- :
- 2008 Mazda5 5MT Sport w/ Popular Package
The Mazda5 is sort of an automotive Swiss Army knife; it packs a lot of function into a rather compact package. Mazda updated the 5 for the 2012 model year but it still feels an awful lot like the previous-generation car. That isnt a bad thing as our previously tested 2010 Mazda5 scored very well in our testing.
We bought a 2012 Grand Touring with an automatic for testing. It stickered at $24,670 giving a lot of space and equipment for the money. A 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine replaced the previous 2.3-liter; fuel economy in our tests dropped slightly without much improvement in acceleration.
As our test video shows, the 5 is cleverly designed, but it requires a few compromises to get the most out of the compact dimensions. The fun-to-drive 5 also shows that being able to handle daily chores doesnt mean that handling also has to be a chore.
[Consumer Reports]
We bought a 2012 Grand Touring with an automatic for testing. It stickered at $24,670 giving a lot of space and equipment for the money. A 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine replaced the previous 2.3-liter; fuel economy in our tests dropped slightly without much improvement in acceleration.
As our test video shows, the 5 is cleverly designed, but it requires a few compromises to get the most out of the compact dimensions. The fun-to-drive 5 also shows that being able to handle daily chores doesnt mean that handling also has to be a chore.
<object style="height: 390px; width: 640px"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4MBqBM161gI?version=3"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4MBqBM161gI?version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="390"></object>
[Consumer Reports]