Top class family cars from Mazda

Like many of Mazda’s products, the Mazda2 shares components with the equivalent model from parent company Ford but Mazda has given its effort a unique flavour.

For a modern supermini the Mazda2 is light in weight, giving tangible advantages in terms of fuel economy and performance. It handles in a sharp and responsive manner which will go down well with keen drivers.

Next up is the larger Mazda3, a family hatchback with striking looks both inside and out. Mazda has pulled out all the stops in designing this car in a bid to create something that stands out and you’d have to say the designers have pulled it off. At the top of the Mazda3 range is the high performance MPS model which gives a huge amount of performance for the money.The Mazda5 is a compact MPV that isn’t always mentioned in the same breath as the big players but is every bit as capable. With seven seats and clever sliding side doors to aid access, it’s a top class family car.

The same can be said for the Mazda6 but this model packages its practical interior in the more conventional shape of a medium range saloon, hatch or estate. This remains one of the best handling cars in the medium range class and it’s a far less obvious choice than its big selling rivals.

So we come to the car that, you could say, defines Mazda. The Mazda MX-5 is the world’s favourite roadster and with very good reason. Its classic lines and affordable pricing mask an ultra-modern chassis and a handling package that’s as pure and rewarding as many a high performance sportscar. In soft-top or folding hard-top Roadster Coupe guise, the MX-5 is a legend in its own lifetime.

If a Mazda sports car appeals but you would like some extra practicality and maybe a bit more pace, the RX-8 is the way to go. Its unorthodox rotary engine technology gives the RX-8 a character all of its own and the magic really starts to happen at high revs. It’s not just in the engine bay where the RX-8 broke new ground. Its novel rear-hinged back doors give it a genuine 4-seater capacity despite its compact dimensions.

Finally, there’s Mazda’s CX-7 - the Marque’s entry into the compact 4x4 market. Now with a strong diesel engine to go with its stylish looks and high equipment levels, you’ll be hearing a lot more about this car in the future.