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14 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday July 26, 2006 www.oakvillebeaver.com EVERYTHING Auto your guide to everything auto in Oakville INSIDE: Pontiac inviels the new convertible G6 . . . . . .Page 16 Chevy Tahoe 2006 leading the way . . . . . . . . .Page 18 Nissan Altima excells against all others . . . . . . . .Page 21 ERYTHING Mazda 5 Mazda 5 By Stacey Morrison SPECIAL Zoom Zoom's by the competition has resulted in agile road manners for the larger and heavier 5. The inline 4-cylinder engine with variable valve timing delivers 157 hp at 6,500 rpm and 148 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 revs. Mated to a standard 5-speed manual transmission, power is delivered over a wide band, with smooth and lively performance. A 4-speed manumatic is a $1,000 option and though an auto-equipped model wasn't available for testing, expect performance to have a little less zoomzoom. According to Mazda, fuel economy figures are 10.6 L/100 km in the city and 8.0 L/100 km on the highway for manual models. These numbers go up slightly with the manumatic gearbox. Mazda says the 5 was built and designed from the inside out, with an emphasis on passenger comfort and ease of operation. In typical Mazda fashion, the cockpit is well designed and stylish with black upholstery, silver trim and easy to use switchgear. The driver can get comfortable thanks to a standard tilt and telescoping steering wheel and driver's seat height adjustment. The standardequipment list is surprisingly long even on base GS models, with items like steering wheel-mounted audio controls, rain sensing windshield wipers and power windows with one-touch down on the driver's side. Continued on Page 16 Mazda seems to have a knack for giving motorists what they want before they know it. The enormously popular Mazda Miata reinvigorated the convertible market when it debuted back in 1989, and the release of the Protegé5 in 2001 heralded the return of the wagon, a segment that today is hipper and hotter than ever before. So it seems fitting that as gas prices nudged a dollar per litre last summer, the Japanese automaker introduced "the right product at the right time" with the Mazda5, a 6-seat `multi-activity vehicle' that offers the versatility of a minivan and the driving experience of a sporty sedan. Based on the Mazda3 platform, the 5 sports the company's distinctive family-look with its signature five-point grille and lithe body shape. Though access to the rear seats is through minivan-like dual sliding doors, which open wider than the automaker's larger MPV minivan, the vehicle's compact wedge-shaped profile has an overall appearance more akin to a tall wagon. Inside there are three rows of seats and a plethora of storage options. Raiding the Mazda3's parts bin, including the same 2.3-litre engine and MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension,