The Minivan

There's a reason the minivan is considered the quintessential vehicle for parents. You see, it's the perfect vehicle for schlepping around the kids and the stuff that comes along with them. No other vehicle can match the minivan's huge interior space, three rows of seating, sliding rear doors and low ride height. Yet as great as a minivan is, it can be overkill for families with just one or two little ones. That's where the 2012 Mazda 5 comes in.
Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options

The 2012 Mazda 5 is a three-row, six-passenger compact minivan available in three trim levels: Sport, Touring and Grand Touring. The base Sport comes standard with 16-inch alloy wheels, full power accessories, keyless entry, cruise control, automatic climate control (with rear vents and fan controls), a height-adjustable driver seat, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel and a six-speaker sound system with a CD player and an auxiliary audio jack.

video of Mazda MAZDA5 Minivan Sport

Powertrains and Performance

Every 2012 Mazda 5 is powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that produces 157 horsepower and 163 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed manual is standard on the Sport, while a five-speed automatic is optional on the Sport and standard on everything else. In Edmunds performance testing, a 5 Grand Touring went from zero to 60 mph in 9.5 seconds -- slower than most typical minivans and many compact SUVs. With either transmission, fuel economy is estimated at 21 mpg city/28 highway.

Safety

Every Mazda 5 comes with standard stability and traction control, four-wheel antilock disc brakes with brake assist, front side airbags and side curtain airbags. In Edmunds brake testing, the 5 came to a stop from 60 mph in 130 feet -- a few feet longer than average.