Okay so I have no kids and rarely have more than two people in the car with me, but I fell for the Mazda 5! I drive a small station wagon and I am impartial to small SUVs as well so the Mazda 5 fit in nicely right in the middle somewhere.

I truly believe that this vehicle is a must to go see and test drive for anyone considering the following: buying an SUV, a mini-van, a station wagon, hatchback, or a small SUV. It can also be a great choice for someone who needs a lot of space to move things or people around but yet still feel like you were driving a somewhat sporty car -or, um, mini-van. Mind you, this is not your mini-van from the past, but more like a mini-everything for the future.

What is the Mazda5? Upon first view, it appears to be a micro mini-van. A micro mini-van that can sit four adults and two small children easily all at the same time. However, I would realistically say it could seat four (any combination of adults or children) so that the 3rd row-seat in the way back can be flattened out to create a 44 cu ft. of space for cargo and luggage when going on long trips! However, I had to go back to the third row seat and check it out myself and I, being an inch short of 6 ft, fit okay if I sat sideways. I thought, well, this could be like a little sleeping bench on long roadtrips. Just bring enough pillows and a blanket to make it comfy! Else it can sit 2 small young children easily.

The second row is just two "captain" seats so you can't sit three in the backseat like you normally could in a sedan or regular station wagon. Underneath these two seats, there are storage compartments to stash away maps, toys, small umbrellas, books, etc. As long as it is somewhat flat and not thicker than a phone book, you can hide and store underneath these seats. Also, you will find a stow-away center console that holds 2 beverages and provides a little "counter" space to place a sandwich or something you want to eat or grab while enjoying a trip somewhere - after all you want to make all passengers feel comforted.

The Mazda5 on the inside is roomy, semi-luxurious, and has a lot of the same feel and touches as the rest of the Mazda line-up. What Mazda wanted you to feel is the Mazda3 cross-bred with the MazdaMPV. Unfortunately, I could not find any zoom-zoom on this car but trust me that everything else is a wonderful package put together that perhaps zoom-zoom is the least of your worries.

All Mazdas come with a three year / 36000 miles limited new car warranty. All maintenance is on the wallet of the owner (whereas all new VWs beginning with 2009 models have scheduled maintenance included at no charge for the first 3 years/36K miles, which ever comes first.)

Are there different trims for the Mazda5? Yes, there are three.
1. Sport - the basic but not-so basic trim.
2. Touring - more than Sport but not as luxurious as Grand Touring.
3. Grand Touring - spoil you comforts that builds on what Touring offers.

None of these trims come with ESP- electronic stability program, which can help in tricky driving conditions. This has got some consumers re-thinking about moving away from this car as they want ESP for safety if you often drive with children or in tempered weather.

The previous Mazda5s (2007-2008) (this is a new model for the USA but has been across the pond and in Asia for a couple generations) never came with USA impact crash ratings but for the 2009 model, this vehicle has achieved an incredible 5 star rating! This will be a great selling point for those concerned with safety. Although it's great that it has earned this accolade, I don't feel like the body of the vehicle per say is very heavy and durable in comparison to say a VW. It seems that all Japanese vehicles lack this type of feeling - a heavy, secure, and solid feeling upon closing the doors.

All trims come with the same engine - a 2.3L DOHC 4-cylinder with variable valve timing that spits out 153 horsepower and a measly 148 lbs-ft torque. This may be an issue when trying to pass on the highway or even going up a small incline. I had noticed a very determined engine (notice determined and not easily abled) to make it up a small hill - yikes! I didn't bother trying to pass too much on the highway and mostly stayed on the right hand lane.

To fill up the tank, you will need to put in 15.9 gallons of regular gas (no premium required which is nice). In the end, the car rates at 22 city and 28 hwy (automatic transmission; five-speed manual can be had in Sport trim only with 21/27 EPA estimated fuel economy).

