Thom Blackett’s Opinion of the 2006 Mazda 5’s Quality:
Mazda has done a pretty good job of constructing its little wagon with quality materials, including nice plastics on the dash, doors, and pillars, as well as durable cloth fabric on the seats. Most everything was firmly attached, though the driver’s A-pillar cover didn’t fit quite right against the fuzzy headliner, and the second-row interior rocker panel trim was popping off. Also noted was a nagging rattle from the folding tray between the second-row bucket seats, though that noise was muted by the lackluster sound system.

Exterior build quality was marred by a few minor faults, including a tailgate featuring inconsistent gaps, headlights that didn’t sit equally flush on each side, and orange peel paint that was quite noticeable in direct sunlight. The lower egg-crate grille, while looking flimsy and cheap, was actually solid and tight.

Brian Chee’s Opinion of the 2006 Mazda 5’s Quality:
Aside from the irritating beep-beep-beep from a twitchy seatbelt warning system, aside from back seats designed for little people, aside from too much hard plastic throughout the cabin and a design that will get you barred from Orange County, I found no significant quality problems with the Mazda 5. In fact, materials used inside the cabin have a strong, utilitarian feel, and the front seats were adequate. Gaps and fit-and-finish seemed a bit irregular, however, but controls had a nice heft. All in all, the cabin felt like it would stay together over a long period of time and use.

Ron Perry’s Opinion of the 2006 Mazda 5’s Quality:
Interior and exterior quality on the 2006 Mazda 5 was good. My drive was squeak- and rattle-free and the interior pieces all looked and felt to be of good quality for a vehicle in this category. The seats are covered with a nylon cloth material that has a quality feel to it and that I expect will hold up well to the abuse of normal wear-and-tear and possible drink spills. The interior doesn’t feel or look cheap and all components fit well together with no noticeable gap or alignment issues. Areas I feel need attention are the center console and side panels in the third row as well as the faux aluminum trim. The plastic panels felt loose and flimsy and the fake aluminum trim just distracted from the quality feel of the interior.

Outside, the Mazda 5 holds up well when it comes to scrutinizing panel gaps and fitment issues. A somewhat loose grille that is part of a one-piece plastic bumper and lightweight front doors that flutter when closing instead of shutting with a solid thud are the only issues I found with the Mazda 5.

Christian Wardlaw’s Opinion of the 2006 Mazda 5’s Quality:
If the 2006 Mazda 5 is not particularly comfortable, at least it looks more expensive than it is on the inside. Indeed, there is plenty of hard plastic in this vehicle, but it is finished in the tones and textures of more upscale brands than Mazda. The seat fabric looks great, feels good, and imparts a sense of durability. The silver trim on the dashboard, in combination with mesh/pebbled textures, helps keep the all-black cabin from becoming too dour. If there’s a miscue inside the Mazda 5, it’s with the headliner, which is a cheap fuzzy gray material rather than the preferred woven mesh.

Assembly quality could use greater attention to detail, though still ranks pretty good overall. Inside, I found sloppy fit for the driver’s side A-pillar trim, a crooked center console bin, and inconsistent gaps around the passenger airbag cover. Outside, the headlights did fit uniformly, the forward edges of the plastic A-pillar trim were loose on both sides, the front fascia exhibited inconsistent fit, and the tailgate was tweaked to the right.