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 On the upside, the 2011 lowers the taillights and eliminates the clear-lens-over-chrome style, which is outdated at best.

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    Under the Hood
    All Mazda5s are powered by a 157-horsepower, 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 163 pounds-feet of torque. It represents a slight bump in horsepower compared with the outgoing four-cylinder ...

    Power Windows
    The ignition switch must be in the ON position for the power windows to operate. WARNING. Make sure the opening is clear before closing a window: Closing power windows are dangerous. A person's ...

    Storage Compartments
    WARNING: Keep storage boxes closed when driving: Driving with the storage boxes open is dangerous. To reduce the possibility of injury in an accident or a sudden stop, keep the storage boxes cl ...