Mazda 5

Our verdict

The Mazda5 is a handsome and discreet people carrier with double sliding doors and a kind of weird jump-seat saddle that pops out as an extra chair. Pop-up seats in the boot make it practical, too. Unlikely to set the world alight.

Comfort

The good body control means that the 5 loses somewhat when it comes to outright comfort and it can be unremittingly black on the inside - it makes the cabin feel a bit claustrophobic over distance. Otherwise very average.

Performance

Four engines available: a 1.8 with 113bhp, a 2.0-litre with 143bhp and a pair of turbodiesels with either 108bhp or 141bhp. The 141bhp diesel is the one really; 0-62mph in 10.4 and 122mph. The 2.0-litre petrol has a couple more bhp but is actually 0.4 seconds slower to 62mph and has the same top speed.

Cool

If you have a practicality fetish you'll love it. Otherwise as cool as a pair of airline socks.

Quality

Pretty good stuff once again. There's a slight worry about the exposed hinges on the sliding doors (which can also feel a bit tinny) and it's very dark in there, but it feels well made and the materials are perfectly acceptable.

Handling

Pretty good stuff - there's more than enough car-like handling to have the kids barfing into the glovebox, but you won't be enjoying it because the steering is dead around the middle and the chassis is accurate but dumb. Ride is surprisingly firm and chattery over broken surfaces.

Practicality

The 5 shines with some neat thinking. There's a kind of jump-seat arrangement that pops up between the second row of seats to provide short-term accommodation for small bottoms and a pair of seats that pull up from the boot floor if there's more to carry. As usual, if you use all the space for people, there will be precisely enough space left to carry one three-litre bottle of soft drink as luggage. Twin sliding doors make getting children and animals and other freakery in and out as painless as is possible.

Running costs

The diesels can manage mid-40s mpg and won't cripple you on either emissions or tax. And insurance group 6 is pleasingly low, too. Add to that an entry level of under £15k and you've got a decent proposition, although residuals are scratchy.