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What exactly is it?

The Mazda5 is derived from a stretched Mazda3 compact car platform, yet it looks like a station wagon, sedan, crossover and minivan — especially with its sliding side doors that open to second- and third-row seats.

Mazda calls it an MAV, or multi-activity vehicle — never mind all its personalities.

“We’re the only vehicle in this segment so we need to get the word out,” insist Jim O’Sullivan, president and CEO of Mazda North America.

The Mazda5 is offered in Sport, Touring and Grand Touring trim. We checked out the latter. Though it owes its heritage to the Mazda3 hatchback, it’s about 4 inches longer to squeeze in a third-row seat. Sadly, though, it’s almost a half inch narrower. In a vehicle designed to hold six people in three rows, that half inch makes travel hip-to-hip rather than side-by-side. How hip? The Mazda5 is 1 1/2 feet shorter and 8 inches narrower than a Honda Odyssey minivan.

Being a Mazda, its DNA includes Zoom. But the 2.3-liter, 153-horsepower 4-cylinder provides only zoom — lowercase “z.” It has zest, but not slap-you-into-your-seat zip. The 21 m.p.g. city/27 m.p.g. highway rating is evidence that how far you go is more important than how fast you go.

The MAV is designed to haul people and their stuff, not slalom through the road course. So while the suspension was beefed up to minimize the bump and grind of pocked pavement, it tends to do the econocar lean into and out of corners and turns.

And there is one exception to smooth ride. Those sentenced to the third row, where leg and knee room are at a premium, sit directly over the rear wheels. Basically only small tykes will fit in Row 3 — and that’s only if Grandma lives down the block so you don’t have to drive too far. Still, on over-the-river-and-through-the-woods trips, you don’t have to worry about listening to the scrunched kids screaming because road noise is so excessive — even with windows and moonroof closed — it drowns most anything out.

Of course, getting to the third row is another matter. The second-row seats slide forward to create an aisle — a very abbreviated one — to the back. It’s so abbreviated, there’s a temptation to get a leg up from the sliding door’s hinge despite warnings you’ll damage it.

Second-row seats are tolerable, but not super cozy. Good headroom, but tight arm room and precious little space under the front seats for second-row passengers to stow their feet.

But kudos to Mazda for two novel items in the second row: a pull-up cushion on the driver’s side with a compartment underneath to conceal purse or laptop, and a pull-up cushion on the passenger side that conceals a pull-out table with dual cupholders to slip between the seats for the kids’ snacks and drinks.

Whether second or third row, keep the headrests up. When down, they feel like a brick in your back.

With three rows filled with people, the cargo space is limited to a couple small duffel bags and a few groceries. Third-row seat backs fold flat expand cargo space, second-row seat backs fold flat to expand it more. Best use of the Mazda5 is to haul four people in two rows and keep the third row folded

The Grand Touring version starts at a respectable $22,365.

Standard goodies include power windows/locks/and mirrors (heated)/moonroof, AM/FM stereo with CD player and auxiliary input jack, rear window washer/wiper/defogger, side-curtain air bags, anti-lock brakes, heated front seats, automatic climate control, rain-sensing wipers, power plugs front and rear and 17-inch all-season radials.

You can get a rear-seat DVD entertainment system for the kids that runs $1,200 and a navi system for the adults that runs $2,000.

But there are two things you can’t get at any price. One is power seats. Heat, yes, but no power. Go figure. And no power sliding side doors or tailgate. That keeps the cost down, don’t you know.

O’Sullivan says the Mazda5 fits a niche for those who need to haul kids and their junk, but can’t afford a CX-7 or CX-9 or don’t want to maneuver either of those larger crossovers into and out of the garage or parking spaces.

The CX-7 (five-passenger) and CX-9 (seven-passenger) offer more room and comfort as well as livelier performance, plus optional AWD.

But before adding options the CX-7 runs about $24,000 to $28,000 and the CX-9 about $30,000 to $35,000 versus about $18,000 to $23,000 for the compact Mazda5.

AWD? Have to move up to the CX-7 or CX-9 for that too.

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2008 MAZDA5 GRAND TOURING

$24,845

Price as tested. Add $635 for freight.

LENGTH 181.5 inches

WHEELBASE 108.3 inches

ENGINE 2.3-liter, 153-h.p. 16-valve 4-cylinder

TRANSMISSION 5-speed automatic

M.P.G.

21 City

27 Highway

THE STICKER

$22,365 Base

$2,000 Navigation system

$430 Sirius satellite radio

$50 Rear-bumper step plate

PLUSES

Van that doesn’t look like one.

Three rows of seats.

Zoom, with a small “z.”

Good mileage.

Seat backs fold flat for more cargo room.

MINUSES

Narrow and noisy.

Third-row entry/exit, room, space behind all tight.

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Read Jim Mateja Sunday in Transportation. Contact him at transportation@tribune.com.