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 On the upside, the 2011 lowers the taillights and eliminates the clear-lens-over-chrome style, which is outdated at best.

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    Exterior
    The CX-7 is comparable in size to other midsize crossovers, though it's relatively narrow and more likely than most to be called a wagon. Exterior features include: * Standard 17-inch and option ...

    Cargo & Towing
    If it's not carrying six occupants, the Mazda5's measly cargo area can be expanded to 44 cubic feet by folding the third-row seat down. Fold the second- and third-row seats and there's 70.9 cubic ...

    Cargo & Towing
    The CX-7's rear cargo area holds just under 30 cubic feet with the second-row seats in place and 58.6 cubic feet with them down. This is a large area, but it's also a bit high, so the depth isn't ...