A significant benefit of its C-Max underpinnings is the inheritance of multi-link rear suspension, making the Mazda 5’s handling only second in class to it’s Ford cousin. Through town the Mazda feels agile and manageable, the steering light and accurate. Away from the school run, the 5 can be threaded down country roads with surprising pace, feeling fluid and composed. Sport models benefit from an excellent traction and stability system, subtly quelling wheelspin out of tighter corners. With 300mm + discs fitted front and rear we had no complaints with the brakes, performing well on the road and during performance testing.
A shame then, that just as the chassis starts to entertain you at higher speeds the ride quality deteriorates. Upping the pace over the lumpy roads of our test route, there was a marked increase in suspension noise, with some larger potholes sending a worrying thump through the cabin. A trait played out to a lesser extent in urban environments too, where road noise suppression over broken surfaces lags behind that of the C-Max. Vibration is also a weak point, with an occasional judder transmitted through wheel and pedals - not unacceptable, but notable never the less.
With 143bhp and 136lbft of torque the 2.0 petrol delivers as much performance as will ever be needed for town work, or the occasional longer run. Smooth, quiet and generally unassuming it’s unarguably fit for purpose. Yet not without character, with an eagerness to rev - a second wind even - over the last 1700rpm. At the track we managed a 0-60 dash of 9.3sec, comfortably inside Mazda’s claimed figure and comparable with its 2.0 petrol peers. Still, a few tenths of second count for little in this class, far more important is the appropriateness and ease with which the performance can be used. And here the Mazda scores well, as with the C-max the gearlever is mounted high on the dash, conveniently close to hand, and the change itself is satisfyingly slick and snappy.