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 On the upside, the 2011 lowers the taillights and eliminates the clear-lens-over-chrome style, which is outdated at best.

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    Interior
    The rounded instruments integrate nicely into the T-shaped instrument panel. The radio and center controls are tilted up to enhance functionality for the driver. Blacked-out instrument faces have ...

    Seat Belt (Except Center-Rear Position)
    NOTE: When using the center-rear seat belt, refer to “Center-Rear Position Seat Belt”. Fastening the Seat Belt 1. Grasp the tongue. 2. Slowly pull out the lap/shoulder belt. 3. Insert the to ...

    How to Minimize Environmental Paint Damage
    The paintwork on your Mazda represents the latest technical developments in composition and methods of application. Environmental hazards, however, can harm the paint's protective properties, if ...