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 On the upside, the 2011 lowers the taillights and eliminates the clear-lens-over-chrome style, which is outdated at best.

    See also:

    Ride & Handling
    The Miata's low weight delivers ride and handling benefits, however. With less mass to keep in check when cornering, the suspension doesn't have to be as firm to limit body roll. This helps with r ...

    Floor Mat
    WARNING: Make sure the floor mats are hooked on the retention pins to prevent them from bunching up under the foot pedals: Using a floor mat that is not secured is dangerous as it will interfere ...

    Satisfying Drivetrain
    What you get for your diminished mileage is respectable but not exceptional acceleration. Though the 2.3-liter four-cylinder (to be replaced in the 2010 by a 2.5-liter) is pretty robust, the Mazda ...