The gear shift is located in the middle, lower section of the dash and is easy to reach. One issue I had with the shiftlever was that I kept putting it into neutral instead of Drive. Even after a week of driving it, I am still doing it - it must have something to do with the shape?
Having the third row of seats can be very useful, but keep in mind that it offers only two seats. And also keep in mind that I would not recommend them for adults. You have very little leg or head room and it is not very easy to get to the rear. The great thing is that both second and third row of seats split and fold down flat so you have very usable cargo area. I have to be honest: If you have 2 kids and take a lot of road trips as a family, or do a lot of car pooling with their friends, you would be much wiser to get a minivan. You simply have more room!
I love that this Mazda drives like a car when you are behind the wheel. I like the feeling of sitting higher up and having such great outward visibility. It is especially nice when you have to parallel park as you can see all corners in order to make it perfect the first time. This is a fantastic vehicle if you have a family and do a lot of city driving.
The steering feel is a bit light and the ride is very comfortable. Acceleration is smooth when passing on the highway and it is peppy off the line. The interior gets a bit noisy at higher speeds but I have experienced worse. The smooth ride makes up for it and after a few days, I don't notice it at all.
There are two trim levels available: the GS and the GT. Both come standard as front wheel drive vehicles with anti-lock brakes, steering wheel mounted radio controls and tilt and telescopic steering wheel.
A few small changes have been made for 2010: Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) and Traction Control System (TCS) are available as an option on the GS and are standard on the GT. You can now also select the Comfort Package on the GS, which includes a few tasty upgrades like Bluetooth Hands free system, cruise control and leather wrapped steering wheel. If you want to get the voice activated NAV system you will have to get the higher priced GT model.
 |
| The gear shift is located in the middle, lower section of the dash and is easy to reach. (Photo: Lacey Elliott/Auto123.com) |
Having the third row of seats can be very useful, but keep in mind that it offers only two seats. And also keep in mind that I would not recommend them for adults. You have very little leg or head room and it is not very easy to get to the rear. The great thing is that both second and third row of seats split and fold down flat so you have very usable cargo area. I have to be honest: If you have 2 kids and take a lot of road trips as a family, or do a lot of car pooling with their friends, you would be much wiser to get a minivan. You simply have more room!
I love that this Mazda drives like a car when you are behind the wheel. I like the feeling of sitting higher up and having such great outward visibility. It is especially nice when you have to parallel park as you can see all corners in order to make it perfect the first time. This is a fantastic vehicle if you have a family and do a lot of city driving.
The steering feel is a bit light and the ride is very comfortable. Acceleration is smooth when passing on the highway and it is peppy off the line. The interior gets a bit noisy at higher speeds but I have experienced worse. The smooth ride makes up for it and after a few days, I don't notice it at all.
There are two trim levels available: the GS and the GT. Both come standard as front wheel drive vehicles with anti-lock brakes, steering wheel mounted radio controls and tilt and telescopic steering wheel.
A few small changes have been made for 2010: Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) and Traction Control System (TCS) are available as an option on the GS and are standard on the GT. You can now also select the Comfort Package on the GS, which includes a few tasty upgrades like Bluetooth Hands free system, cruise control and leather wrapped steering wheel. If you want to get the voice activated NAV system you will have to get the higher priced GT model.
 |
| The GS starts at $20,495 and the GT retails for $4,000 more. (Photo: Lacey Elliott/Auto123.com) |