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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    Overheating
    If the temperature gauge indicates overheating, the vehicle loses power, or you hear a loud knocking or pinging noise, the engine is probably too hot. WARNING ...

    Hazardous Driving
    WARNING: Be extremely careful if it is necessary to downshift on slippery surfaces: Downshifting into lower gear while driving on slippery surfaces is dangerous. The sudden change in tire speed ...

    Under the Hood
    The 2.3-liter four-cylinder develops 156 hp while the 3.0-liter V-6 turns out 212 hp. Both engines can team with a five-speed manual transmission. A five-speed automatic is available in models equ ...