Mother Proof's view

In my eyes, the Mazda5 is the Swiss Army knife of cars. It’s compact, easy to maneuver and has a flexible interior that’s capable of hauling up to six people. Yay! This isn’t my first time in the Mazda5; I test drove the ’09 model and enjoyed it so much that I leapt at the chance to drive the 2010.

The 2010 Mazda5 had cloth seats instead of leather, and it had the awesome pop-up table with built-in cupholders between the second-row captain’s chairs. I loved that table in the ’09 Mazda5 and still adore it in the 2010. All things in life should come with a magically-appearing table top with built-in cupholders!

Are you ready for the biggest secret? The Mazda5 is fun to drive. It has a 153-horsepower four-cylinder engine that has plenty of pep. The Mazda5 is so compact and lightweight that the engine feels powerful enough even though it’s not loaded with horsepower.

This year, I was able to put Mazda5 to the test in wintery conditions. Admittedly, I was skeptical that it would handle well since it’s such a small car with front-wheel drive. Wrong! Even in snow, the Mazda5 has plenty of stopping power, and it easily took off from a snow-covered road with minimal slippage. I was stunned, so I kept pushing it, trying to get it to slide. No luck. For 2010, the Mazda5 gained standard stability control and traction control. Nice job, Mazda.

Exterior

The Mazda5 has a unique style that turns heads and raises eyebrows. From the outside, nobody would guess this car seats six. It looks like a sporty hatch that a trendy 20-something would drive. It certainly couldn’t be a mom-mobile, and that is the beauty of this car. The Mazda5 is a mom-mobile in sporty-hatchback clothing.

Some will think the Mazda5 looks weird, with its pointy front, 17-inch tires and bug-eyed taillights. I understand; it took me awhile to get used to its looks, too. I do think the Mazda5 could use a makeover; it was modern looking when it first came out, but now a stale aftertaste is creeping in.

With or without a makeover, there’s plenty to like about the Mazda5. I appreciated its low load-in height; it was easy to load groceries into it. I never had to lift or reach upward to grab the bags. Because it rides low it was easy for me and my kids to get in and out of it, too.

The rear doors on the Mazda5 slide like those on a minivan. They were easy to use for both me and my boys because they’re smaller and lighter than full-size minivan doors.

I also enjoyed the Mazda5’s cavernous cargo space when I folded down the third row. There’s tons of room for hauling groceries, baby equipment and shopping finds. With the third row up, though, the cargo area is somewhat cramped. We had room for a couple of backpacks and boots, but that was it. I think the lack of cargo space is overcome by the convenience of having additional seating, if needed. However, if you regularly travel with more than two children, a larger vehicle may be in order.

SENSE AND STYLE

Family Friendly (Not Really, Fair, Great, Excellent): Excellent

Fun-Factor (None, Some, Good Times, Groove-On): Groove-On

Interior

The Mazda5’s smaller size is a plus because everything is within reach, including the kids in the second row. However, I couldn’t get comfortable in the driver’s seat, which had poor lumbar support. I much preferred the heated, leather seats in the 2009 Mazda5 Grand Touring that I test drove.

The Mazda5 Touring isn’t tech-laden; there’s no navigation system on this trim. The center stack had most of what I needed for radio and heat controls. What I liked best was there was a space for my purse between the two front seats. This should be a standard feature on all cars. No passenger wants my purse at their feet, and I dare not toss it in the back to those ravenous gum-stealing children.

I loved the armrests in this car, too. Both the first and second-row captain’s chairs have them. My arms are weary from all that purse carrying. I especially liked that I didn’t have to share the armrest with the front passenger; I hate the constant nudge war every time I have to “share” it.

The kids liked the second-row captain’s chairs, and I liked the pass-through that kept them separated. The chairs have storage beneath the seat cushions. It’s a great place to house all of the necessary kid gear, including antibacterial wipes, packaged snacks, a few extra diapers or even their bevy of electronics.

The third row is built for kids. It’s definitely short on legroom. I wouldn’t put anyone who’s more than 5 feet tall back there for any length of time.

During my test drive, I loaded my two sons, their friend and sleds into the Mazda5, and they looked like sardines. It was cramped back there whenever I hauled more than two kids and their gear. This is something for parents to keep in mind if they have three or more kids and are considering this car.

IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT

Storage Compartments (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Ample

Cargo/Trunk Space (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Ample

Safety

The Mazda5 has two sets of Latch connectors in its second-row captain’s chairs, but none in the third row. The Latch connectors were hidden under the seat cushions, but they were easy to move out of the way.

The captain’s chairs slide forward and backward, which makes it easy to fit a rear-facing child-safety seat in the second row. There’s some bolstering in the captain’s chairs, but it didn’t interfere with the fit of my sons’ booster seats. My sons’ boosters also fit in the third-row bench seat without any problems.

While the Mazda5 doesn’t come with a backup camera, the windows are tall, which makes for good visibility. I really liked its open, airy feel.

The Mazda5 doesn’t look rugged, so I was a little worried about keeping my kids safe in it. New for 2010 is standard stability control and traction control. There’s also standard antilock brakes, side curtain airbags for all three rows, and front- and side-impact airbags for the front row. Throw in the Mazda5’s 24-hour roadside assistance, which is standard, and I felt much better.

FAMILY LIFESTAGE

In Diapers: Second-row captain’s chairs slide forward and backward, which makes it a breeze to fit a rear-facing child-safety seat in the second row.

In School: It’s great if you have one or two kids, but three or four kids could be a tight fit.

Teens: The standard stability control and traction control should help ease parents’ fears about their teen driver’s abilities.