The Mazda2 and Mazda3 are the best small cars in Australia, winning their two categories at the annual Drive Car of the Year awards.

The Mazda2 was named the Best Small Car under $20,000, and its Mazda3 bigger brother was crowned the Best Small Car over $20,000 at a gala event in Melbourne last night.

Judges also revealed that Mazda’s baby car was a close contender for the overall Car of the Year award, eventually won by BMW’s M3.

The awards, bestowed by The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Drive.com.au, are proof that Mazda’s small cars have strong appeal with consumers and with the critics.

“A clean sweep of the small car awards is fabulous news for Mazda,” Doug Dickson, managing director of Mazda Australia said at the awards night.

“The importance of these awards cannot be underestimated: The light car and small car categories account for one in every three new cars sold in Australia. Mazda’s Stylish, Insightful and Spirited Mazda2 and Mazda3 have certainly hit the sweet spot with consumers and critics alike.

“It is hugely gratifying for our super little Mazda2 to win this award just two months after its arrival in Australia. And pleasing too, to see the judges applaud its fun-to-drive nature, versatility and strong value equation.

“The Mazda3 award is even sweeter because the car itself has been on sale for close to four years, and despite strong competition from newly-landed rivals it’s still the best small car in Australia.

“This is the second win in a row for the Mazda3, which beat highly fancied rivals from Mitsubishi, Toyota and Hyundai to the coveted award.

Judges applauded the Mazda3’s competent dynamics, strong engine and first-class interior.

“Nearly four years after it debuted in Australia, however, the Mazda3's interior design and quality more than holds its ground against fresher opposition.”

The Mazda2 won the hotly contested Small Car under $20,000 category on a combination of safety, features and driving enjoyment.

The judges said of the Mazda2: ”It offered the best quality, had the most available safety features, the briskest performance, and the most sure-footed handling and precise steering of the bunch.

“The judges declared the Mazda2 not only a worthy winner, but a breath of fresh air in what has long been a conservative class.”

About the awards:
The Drive Car of the Year awards are bestowed at the end of November each year to the cars that the judges deem offer the best combination of value, safety, performance and practicality.

The judging panel is made up of experienced motoring journalists from the Fairfax stable of online and newspaper media, including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Drive.com.au.

This is the second year of the awards. It is the fourth win for Mazda. The Mazda MX-5 won Best Convertible in 2006, the Mazda3 has won Best Small Car over $20,000 in both 2006 and 2007, and the Mazda2 won Best Small Car under $20,000 in 2007.