2008 Mazda MAZDA5 Review

Specifications

There is a saying that driving life ends once you’ve started a family. Clunky baby seats, strollers and, of course, the most precious cargo of all takes up a lot of space, and the necessity for easy access is actually best met by sliding doors. Vans, for this purpose, make sense. But the thing is, they aren’t remotely fun, and they’re not exactly what you’d call, sexy. Crossovers have helped assuage the image issue, but to be honest they’re not much more fun to drive than the average minivan, not to mention that they, like minivans, aren’t cheap to run. But I don’t believe, not even for a minute, that your driving life should end simply because of a new arrival, especially not if you’ve got a Mazda5 in your driveway.

Ever since hearing about it back in 2005, I’ve thought that Mazda’s 5 was the perfect vehicle for a young family. It has all the things that minivans have - sliding doors, three rows of seats, a raised seating position - but it’s all done on a smaller scale. And yet, it can do things that few vehicles of its type, or even in its price category can do, including be fun to drive. When Mazda entered the 5 on the international playing field, it had many different vehicles to contend with in the mini-MPV category, but every last one of those vehicles isn’t available here. Only recently have rivals from Kia and Dodge shown up, and, as if on cue, the 5 has been refreshed to keep it the eyes of buyers.

Look at the Mazda5 long and hard, what do you see? It’s inherently van-like, with lots of glass space, its wedge-shaped profile and sliding doors reminiscent of bigger people movers. And yet, somehow you know it just isn’t normal; the taut yet precise lines that Mazda has graced the 5 with convey the message that this won’t be the standard minivan driving experience. It lacks the bloat or boxiness that’s visible in minivans like the Odyssey or Sienna. The Mazda5, by comparison, is trim and fit, with its 17-inch wheels and nail polish-thin smear of rubber, which are standard equipment on all models. As far as minivans go, this is the best looking one on the market.

As part of its ‘08 model year revisions the 5 gains revised bumpers, the front of which features an updated yet still signature five-sided grille, while the lower valance intakes grow, mimicking the look of the Mazda3 5-Door. They also happen to look like they’d fit a large sized intercooler, such as the one from the Mazdaspeed3 perfectly. Although you can’t really appreciate them as much from inside the car, the new LED taillights really do look cool when they’re lit up and are better than the afterburner-style lamps on the old 5.

Besides the new instruments, which are white instead of green, the big new addition to the interior is the new navigation system, a $2,000 option on the GT that includes a six-disc changer and an auxiliary input. Previously, in some markets, dash-top navigation could be had, similar to the flip-up system in the Mazda6, which is operated by a quirky removable remote. That’s now gone, in favor of a new integrated nav system that doesn’t just look better, it works better. The big, bright 7-inch touch screen access allows information to be directly punched in, increasing its ease of use, not to mention that the new screen displays the new refined graphics very very nicely, and includes clear, easy-to-understand directions.

The high-quality nav system fits in well with the rest of the interior, which has a nice, high-quality feel. From the tight fit and finish and the perforated, leather-wrapped steering wheel, to the soft velor door panels and the switchblade-style key, the Mazda5 feels a class above its rivals, which is always great to see in an entry-level vehicle such as this.

If there’s anything to be disappointed by, it’s that we’re missing out on a few of the cool features that you can’t get on the European 5. While our 5 GT now has soft-close sliding doors, which latch on and fully close the doors, particularly handy as they can be open and shut by kids themselves, their 5s have fully power-operated doors. I can understand Mazda’s decision to omit power sliders from the options list, as the price would increase substantially, although offering them would make the 5 even more unique in the segment, as this feature is commonly found on bigger vans. Another gripe (if you can call it that) is the exclusion of a reverse camera, something that’s been available on European 5s since the start. I can understand that competitors to the 5 don’t necessarily offer this, but since they’ve gone to all the trouble of adding a nav system, making the nice big LCD screen available, why not optimize its functionality with a back-up camera? They certainly aren’t very expensive to install, and some buyers would opt for navigation just to get the camera.

One of the first things that struck me about the 5 is that it seems to have been designed for smaller people. At 5-foot-10 I’m not exactly tall, and I like to sit fairly close to the steering wheel, but the front seats don’t slide back particularly far. When they’re in the furthest aft position, the driver’s seat encroaches on second row legroom. If you’re bringing six people along, those in the first and second rows might need to compromise a touch, but it actually is possible to fit six adults inside with reasonable comfort, which is amazing considering the 5’s compact overall footprint. In this mode, cargo carrying capacity is limited to day trips, but with the 50/50 third row folded flat into the floor there’s a monumental amount of space to be had. Mazda has also improved comfort levels, adding fold-down left- and right-side armrests for both rear seat passengers, and a fold-down armrest for the front-seat passenger. Second row occupants also have separate controls for the air conditioning.

But the best part about the 5 is how you feel driving it. Sliding doors? Three rows of seats? It’s hard to believe that the 5 can carry six people considering the way that it drives. Due to being so low to the ground it has a sporty ride quality, and its well-damped multi-link rear suspension and nicely weighted, agile steering make it a joy to drive. It also corners flatly, and has surprisingly good levels of grip complemented by strong brakes, and that’s not just compared to other minivans, that’s in general. If you enjoy driving, I’ve no doubts the Mazda5 will please you.

Although the new 5 doesn’t offer more power from its 2.3-liter I-4 engine, it feels quicker and livelier, particularly in automatic form. Mazda listened to its customers who asked for more pep, and the solution was to add a fifth gear to the automatic, allowing it to accelerate much more effectively while simultaneously improving fuel efficiency; now 21 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway, which is slightly up from the 21 mpg city and 26 mpg highway mileage of last year’s 5 with its four-speed auto. The Mazda5 automatic steps up from being borderline-lethargic to quite lively; although it looses its punch once highway speeds are reached. The five-speed auto also comes with a manual mode, but if you’re a true driving enthusiast you should just leave the standard five-speed manual alone.

All in all I’m happy to reiterate my case that growing up and starting a family doesn’t mean that you have to give up the spirit of small, zesty cars like the Mazda3 just to acquire more practicality. And if this alone is what separates the 5 from the cars it competes with, it would be seriously worth consideration, but, as you’ve been able to see, there’s much more to this little people hauler than merely performance. So what does it all cost and how does that price size up to its rivals? If you were to compare its MSRP against competitive vans (excluding incentives), the Mazda5 is the cheapest van on the market, starting at only $17,995 including ABS, six airbags and air conditioning. A GT model loaded to the gills, such as this one, rolls off the lot at just over $24,000. Not bad considering its full assortment of comfort and convenience features. Certainly there are others that offer more features and yet more interior space, and some of these competitors are starting to bring family haulers to market that target the 5’s compact segment directly, Mazda and its 5 hardly seem concerned. Why not? Because it’s the only minivan in the world that delivers passion along with functionality. And it’s tough to put a price on that.