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 On the upside, the 2011 lowers the taillights and eliminates the clear-lens-over-chrome style, which is outdated at best.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

    Ride & Handling
    The Mazda5's steering response is designed to engage the driver. A turn of the wheel delivers a quick change of direction, and there's a fair amount of feedback. The suspension is on the firm side ...

    Transmissions
    The 2.3-litre MZR petrol comes standard with a new five-speed manual transmission that employs multi-cone synchronizers and a new cable shift system, which reduces shift effort and provides for sh ...

    Exterior & Styling
    Technically the same generation as the 2008, the 2009 model's restyling is definitely noticeable, as the nose extends lower and the grille is now larger and smile-shaped. Unlike the Mazda3, this s ...