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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  Loving the 5! - 2008 Mazda Mazda5
  By Johnny - August 3 - 2:40 pm

  Had to find a new car quickly and wanted good price, economy, and something that worked with two kids. Looked at numerous cars and the 5. Surprised that it was hard to find, but glad I did. Home town didnt have any and drove 60 miles to find the only Touring the dealer had. The white is really sharp! The 5 gets lots of stares and I think of it as a sport wagon rather than a mini van. I havent seen another on the road in the few days we have owned it, couldnt say that about the Taurus and Altima that I was considering. We made a GREAT purchase! The kids think its cool too! This will be my everyday car, my wife drives a Honda Ody.

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  Impressive Car! - 2006 Mazda Mazda5
  By JB - August 1 - 1:20 am

  Ive come back from a long trip. I drove over 800 miles in just two days on the highway. MPG is 29.8 (impressive), very reliable, strong, solid, quiet, powerful, fun to drive, nimble handling, fuel economy is amazing!!! (29.8 MPG, but, gas tank is a little bit small). Pretty big interior cargo space. I confidently recommend this Mazda 5 to everyone. Thanks Mazda.

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  Noisy, Noisy, Noisy - 2010 Mazda Mazda5
  By 2010minivan - July 21 - 9:10 pm

  Air noise makes top skylight window intollerable on any amount of side wind. Front trans-axil noise is very loud with only 20k miles. Dealer says it is tire cupping. So...they cannot fix and the noise is so loud that I cannot hear the radio at a normal volume. Other than the noise, noise, noise, this is a good car to meet my needs. Fuel economy is as advertised. My Mazda truck is a nice quiet truck so I do not have a problem with Mazda.

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  Weekend rental - 2010 Mazda Mazda5
  By marco3660 - July 11 - 11:03 am

  Drove one as a weekend rental. Being relatively tall, this vehicle has excellent headroom. Problem is that, if the seats are cranked up to bring the seat bottom to a reasonable level, the seat also moves forward, significantly reducing front leg room. Also felt that the tilt steering could not go far enough down, even at its lowest setting. Good points: the car has excellent acceleration, average gas mileage and a large fuel tank which means you can go far between fill-ups. Also has nice storage. I liked the sliding rear doors for passenger egress.

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  True Cost to Own - 2006 Mazda Mazda5
  By True Cost to Own - July 2 - 11:56 pm

  By adding the price and the projected cost of ownership the Mazda5 came out #5 for the lowest cost of ownership behind Kia Spectra, Nissan Versa, Hyundai Accent and Pontiac G3. The Mazda5 is a much better vehicle and has many more standard features than any of the above similarly priced vehicles. Its also one of the cheapest cars to insure. According to Consumer Reports the Mazda5 is the most overlooked vehicle in the industry. Theres nothing else like it. Not even Kia Rondo can compare to it.

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  Seems Like it Was Rushed to Market - 2009 Mazda Mazda5
  By lyzardo - July 2 - 6:29 am

  Had this car for about 1.5 years, bought new and now have 15,000 miles on it. It is a fine car in concept, but has continually had annoying repairs needed. First, the wheel well cover over the front driver side tire was never sealed from the factory. The cruise and ABS sensors malfunctioned due to snow and slop getting into the wheel well where the sensors were located. Second, an oil pan leak needed to be repaired. Third, the ABS sensor failed for a second time. Fourth, the back suspension squeaked, and the rear passenger shock was replaced and bushings worked on. Fifth, a fuel pump recall necessitated another trip to the dealer. Next will be tire replacement (may get 20,000 miles on them).

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  Love my Fun to Drive Mazda5!! - 2009 Mazda Mazda5
  By NJMommy - June 26 - 4:26 am

  Have had the Mazda5 for a year now w/18,000 miles on it. Went from a 98 Bonneville, and thought the luxury and space would be missed, but it is amazing how well this little package is put together. Handles my commute excellent, as well as 2 long road trips this year. We live in Jersey and went to both Bar Harbor & Myrtle Beach and were very impressed with how comfortable the ride was and the Hwy MPG (we were getting 32 - 34 MPG on 95 once we got out of the DC area traffic and that was at 75MPH with AC! We are a family of 3, so it is plenty of room for us. I did so much research before making this purchase, and I couldnt be happier, it was the best all around choice by far. Zoom Zoom!

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  great gas saving mini van - 2010 Mazda Mazda5
  By lee - June 23 - 11:20 am

  I purchased this van due to it came out with 6 seats and great cargo space. Also, it has all safety features I need with very reasonable price. Its fun to drive and gas saving (23-28) , great driver position and great individual seats. Its easy to operate all feature and great rear air con control. Dont expect you could drive like Mazda 3. Instead of, its great car for family like us ( 2 adult plus 2 teens). Great cargo space if you fold down the 3 row seat. So far, we all like it a lot.

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  The good and the bad - 2006 Mazda Mazda5
  By MR O - June 14 - 10:20 pm

  Good engine, great manual transmission. Car handles very well. 25 mpg in mixed city/hwy driving. The remote entry keys work less than half the time. Good thing I can still lock/unlock the doors manually. Absolutely terrible in snowy/icy conditions due to slick performance tires. Occasional strange lurch in 2nd gear. This is a small, economical minivan, not to be confused with a Honda Odyssey. Compare it to other compact cars, not the big maxivans weighing half a ton more. Overall, a pleasant driving experience. Good, reliable, economical transportation. No mechanical problems after 23000 miles, except as noted above.

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  never again Mazda - 2007 Mazda Mazda5
  By mzdahtr - June 14 - 4:51 pm

  Poor, Poor Mazda. I suggest you Zoom,Zoom past this vehicle. Suspension is terrible, kills tires with no fix that you can afford to do. Plan on tire replacement every 18mo no matter the miles driven, Tire mfrs will not honor their guarantee on this vehicle. A/C quit cant figure it out i was told it was within the computer. Turn the wheel and you can hear popcorn popping. Terrible. This car is a Ford underneath. I guess it is a good thing Mazda is moving to Mexico. I wonder why Ford kicked them out of their facillities? Good Move.