Anyone own a Mazda 5?

[beckmrk04]

If so- tell me all about it. Good and bad.

We're thinking of buying a new (or new to us) car, and we were primarily looking at midsize sedans- maybe a Ford Fusion.

But, then I went and looked at the Mazda 5. It has all the perks of a minivan, but smaller and with better gas mileage.

So, I was just curious to see if anyone has one and what you think about it. We haven't decided yet, and won't be seriously deciding for a couple of weeks yet.

 

[pr surfer]

Here's a few long term reviews to tide you over while the replies come

http://forums.automobilemag.com/70/...bile/2006-mazda-5-long-term-review/index.html

http://www.automobilemag.com/features/four_seasons_logbook/0604_2006_mazda_5/index.html

http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/pb/06mazda5longterm.htm

 

[beckmrk04]

Here's a few long term reviews to tide you over while the replies come

http://forums.automobilemag.com/70/...bile/2006-mazda-5-long-term-review/index.html

http://www.automobilemag.com/features/four_seasons_logbook/0604_2006_mazda_5/index.html

http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/pb/06mazda5longterm.htm

You rock, doing my research. Thanks!

I haven't delved into any serious research yet- just snooping around on MSN autos. I will read and wait, though.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

I have one -- I bought it in April, and I'm very happy with it for my circumstances (single mom of one, living in the city, parking on city streets).

Things I like:

I have the option of carrying 4 or 5 (if I let one in the front seat) kids which is great for chaperoning field trips etc . . .

It's small enough to parrallel park in the city (something I do multiple times every day)

It was much more affordable than a "real" mini van.

When the back seats are down I can fit a lot of stuff in the back -- e.g. my son's hockey gear, skis, bike etc . . .

So far it's been very reliable, comfortable etc . . .

Great safety ratings -- I really wanted side curtain airbags and they're standard.

Separate temperature controls for the rear seat.

Captains chairs means there's no fighting for room in the backseat.

Tray table between the chairs is nice.


Things I don't like:

There's no "trunk" that's not visible to the public -- I work in a high crime area and I'm not thrilled about leaving stuff out where people can see it.

The back seat is small and doesn't fit adults comfortably

I wouldn't feel that safe with the backseat if I was transporting kids there a lot. It's really close to the rear glass.

Gas Mileage could be better.

If the seats are up in the back there's almost no luggage room -- not an issue for me since I have 1 kid, but would be for bigger families.

 

[beckmrk04]

Well- the reviews sound pretty good.

I didn't test drive it yet... I didn't want to get my hopes up.

 

[beckmrk04]

I have one -- I bought it in April, and I'm very happy with it for my circumstances (single mom of one, living in the city, parking on city streets).

Things I like:

I have the option of carrying 4 or 5 (if I let one in the front seat) kids which is great for chaperoning field trips etc . . .

It's small enough to parrallel park in the city (something I do multiple times every day)

It was much more affordable than a "real" mini van.

When the back seats are down I can fit a lot of stuff in the back -- e.g. my son's hockey gear, skis, bike etc . . .

So far it's been very reliable, comfortable etc . . .

Great safety ratings -- I really wanted side curtain airbags and they're standard.

Separate temperature controls for the rear seat.

Captains chairs means there's no fighting for room in the backseat.

Tray table between the chairs is nice.


Things I don't like:

There's no "trunk" that's not visible to the public -- I work in a high crime area and I'm not thrilled about leaving stuff out where people can see it.

The back seat is small and doesn't fit adults comfortably

I wouldn't feel that safe with the backseat if I was transporting kids there a lot. It's really close to the rear glass.

Gas Mileage could be better.

If the seats are up in the back there's almost no luggage room -- not an issue for me since I have 1 kid, but would be for bigger families.

Oooh- thanks for your input!!

I'll have to think about the public trunk thing- the sales guy said we could buy (or there was an available) cargo cover- I wasn't listening very well.

DH and I only have one child, will probably have 1 more in the next 3 years or so. All the pros you listed are reasons I'm considering the Mazda 5. Like a mini van without being... a mini van.

