IT sounds like a pretty good combination. Bigger, safer and more dynamic than its predecessor, yet less expensive at entry-level, Mazda's new "2" series looks the part as a significant light-car contender. It offers tangible improvements in tactile quality over the outgoing 121, as well as a new, high-tech engine that adds an extra touch of dynamism. And the new car is bigger in all directions, particularly the inside, where it virtually matches early-model Mazda 323s. Three models are available, with the entry-level Neo actually priced lower than the previous 121 Shades hatch. The mid-level Maxx and top of the line Genki (tested here) creep past $20,000, but not outrageously so.