Mazda5 MPV (2010-2015) - Interior & comfort

The Mazda5 is a surprisingly car good to drive, but this doesn’t come at the expense of interior comfort: the MPV deals with bumpy roads extremely well.

Behind the wheel, it should be easy to find a decent driving position thanks to the huge range of adjustment on the driver’s seat and the fact that the steering wheel moves for rake and reach. That said, we found the thigh support to be a bit too tight. Also, the Mazda 5 suffers from some wind and road noise making their way into the cabin.

Mazda5 dashboard

Inside, the Mazda5 shows its age when you look at the dashboard. In the past couple of years, with the arrival of the Mazda CX-3, Mazda2 hatchback and Mazda6 saloon, the Japanese brand has really tried hard to make its cabins fresh and improve build quality. The Mazda5’s relative age means it’s still stuck in an era of hard, scratchy plastics and a dull grey finish.

On the plus side, the introduction of the standard climate control and sat nav wipes away the cluttered button layout of previous generations. There’s still a lot of buttons on the dashboard, though.

The gearlever has been raised because of the MPV’s deep floor, so drivers don’t have to reach too far down. The steering wheel’s design looks good, too.

Equipment

There’s only one trim level for the Mazda5 – Sport Venture. This may be seen as a bad thing by some, but it’s crammed with equipment. Cruise control, automatic wipers and headlights and a reversing camera are all included. 

Power-folding heated door mirrors, satellite navigation and climate control all feature, too, so the Mazda5 at least keeps up with its rivals in terms of the equipment it offers.

Options

The only option available for buyers to specify before the car arrives at the dealer is what colour paint is applied. Accessories like a roof box or floor mats can be added at the dealership after the car has been delivered.