Jerry Robbin

Plenty of ROOM! ROOM! ROOM in this spacious alternative to the mini-van!

My test drive of the Mazda 5 was a Grand Touring model that sported Crystal White Pearl Mica paint with sand leather interior. I was very impressed with the interior of this vehicle. The front styling makes a statement and the rear styling is less impressive. The interior is definitely has character.

The Mazda5 is an alternative to the minivans, which makes it more manageable to drive. Also Mazda 5 is much sportier than a Chrysler Town and Country, and you can actually fit into parking spots with no effort. I enjoyed driving the Mazda 5 more than the average minivan and couldn’t wait to get behind the wheel.

My test vehicle had all the creature features you would ever want like, Xeon headlights, keyless entry,17” alloy wheels, leather seats power windows, power door locks, and did not have a satellite radio! Also my Mazda 5 had has a huge color screen that accents the dash, that house both the navigation system and stereo controls. An auxiliary port makes hooking up an iPod or other MP3 player super-simple, and touch-screen controls allow easy access to radio or your CDs. My Mazda5 Grand Touring had a sticker of only $25,595.00, which included the $670 destination charge.

The general feel of the Mazda5 is sporty and fun and the engine was adequate. It’s a versatile vehicle that is quick and agile around town, with a terrific turning radius that makes U-turns and parking a breeze.

The Mazda can seat six people and there is plenty of headroom

Some cool features in the Mazda5 that make hauling kids, pets, friends and stuff around are the rear sliding doors (make easy entrance and exit), plastic storage bins under both of the second-row seat, a table with two cup holders on the passenger side that folds out into the aisle between the seats. Even with the third row up, there was plenty of room in the cargo area. The cargo space is great as the third row folds completely flat into the floor.

The Mazda 5 is economical as far as gas mileage! For the week I had the vehicle I got about 21 city and 27mpg on the highway, which is great mileage for an alternate to a minivan.

Features and statistics

Seating Capacity (includes driver): 6

Price as tested: $25,595

Engine: 153-hp, 2.3-liter I-4

Width: 69.1”

Ground Clearance: 5.5”

Turning Radius: 17.4’

Cargo space: 4.0-70.9 cu. ft.

Exterior Dimensions

Wheelbase (inches) 108.3

Track, front (inches) 60.2

Track, rear (inches) 59.6

Length (inches) 181.5

Width (inches) 69.1

Height (inches) 64.2

Minimum ground clearance, laden (inches) 5.5

Safety and Security

Advanced dual front air bags, side-impact air curtains with third-row coverage, and front-seat mounted side-impact air bags††

Front seat-belt pretensioners with force-limiters

Crushable brake and accelerator pedal assembly

Tire-Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)

Engine-immobilizer antitheft system

Theft-deterrent security system Standard on Grand Touring only

Triple H body construction

3-point seat belts – all seating positions

Adjustable headrests, all three rows

Second-row LATCH child-safety-seat anchors and third-row LATCH child-safety-seat upper tethers

Child-safety rear door locks

Capacities

Passenger volume (cubic feet) – 1st and 2nd rows 97.7

Cargo volume (cubic feet) – with 3rd row seats down 44.4

Total interior volume (cubic feet) 142.1

Fuel Economy

EPA Mileage, City/Highway (MPG) – MT† 22/28

EPA Mileage, City/Highway (MPG) – AT† 21/27