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 On the upside, the 2011 lowers the taillights and eliminates the clear-lens-over-chrome style, which is outdated at best.

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    Driving Impressions
    The Mazda6 is pleasant to drive and sportier than some of its rivals. This sedan takes curves confidently with modest body lean and satisfying grip. Moderate steering effort is accompanied by good ...

    Moonroof
    * Some models. The moonroof can be opened or closed electrically only when the ignition switch is in the ON position. WARNING. Do not let passengers stand up or extend part of their body throu ...

    Safety
    A solid list of safety features is the price of entry in the family sedan arena these days, and the Mazda6 has standard all-disc antilock brakes, side-impact airbags for the front seats, side curt ...