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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    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. The 2009 Tribute gets a capless refueling sy ...

    The Drive
    The Mazda5's 2.3-liter four-cylinder has to rev pretty high to get the car moving quickly. Our car had the optional five-speed automatic transmission, which adds $1,440. The five-speed manual migh ...

    Exterior Care
    Follow all label and container directions when using a chemical cleaner or polish. Read all warnings and cautions. Maintaining the Finish Washing CAUTION: When the wiper lever is in the AUTO po ...