2007 Mazda MAZDA5 in Temecula, California

Mazda calls the Mazda5 a "multi-activity vehicle infused with sports car inspiration" that "efficiently transports people and equipment like a large SUV."

We'll leave alone the question of whether the words "efficiently" and "large SUV" belong in the same sentence. It is a fact, however, that buyers who are attracted to the passenger and/or cargo capacity of an SUV may be put off by SUV bulk and SUV fuel consumption. A minivan does the same job more efficiently, but seems to carry a certain social stigma. Station wagons used to do the job, but have now all but disappeared.

So how does the style-conscious consumer transport spouse, children, parents and pets? Urban architects have known the answer for at least a century: Go vertical.