Mazda5 2010 Review
The small-minivan idea is a good one, yet most minivan models have either grown or — in the case of Mazda's MPV — disappeared. Complete with three rows of two seats each and the genre-defining sliding side doors, the Mazda5 is arguably the only small van on the market — a microvan. It's so much smaller than others in its segment that comparing it with minivans is pointless. It's closer in size — inside and out — to compact crossovers, but its closest competitor is the Kia Rondo, which has a similar layout and an optional third-row seat, but four conventional hinged side doors.
On its own merits, the Mazda5 is pleasant enough to drive and live with, and its starting price and cargo space are impressive. It's when you compare its passenger space with that of the Rondo and small SUVs that you wonder if its benefits extend beyond the sliding doors.
The Mazda5 comes in three trim levels: Sport, Touring and Grand Touring. Our test car was a Touring equipped with a rear bumper guard and satellite radio as its only options. Click here to see changes from the 2009 model year.
See also:
Efforts to promote vehicle recycling
Mazda has achieved recyclability ratios of over 90 percent. Beginning in
2005, Mazda also became the first in the auto industry to fully implement
'bumper-to-bumper recycling' that recycles materi ...
Brake System
Foot Brake
Your Mazda has power-assisted brakes
that adjust automatically through normal
use.
Should power-assist fail, you can stop by
applying greater force than normal to the
brake pedal. But ...
Ride & Handling
In keeping with Mazda's tagline of offering "Zoom-Zoom" cars, the Mazda6's
suspension tuning is on the firm side for a midsize sedan; if you've driven some
of its competitors, it's much ...