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 On the upside, the 2011 lowers the taillights and eliminates the clear-lens-over-chrome style, which is outdated at best.

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    Highway Driving
    On the highway is where you'll notice you're driving a small, light car, and that's not always a great thing. Right off, there was fair amount of road noise, and passengers noticed a lot of wind n ...

    Accessory Sockets
    The ignition switch must be in the ACC or ON position. Only use genuine Mazda accessories or the equivalent requiring no greater than 120 W (DC 12 V, 10 A). The accessory socket is in the center ...

    Operating Tips for Audio System
    WARNING: Do not adjust the audio control switches while driving the vehicle: Adjusting the audio while driving the vehicle is dangerous as it could distract your attention from the vehicle opera ...