We could usually drive around with the back seats folded down for "trunk" space, so I'm not too worried about that- but I like the idea of being able to fit more people if we want or need to.

And the price! It seems like you get so much for the money.

Normally, I wouldn't buy a brand new car, but these are hard to find used since they are so new.

 

[nannerbadnanner]

I have one, and I love it! I bought a used 2007 in May of this year. We only have two children so this works perfectly for us. It gives us the perks of a minivan like sliding doors and captain seats without the large size. The gas mileage is great. I average about 27-28 miles to the gallon. It's a very cute vehicle, and I am a big fan of the Mazda "zoom-zoom."

The 2007 model does not have rear temperature control, but they changed that in the 2008 model. I have the touring model which has a sunroof and a 6 CD changer as standard features. Mu daughter loves the sunroof!

I think this is a perfect vehicle for smaller families. I don't know how I survived having two car seats without sliding doors before!

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

I'll have to think about the public trunk thing- the sales guy said we could buy (or there was an available) cargo cover- I wasn't listening very well.
.

The guy who sold me mine told me you can only get that as part of a package. I think the package came with a DVD player -- which is a feature I'd pay extra NOT to have. The car is a great place to talk to my kid, why would I want him zoned out in front of the TV?

This made no sense to me, since the cargo cover is not something that's permanently attached to the car.

 

[robinb]

We have a 2007 Mazda-5 and I like it for the most part. I like the captain's chairs in the first two rows and I like the way it drives. I have had 6 people in the car and I have even ridden in the "backity-back" a few times.

Things that I would change:
* I wish that it got better gas mileage.
* I wish it had daytime running lights that the headlights would automatically turn off when the car was turned off.
* My model only has an interior armrest on the driver's side, but not on the passenger's side. My DH constantly leans over to put his arm on my armrest when I am driving. There are no arm rests in back.
* I wish it had brighter lights in the back area for when we take things out of the trunk at night. Sometimes it's hard to see back there.
* The OEM tires are terrible! I cannot wait to get new ones this fall. I told my DH that I refuse to drive the car again in the snow with those lousy tires.
* Leather was not available when we purchased and we are not used to a cloth interior so I find that it stained quite easily.
* A roof rack was not standard and way too expensive for us to add on.


We have the cargo area cover and it works fine, but it's hard to find a place for it in the car when you're not using it.

 

[Tink&SquirtsMom]

I have a Mazda 5... as of YESTERDAY.

I love it... hope so after just one day! I got (what I consider to be) a fantastic deal at more than $3000 off MSRP ($1000+ off KBB invoice price) on an '08 Grand Touring (with 5 years of oil changes, fluid checks and tire rotation included!). It seems like now is a good time to buy if you are willing to go for an '08. They wanted a lot more for an '09 that is pretty much exactly the same. I haggled over the internet with multiple dealerships (forwarding them the others emails) before going in.

For me I was sick of driving my huge Sienna. I just prefer smaller, cheaper (but not made, feeling or appearing cheap!), and wanted better gas mileage than my Sienna. I love that it drives (and parks) like a small car. I have 3 kids so the 3 rows is a major plus for avoiding "mom he's touching me" comments the whole drive. The safety ratings are great. The sliding doors also a huge plus... for all the other drivers out there who don't like getting their doors dinged up when I park next to them and the kids fling open the door or are racing to get into the car. The other thing I love is that I don't know of any other 3 row, sliding door vehicle that I could get with leather seats, climate control, side curtain airbags, moonroof, etc, etc, etc for $20,000.

You can get a cargo cover for $150 without any additional package. Its one of the main accessories they offer. Our dealer gave us a big discount off that, the all weather mats, and the rear bumper step plate. When we quickly decided (after we bought the car) that we wanted those things. I would recommend to decide beforehand and get those thrown in too.

