2012 Mazda5: Up Close
From the minute we first saw photos of the redesigned Mazda5 small minivan we’ve been intrigued by the wavelike lines running along its sides. In person, the design is much more subtle than the photos suggested, and the lines aren’t nearly as apparent as I thought they’d be.
That’s not the only design change, though, as the Mazda5 takes on the happy-face look of the Mazda3 with the addition of a new grille. It’s one of those designs that you’ll either like or you won’t. At the van’s rear, the taillights have moved from the roof pillars to the liftgate, and they look a lot like the taillamps on the Mazda CX-9 large crossover.
Both on the outside and in the cabin, the Mazda5 is similar in size to its predecessor. The new interior shares styling cues with other recently updated Mazdas, but I was surprised to see that materials quality has remained much the same. The door-trim plastics and window switches, for example, look low rent. As with the prior model, the front seats don’t slide that far back for taller drivers; I’m 6-foot-1 and had the seat all the way back, and I could have used a little more legroom.
Like the van itself, the second-row bucket seats are on the smaller side; they’re similar to the Stow ‘n Go seats in Chrysler vans. These seats cause passengers to sit relatively low to the floor with their knees elevated. You only have to take one look at the third row to know it’s meant for children.
Mazda has had a lock on the small minivan segment in the U.S. since Kia killed its Rondo. That’s about to change, though, as it will get some competition in the form of the upcoming Ford C-Max. Many buyers will continue to gravitate toward bigger vans like the Chrysler Town & Country and Honda Odyssey, but it’s good to see more choices in this corner of the market.
