Mazda 1.6 diesel TS2 - your mother would approve

Humans are inclined to hang around sharing DNA and this, in turn, leads to all sorts of awkwardness. Not least the way time passes at different speeds depending on seniority of family members. This we shall call the theory of relativity.
So, for elderly aunts time stands still sometime around the blossoming of the flower of your youth. Making the answer to every question 56.
Have you put on weight? I'm 56.
Do you still play football? I'm 56.
Do you still see that girl Sally? She's 56, too. And just as fat as me.
The same is not true of mothers. Mum-time stood still while you were still bringing home school reports.
And so I live in dread of being asked advice on changing her car. Get it right and it's ginger pop and Tunnocks tea cakes. Wrong and you're in bed before Crackerjack.
Oh and boy have I got it wrong before now. Memorably recommending a Chrysler Neon which, despite its name, had as many bright spots as an accountant's pockets.
At the car's launch, Chrysler boss Bob Lutz said: "There's an old saying in Detroit: Good, fast, or cheap. Pick any two." Always the optimist, was Bob. Medically this car would be described as confused and over emotional in that it did not know what to do first, have breakdown or fall apart.
The last time she swapped motors I suggested a Peugeot. She asked about a Mazda3 and I cautioned there would be a new model along in less than a year. The Mazda it was then. Obviously the Chrysler incident had brought her to the same conclusion as my school reports.
The boy is clearly an idiot.
Bringing us skipping up the garden path of childhood to the Mazda3 1.6 TS2 diesel.
At a glance there not much to distinguish the new and old models but in fact here is a car which has grown out of short pants. Body styling has matured, there's a hint of RX looks but the platform is still shared with the Ford Focus.
And therein lies an important point. Stiffening the body has taken the Mazda's refinement and driving character closer to that of the Ford. Inside it also takes a leap forward with much better finish and a brighter fascia.
The best a man can get? Almost, but no cigar. The Focus is still class leader. With a suitably adjacent price tag, making the TS2 Mazda worthy of serious consideration at £16,960.
Comparisons over, so on with the show. For the money you get a lot. The latest model is considerably quieter. Be aware then, that get it all wrong and people will hear your screams. To make this a less likely outcome more air bags and ESP have been added.
Even the most basic models get remote locking, air conditioning and an MP3 connection. TS2 trim brings with it 16 inch alloys, automatic wipers Bluetooth and cruise. There's also a six-CD player and complicated steering wheel mounted controls which, like a documentary on Alan Carr's underwear, are just too much information.
The six-speed 1.6 diesel's performance is hardly likely to cause a run on full-face helmets but platform modifications have resulted in fun handling once the clock is wound up. More importantly for expected buyers the car averaged, on its own computer, 50mpg. The best advice is probably to go for the 2.2-litre diesel giving extra power with reasonable consumption.
And most importantly, mother approve. Even if is on the say so of the family nut.