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 On the upside, the 2011 lowers the taillights and eliminates the clear-lens-over-chrome style, which is outdated at best.

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    Vehicle Overview
    Ford owns a controlling interest in Mazda, so there's a close kinship between the popular Ford Escape sport utility vehicle and the related Mazda Tribute. Both SUVs were introduced for the 2001 mo ...

    Audio Set
    Audio information is displayed on the information display. Illustration is of a representative audio unit. Power/Volume/Sound Controls Power/Volume/Sound Controls Power ON/OFF Turn the igniti ...

    Meters and Gauges
    (Black-out meter) When the ignition switch is in the ON position, the dashboard gauges illuminate. 1. Speedometer. 2. Odometer, Trip Meter and Trip Meter Selector. 3. Tachometer. 4. Engine Co ...