NEWS EDITOR GREG MIGLIORE: This 2012 Mazda 5 Sport is one of the more fun vans I've ever driven. The six-speed manual is a riot. I'm not exaggerating. The clutch is easy, the shifts are smooth, and I felt the need to downshift and jab the throttle in second gear when rounding off tight turns. Seriously. I drove this like it was a Mazda 3. Not a Mazdaspeed 3, but still.
For $20,040, this van is an excellent value. It's big but not cumbersome. There are three rows if you need 'em, and the four-cylinder is respectable when it's weighted against the healthy size and weight of the Mazda 5--relative to the engine's output of just 157 hp. The chassis is sporty for a van but more than comfortable for family use. The ride position is elevated and sharp, and it's a solid commuter vehicle.
I found the interior to be a bit bland, with the harsh plastics on the dash. Otherwise, this is an impressive execution. It's amazing what a six-speed manual can do. The red paint is crisp and eye-catching, too. I like this Mazda 5 way more than our slush-box, duller-hued long-term example.
DIGITAL EDITOR ANDREW STOY: I agree with Greg that the six-speed stick transforms the character of the Mazda 5--and I actually like the five-speed automatic in our long-term Grand Touring model. In a medium-size car with a relatively small-displacement engine, there's just no substitute for a manual gearbox. Especially when it's a slick-shifting trans with good clutch feel like the one in the Mazda 5.
As far as interior trim, I'm still trying to understand why I prefer this base-model Mazda 5 with cloth seats and a rubber steering wheel to our upmarket Grand Touring long-termer with its leather appointments. I think it comes down to the color: The tan just makes the Mazda 5 feel more open and upscale than the sea of black in our long-termer. The equipment isn't particularly different, and the materials are basically the same (with the exception of the cloth), but it feels warmer and more inviting overall.
It doesn't hurt that this particular model is exactly how I'd spec my own Mazda 5, right down to the color choice. The car has great interior flexibility for a family, it passes my hundred-pound-dog Chester test, and it clears 28 mpg on the highway. If Mazda would provide the choice of a SkyActiv diesel powerplant, the Mazda 5 would instantly become one of my top family-car choices.
Should you be persuaded that a stick-shift 5 is the way to roll, I offer one caveat: When I was cross-shopping the previous model a few years back, finding a manual-transmission Mazda 5 to test-drive was near impossible. One dealer said he could get me one out of Missouri, but only if I was willing to make the deal first. Be prepared to search, but if you find one, you won't be disappointed.
ASSOCIATE EDITOR JAKE LINGEMAN: Well, I'm not going to gush about this Mazda 5 like everyone else, but it is a solid little van. The price is right and for the utility you get, there aren't many better choices.
I'll have to agree on the gearbox; it is slick. I believe it's the same one out of our 2011 Mazda 3 a few weeks back. I loved it in that car and like it a lot in this. The fun factor goes up exponentially in a small car such as this with a manual. Don't get me wrong; our long-termer is an automatic with fun-to-drive characteristics, but this one is cooler all the way around. I personally like the black leather interior in our long-termer, but the cranberry exterior on this one is much better.
It is a comfortable ride with or without the cloth. The seats with the armrests would be good for a road trip. And those armrests don't really interfere with shifting like some do.
There's space for seven, but even my parents remarked that the back three seats are pretty small. But for kids in car seats, it would be perfect.
There is still no cool way to drive a minivan, but an inexpensive one that's fun to drive with a six-speed gets pretty darn close.
ART DIRECTOR TARA KLEIN: After my stint with this particular 2012 Mazda 5 Sport, I was left wondering whether there was really a market for a vehicle such as this. Sure, most everyone here at Autoweek prefers a manual, but how many people elsewhere would be shopping for a stick-shift minivan?
And I'm not sure if I was driving a different vehicle, but I wasn't much of a fan of this gearbox like the others. It felt clunky to me. I can only imagine trying to focus on the touchy shifter while three children are screaming in the back seats. I enjoy our automatic long-termer much more; it's an easy driver with a refreshing look, and I think that's what the minivan audience is looking for.
When it comes to appearance, most people don't peg the Mazda 5 as a minivan until they see the sliding doors. The compact size paired with the Nagare body-line detail creates appeal toward a wider demographic, now including more of the younger crowd. I do agree with Andy as well; the warmer environment created by the cloth interior does fit with this vehicle more so than the dark leather and the hideous red trim that it's paired with in our long-term Mazda 5 Grand Touring.
In my opinion, the general direction that Mazda is taking the 5 in regards to size and styling is fine, but let's not get carried away in making it sportier than a van should be.
