2006 Mazda Mazda5 Pros and Cons at TrueDelta: Owner Pros and Cons by marekkisel

Cargo capacity

With all rear seats folded flat, the 5 can fit two adult bikes + one kid bike, or a surprising amount of furniture.

Exterior styling

Sporty by minivan standards (GT model), tasteful body kit and wheels. Youthful appearance, different from traditional minivan styling.

Reliability & durability

Typical Mazda reliability: durable and inexpensive to maintain over a long period of time.

Price or payments

Despite extra cargo room and versatility, price is close to that of the smaller Mazda 3. Even the base model is very well optioned.

Fuel economy

For its size, decent fuel economy thanks to the 4-cylinder engine, especially when combined with the manual transmission.

Materials & workmanship

Cheap looking and cheap feeling interior materials, particularly the silver-painted trim bits. Centre console is loose and plastics are easily scratched.

Quietness

Quiet in city driving but gets noisy at highway speeds, mainly due to low gearing and resulting engine noise (4,000rpm at 70mph with a 5-speed manual transmission).

Ride smoothness

A stiff suspension combined with 17" low-profile tires results in great handling but also a stiff ride, and can be particularly jarring over potholes.