Mazda 5 mini minivan

[mikester]

Dude! You can get that with a manual!

Reviews are mixed - anyone have one?

[azasadny]

We have a 2009 Mazda 5 and I do not like it one bit. The seats are horrible, it feels like I'm driving a school bus and the brakes make loud noises when it's wet outside. It's my wife's daily driver and we're both glad we leased it and didn't purchase it. We have loved our CX-7 and Speed3's and her next Mazda will be a Mazda 3.

[LeeH]

I have a 2006 that I've had since it was new. It's my daily driver. I really like it a lot. I've had plenty of Honda Civics sitting on my bumper heading into a 360 ramp whose drivers gave me puzzled looks when I was 5 car lengths ahead of them at the end.

I haul stuff purchased from garage sales and am pleased with what I can load considering the size. The 17 cubic foot freezer was the biggest shock. When I picked up a loveseat/lounge chair thing from the furniture store the loading dock guy told me it wouldn't fit in "that little car." He was impressed when it did.

Likes: Reliability, handling, flexibility, cargo hauling, dash layout, seats (might not work for larger bums), 6 passenger capacity, decent MPG, not common on the road, timing chain instead of belt

Dislikes: Weak AC for Arizona, cargo compartment carpet is cheap, 4 speed shifts too much on steep hills (I end up in manual mode)

2008 models received upgrades that I wish I had: Rear AC blower, 5 speed auto instead of 4, Aux input on stereo, arm rest for front passenger

I've got 73K on mine. I've replaced the turn signal stalk and it currently needs a thermostat and a front strut. Other than that, nothing else has broken. There's a high probability that I'll buy another one.

[msk1986911]

We have a 2008 which is my wife's daily driver. The only problem we've had has been with the rear shocks. The OEM shocks were replaced twice under warranty. We finally gave up on the dealership and had the shocks replaced by a local shop.

Other than the shocks, the car has been reliable and versatile...pretty good mpg as well.

[mikester]

I'm going to make some time to go look at the new ones in January but I'm in no hurry to buy. Right now mini van prices have been pretty high. The wife wants one and I am ready to make a car change as well.

The two top options of course are the Toyota or the Honda mini-vans and I've been watching the prices for the model and options I want and the prices peaked a couple of months ago but seem to be coming down again.

With those high prices though I started looking for alternatives and discovered the Mazda 5. I've always been a Mazda fan. Mine and my wife's first cars were Mazdas so we both have an affinity for the brand. I've had a few over the years and they have always been good cars. I have a miata in the driveway as well which my mother in law drives when she is in town.

We aren't really into big cars but we aren't into really small cars either - we like the mid-sized range. The Mazda's price is VERY low with some really nice options (not super high end but very much within the range I like) especially compared to prices of the Honda or Toyota. We're talking $10k difference here but there is a size drawback too and I think I just need to see it to quantify it.

So, in January I will stop by a Mazda dealership to check them out.

Consumer Reports gives them pretty good grades too.

[onewhippedpuppy]

My wife had a 2004 Mazda MPV that we sold right at 100k, it was the predecessor to the 5. It was a great van, we had zero issues.

[LeeH]

On the 2012, the manual is only available on the Sport version of the Mazda5. If you want Sunroof, leather, etc, you can't get the 6 speed manual. The auto magazines have all complained about this so I'm wondering if it will change down the road.

Other thing to be aware of is that Mazda has a new engine, dubbed "Skyactiv." It's between the 2.0L and 2.5L in HP, but gets 40mpg highway. This engine is not currently available on the Mazda5, but would have to think that it will be in the future.

[mikester]

I was going to ask on my trip to the dealership if the manual could be available via special order on the higher optioned models.

It's lame that it isn't or that you can't get a nicer appointed (leather) sport model I guess.

[azasadny]

We have loved all of our Mazdas, except for the Mazda 5. I have driven a MazdaSpeed3 as a daily driver (winter tires during the snow/ice season, of course) since 2/2007 with no issues or problems. My wife's favorite car was the Mazda CX-7, but the one she had required premium fuel, but the new model doesn't.

[NYPorsche]

We've got a 2010 for my wife's DD. Love the thing.

It meets our needs of hauling kids (and so far-what ever else we need) and is still fun to drive. She was pushing for the CX-7, but after taking the 5 around and realizing that it drove like a car rather than a truck, she was sold.

The back seats are tight for adults but are still manageable for short trips.

There's a forum dedicated to them:
2006 ~ 2010 Mazda5 Forum

At 22,000 miles, we've had no issues yet - just the normal oil changes.

We've got this and a '09 Mazda3 - I can't say enough good things about either car.

[mikester]

how big are you folks? My wife and I are both around 5'8" to 5'10".

[BlueSkyJaunte]

We have a 2011. My wife loves it, easy to load our two kids in (plus two friends or whatever). She likes the sliding doors in a compact vehicle.

I hate it. I'm 6'2" and it's a fooching clown car. My head hits the roof, my knees hit the dash, the shoulder belts halfway strangle me on every trip, and the front seats were designed for midgets. Fuel efficiency sucks (about 24-26mpg). It's underpowered and goofy looking.

But hey, she likes it. Shrug.

[mikester]

Originally Posted by BlueSkyJaunte

We have a 2011. My wife loves it, easy to load our two kids in (plus two friends or whatever). She likes the sliding doors in a compact vehicle.

I hate it. I'm 6'2" and it's a fooching clown car. My head hits the roof, my knees hit the dash, the shoulder belts halfway strangle me on every trip, and the front seats were designed for midgets. Fuel efficiency sucks (about 24-26mpg). It's underpowered and goofy looking.

But hey, she likes it. Shrug.

Yep. You my friend almost owed me a new monitor.

[Steve Carlton]

Where do you live, Mike?

[mikester]

Los Angeles area.

[Steve Carlton]

A good friend of mine is a Mazda sales manager in SF. Lemme know if you need any info.

[mikester]

Los Angeles area.

[NYPorsche]

Originally Posted by mikester

how big are you folks? My wife and I are both around 5'8" to 5'10".

I'm 5'8" and there's plenty of space behind the wheel for me. My wife is 5'1" so no issues there. It'd definitely be tight for those over 6' - but that's the tradeoff with a smaller vehicle.

The ability to go from hauling 6 to all the seats folded flat for a large cargo area can't be found in any other vehicle of this size, especially while still being fun to drive. It's no sportscar, but can still find its way around a corner far better than any of the other minivans or larger SUV's out there.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Originally Posted by NYPorsche

tight for those over 6' - but that's the tradeoff with a smaller vehicle.

Not so, I'm completely comfortable in my 2010 VW Golf (2-door). None of the ergo adjustments are at their extreme limits.

But then, VW engineers are German. Mazda engineers, on the other hand....I'm taller than any 3 of them standing on each others' shoulders.

[KaptKaos]

Subbed.

Keep me posted.