Nicky Marr talks about the Mazda5

It was a bit of a no-brainer, really – the call came through from Macrae & Dick asking me to trade my estate car for the new Mazda5 for a week. Let’s get things straight, I am a working mum, I like a comfortable drive, and I like to know there is a bit of power under the engine when I need it. But I am no petrol head. Asked to pick out a Mazda in an unmarked line-up, I would fail. But I am not one to shirk a challenge, or the chance to put miles on someone else’s motor for a week, so of course the answer was yes.

They say first impressions count, and it’s not just appearances that matter. That ‘new car’ smell was almost intoxicating, and the whiff of leather from the seats in the Furano added to the olfactory pleasure. The dashboard is sleek but practical – back lighting on the main dials make it easy to keep a check on your speed, and the cruise and audio control buttons on the steering wheel keep your eyes on the road. I adjusted my seat – back a little, down a little, and, with armrest in the ‘comfort’ position, I hit the road. A woman with a mission. Off to do the supermarket shop.

I was glad the key ring bore the registration number – forgetting where I have parked is a regular supermarket trick of mine; do you realise how many silver cars there are in the north of Scotland? Knowing the Mazda5 can seat seven, my eye was looking for a brute of a vehicle; when I did find it I was struck by how unlike a people carrier it is. It’s a sporty looking thing. Not even a hint of the ice-cream van looks adopted by some of its competitors.

In spite of its length, sight lines are superb. I had no trouble at all reverse parking, and parallel parking outside the house was an unusual pleasure. It made me look again at our work-horse of a Mondeo estate and wonder which bits I could chisel away. I’m still pondering that one.

But this is a family car – while it coped with the family shopping, how would it fare with the kids? Saturday morning, and Daughter #2 was heading to Perth for a gymnastics display. I volunteered to drop off at the bus stop, and picked up several leotard clad 11 year olds on the way. This is where the Mazda5 earns its keep. Converting it from a spacious, comfortable 4-seater with a massive boot space, to a ‘6+1’-seater over three rows, took less than a minute. Even without instructions it was obvious which straps to pull and which levers to press. I had braced myself for a struggle, but no brute force was needed to ‘pop-up’ the rear seats or convert to ‘plus one’ in the second row. It was practically a one-finger operation.

With picnic tables in the second row and cup holders nestling in the unlikeliest of crannies, there were plenty of places for the girls’ water bottles. Bags of make-up, hairspray and packed lunches were piled into the remaining boot space, although with all three rows of seats in use, there wasn’t room for much else. But most exciting of all? The power operated rear sliding doors. I didn’t have to leave the drivers’ seat to load and unload my charges – at the touch of a button, either on the dash or the key fob, the rear passenger side door slid open and closed again. The kids squealed with excitement. I loved it even more.

For a family of four like ours, the Mazda5 is a smart, practical choice. For the long summer drive to France there is good comfort and plenty of boot space for buckets and spades on the way there, and for crates of wine on the way home. And for transporting gaggles of kids around town, just pile them high, lock all the doors, and we’re off.