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 On the upside, the 2011 lowers the taillights and eliminates the clear-lens-over-chrome style, which is outdated at best.

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    Safety
    Front dual airbags come standard, and side-impact and side curtain airbags are optional. All-disc antilock brakes with brake assist are standard on s models and optional on i models. Traction cont ...

    Under the Hood
    A 1.5-liter four-cylinder makes 100 horsepower and 98 pounds-feet of torque. Transmission choices include a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. ...

    Specifications
    Engine Electrical System *1 ex factory NOTE: When cleaning the iridium plugs, do not use a wire brush. The fine particulate coating on the iridium alloy and platinum tips could be damaged. ...