Test Drive: 5 Reasons the Mazda 5 Is the Minivan of Choice for "Cool" Dads

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Yes, in the grand scheme of things this may not be the most exciting selling point, but hey, we’re talking minivans and parenthood here, not drop-top limos and lost weekends. The second row loveseat combo in most minivans in inconvenient and lame. Inconvenient because, if you have enough children to fill that row and the third, you’re gonna have to practically sling one of the tots into the far seat next to the window (I recommend you strap them into the child seat first). Or, if you’re picking up grown up friends, the single seat row is the basis for all sorts of awkward “Is that your seat belt or mine?” encounters. Every man, woman, and child should have his or her own seat.

The Mazda 5’s four-cylinder engine offers 157 horsepower, but it’s the handling that makes it a treat to drive. It’s time to face facts, pops: You’re not going to go drag racing in your minivan (if you do, you’re going to lose the race (most definitely) and possibly your kids). But you do need to get into (and out of) various sticky driving situations. Parallel parking on narrow service streets? Check. Big city pothole dodging? Check. Avoiding granting the death wish of countless Citibike riders? Check, check, check.

Something between a station wagon and a minivan, the 5 feels like its own sort of beast, so much so that the sliding rear doors are actually a surprise. It has Mazda's flowing design impressions on the side that are miles removed from the wood panel strips that were the hallmark of previous minivans. It’s a minivan that looks like an SUV and moves like a sedan. Win, win, win.

Perhaps you prefer “cost efficient.” Whatever. The automatic starts at just less than $21,000. That’s a fantastic price for a vehicle that will shuttle both your family and any friends you may have left over after ignoring them because of said family around. You’re going to want that extra scratch, because you’re going to have a lot of stuff. Speaking of which ...

The 5 seats six comfortably, and the the third row folds down to provide nearly 45 cubic feet of storage. That’s not as much as other minivans, but keep in mind that this is a smaller car, with the attendant advantages. And you don’t need that much space anyway. Murphy’s Law of children says that no matter how much room you have, kids will fill that space with crap. If you’ve got slightly less room for crap, that’s less crap for you to move, much less buy.