This is not a new idea for the United States. Mini-minivans proliferated in the late 1980s and early 1990s, bobbing helplessly in the wake of the resoundingly successful Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager. Popular in Europe and Asia for their ability to provide maximum interior room combined with minimum exterior size, these vehicles never sold well in America. For example, one of the best of the mini-minivan breed, the 1990 Nissan Axxess, lasted just one year. Mitsubishi stuck it out a little longer, marketing the Expo LRV until 1994, when Honda took the baton with the 1995 Odyssey – though it, and its Isuzu Oasis clone, had conventional hinged side doors rather than sliders. None of these models, intelligent as they were, captured the imagination of American consumers, and none came close to becoming an icon in the way that the first minivan, the Volkswagen Microbus, did back in the 1950s and 1960s. Fast forward a decade or two, and Mazda is taking the leap with the 2006 Mazda 5. Logic would dictate this as a doomed move, given the utter lack of interest shown by the public in the Mazda 5’s lackluster predecessors. But when you’re trying to distinguish your brand through innovative products, fuel prices are shooting skyward, and one of the hot industry trends is the six-passenger “sports tourer,” it can’t hurt to test the waters and see if the time is finally right for the mini-minivan to achieve success. Based on a week-long test drive in a 2006 Mazda 5 Touring, we’d say it’s got potential. There are issues associated with comfort, with engine performance, and with design. Mazda didn’t even try to hide the sliding door tracks on the outside, and most Americans will likely cross the Mazda 5 off their lists once they find out that it’s really a minivan and not some new-fangled “sport tourer” available at a bargain price. It’s too bad about our culture’s tendency to prioritize form over function – many people who might love the Mazda 5 won’t give it a second glance. Mazda sells the 5 in two trims: Sport and Touring. Standard equipment on the $17,995 Mazda 5 Sport includes those spiffy 17-inch alloy wheels, power door locks with keyless entry, power windows (including those in the sliding side doors), power mirrors, air conditioning, cruise control, and a four-speaker stereo with a CD player and auxiliary controls on the steering wheel. The Mazda 5 Touring starts at $19,510 and adds two more speakers along with a six-disc CD changer, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a power moonroof, fog lights, automatic climate control, and unique trim such as body-color mirrors, side sill extensions, and a rear liftgate spoiler. Every 2006 Mazda 5 is equipped with occupant-sensing front airbags, side-impact airbags for the front seats, and side curtain airbags. You’d think that a 157-horsepower, 2.3-liter inline four-cylinder would have trouble motivating a 3,400-pound vehicle, and you’d be right – but only when the Mazda 5 is toting more than two passengers, or is filled with a substantial load. Otherwise, it’s a rather sprightly machine, and reasonably frugal with fuel to boot, though we think it should have done better than the 20.5 mpg average we managed. A five-speed manual gearbox is standard, and a four-speed automatic with manual shifting mode is optional. The 2006 Mazda 5 rides on a four-wheel-independent suspension with front and rear stabilizer bars, employs ventilated front and solid rear antilock disc brakes with EBD and brake assist, and comes equipped with an electro-hydraulic power rack-and-pinion steering system. Big 17-inch wheels come standard to ensure that the Mazda 5 adheres both to the road and the automaker’s zoom-zoom philosophy – in the handling department if not outright performance. Our test model came fully equipped in the top Touring trim with an automatic transmission and a navigation system, ringing in at $22,410 including the $560 destination charge. If that sounds like a bargain, imagine slicing $2,000 off the sticker by ditching the navigation system for a detailed atlas. Now take a look in your local Sunday newspaper, and you’ll see that dealers are discounting, which means you can roll out the door in a well-equipped, fun-to-drive, efficient, and useful 2006 Mazda 5 for less than $20,000.
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