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.

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    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 ...

    Safety
    Standard safety features include all-disc antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution, side-impact airbags for the front seats, side curtain airbags for all three rows of seats and an ...

    Lighting Control
    Headlights Type A (Without AUTO position) Turn the headlight switch to turn the headlights, other exterior lights and dashboard illumination on or off. NOTE: To prevent discharging the batte ...