Vehicle Overview

After taking a year off, the Mazda5 small minivan is back for the 2012 model year in redesigned form. It has room for up to six people in three rows. Though it does have sliding side doors, the Mazda5's closest competitors include small hatchbacks and crossovers as opposed to regular-size minivans.

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    Convertible Commentary
    As mentioned, our test car had the retractable-hardtop roof, and Mazda's implementation of this type of roof has a few advantages over those from other manufacturers. First of all, it's fast; it ...

    Automatic transaxle Fluid (ATF)
    Inspecting Automatic transaxle Fluid Level The automatic transaxle fluid level should be inspected regularly. Measure it as described below. CAUTION. Always check the automatic transaxle fluid ...

    Second-Row Seats
    WARNING. Do not stack cargo higher than the seatbacks: Stacking luggage or other cargo higher than the seatbacks is dangerous. During a sudden stop or collision, objects can fly around and beco ...