2012 Mazda 5 Sport
Base Price: $19,990
As-Tested Price: $20,040
Drivetrain: 2.5-liter I4; FWD, six-speed manual
Output: 157 hp @ 6,000 rpm, 163 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm
Curb Weight: 3,417 lb
Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 24/28.4 mpg
Options: Rear bumper guard ($795)
Filed Under: MAZDA5
For $20,040, this van is an excellent value. It's big but not cumbersome. There are three rows if you need 'em, and the four-cylinder is respectable when it's weighted against the healthy size and weight of the Mazda 5--relative to the engine's output of just 157 hp. The chassis is sporty for a van but more than comfortable for family use. The ride position is elevated and sharp, and it's a solid commuter vehicle.
I found the interior to be a bit bland, with the harsh plastics on the dash. Otherwise, this is an impressive execution. It's amazing what a six-speed manual can do. The red paint is crisp and eye-catching, too. I like this Mazda 5 way more than our slush-box, duller-hued long-term example.
DIGITAL EDITOR ANDREW STOY: I agree with Greg that the six-speed stick transforms the character of the Mazda 5--and I actually like the five-speed automatic in our long-term Grand Touring model. In a medium-size car with a relatively small-displacement engine, there's just no substitute for a manual gearbox. Especially when it's a slick-shifting trans with good clutch feel like the one in the Mazda 5.
As far as interior trim, I'm still trying to understand why I prefer this base-model Mazda 5 with cloth seats and a rubber steering wheel to our upmarket Grand Touring long-termer with its leather appointments. I think it comes down to the color: The tan just makes the Mazda 5 feel more open and upscale than the sea of black in our long-termer. The equipment isn't particularly different, and the materials are basically the same (with the exception of the cloth), but it feels warmer and more inviting overall.
It doesn't hurt that this particular model is exactly how I'd spec my own Mazda 5, right down to the color choice. The car has great interior flexibility for a family, it passes my hundred-pound-dog Chester test, and it clears 28 mpg on the highway. If Mazda would provide the choice of a SkyActiv diesel powerplant, the Mazda 5 would instantly become one of my top family-car choices.
Should you be persuaded that a stick-shift 5 is the way to roll, I offer one caveat: When I was cross-shopping the previous model a few years back, finding a manual-transmission Mazda 5 to test-drive was near impossible. One dealer said he could get me one out of Missouri, but only if I was willing to make the deal first. Be prepared to search, but if you find one, you won't be disappointed.
ASSOCIATE EDITOR JAKE LINGEMAN: Well, I'm not going to gush about this Mazda 5 like everyone else, but it is a solid little van. The price is right and for the utility you get, there aren't many better choices.
I'll have to agree on the gearbox; it is slick. I believe it's the same one out of our 2011 Mazda 3 a few weeks back. I loved it in that car and like it a lot in this. The fun factor goes up exponentially in a small car such as this with a manual. Don't get me wrong; our long-termer is an automatic with fun-to-drive characteristics, but this one is cooler all the way around. I personally like the black leather interior in our long-termer, but the cranberry exterior on this one is much better.
It is a comfortable ride with or without the cloth. The seats with the armrests would be good for a road trip. And those armrests don't really interfere with shifting like some do.
There's space for seven, but even my parents remarked that the back three seats are pretty small. But for kids in car seats, it would be perfect.
There is still no cool way to drive a minivan, but an inexpensive one that's fun to drive with a six-speed gets pretty darn close.
ART DIRECTOR TARA KLEIN: After my stint with this particular 2012 Mazda 5 Sport, I was left wondering whether there was really a market for a vehicle such as this. Sure, most everyone here at Autoweek prefers a manual, but how many people elsewhere would be shopping for a stick-shift minivan?
And I'm not sure if I was driving a different vehicle, but I wasn't much of a fan of this gearbox like the others. It felt clunky to me. I can only imagine trying to focus on the touchy shifter while three children are screaming in the back seats. I enjoy our automatic long-termer much more; it's an easy driver with a refreshing look, and I think that's what the minivan audience is looking for.
When it comes to appearance, most people don't peg the Mazda 5 as a minivan until they see the sliding doors. The compact size paired with the Nagare body-line detail creates appeal toward a wider demographic, now including more of the younger crowd. I do agree with Andy as well; the warmer environment created by the cloth interior does fit with this vehicle more so than the dark leather and the hideous red trim that it's paired with in our long-term Mazda 5 Grand Touring.
In my opinion, the general direction that Mazda is taking the 5 in regards to size and styling is fine, but let's not get carried away in making it sportier than a van should be.
2012 Mazda 5 Sport
Base Price: $19,990
As-Tested Price: $20,040
Drivetrain: 2.5-liter I4; FWD, six-speed manual
Output: 157 hp @ 6,000 rpm, 163 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm
Curb Weight: 3,417 lb
Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 24/28.4 mpg
Options: Rear bumper guard ($795)
Filed Under: MAZDA5
