Exterior & Styling

The sliding doors say "minivan," but many see the Mazda5 as a wagon. Minivans tend not to set hearts aflutter, but there's one thing I appreciate about the 2010 Mazda5, and that's its styling. It's nothing special, but it's also not the redesigned 2011 Mazda5 that's due at dealerships early in 2011; Mazda has already released photos (click on the thumbnails to the right). The 2011 has a less restrained design, including the smiling grille most new Mazda models get, plus a new characteristic: wavelike accent lines in the bodyside sheet metal. On the upside, the 2011 lowers the taillights and eliminates the clear-lens-over-chrome style, which is outdated at best.

    See also:

    Installing a Child-Restraint System
    The passenger lap/shoulder belt can easily be converted into the automatic locking mode, which must be done to hold the child-restraint system. Some child-restraint systems also employ specially ...

    Human-Machine Interface now easier to Use
    The facelift model has been upgraded with a newly-evolved human-machine interface system (HMI), now with instruments that are easier to use. The numbers in the driver instrumentation are larger an ...

    Moonroof
    * Some models. The moonroof can be opened or closed electrically only when the ignition switch is in the ON position. WARNING: Do not let passengers stand up or extend part of their body throu ...