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Hi there. I'm looking to buy a Mazda Axela. Have been driving a thirsty Nissan Cefiro so looking for fuel efficiency (which won't be difficult). Took a 1500 Axela for a test drive but kept waiting for it to change into 5th! Haven't taken a 2L for a test drive yet but either I should just accept the feel of the 1500 on the motorway (for fuel efficiency sake) or should I look at a 2L...

There are three possible reasons why the car didn't change into 5th gear;
1) Some earlier models only had a 4 speed auto.
2) The engine was still cold, so is designed to hold onto 4th gear until the engine and transmission have warmed up.
3) Perhaps unlikely, but there could be a fault in the transmission.
In regards to fuel economy, although earlier Mazda Axelas didn't have the best reputation for fuel efficiency, they're not too bad. Mazda claim 6.0L/100km for the 1.5 litre and 7.2L/100km for the 2.0 litre. However, in real world conditions, don't expect to achieve those figures - add around another 1L/100km to that.
So in summary, the 1.5 should be a little more economical than the 2.0 litre.