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 On the upside, the 2011 lowers the taillights and eliminates the clear-lens-over-chrome style, which is outdated at best.

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    Push-Starting
    Do not push-start your Mazda. NOTE: You can't start a vehicle with an automatic transaxle by pushing it. ...

    After Getting In
    l Are all doors closed and locked? - Is the seat adjusted properly? - Are the inside and outside mirrors adjusted? - Is everyone's seat belt fastened? - Check all gauges. - Check all warning lig ...

    Pedestrian Protection
    Mazda 6 facelift has an energy-absorbing space between the bonnet and the engine, and structures for impact energy absorption in the cowl grille and fender brackets, which mitigate the chance of s ...