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Mazda 5 Road Test and Review (Video)
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Many car enthusiasts despise the minivan due to its inherent lack of sportiness, yet they are often forced to make the jump into one because of their great capacity and ability to haul a family and their belongings around with great ease. Could the 2010 Mazda finally be the car that changes a sports car enthusiast's mind about owning a minivan?
Let's start with the exterior. First off, the Mazda 5 is not as large as a standard minivan. It is also a bit sleeker than most, carrying on the styling cues of other Mazdas, and bearing a strong family resemblance to the Mazda 3 of which it shares the same chassis. It is almost station wagon sized, with just a bit more height tacked on to increase passenger comfort and cargo space.
The lines flow very well on the Mazda 5. It is Mazda 3 shaped up front, but even with a bit more length and height in back, the shape is still very pleasing The alloy wheels really make the 5, and almost look like something you'd find on a recent Alfa Romeo.
The first thing I noticed when driving the 2010 Mazda 5 is that the outward vision is great. There are no blind spots up front, and in the rear corners there is a glass insert to aid with rearward vision. There are seats for six and you can fold down the four in back to make for very impressive cargo capacity should the need arise.
Another great feature that the Mazda 5 incorporates is not one, but two sliding doors to access the rear passenger areas from both sides. This makes ingress and egress a breeze. The seats are also very comfortable, and there are cup holders a plenty for all passengers.
In typical Mazda fashion, they also found a way to incorporate some "zoom zoom" into the 2010 5 Touring. My test car came equipped with a 153 horsepower 2.3 liter 4 cylinder engine mated to the 5 speed auto / semi automatic transmission. You can drive it like a regular automatic, or slide the shifter over to manual and tap it up or down to control the shifts.
The engine is peppy for a car of this size, and the handling is also surprisingly crisp for the almost minivan sized Mazda 5. Don't expect it to take turns like the Miata, but if you need more seats than the 3 provides, the Mazda 5 Touring might just be the perfect car for you.
Fuel economy is good for a car of this size, the EPA estimates 27 mpg for the highway and 21 in the city with an average of 23. The safety ratings are also 5 stars in 3 of the 5 categories. The Mazda 5 has four stars for rear seat and rollover collisions.
The interior is laid out very well, and all of the controls are laid out in a logical easy to use fashion as you'd expect from Mazda. There is a certain feeling that you get when you are in a car that feels right, and the Mazda 5 definitely has it. Like the zoom zoom quality that you get while driving every Mazda, the feeling of the buttons, switches and controls also just feels right.
The instruments and various controls for the radio, cruise control and ventilation are all easy to read, and at night they light up in a tasteful, colorful fashion too. There are two cigarette lighter receptacles up front so you can charge your phone and power another gizmo at the same time.
After loading the Mazda 5 with lots of goodies from a trip to Costco, there was still plenty of room to spare. Conveniently, any of the four seats can be folded down and out of the way individually so there is great versatility in terms of storage and passenger accommodation.
The only flaws I can find with the 2010 Mazda 5 are its lack of bench seats in the two rearward seats, as well as the lack of optional entertainment equipment for the kids riding back there. Most minivans today are equipped with screens for DVD's or games either hanging down from the headliner or installed in the back of the front seat headrests.
Mazda designed the 5 to have sliding rear doors which are great, but the addition of an auto open feature on the remote clicker would definitely go a long way for convenience. The addition of seating for 7 or 8, auto sliding rear doors, plus more entertainment options would really make the 5 a minivan beater..
Of the two people that I know that are considering purchasing a Mazda 5, one is going to buy it and the other is not because they simply need a bit more room, and a couple more seats in the back.
So what will all of this part minivan, part wagon, part zoom zoom sports car cost you? Well the out the door retail price for the Mazda 5 Touring is $22,480 which includes Sirius Satellite Radio, rear bumper guards and destination. The entry level Mazda 5 starts at around $18,000.
But the real cost for someone who enjoyes driving as more than just an A to B task, is giving up a sporty ride and great handling to account for the need for space and utility and seating for the whole family. With the 2010 Mazda 5 you can actually have both, a car that is fun to drive, yet which offers room for the whole family!
Here is my Video Review of the 2010 Mazda 5 Touring.
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