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| 2006 Mazda5 GT (Photo: Justin Pritchard, Auto123) |
If you ever borrowed your Moms minivan when you were younger, it's likely that you've developed some stereotypes. Minivans aren't quick, right? Wrong. The 2.3 liter unit in my GT tester offers up 157 horsepower. The
Mazda 3 based 5 is heavier, but the powerplant doesn't seem to mind the extra weight. Its variable timing system makes adjustments to deliver rich low-end torque, then makes more adjustments to deliver strong pull right up to the redline. You won't get into any trouble, but the power delivery is quite impressive, and the 5 moves along quite well You can feel the timing switch over somewhere around 3000 rpm to provide a nice surge of power. That surge doesn't let up all the way to 7000 rpm, and although it won't pin you and your friends to the seats, it really is a lot of fun and very graceful too. I can think of no other four-banger that is this unobtrusive: it's smoother than Sinatra, and quieter than the last NHL season. I've driven cars worth twice as much as the 5 that had noisier, rougher engines. In fact I was so impressed at how smooth the engine was that I decided to try and find out why it was the way it was I poked around under the hood for a little while and although a huge plastic tray
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| 2006 Mazda5 GT (Photo: Justin Pritchard, Auto123) |
covers the entire engine, you can see some very large motor mounts to absorb vibration if you look closely. The transmission is a four-speed automatic with overdrive and a sport-mode setting where you choose your own gears. It reacts quicker than most similar gearboxes I've tried, but it isn't instant. To pass, for instance, it's faster to just hit the throttle in "Drive" than to manually shift from 4 to 3, then from 3 to 2. Gear changes are electronically controlled and very precise and soft. I recommend the five-speed manual because it helps you extract more performance from the package, and saves a little on fuel costs and the sticker price.
Most minivans handle corners at speed about as well as a riding lawnmower. But the 5, with its 17 inch wheels and Proxes tires, carves through them with ease. Its really fun handling- just point and go. At the limit, the understeer is mild enough to tell you when to back off well
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| 2006 Mazda5 GT (Photo: Justin Pritchard, Auto123) |
before you've gone too far. Good, confident handling is very important in a vehicle that could potentially be carrying 6 occupants to keep everyone safe should the driver require a sudden maneuver, and I can tell you there is no other minivan that will handle like the 5. It's got side curtain airbags as well, just in case. The brakes are potent and under hard stopping the body doesn't dive as much as you might expect. It's similar to stopping in a mid sized sedan. One doesn't usually buy a minivan and expect to be thrilled in the performance category, but the 5 really does perform quite well The handling dynamics make you appreciate the big wheels and awesome tires. Having that much larger of a contact patch where the tire meets the road means that much more grip, for safety and fun.
