TOWARDS the end of 2010, Japanese manufacturer Mazda quoted combined fuel economy of more than 57mpg for the remamped 2 supermini.

Yes, we've all heard these kind of magical fuel-economy figures being quoted in "official" government-backed statistics, but to be fair most buyers are savvy enough now to take them with a pinch of salt.

However, thanks to a raft of weight-saving measures which were introduced throughout the vehicle, Mazda's city slicker did pretty much what it said on the tin.

For even in normal driving conditions, it became pretty much the norm to surpass the 50mpg mark when driven with just a little care and attention.

Available in both three and five-door body styles, initially there was the choice of 1.3-litre and 1.5-litre petrol engines, along with 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre diesel models which were reserved for upmarket Sport trim. Automatic gearboxes were also available in some five-door versions.

For used car buyers it's worth doing a bit of homework as to just what's on offer, as entry-level TS models were a little lacking in on-board equipment - well a new three-door version back then did have a price tag of less the £10,000.

However, it did have air conditioning, electric front windows, electric mirrors and a CD stereo system with MP3 connection. It also came with an alarm, but sadly only two front airbags were fitted as standard.

You had to move up to TS2 trim to get side and curtain airbags, but you also got alloy wheels and ESP.

Next in line, and certainly one worth seeking out, is Tamura trim, which added a 60/40 split and folding rear seat, while the special edition Venture with its 83bhp 1.3-litre engine looked the part, sitting on its 16-inch alloy wheels. It also featured mica paint, TomTom sat nav, climate control and privacy glass.

Even with the suspension set a bit on the hardish side, the Mazda 2 offered a comfortable ride for those on board unless the road surface was badly potholed, yet for such a small car there was pretty decent head and shoulder room throughout for four adults to travel in comfort with the bonus of plenty legroom in the rear.

Out on the open road, the car proved quietly efficient with little road noise encroaching into the minimalistic but neatly-designed cabin.

On more demanding sections, it was instantly responsive, the free-revving engine quickly sprinting away without fuss when given a bit of welly, making it one of the more user-friendly family hatchbacks you could find.

It may have been around for a few years now but the Mazda2 still looks modern and stylish and for those onboard it's also a nice place in which to travel.

Expect to pay around £2,895 and £4,270 for a 2011 60-plate five-door 1.3-litre TS example with around 50,000 miles on the clock, moving up to between £3,510 and £4,765 for a 2012 model on a 61-plate and between £4,045 and £5,345 for a 2013 62-plate version.

Similar powered Tamura models, with their extra onboard goodies, are also relatively competitively priced, with 2011 60-plated models having a price tag of between £3,445 and £4,935, 2012 61-plate versions priced around the £4,065 to £5,520 mark and 2013 62-plate models coming in around £4,690 and £6,205.