| Here is the 2006 Mazda 5 side by side with the
Chrysler minivan, in this case a Grand Caravan. The Chrysler product has
the cab-forward design that Chrysler has had much success with, but at the
price of a much greater cowl height; the Chrysler engine is packaged compactly
from front to rear but with a higher center of gravity. The Chrysler product
is a little taller (I can reach to wash the whole roof of the Mazda 5 without
a step stool). And the Chrysler product is longer; the fact that the driver
is closer to the center of the length of the car probably contributes to
the sense that the Mazda5 is short and easy to park. Not visible in this
comparison is one of the most attractive features of the Mazda 5: low step-in
height. The cabin floor of the Caravan is higher off the ground. |
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