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 On the upside, the 2011 lowers the taillights and eliminates the clear-lens-over-chrome style, which is outdated at best.

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    Brake/Clutch Fluid
    Inspecting Brake/Clutch Fluid Level The brakes and clutch draw fluid from the same reservoir. Inspect the fluid level in the reservoir regularly. It should be kept at MAX. The level normally drop ...

    Overheating
    If the temperature gauge indicates overheating, the vehicle loses power, or you hear a loud knocking or pinging noise, the engine is probably too hot. WARNING: Switch the ignition to off and m ...

    Interior
    The Mazda5's cabin is similar in size to its predecessor, but the design is new. The new interior shares styling cues with other recently updated Mazdas like the Mazda3 compact car. The second-row ...