Will do it again!