* Click HERE to see a video on the Mazda5 *
In a word: VersatileMoney is
tight. The family is growing. Now, the
time has come to trade in the 10-year old Miata and Protegé.
What should you buy? You obviously love to drive but it is
time to face the music and grow up. Where only five years
ago, you would have had no choice but to mature, many car
builders are offering many interesting alternatives to small
families. These choices come in the form of versatile
compact mini-wagons and compact crossover-like vehicles. In
North America, Mazda is at the forefront of the pack.
For the 2004 model year, Mazda unleashed the 3 on the
World. Dynamic,
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(Photo: Mathieu
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sporty and
flexible, this car does it all. For 2006, Mazda does it
again. They have introduced perhaps the most European-
influenced product on our roads at the moment. The all-new
Mazda5 integrates versatility,
driving pleasure on a budget that is certain to please every
burgeoning family.
A base 5 GS retails for $19,995.
At the top of the chain, an automatic transmission equipped
GT has a sticker price of $24,895. I drove GT with the
manual transmission. It has an asking price of $23,895.
Styling
All of Mazda's recent models, save for the
Tribute, are some of the most
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eye-
catching vehicles on the road. Take the [link
artid="68739"]RX-8[/link] or even the [link
artid="59379"]Mazda3[/link]. These cars are some of the
most stylish in their respective segments. It should be no
surprise then that Mazda really can make a minivan look
cool. Mazda's MPV is the sportiest looking of the bunch of
"full-size" minivans on the market and their smallest, the
smallest period, is very attractive. The 5 is adorned, in
trim, with handsome alloy wheels, a deep front fascia and
stylish clear-lensed taillights. The 5's panels are well
assembled and the paint application shows very little
orange-peel.
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(Photo: Mathieu
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The most
intriguing aspect about the 5 is the sliding doors. Not
since the much loved Nissan Axxess has there been a vehicle
this versatile and functional. Access to the second row of
seats is easy as apple pie; ingress and egress are a matter
of short step-over and in the 5 we find ourselves. Getting
to the third row, yes there is a third row of seats in this
Mazda3-based automobile, is a little more difficult. Once
back there though, legroom and elbow room are tight.
The actual cabin of the 5 is airy and roomy. When
looking back through the rear-view mirror, the impression is
that the car is humongous. The two first rows of seats
benefit from gobs of head and legroom. The seats themselves
are comfortable enough however some of my passengers did
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complain that
the lower cushion was too flat and not supportive. The fit
and finish is exemplary as is the selection of material for
both the dashboard and the seats.
The ergonomics
are great; all controls are within easy reach and simple to
operate. My personal favourite is the location of the
shifter: it is right at the bottom of the center console.
The gap between the steering wheel and the knob is only a
few inches and therefore makes shifting a pleasure
especially when combined with precise throws and a light-
action clutch. Noteworthy is the presence of a small shelve
with cup-holders and a net-bag for the second-row passengers
that stows neatly under the passenger-side seat.