The Mazda5's hood is expansive and flows gracefully into the windshield and A-pillars. The entire front end is reworked for 2008. A single, horizontal bar still divides the Mazda5's grille opening and supports the Mazda trademark logo, but the opening itself is more angular and stylized. The same goes for the broad lower air intake and the large fog light recesses. Headlight housings slash into the fenders and reach around the sides to touch the front wheel well arches, which are mostly filled by the tires.
From the side, the vista is much busier, although geometrically consistent. A strong wedge influence flares character lines and surface planes from the pinched-down front end rearward to a tall, chopped off, stubby tail rendered even more awkward by a pouting, bulbous rear bumper. Matte black B-pillars and C-pillars play down the height of the glasshouse. Side mirrors attach to the lower half of small, wind-wing-shaped quarter windows. Body-color, full-round handles bridge concave circles in the doors. A gentle bulge crossing the doors' lower extremities ties together the blistered fenders. The slots for the sliding side doors scar the flanks. The optional side sill extensions create a ground-effect look that somehow works, giving the perspective a more complete, more finished touch.
At the rear, the clear-lens taillight housings maintain their basic shape, but the lights themselves are now LEDs. The liftgate extends well into the rear bumper, removing some visual mass from the back end, as well as easing loading with a low cargo floor. The rear window is fixed. We would prefer an opening rear window to ease loading of items such as groceries. The optional spoiler drags the roofline back and out above the rear window, adding a bit of edginess to the Mazda5's mostly egg-shaped rear outline.
tray up and over into the space between the two seats, and voila, you've got a couple of cup holders and flat tray for sandwiches or whatever, with notches in the corners to restrain plastic shopping bags. Lift out the tray bottom, and there's a mesh net for, well, something small, and possibly damp, that'd roll around or otherwise get in the way. Only the driver's seatback gets a magazine pouch.
The bi-level storage area in the front center console is generous, with more than enough room in the top part for a cell phone and in the bottom part for a half-dozen CDs and a radar detector. Two cup holders wait for duty to call under a flip cover forward of the storage bin.
The Mazda5 is more utilitarian than fun, but it's more fun to drive than any other minivan.
Using the Mazda5 to run errands is the best part. It tucks into tight parking spaces, thanks in no small part to a turning circle that bests all the competition by several feet. Everyday errands are run with a reasonably clear conscience, and without requiring a home equity loan, thanks to respectable fuel mileage.
From behind the wheel, the Mazda5 is an OK driver. Steering isn't especially precise, but it has good on-center feel and directional stability. For such a relatively tall car, there's little buffeting from crosswinds or passing trucks. The brakes are solid, with communicative pedal feedback.
Throttle tip-in can be a bit more abrupt than expected, especially when accelerating from a stop around a corner. So it won't win NCTD's Best Commuter Car award. But for the most part, engine response is easily managed.
Speaking of engine response, while the Mazda5 is reasonably peppy with a couple people belted in, load it up with a weekend's worth of yard stuff or with another couple for a night on the town, and acceleration gets a little sluggish. There's still enough torque to get everything underway with relative ease, but beyond that, evidence of strain emerges. Planning ahead is required for merging onto a freeway or for passing on a two-lane road. All that mass also explores the brakes' limits and shifts the car's balance around, converting evasive moves into exciting moments. Even unloaded, quick left-right-left transitions are best taken no faster than socially responsible rates of travel.
The shift lever for the automatic transmission glides confidently through its gate. The automatic's manual shift mode is faithful to the concept, holding the selected gear regardless of engine speed. Push up to shift down, push down to shift up. The five-speed manual is definitely not a sporty gearbox, requiring careful aiming for gear selection. Clutch engagement is smooth, and pedal take up is neither too light nor too heavy. The five-speed automatic transmission increases fuel economy versus last year's four-speed automatic. It also works seamlessly through the gears. With the automatic, the Mazda5 is EPA-rated at 21 mpg city and 27 mpg highway. With the manual, those numbers are 22/28.
Road noise is not especially intrusive, no more so, certainly, than in the Ford Taurus X. Suspension activity is more noticeable, with sharp pavement breaks resonating directly into the cabin, in part due to weight savings that bring the Mazda5 in well under the Taurus X's two tons.
The 2008 Mazda5 is available in three trim levels. All are powered by the same engine, a 153-hp 2.3-liter inline-4. A five-speed manual transmission is standard for the Sport, and a five-speed automatic with a manual shiftgate is optional ($950). The automatic is standard for the Touring and Grand Touring models.
The Mazda5 Sport ($17,995) comes with air conditioning; cruise control; tilt/telescoping steering wheel with speed and sound controls; power windows, door locks and mirrors; remote keyless entry; four-speaker AM/FM/CD stereo with auxiliary input jack; front bucket seats with fold-down inboard armrests; driver-seat height and lumbar adjustment; folding second-row bucket seats with inboard and outboard armrests; third-row split-folding seat; interior air filter; four passenger assist grips; roof rack, and carpeted floor mats, An attractive and durable-looking fabric covers the seats and door panels with seat side bolsters and insets wearing contrasting textures. The standard wheel-and-tire package consists of 205/50VR17 all-season radials on 17-inch alloy rims.
A power moonroof ($700) is optional, as is a Popular Equipment package, comprising an in-dash six-disc CD changer, a rear liftgate spoiler, and side sill extensions ($490).
The Mazda5 Touring ($20,610) makes the Sport's Popular Equipment package standard, and adds a rear spoiler, fog lamps, automatic climate control, two more speakers for the stereo, a leather cover for the steering wheel, and a combination fold-out table and cargo net bin for the center row of seats. Externally, the mirrors turn body-color (instead of black).
The top-line Grand Touring ($22,365) adds leather seats with matching cloth door inserts, heated front seats, automatic xenon high-intensity discharge (HID) headlamps, heated power mirrors, rain-sensing wipers, and a wireless cell phone link. Sharp-eyed observers might spot the GT's exclusive black light bezels, front and rear.
Options for all models include an auto-dimming rearview mirror with a compass and a universal garage door opener ($275); Sirius satellite radio with a six-month subscription ($430); a rear-seat DVD player ($1,200); a retractable rear cargo cover ($150); and remote engine starting ($350). Additionally, the Grand Touring model is offered with a navigation system ($2,000).
Safety features that come standard on all models include the required dual-action frontal airbags, plus front seat-mounted side-impact airbags for torso protection, and head-protecting side air curtains for all three rows of seats. Also, every seating position gets a three-point seatbelt and an adjustable head restraint. Be sure your passengers use those seatbelts as they're your first line of defense in a crash. The middle and rear seats have child safety seat anchors (LATCH). A tire-pressure monitor, antilock brakes (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist also come standard. Traction control and electronic stability control are not available, which is odd for such a family-oriented vehicle.