Vehicle Overview

After taking a year off, the Mazda5 small minivan is back for the 2012 model year in redesigned form. It has room for up to six people in three rows. Though it does have sliding side doors, the Mazda5's closest competitors include small hatchbacks and crossovers as opposed to regular-size minivans.

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    The Drive
    The Mazda5's 2.3-liter four-cylinder has to rev pretty high to get the car moving quickly. Our car had the optional five-speed automatic transmission, which adds $1,440. The five-speed manual migh ...

    Driving Sideways and Other Assets
    As always, the MX-5 has rear-wheel drive with excellent front/rear weight distribution. At roughly 52/48 (51/49 with the hardtop), its bias is toward slight understeer, which keeps things safe. An ...

    Safety
    The Mazda6 offers a blind spot warning system. Other safety features include: * Standard side-impact airbags * Standard side curtain airbags * Standard antilock brakes with electronic brake-force ...