Car Reviws |
| 2012 Mazda 5, an AW Flash Drive: Posted: 25 Feb 2011 07:39 AM PST  The four-cylinder engine in the 2012 Mazda 5 minivan is rated at 157 hp.
What is it? Mazda's supremely practical mini minivan has been thoroughly gone over for the 2012 model year, with a larger-displacement 157-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, a stiffer body and a slightly more forgiving, more comfortable ride. The Mazda 5 shares a platform with the Mazda 3, the CX-7 and the Ford Focus. Ford will bring its version of this small family hauler into the U.S. market this fall as the C-Max. But as practical as these things are, the segment is not strong and has, in fact, been shrinking of late. Kia's similarly practical Rondo was quietly dropped from that company's lineup late last year, for instance. But if gasoline prices spike again, things such as the Mazda 5 could add boom to the zoom-zoom. What is it like to drive? We drove two versions, a base Sport model with a six-speed manual and a Touring with a five-speed automatic. Imagine a minivan with a manual transmission! We took them over many a twisty mountain road east of San Diego and actually enjoyed it. It's still a minivan, and it weighs 3,417 pounds in manual trim, but you could have a little fun downshifting into the corners and sort of powering out of them. The new body has been stiffened up, and the electrohydraulic power-assist steering felt pretty good, if a little too light at speed. We had a heck of a time finding a flat stretch to test acceleration on the manual-transmission model and never really did get a decent run, but later in the day, when we drove the automatic, we tried one flat, straight run and got a 0-to-60-mph time of 9.3 seconds. Both models were slow and could have used another 100 hp and two cylinders to feel more sporty or at least properly matched between engine and body. But it's a minivan, for goodness sake, not a sport wagon. No one's going to drag-race these things. The rest of the time, around town and on the freeway, there was more than adequate power for the task. Inside, it is much smaller than what we have, in recent years, come to think of as a minivan. This Mazda 5 is closer to what a minivan used to be, size-wise. Think about when FWD minivans first came out, the Dodge Caravan and the Plymouth Voyager, in the 1980s. However, Mazda has done a great job of making the most of the dimensions. The second-row seats are captain's chairs that recline flat for napping youngsters. Between the seats is a flip-up table/tray that can be real handy. Stow it beneath the starboard seat, and you can walk back into the third row seats, which are pretty cramped for adults. However, we positioned the second- and third-row seats with two adults in them and they did work for that purpose, with useable and adequate headroom and knee room. Third-row and second-row seats fold down for cargo versatility. Do I want it? This thing is like oatmeal-it's good for you. It's what you really "should" buy instead of a larger, heavier, more expensive rig such as an SUV. We could easily imagine two parents and two kids living with this quite happily for many years. Its smaller size makes it easier to maneuver in parking lots, and the closeness of the second-row seats means you can supply more Cheerios and wipe both kid's noses easily. We were still a little disappointed that the fuel economy wasn't better--21 mpg city and 28 mpg highway is actually lower than the outgoing model by 1 mpg city. But the sticker price is hard to beat--$19,990 to start and topping out at $24,670 for a Grand Touring. It was also surprising that there was no navigation or rear-seat entertainment system available, considering the profit center those things are for other manufacturers. But we love the packaging, the driveability and the swoopy exterior nagare lines down the side. Overall, we would pay our own money to buy one of these should, gawd forbid, our current family van ever die. 2012 Mazda 5 On Sale: Now Drivetrain: 2.5-liter, 157-hp, 163-lb-ft four; FWD, six-speed manual 0-60 MPH: 9.3 sec (AW, auto trans) Curb Weight: 3,417 lb Fuel Economy: 21 city/28 hwy mpg (EPA) |
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