2010 Mazda Mazda5

• Overall
• Prices
• Performance
• Exterior
• Interior
• Safety
• Reliability
• Photos & Videos

Interior - What the Auto Press Says

The Mazda5's interior is a practical one, in its features and layout. Auto critics appreciate the absence of bench seating -- all passengers get their own chair.

• "Functional cabin uses price-appropriate materials. Hard-plastic surfaces are tempered somewhat by rich graining and good overall assembly quality." -- Consumer Guide 

Seating

The 2010 Mazda5 is unusual in its class in that it has three rows of seating for six in captain's chairs. However, be forewarned that the third row should be only reserved for children or people of small stature.

• "Occupants sit higher than in most cars, but visibility is not the best to right-rear or astern. The broad dashtop imparts a minivan feel.... The firm seats have just enough lateral support, but very tall drivers will want longer cushions and more rearward travel. Headroom is good for all." -- Consumer Guide
• "The Mazda5 gives each of the six individuals his or her own seat with theater-style elevation for each row." -- Kelley Blue Book 

Interior Features

While there is some disagreement, most reviewers find the controls and layout of the 2010 Mazda5 to be simple and functional. A nice bonus is that the awkward placement of the navigation system that auto critics griped about in the 2009 model has been corrected.

• The Mazda5 has a "reasonably quiet and quite stylish" interior where "gauges can be ready quickly and most controls are easy to reach and operate." -- MSN
• "The need to push a button to release the key from the ignition is a dumb annoyance that everyone else solved around 1988." -- Automotive.com
• "Switchgear is simple and handy. The optional navigation system no longer pops up out of the top of the dashboard. It's situated in the more traditional location in the middle of the dashboard stack above the climate controls." -- Consumer Guide

Cargo

The Mazda5 is a true transformer when it comes to cargo space. When all three rows are in use, the space is minimal. However, once the third row is folded away, there's plenty of useable room, and the Mazda5 gets into minivan cargo territory when you fold down the second row.

• "Large side and rear openings ease loading, but the liftgate barely clears the heads of six-footers. There is just grocery-bag space behind the 3rd row, but all rear seats fold to make a nearly flat floor and can be arranged for a variety of spacious passenger or cargo loads." -- Consumer Guide
• With all seats upright, "there's not enough room behind it to hold much more than a small duffel bag or a couple of golf clubs -- just clubs, not the entire bag." -- Chicago Tribune
• "Don't go grocery shopping in the Mazda when you have five passengers unless you want them to hold your bags on their laps." -- Edmunds
• Seats "folds out of the way individually, so the Mazda5 can accommodate anywhere from one to six occupants and a number of combinations of occupants and gear." -- Kelley Blue Book