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 On the upside, the 2011 lowers the taillights and eliminates the clear-lens-over-chrome style, which is outdated at best.

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    Supplemental Restraint System Components
    The supplemental restraint systems (SRS) have two basic subsystems: - The air bag system with inflators and air bags. - The electrical system with crash sensors and diagnostic module. The air bags ...

    SeatWarmer
    The front seats are electrically heated. The ignition must be in the ON position. Press the switch to turn the seat warmer on or off. When the switch is in the ON position, the indicator light w ...

    Under the Hood
    A 1.5-liter four-cylinder makes 100 horsepower and 98 pounds-feet of torque. Transmission choices include a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. ...