Overview & Reviews

Compact minivans have been popular for years in Europe and Japan, where families find them useful for dealing with narrow streets, limited parking and high fuel prices. Attempts by import-label automakers to bring these "super space wagons" to U.S. shores in the early 1990s were largely unsuccessful, however, because Americans were more interested in modern SUVs and large minivans. But once rising gas prices led some buyers to downsize from larger vehicles, Mazda decided that a truly "mini" minivan might again have a chance with U.S. consumers.

The result is the Mazda 5 compact minivan. Although it's significantly smaller than other minivans on the market, the Mazda 5 provides six-passenger capacity along with the distinctive look and sporty handling for which Mazda is known. For buyers who need affordable, relatively fuel-efficient family transportation that's particularly easy to maneuver in traffic and a snap to park, the Mazda 5 is a strong choice.

Current Mazda 5
There are three trim levels of this compact minivan: base Sport, midlevel Touring and high-line Grand Touring. The Sport includes automatic climate control with rear-seat controls, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, full power accessories and a six-speaker stereo with a USB port. The Touring gets you foglights, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a trip computer and Bluetooth phone/audio. The Grand Touring adds xenon headlights, automatic wipers, leather upholstery, heated front seats, a sunroof and satellite radio. Options include a navigation system and a rear-seat entertainment system.

For power, the Mazda 5 comes with a 2.5-liter inline-4 engine that produces 157 horsepower and 163 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed manual transmission is standard on the Sport, while a five-speed automatic is optional on the Sport and standard on the other trims.

The 5's front seats are comfortable, though taller folks may wish for more rearward seat travel. The second-row captain's chairs slide and recline, and feature a pop-up center table and storage space that can be stowed away to allow a path to the third row. The smallish third row is best suited for kids but is easier to get into than most any larger crossover's last row. The van's sliding rear doors mean easy access, particularly in parking lots. Even with the second row in use and the third row folded down, there are still 44 cubic feet of cargo capacity available.

In Edmunds testing, we've found that the Mazda 5 can occasionally feel underpowered, such as when climbing steeper grades or while carrying a full load of passengers and cargo. It has the same refined engine we've praised in the past in the Mazda 3, but it's just not powerful enough to move a heavier van around at higher speeds with much authority. Its fuel economy is also unremarkable by four-cylinder standards, though it's still better than any minivan's V6 can manage.

On the bright side, these criticisms are pretty minor. In daily use, the 5 proves comfortable, easy to drive and both more agile and easier to park than a typical minivan, which is something to consider for those who don't really need all the space of a bigger van.

Used Mazda 5 Models
The second-generation Mazda 5 debuted for 2012. Compared to the earlier Mazda 5, it sports swoopier styling, more comfortable seating and a bit more power.

The first-generation Mazda 5 was introduced for the 2006 model year and ran until 2010. This compact minivan offered sliding side doors and seating for six within a relatively small footprint. Powered by a 2.3-liter inline-4 with 153 hp, most versions were fitted with a four- or five-speed automatic, although a five-speed manual was available on lower trims.

Initial trim levels consisted of base Sport and uplevel Touring, with perks of the latter including a sunroof, automatic climate control and an upgraded MP3-compatible stereo with an in-dash CD changer. A navigation system was optional for the Touring. The following year, the range-topping Grand Touring model debuted with its many luxury niceties.

For 2008, the Mazda 5 received revised front and rear styling and a new center control panel. Electroluminescent gauges were also added that year, along with rear seat air vents and controls, additional flip-down armrests and an auxiliary audio jack. Another thing to note is that Mazda 5 models prior to 2008 featured a four-speed automatic rather than the five-speed unit, resulting in lower fuel economy. Lastly, stability control wasn't available until 2010, when it came onboard as standard equipment.

User Reviews:

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  Mazda5 Complaint - 2006 Mazda Mazda5
  By DriverManJones - February 21 - 12:00 pm

  I never thought I’d be filing a Mazda5 complaint, but here it is. Consumer Reports raved about it, so I bought one. What a mistake. If service is even remotely important to you, you will have a Mazda complaint too. My Mazda5 has a bad burning smell coming from the engine into the cabin. It stinks and gives me a headache. I’ve taken it to two different dealerships for service; both simply disagreed with me and refused to do anything. It’s hard to consider any of the pros of this vehicle with this problem present. I was looking forward to a happy experience with this vehicle. The Mazda5 has been a huge disappointment.

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  Not much room for improvement - 2006 Mazda Mazda5
  By George - February 8 - 3:13 pm

  I have the manual, and its practically perfect. It seems like the ideal combination of features -- small enough, light enough, and powerful enough to be fun to drive, yet economical. But large enough and flexible enough to be really useful without carrying around a lot of extra weight and size. My only concern is that the company doesnt seem to support it. Ive never seen it advertised, and the dealer didnt even mention it as an available model even though it fits my description of what I was looking for exactly. No wonder that in the two months since I bought it Ive only seen one other on the road. But the up side of that is that it feels special.

