Mazda 5 (2005 – 2010) Review

Mazda 5 (2005 – 2010) At A Glance

Sliding side doors, can carry seven people in comfort, well styled, rearmost seats fold flat into the floor, five-star crash test rating.

Some problems with excessive tyre wear on Sport models, diesels can use a lot of oil while they're bedding in.

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Mazda 5 (2005 – 2010) handling and engines

• Engines range from 1.8 to 2.0 Automatic
• Readers report Real MPG to be between 23–49 mpg

So what is this paragon of versatility like to drive? The 2.0 litre petrol with a five-speed gearbox is quite low geared, giving around 21mph per 1,000 rpm, though this makes sense considering the loads it may sometimes be asked to haul along. Fortunately it's a smooth engine, so the revs aren't wearing at motorway speeds.

The Mazda5 steers and handles very well indeed. More like a car than an MPV and the steering feedback is as good as a Mazda6. As a driver, you simply aren't conscious of the any difference in centre of gravity. Any breakaway you eventually experience will be at the front and even that is kept in check by the various electronic systems.

Both versions of the 2.0-litre diesel - the 110bhp and 143bhp - are geared at the same 35mph per 1,000rpm in 5th so offer a much more relaxed drive than the petrol engine, plus the steering is a bit more meaty too. The handling is excellent and the 143hp version has the same smooth grunt as it does in the Mazda 6, making it the most satisfying Mazda5 to drive. But the 110hp is far from a poor relation. It still gets a move on, cruises quietly at motorway speeds, and only shows its lack of power if you let the revs drop too low on hills, Since it starts £2,000 cheaper than the 143bhp Sport, it's likely to be the diesel of choice for taxi drivers.

Rather than think of the Mazda5 as an MPV that drives like a good car, it's probably better to think of it as a good car with the versatility of a very good MPV. If you like driving and you have a family but only want one car, then it does both jobs better than anything else.

2008 Facelift

There wasn't much wrong with the original 2005 Mazda 5. Sliding side doors, decent diesels and six-and-a-half seats. But there were a few niggles - no automatic, for one. This shortcoming has been addressed with a useful five-speeder that pulls reasonably relaxed and has a manual shifter.

Another criticism was fast and unevenly wearing tyres. Mazda had already partly overcome this by specifying just one special type of tyre: Dunlop SP Sport 2050s. But now the entire rear suspension has been redesigned, ostensibly to "optimise stability on motorways and curves." But really to eliminate once and for all the bugbear of excess tyre wear. To make absolutely sure, new, much stronger alloy wheels are also fitted.

The petrol engines have been given a touch more torque at low revs by means of en electronic throttle valve and sequential valve timing. The diesels emit slightly less CO2, pulling them down a tax band and are marginally more economical. The suspension changes have made the ride and handling better, but it would take 20,000 miles to tell you the effect on the tyres.

Mazda 5 (2005 – 2010) interior

• Boot space is 112 litres

The 6 + 1 idea involves a gap between the two centre row seats into which either a narrow centre seat base can be swung from inside the left seat base, or a console tray with a suspended oddments bag from inside the right seat base. The Japanese call this idea, and indeed any idea that is unexpected yet well thought out, "karakuri".

Behind these seats is another pair, really only of use for children who do not need booster seats or for very small adults, that can be easily accessed by a lever that slides each centre seat forward. These rearmost seats can be individually collapsed at the pull of a tab to create more luggage space.

But that's not all. The centre row centre seatback can be folded down as an armrest or folded and twisted to poke things like surfboards or skis through. Both the front and centre row seats slide, so legroom can be fairly distributed for all three rows. The front seatbacks can be folded right down to meet the rear seat squabs so they can become beds. The centre seatbacks also recline, making it more comfortable to sleep on a journey. And the centre row can be quickly re-convoluted to create a flat load floor, admittedly with a small hole in it.

The sliding side doors not only make entry and exit easier in confined spaces like multi-storey carparks, they also allow the ‘bum first' entry method favoured by anyone with a stiff back. And, of course, they make it easier for a disabled driver to sling a wheelchair in behind him.

Additional thoughtful touches include oversize door mirrors giving a good view along the sides (very important for spotting small children on the school run). If you opt for the excellent but expensive DVD satnav, you get a colour rear camera that automatically displays the view behind with an outline of the vehicle on the satnav screen whenever you select reverse. The split cubby behind the parking brake has a tray perfect for any size of mobile phone, including the fat new PDA size ones. There are bottle holders all over the place (at least eight). A rubberised dash shelf is useful for phones or pens.

2008 facelift

The satnav used to pop up like a carbuncle on top of the dash, but now has been pleasingly integrated and works by voice command, by toggle switch or by touch screen and still turns into the screen for a reversing camera when parking.

There's better soundproofing. Better brakes. Air intake damping to cut the noise from that. The dials now glow white on a black background making them easier to read. The CD player is MP3 compatible and has an AUX jack. And on some versions, the rear side doors are now electric so you can open or close them with buttons on the key or on the dash as well as by the handles.

As if that wasn't enough, on ‘Sports' versions you now get a ‘Sports Appearance Pack' that adds a winged grille design, new front bumper with spoiler, pointed foglights, sports side sills and white rear lamp clusters with LED turn and stop lights. And you can go for an extra cost Luxury pack that brings you the aforementioned electric sliding rear side doors, xenon headlights and black leather trim, for a slightly eye-popping £1,750 (but remember, that's for six and a half leather seats). All get new look headlights and tail lights and five new paint finishes.

Standard equipment from launch (2005):

TS models gets driver and passenger front airbags, front side airbags, full-length curtain airbags, Isofix child seat anchorages, a Thatcham Category 1 anti-theft alarm and immobiliser, 15-inch steel wheels with 195/65 R15 tyres, body-coloured bumpers, electric door mirrors, remote central locking, electric front windows, manual air-conditioning, power-assisted steering, charcoal black cloth trim, height & reach adjustable steering wheel, height adjustable driver’s seat with armrest, front centre console with storage and cup holders, radio/dingle CD audio system, auxiliary input plus an underboot floor storage box.

Takura adds 16-inch alloy wheels with 205/55 R16 tyres, body-coloured door handles, side mouldings, mirror housings, black roof-rails, privacy glass, front fog lamps, SAP (Sports Appearance clear lens) rear lamps, electric front and rear windows, electric and heated door mirrors, global opening/closing for all windows, driver’s seat adjustable lumbar support, folding picnic tables (back of front seats), a leather steering wheel and gear knob, second row outer armrests, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, overhead console with sunglasses holder, Karakuri storage box and a chrome gear knob trim.

Furano has 17-inch alloy wheels with 205/50 R17 tyres, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) and Traction Control System (TCS), sports styling Kit, sports-styled LED rear lights, trip computer, cruise control, dusk-sensing auto-lights, rain sensing auto-wipers, climate control, six CD autochanger, hands-free kit with voice control and integrated Bluetooth, electric sliding rear doors plus black leather trim.

Mazda 5 (2005 – 2010) models and specs

On sale until June 2010

On sale until June 2009