All in all, Mazda has...

All in all, Mazda has stolen a march on the class"s more established contenders with a car which is intelligently designed and great to own.

If you were to write a compact MPV wishlist, it might read like this: sliding rear doors, versatile seats that don"t have to be removed from the car, good visibility and road manners, a big boot, low running costs and a cheap asking price.

The one car in the sector that ticks every box is Mazda"s 5. It doesn"t sell as well as the Vauxhall Zafira or have such a wide range as the Renault Scenic, but if you"re in the market for one of the conventional class leaders, we"d urge you to test drive the Mazda before you sign on the dotted line.

With prices starting at less than чЈ15,000 and even the top-of-the-range 2.0-litre 143bhp diesel variant coming in at under чЈ20,000, the 5 undercuts most rivals by around чЈ1,500. Yet it"s just as well equipped, and has even lower running costs.

Then there"s the interior layout. The large sliding doors provide much better access to the rear compartment than the usual front-hinged items, and the innovative 6+1 seating layout works very well. All in all, Mazda has stolen a march on the class"s more established contenders with a car which is intelligently designed and great to own.