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  Good Van But - 2009 Mazda Mazda5
  By Jeremy - February 5 - 6:03 pm

  The Mazda 5 is the MINI Van everyone wants to love, my wife and were shopping for a MINI van and we test drove the Mazda 5 3 times plus borrowed my mothers Mazda 5 for a week and found that the Van wobbles at highway speed causing motion sickness problems for the passengers. The Mazda 3 has the same backend wobble as the Mazda 5 except it is more pronounced in the 5. We found that the wobble is only noticeable at highway speeds, however 90% of our driving is highway, in short this wasn’t the van for us.

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  Mini Minivan Impulse - 2012 Mazda Mazda5
  By presappl - February 5 - 2:00 am

  We were planning to buy the CX-7 when we saw the Mazda 5. It was love at first sight! While my husband test drove the car, one of my daughters and I sat in the very back seats and raised our hands like we were on a roller coaster ride -- we had too much fun on the test drive! It is a cute (love the smiling face), fun car, and I love to tell people about our mini minivans features. The low car height makes it easier for my daughter with disabilities to get in and out. But, low and longer than expected makes it harder for me to park and has resulted in more scrapes to the front bumper. The third row has come in handy a few times, too. For trips, I prefer larger vehicles.

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  My Favorite Car - 2007 Mazda Mazda5
  By Catherine - February 4 - 2:43 am

  This has been my favorite car Ive ever owned. I had a Kia minivan before that I hated. I like that it drives like a car but the sliding doors make it super easy to get the kids in and out. I love the third row seating so we can take Grandma with us sometimes. It has great cargo area for groceries. Agree with the road noise and I wish the front passenger seat had an armrest. Agree that the seats are not comfortable for long drives. Shocked to discover that the side mirrors were not heated. Paint seems to chip very easily and the battery wont hold a charge (but its winter and I dont drive it enough). Transmission does seem to hesitate sometimes. Key is huge.

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  New Mazda 5 Sport M5 - 2006 Mazda Mazda5
  By MrGary - February 2 - 8:30 am

  I purchased this car on 7 July and so far everything is great. I have almost 200 miles on it but have not had to purchase gas just yet so I dont know how the MPG will be. It is fun to drive and has plenty of room and the sliding back doors make access easy and you dont have to worry about them opening on the street side. The antilock brakes and engine immobilizer make it better for insurance. Over all a very well built car or minivan if you prefer.

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  2007 Mazda 5 - 2007 Mazda Mazda5
  By David A. Findley - January 24 - 3:33 pm

  Drove it to Disney World with the family the day after we bought it. There were 4 of us with luggage and it easily accommodated all. The drive was 11 hours and it was a good drive. It you are on the interstate around semis or driving in moderate to high winds this vehicle will tend to wander with you and it requires that you drive it at all times. No relaxing, pay attention! Drives like a sport sedan and is fun. Trade in was a Mazda 6S and we think the 5 is more fun albeit much less get up and go (power).

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  Great Car for the Money - 2006 Mazda Mazda5
  By jazb4 - January 6 - 8:10 pm

  Ive had my Mazda 5 for 2 weeks. Gas mileage is awesome compared to my gas guzzling SUV. Im averaging 24 in the city and a recent drive to Los Angeles from San Diego was about 30mpgs. I couldnt be happier. This is not a luxury vehicle by any means, but if you like practical, this is the car. If youre tall or bigger you might feel its too small. Getting my kids in and out is easy with the sliding doors on each side. I havent had any issues with power. It gets up hills without any problems and merges on to freeways fine. So far this car is great for the price! I hope to get reliability over the years as its too early to tell. Also would like to know how it does in crash tests.

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  WOW... Me likes... - 2006 Mazda Mazda5
  By Cbass - January 3 - 4:00 pm

  I have three kids and a wife and we use this vehicle always. Great compromise between the practicality of a minivan and the fun and pep of a sport car. We got it with the manual, very peppy indeed. Very happy thus far. Perfect vehicle for my family at this time. Hard to fit three full size car seats in a sedan/wagon/or two row SUV, this one does it all very well. Even though this is a "Ford" it is predominantly engineered and built in Japan; that sold it for us. All of this plus the NAV for less than $23K... WOW!

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  Downsized from a Chevy Minivan - 2009 Mazda Mazda5
  By Linda M. - December 31 - 10:26 pm

  We purchased this a week ago, and so far, so good. I got tired of lugging around a big minivan at 15mpg local, just to do mostly local errands, little league, lugging furniture from IKEA, etc. My family of 3 takes a 3000 mile road trip every year or two, and I did not want to sacrifice the comfort & cargo area of a van. The Mazda 5 seems like the perfect solution. Better mileage, sleeker (drives more like a wagon than a van) and I dont have to give up the cargo space I am used to having. I have used less than half a tank of gas so far, and cannot yet evaluate the true mileage. Much easier to park than a full size van.