2012 & 2013 Mazda Minivan Reviews & Ratings

The minivan has long been popular in Europe, but for quite some time efforts to sell aMazda Minivanin the US have been unsuccessful with the market tending to favor SUVs. The increase in the price of gas however is being linked to a renewed interest in them as people look to either downsize their existing larger vehicles or to try and exploit the Mazda Minivan's generally sporty looks and handling.

Providing seating for up to six people across three rows, the Mazda Minivan is decepti... (full review continues below)

The minivan has long been popular in Europe, but for quite some time efforts to sell aMazda Minivanin the US have been unsuccessful with the market tending to favor SUVs. The increase in the price of gas however is being linked to a renewed interest in them as people look to either downsize their existing larger vehicles or to try and exploit the Mazda Minivan's generally sporty looks and handling.

Providing seating for up to six people across three rows, the Mazda Minivan is deceptively roomy despite being significantly smaller than its competitors. It shares a lot of the design and components of the Mazda3, coupled with a 2.5 liter engine and six speed manual transmission that gives it a smooth acceleration even when it is fully loaded. The Mazda 5 has 44.4 cubic feet of cargo room which is a lot less than some of its competitors.

A Mazda Minivan has a reasonable fuel economy, roughly equivalent to that of the average Sedan car with roughly 21 miles per gallon in the city and a highways fuel economy of 28 mpg. Considering the extra horsepower provided by its large engine this sounds reasonable, but when compared to the average 17 miles per gallon of other competitors such as the Dodge Grand Caravan Passenger Express or Toyota Sienna XLE it comes out with a clear advantage. The Mazda Minivan is a good all-rounder, and is much cheaper overall across its trim versions.

The Mazda Minivan comes in three trims in the US, the Sport, Touring and Grand Touring options - with their base prices ranging from $19,625 to $24,025. The engine size and performance is the same across the different versions, with the price differences mainly coming from which interior detailing and packages and options are available. The Sport having 16 inch alloys while the other trims have 17 inch alloys, for example. The Touring includes fog lights as standard and both a trip computer and Bluetooth connections. The Grand Touring upgrades to xenon headlights, satellite radio and a six-CD changer. The engine provides 157 horsepower at 6000 rpm and redlines at 6200 rpm, running off regular unleaded.

The Mazda Minivan generally fits the bill then as an affordable option with good maneuverability and fuel efficiency as an alternative to an SUV. While the fuel efficiency may seem unremarkable at first sight, it is the best of all the minivans currently on the market, and it is far more responsive and easy to drive. While it would seem obvious to only compare it to other vehicles in its class, the Mazda Minivan's relatively new arrival on the US market seems to have people uncertain as to whether to class it as a large sedan or a small SUV. As a result there are a lot of confused reviews trying to make apples and oranges comparisons but which nevertheless still have to concede that it compares well against different types of vehicle.