Up Close: 2008 Mazda5

The restyled Mazda5 wasn’t an official debut at the Chicago auto show, but that was our first opportunity to check out the changes Mazda has made to its small van for the 2008 model year.

The van features subtle styling changes in front, including a more V-shaped grille, restyled headlights and a larger opening in the center of the bumper. The result is a clean, sporty look, but the changes are so minor that it helps to have an image of the previous van to compare it to so you can see what’s new. New taillights take the clear-lens styling theme to extremes.

Mazda says the cabin gets new gauges, an auxiliary input jack and a new color, Sand, among other things. If you’ve been in the previous van, the cabin will look much the same to you. The available leather steering wheel has a nice feel to it, but the driver’s seat could really use more rearward travel; if you’re tall, you might not be able to get a comfortable distance from the pedals. The two middle chairs offer decent comfort for adults, and the small third row should be able to fit two kids.

If you’re looking for a small hatchback, you might want to add the Mazda5 to your list if it’s not there already. It offers decent gas mileage — 22/28 mpg city/highway with the manual and 21/27 with the automatic — and is efficient in terms of its passenger- and cargo-carrying abilities. The changes for 2008 only add to its appeal.