Exterior

Thanks to an arcing black garnish atop the air dam, the Mazda2 carries the smiling expression Mazda has recently affixed to most of its cars. The lower air dam dominates the Mazda2's nose; a thin grille with Mazda's logo sits above it. Sport trims come with body-colored door handles and side mirrors — a rare standard feature in this class. Touring trims add fog lights, 15-inch alloy wheels and a roof-mounted rear spoiler. Around 155 inches long, the Mazda2 is a bit longer than the tiny Yaris hatchback, but significantly shorter than most others. Its 32.2-foot turning radius beats all but the Yaris.

    See also:

    Exterior
    While the redesigned Mazda5 retains the general silhouette of its predecessor, new sheet metal gives the van a different look. Apart from the happy-face look provided by the new grille, which is a ...

    Performance
    When the Mazda6 debuted last year, I drove a powerful V-6 version called the ''s.'' That car handled like a true sport sedan, with relatively heavy steering and a pretty rough ride. It was fun, bu ...

    Vehicle Overview
    The Mazda6 is available in sedan and hatchback body styles for 2008, but the wagon has been discontinued. Buyers get a choice of two engines: a 2.3-liter four-cylinder or a 3.0-liter V-6. One of t ...