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 On the upside, the 2011 lowers the taillights and eliminates the clear-lens-over-chrome style, which is outdated at best.

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    Installing Child-Restraint Systems
    Accident statistics reveal that a child is safer in the rear seat. The front passenger's seat is clearly the worst choice for any child under 12, and with rear-facing childrestraint systems it is ...

    Audio Set
    Audio information is displayed on the information display. Power/Volume/Sound Controls Power ON/OFF Turn the ignition switch to the ACC or ON position. Press the power/volume dial to turn the ...

    Under the Hood
    Tribute buyers get the choice of a four-cylinder or V-6 engine. A manual transmission is standard on the base model, and other models come with a six-speed automatic transmission, which is availab ...