edmunds IL: 2012 Mazda 5 Grand Touring Full Test

[Hank3]

CLICKY

Quick Overview per edmunds...

What Works (pros):

Only truly fun-to-drive "minivan" in existence; impressive content for the money; good fuel economy; probably as much minivan as most people really need.

What Needs Work (cons):

Taller drivers might wish for more aft seat travel; could use a bit more power. Mazdaspeed5, anybody?

 

[chief_wiggum]

They get it;

People who drive Mazda 5s love them. They feel like they're keeping a secret nobody else knows because they've cracked the code on utility, economy and value. Whether they use a Mazda 5 as a grocery-getter, carpool tool, mountain bike hauler or all of the above, they saw through the slick marketing and eschewed the me-too CUVs that pretend to be one thing but are actually another.

They didn't need a 4,500-pound V6-powered eight-passenger maxivan that could swallow an entire pallet of Cheezy Snax from the local Bulk Buy store. No, they chose a 3,500-pound four-cylinder six-passenger Mazda 5 because it was the right vehicle for their needs — nothing more and nothing less. In this era of frugality, downsizing (or right-sizing) makes a lot of sense.

 

[Sounbwoy]

I like that..I know I haven't regretted my purchase even tho it's a 2010

 

[chief_wiggum]

I like that..I know I haven't regretted my purchase even tho it's a 2010

me neither.

 

[thaxman]

2 years now, and besides interior rattles and squeeks, all's GREAT with the 5! All 6 of us fit, and I don't feel pangs when I get in it alone to drive to the store. Obviously its not always "just-right" sized, but that's what the truck's for!

 

[coolmazda5]

Nice

Mazda 2 Performance in a Mazda 5 Package
OK, so it works as a cargo and family hauler, but what about performance? On the drag strip, we had to resort to a brake-torquing launch and manual-shifting the automatic to get to 60 mph in 9.5 seconds (9.2 seconds with a 1-foot rollout). The quarter-mile passed in 17.1 seconds at 81.2 mph, so the 2012 Mazda 5 is not exactly what we'd call exhilarating in a straight line. It is, however, quicker/faster than a recent 2011 Mazda 2 we tested. We found the Mazda 5's brakes "average" because they stopped the vehicle in 130 feet from 60 mph, resisted fade adequately and retained good pedal feel across five runs. Again, about the same as the Mazda 2.

When we calculated the limit-handling figures, however, we were duly impressed. Around the skid pad, the 2012 Mazda 5 posted 0.80g in lateral acceleration and its best stability-control-off 600-foot slalom pass was 63.7 mph. Those results are just 0.2 mph and 0.02g shy of matching that same Mazda 2. Pretty impressive for a six-passenger family hauler.