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Review of the 2009 Mazda5

2009 Mazda Mazda5

Price Range $17,995 to $22,675

suitable for: Diapers
School
Teens

21 to 22
City MPG

27 to 28
Hwy MPG

6 Seats
3 Rows
2 Latch Connectors
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Interior

I really didn’t expect much from the Mazda5, and perhaps the car took that as a challenge. It delivered comfortable, adjustable and heated leather-trimmed seats (Sport and Touring models come with cloth) and movable armrests that Hubby and I both appreciated; it made us feel like we were in a van. The instrument panel was pretty basic, but I was fine with that because I’d rather they put the money into other features anyway. My Grand Touring did have the optional navigation system ($2,000), which is always a plus, and, get this -- it was easy to use, too. There’s so much to be said for usable technology.

On the technology front, the Mazda5 included a Bluetooth hands-free phone system, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, an AM/FM stereo with a six-disc CD changer and an auxiliary input jack for MP3 players.

My kids adored the interior of this car, which made me adore it, too. The second row consists of two bucket seats separated by a pass-thru to the third row. This was great because it kept the kids separated just enough to give them each their own defined space. There was storage under each of their seat cushions, and there was even a surprise foldout table under one of them. Yay! And what was under the foldout table? A toy net! Yes, added storage to make all those kiddie travel accessories even more accessible. Yippee!

There are two seats (with cupholders) in the third row, but they don’t have Latch anchors (for added safety though, the side curtain airbags do extend to the third row). Our family of four rarely needed this third row, but I was happy to find that the 50/50-split third row easily folded flat and created enough cargo space for several shopping trips. Even my dog liked this area and claimed it for his own. Additionally, all our family members were able to enter and exit the Mazda5 easily; I didn’t have to lift anyone or push anyone into the car, and I never had to brush anyone off after they scraped the dirty undersides of the car. By this time, it was really sinking in just how functional this car is.

shopping around: At cars.com

key interior: Features

    ● Leather steering wheel and shift knob
    ● Speed-sensitive volume
    ● Manual height-adjustable driver seat
    ● Rear manual reclining full bucket seats
    ● Rear air conditioning with separate controls

available interior: Colors

  • Black
  • Sand

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