Subaru WRX vs Mazda 2

What's the difference?

The Subaru WRX – do we even need to introduce this iconic beastie at all? With its rally winning roots to being a legend in its own suburb, the ‘Rex’ is a sports car that’s affordable and fun – although the one we’re testing here is one of the pricier versions: the WRX tS Spec B.  

So what is a tS Spec B? Well, the old king of the WRX world – the STI – was retired at the end of the previous generation. Now this new grade – the tS Spec B – is the new WRX monarch. 

So does this mean the tS Spec B has more superpower than the rest of the line-up? Does it have a bigger engine? How much more does it cost? Does it have a manual gearbox? So many questions – the answers are below.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by CarsGuide.com.au (@carsguideaus)

The entry-point into one of Australia's most popular brands has been around for almost 10 years in its current generation, but the Mazda2 has had a refresh.

Possibly for the last time in its current lifespan, the small hatchback gets a facelift to remain appealing, Mazda hopes, to first-car-buyers.

Mazda's up against not only direct rivals, like the Suzuki Swift and Toyota Yaris, but also the shifting market.

Mazda has sold just over 3500 Mazda2s so far this year, but almost 11,000 CX-3 small SUVs, the latter based on our friend here's platform.

It's a name with a little over two decades behind it, but can it be a first-car-favourite in an increasingly difficult small car market?