Jamie Page Deaton: There's no getting around it, subcompact cars have cramped seating, especially by the standards of most American cars and American derrieres. But just because it's small doesn't mean that the seats of the Mazda 2 are cautery devices, at least, not all of them.

The front seats in the Mazda 2 are actually pretty good. There's decent legroom for a driver if you're of my height, but if you have long legs, you may have some problems because seat just doesn't slide back all that much.

On the plus side though, the seats themselves are pretty supportive, the cushioning is just right, there's good bolstering, and the upholstery is pretty nice, it's got a nice texture to it and this contrast red piping looks really good with the exterior red color on our Mazda 2.

In fact, the one complaint that I have about the front seats is that there is no armrest. So as you're driving along, your elbow is just kind of hanging out, getting tired, and that's a little bit annoying.

Here in the backseat, things just aren't as comfortable. Now there are three seatbelts in the back, but I wouldn't put three people back here unless you don't like them very much. Space-wise, I have decent legroom, but that's because I'm only 5'3" and those front seats are adjusted for me too. If you had taller people into the mix, I guarantee they won't be happy.

When you try to fit car seats in the Mazda 2, it's immediately clear why this isn't a good car for a family. There are two sets of LATCH connectors and space for two car seats, but the legroom is so cramped that even smaller kids will be able to kick the front seats, and that'll get annoying fast. Plus with the front seats all the way back, legroom for kids in car seats will be very tight. If you have car seats, you need to trade up to a bigger car.

But beyond the lack of space, there just aren't a lot of amenities here in the backseat to keep passengers happy. There's no center armrest and you only really have these teeny armrests in the door. There's only one cup holder and the air-conditioner isn't all that great at pushing air back here. So really, as a backseat passenger, this just isn't a nice place to be. But again, that's pretty typical for the class.

Don't buy a small car if you need something to haul kids around or you routinely have a lot of passengers. But if you're a typical small car buyer and use the backseat more for storing takeout and drive-through wrappers and anything else, then the Mazda 2 will work just fine.

To find out if the Mazda 2 is better at hauling your stuff and introduce your friends, check out our other videos, especially the one on cargo.