When Chrysler created the market for minivans back in 1983, the Dodge Caravan, Plymouth Voyager and Chrysler Town and Country were 175.9 inches long and powered by either a 90-horsepower four-cylinder engine or a 136-hp V-6.

By contrast, today’s minivans are corpulent. The current Honda Odyssey is more than two feet longer and has an engine with almost double the horsepower. So it’s little wonder that current minivan buyers perceive the Mazda5 as a bit too mini and not enough van. But that’s only due to its frame of reference: other new minivans. Compared to the original, the Mazda5 is a keeper of flame. Truly mini, efficient and utilitarian, it’s close in size to the first minivans. And it has something else: style.

The Mazda5 has received a freshening for 2012 using what Mazda calls its "Nagare" design language. This seeks to incorporate the sense of wind and water to lend the Mazda5 a sense of motion. Couple that with its friendly face, which looks as if it was lifted from Japanese anime, and most casual observers thinks it’s just a funky wagon or hatchback. This is a minivan that — and I apologize for this horrid cliche — thinks outside the box.

But it’s the size of the vehicle that will put off most buyers, and it shouldn’t. Given that most households are shrinking, one would think that this vehicle would be sufficient for towing kids and their gear. And it is. But that comes with caveats. This is, after all, a minivan not much longer than a Toyota Corolla and it has three rows of seats.

So, to accommodate people and stuff, Mazda got crafty. There are three rows of bucket seats, so the van seats a total of six. Doing that leaves just enough room for a bachelor’s trip to the supermarket. Legroom is tight in the last row, unless the second row pulls their seats forward. Of course, you can fold the third row, which leaves a large, flat cargo hold.

If this sounds like a deal breaker, it isn’t. The rear sliding doors provide easy access to the second row (and their windows roll down.)

Not enough for you? Take a test drive; that’s where you’ll be surprised.

The Mazda5 weighs more than 1,000 pounds less than the Odyssey. Less weight means less horsepower is needed to move it around. It also means less weight while driving, making the Mazda5 one of the only minivans that’s actually fun to drive.

Not that you will unleash your inner Andretti while piloting one. But in the daily trip down pokey parkways, this vehicle has the same energetic feel, firm ride, nominal body lean and good brakes you’d find in a Mazda3 — one of the most fun-to-drive compacts you can buy. The reason for this is simple: The Mazda5 uses the Mazda3 platform.

This year, Mazda did fit the 5 with a larger four-cylinder engine. Power is now rated at 157 ponies. Most will be fitted with five-speed automatic transmission, which can be shifted manually. But unlike every other minivan on the market, a six-speed manual transmission is available, although fuel economy is identical to the automatic.

While that’s enough power with 2 or 3 folks aboard, loading up this little wonder will slow its progress.

The cabin itself was fairly quiet, and the test car came furnished with some niceties, like heated front seats, Bluetooth audio and telephone, satellite radio, automatic climate control and two front-seat powerpoints. There was no connection for an iPod. Also, two items you might want — a GPS navigation system and rear-view camera — aren’t offered.

The radio display, a thin slit across the top of the dashboard, also displays information for other functions, so satellite radio information is so limited that it’s useless. And the 5 dropped satellite stations way too often.

But none of this is enough to dissuade my recommendation of the Mazda5. Its nimble feel, perfect size and fuel-efficient ways make it true to the minivan ideal.

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2012 MAZDA5:

—Engine: 2.5-liter DOHC four-cylinder

—Wheelbase: 108.3 inches

—Length: 180.5 inches

—Weight: 3,457 pounds

—Cargo space: 5.58-44.4 cubic feet

—EPA rating (city/highway): 21/28 mpg

—Fuel consumption: 26 mpg

—Fuel type: Regular

—Base price, base model: $19,345

—Base price, test model: $24,025

—As tested: $24,870