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 On the upside, the 2011 lowers the taillights and eliminates the clear-lens-over-chrome style, which is outdated at best.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 Tribute has seating for five and a 60/40-split folding rear seat. The rear window opens independent of the liftgate. * Standard air conditioning * Standard cruise control * Standard power wi ...

    Before Getting In
    l Be sure the windows, outside mirrors, and outside lights are clean. - Inspect inflation pressures and condition of tires. - Look under the vehicle for any sign of fluid leaks. - If you plan to ...

    Exterior
    The outside of the Tribute didn't get as dramatic a face-lift as the Escape did for 2008. The grille lost its crossbar and the Mazda logo was moved up. The 2009 Tribute gets a capless refueling sy ...