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 On the upside, the 2011 lowers the taillights and eliminates the clear-lens-over-chrome style, which is outdated at best.

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    Interior Care
    Dashboard Precautions Prevent caustic solutions such as perfume and cosmetic oils from contacting the dashboard. They'll damage and discolor it. If these solutions get on the dashboard, wipe them ...

    Mirrors
    Outside Mirrors Check the mirror angles before driving. Mirror type Flat type (driver's side). Flat surface mirror. Convex type (front passenger side). The mirror has single curvature on its su ...

    Aerodynamics
    The new, highly sculptured front bumper gives the Mazda 6 facelift a strong athletic look. In addition to the horseshoe-shape front tyre deflectors, new plate-type deflectors are added, the front ...