In my eyes, the Mazda5 is the Swiss Army knife of cars. It’s compact, easy to maneuver and has a flexible interior that’s capable of hauling up to six people. Yay! This isn’t my first time in the Mazda5; I test drove the ’09 model and enjoyed it so much that I leapt at the chance to drive the 2010.
I test drove a 2010 Mazda5 Touring, which is a step down from the Grand Touring I drove in 2009, and a bit fancier than the base-level Sport trim. The 2010 Mazda5 had cloth seats instead of leather, and it didn’t have the awesome pop-up table with built-in cupholders that sits between the second-row captain’s chairs. I loved that table in the ’09 Mazda5; it was incredibly convenient and held my kids’ snacks, toys, hats and gloves. I missed it in the 2010 Touring model.
Are you ready for the biggest secret? The Mazda5 is fun to drive. It has a 153-horsepower four-cylinder engine that has plenty of pep. The Mazda5 is so compact and lightweight that the engine feels powerful enough even though it’s not loaded with horsepower.
This year, I was able to put Mazda5 to the test in wintery conditions. Admittedly, I was skeptical that it would handle well since it’s such a small car with front-wheel drive. Wrong! Even in snow, the Mazda5 has plenty of stopping power, and it easily took off from a snow-covered road with minimal slippage. I was stunned, so I kept pushing it, trying to get it to slide. No luck. For 2010, the Mazda5 gained standard stability control and traction control. Nice job, Mazda.
