Category: Compact MPV 
Price Range: £16,245 to £20,295
Fine drive, rear sliding doors, improved 2.0-litre petrol engine.
Not a true seven-seater, traditional MPV looks, S-Max has better ride handling compromise.
Mid-life tweaks improve what already is a very impressive MPV.
Produced in Japan at Mazda's Hiroshima plant the 5, as before, boasts impeccable and class-leading build quality.
Previously, the 5 fell down as the materials seemed to lack quality, despite the car being well screwed together. Mazda has worked hard on this area: for example, cheap sliver spray-painted plastic has been replaced by a classier piano black finish, even in the lower grade models. It's better, but it's still not quite as cohesive as some of the firm's more recent efforts.
Mazda has built a reputation on its reliability, so it was surprising that early 5s were hit by teething problems that the company says have been cured: noisy suspension bushes and steering racks have been replaced and the old car's particulate filter, which used to need early attention if the car grew up on diet of city miles, has now been switched to a system that is maintenance-free.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Mazda Mazda5
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