Ride & Handling

The Mazda5's steering response is designed to engage the driver. A turn of the wheel delivers a quick change of direction, and there's a fair amount of feedback. The suspension is on the firm side, but it provides a tolerable ride even on the broken pavement that's prevalent near Cars.com's Chicago headquarters.

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    Body Lubrication
    All moving points of the body, such as door and hood hinges and locks, should be lubricated each time the engine oil is changed. Use a nonfreezing lubricant on locks during cold weather. Make sur ...

    Exterior
    The outside of the Tribute didn't get as dramatic a face-lift as the Escape did for 2008. The grille lost its crossbar and the Mazda logo was moved up. * Standard 16-inch aluminum-alloy wheels * ...

    Seats that fit better, provide greater support and are more functional
    The raised sides on the front of the seat cushions were made 20mm larger than on the first generation Mazda 3 to increase the leg support for a better fit. The seat backs were also extended by 35m ...