Until recently, if you wanted a vehicle which carried six passengers, your choices were quite limited: your grandfather’s beige-and-brown pin-striped conversion van; Uncle Vinny’s ’69 Sedan DeVille; or a large SUV. All of the above, while maintaining different levels of (un)hipness, are these days frowned upon by most as being environmentally unfriendly.

The times, though, are a-changin’. Count the designers at Mazda among those who, these days, get it. Their latest offering, the Mazda5, is what they themselves call a “category-defying vehicle.” They also go on to call it a “multi-activity-vehicle” for your “multi-tasking-lifestyle.” That’s a lot of hyphenation for someone like myself whose entire multi-tasking resumé consists of walking and chewing gum at the same time. But I’m what some might call (more hyphenation) “out-of-the-ordinary.” I do realize that some of you out there need to haul stuff. Sometimes it’s long stuff and sometimes it’s flat stuff. Sometimes you even need to haul stuff and haul people at the same time. If that’s you, the Mazda5 is right up your alley.

Although from the photo it looks like a minivan, it’s actually about the size of the compact Mazda3, which it’s based on. That means it drives more like a car than a truck, is much easier to maneuver in traffic and parking lots and will actually fit in your garage. My test Mazda5, which I picked up at Northtown Mazda one recent blustery day, was the less-expensive Sport model, very handsome in black with a black interior. A more upscale Touring model adds a few luxury touches like automatic climate control, leather-wrapped steering wheel and power moon roof. Every Mazda5, no matter what color you choose, comes with the black interior.

That interior is the key to all of that hyphenation in the second paragraph. The second and third rows are elevated “theater style” for a better view. Yes, that’s right, there are three rows of seats: the front and middle rows are buckets, while the back row is a split bench. The back and middle seats fold flat to create a large cargo area. Should you need to carry something long and a few friends, you can fold the seats on one side only and have your passengers sit on the other side. Head room, even in the two rearmost raised rows of seats, was more than my six-foot frame needed. And with the two minivan-like sliding rear doors, it wasn’t all that difficult for me to climb into the back seat. Even the leg room was okay, although I don’t think I’d want to ride cross-country way back there. It would be great for the younger ones though.

There’s a bit of zoom-zoom in the Mazda5, too. It’s powered by a 2.3-liter, four-cylinder engine which is rated at 157 hp. A five-speed manual gearbox is standard; the test car had the optional ($900) four-speed, electronically controlled Sport A/T transmission—a fancy name for a manually-shiftable automatic. This setup provides more than enough pep to make it fun to drive, and it’s rated 21/26 mpg city/highway. Take that, Uncle Vinny! The seats are generous and the whole interior layout provides a good view of the road for all six passengers. The only other option on the car was the Popular Equipment Package, which consisted of a six-CD changer (a single-CD player is standard), a rear liftgate spoiler (insert yawn here) and side sill extensions (to help dirty up your pant legs getting in and out of the car). That adds up to just under 19 grand plus destination charge. Not bad at all considering what you’re getting.

Throw in Uncle Vinny’s Sedan DeVille for a trade, and you and your five closest friends could be driving around town in style for dollars less than that!

more info at: www.mazdaUSA.com

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