The back seat would not be comfortable for transporting adults for anything more than a very short hop, but it is more than fine for my kids. The rear passenger safety ratings were just as high as other minivans. We will fold down the other half of the back row when we need more trunk space for groceries, etc. I'm sure I'll find some negatives at some point, but right now I love my Mazda 5!

 

[MAH4546]

The guy who sold me mine told me you can only get that as part of a package. I think the package came with a DVD player -- which is a feature I'd pay extra NOT to have. The car is a great place to talk to my kid, why would I want him zoned out in front of the TV?

This made no sense to me, since the cargo cover is not something that's permanently attached to the car.

He was lying to you and tried to take advantage of you.

A cargo cover is a dealer installed accessory, and you can go to the service department and have one ordered and installed on the spot.

 

[saucymb]

We've had one for about a year and a half, and it's perfect for our family of 4. I agree with most of the good and bad stuff written previously. Not having rear temperature control is rough, but I understand they've fixed that with the newer models (ours is a 2006).

 

[beckmrk04]

I'm really leaning in this direction. Thanks for all of your input! I'm glad to read that everyone really seems to like it (even if there are some things that could be better- there always are!)

I have never bought and haggled for a new car, though... I'm going to have to read up on some tips, and if you guys have any for me, I would LOVE to hear them. I'm trying to get my payments as low as possible, and we're going to pay off our other car early so we can still only have one car payment!

 

[Carl]

Mazdas have poor resale value, but if you plan to keep it a long time, that probably won't matter to you. I bought a Miata and decided it was too small and rough riding for me and sold it after 9 months. It lost over 10,000 dollars in value in that 9 months. And mine only had about 1500 miles on it.

 

[beckmrk04]

Mazdas have poor resale value, but if you plan to keep it a long time, that probably won't matter to you. I bought a Miata and decided it was too small and rough riding for me and sold it after 9 months. It lost over 10,000 dollars in value in that 9 months. And mine only had about 1500 miles on it.

We tend to keep our cars until death do we part. So, that's not a big deal to me.

And that's why I would normally never buy a new car- due to instant depreciation, but they might be able to make a new one just as affordable as the use models I am finding.

I intend to do a LOT of research before I commit to anything, so I haven't quite decided whether to buy used or new- a lot of that will come down to which will offer the better value for my money.

 

[zeroed]

We bought a 2009 M5 to replace our 02 Explorer that was starting worry us about driving to Disney. We just returned from WDW(Monday 10/27) and the 5 is definitely our new Disney car. It rides so much better and fuel economy was about 26mpg with 2 adults, 2 kids (ages 6 & 3) and a week's worth of luggage. My lead foot probably could have gotten us even better mileage too.

The sliding doors are great for loading kids in crowded resort or park parking lots. The cargo area is nearly as large as our Explorer and I loaded the exact same amount of luggage just as easily. I was able to lay a Maclaren stroller flat across the cargo floor. A longer stroller may be different though.

The 2008 and later models have rear air and my kids were complaining about getting cold. The rear air can be controlled from the rear or front control panels.

The 5 handles nicely and can manuever between the buses and into parking spaces with room to spare. It was designed for Tokyo streets where parking is limited and very tight. Disney is a piece of cake!

Another thing that I liked was that my parents, who followed us to Disney in their car, were able to ride with us once we arrived on the Disney campus. It made dinner trips to Boardwalk and Downtown Disney very family and comfortable. I just popped up the rear seats, threw the kids back there and my 70-ish folks climbed in the second row without a problem.

I purchase accessories from a couple Mazda dealers who have parts web sites and they're much cheaper than my local dealer. So far I've bought the all weather rubber mats, rear bumper step and cargo area mat, all are well made. A rear cargo cover is available too. To date I've used these two vendors with good results:
http://www.finishlineperformance.com/store/home.php
http://www.mazdaparts.org/mazda5test.html


I researched the 5 for weeks before buying and then took my wife to see one in person. She fell in love with the practicality and loves the way it handles. I have to beg her to let me drive the thing now. All from a woman who said she would never drive a minivan!


Good luck and I hope this helped.