Anyway, getting back to what you get in these trims, will surprise you and spoil you:

Sport: front-wheel drive, A/C, ABS/EBD and Brake Assist, Rack-and-pinion steering with electrohydraulic variable assist, dual sliding rear doors, variable intermittent windshield wipers with rear wiper too; 17-in alloy wheels with all-season radial tires; 2nd row cool-air vents (not an A/C unit in the 2nd row but simply a fan that blows cool air (no heat)); Tilt/Telescoping steering wheel with audio controls; covered cargo-area storage compartment; cruise-control on steering wheel; Power windows with one-touch down driver's door; Remote Keyless Illuminated Entry system; Dual cup holders for all 3 row seats; Front and rear 12 volt power outlets; Reclining front bucket seats with driver's adjustable lumbar support and height; Fold-down arm rests for front and 2nd row seating; 50/50 split fold-down 3rd row seating; AUX input for an iPod; Tire Pressure Monitoring System

Touring: All of Sport plus In-dash 6 CD changer; Fog lights; Power sliding moonroof with interior sunshade; LED taillights

Grand Touring: All of Touring plus leather seating; heated seats; Rain-sensing front windshield wipers; Xenon high-intensity discharge (HID) low-beam headlights with automatic on/off; Bluetooth hands-free phone capability; Anti-theft alarm system.

The Sport and Touring have cloth seating whereas the Grand Touring is leather.

What are the safety features of Mazda5?
All trims come with:
1. advance front air bags with belt-use, passenger weight and driver's seat-position sensors
2. Front side-impact air bags and side-impact air curtains with coverage for front and rear passengers
3. 3-point seat belts and adjustable headrests for all 6 seating positions
4. Front seat-belt pretensioners with force limiters
5. 2nd row LATCH child-safety anchors; 3rd row tether anchors
6. Engine immobilizer antitheft system
7. Tire-pressure monitoring system

Driving Impressions
The car at first to me looked huge but in reality it is very small and quite impressive that in can sit six people. However, coming from a 100 hp with 177 ft-lb torque diesel wagon, this Mazda5 was a bit disappointing featuring 153 hp and 148 lb-ft of torque. It just couldn't compare. I must add that when I got to rent this fabulous mini-everything, it was just me and a pug driving around in it. I was very concerned that upon driving up a small incline, the Mazda5 felt challenged - again - it was just me (a 200 lb person at almost 6 ft tall, and a 15 lb pug) - I was wondering where the "Zoom-Zoom" was or when if at all would kick-in. I certainly enjoyed driving the FIVE around town, as it was a nice break from driving 5 speed manual transmission, and it was quite capable of fitting in all the parking spots I am used to in my car. I imagine this is similar to what it must feel like to drive a hybrid - not too much power to drive like a bat out of hell but enough to get to do the things you want to do around town. Overall in the power department, I was left with more to desire - maybe aftermarket increase in hp and torque? The Mazda5 was very easy to clean - I could easily get to the third row from the second row to vacuum the pug hair, making it disappear. All the controls are easily within reach and having access to the cruise control and audio controls from the steering wheel is a nice touch. I didn't like that there was an odd puffy thing that your left foot could rest on while it was not in use driving. I would really like to know/feel how it does with four people or more!!! I can only image it would drive poorly on the highway when you need power, but definitely it would drive great in city errands and traffic.

Other Impressions
I was surrounded by plenty of space and comfort. It wasn't cramped by any means. The fit and finish left a little to be desired compared to my VW but I prefer it compared to what I have seen in Toyota or Honda lately. The moonroof didn't seem quite big enough and I didn't feel that much wind came into the cabin with it open. There is a simple one-touch all the way open or close feature - which left me wanting my VW sunroof because you can control how much you want open. Other than that, everything is very user-friendly.

Storage/Cargo
I was able to put down the 3rd seat row with no problems and used the cargo space, which comes to 44 cu ft. If you fold down the second row, you get a whopping 83 cu ft!!! Definitely lots little crannies to put stuff in from big liter beverages in the doors to a big glove box and a nice hidden space underneath the center console. You can also hide things underneath the second row seats - great for stowing away useful items for kids.

A/C
I wasn't very thrilled with the A/C. It never quite got chilly like my VW station wagon and perhaps it is because there was much more interior space to cool down - but even when driving a while, the interior never felt VW cold! To add concern, I rented this FIVE while on a cool and cloudy weekend. So I wonder how the A/C would operate on really hot days.

Sliding Doors
The sliding doors were probably one of my favorite things about the FIVE. They are easy to open and with a little push to close, they closed themselves! I never knew mini-van doors could be so fun and easy to use.

Amount Paid (US$): 21000
Condition: New
Model Year: 2008
Model and Options: Touring Edition