Humbly summiting my man card

[dan88911]

Enjoy it guy when my children were young the minivan was the best.
Look at it this way, there's sports car in your future.

[fastfredracing]

Yep, we've all been there. Sold off a fast 944 turbo to buy a caravan, crib, and misc other baby stuff when my boy was born. We just looked at an r 350 the other day for a family truckster replacement. Congrats on the new ride, and I was only ribbing about the miata .

[Bill Douglas]

That is a "Car of Champions".

Imagine how many beers you could haul with that thing. Plus fill it up with chicks to drink the beer

[speeder]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

Scott, we love you man, but you had an automatic Miata, your man card was revoked a long time ago.

Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah, etc.

[creaturecat]

Ouch.
Condolences.

[LeeH]

I got a card in the mail from Mazda in 2006 when they first started importing the Mazda5. If I test drove the 5, I'd get a $25 Blockbuster video gift card. Cool! Went straight to the closest Mazda dealership to collect my card. Our daughter was 6 at the time and I was driving an Isuzu Trooper, with barely any A/C and getting 15 mpg on the highway. Still... I wasn't in the market for a new car.

The salesman spent quite a bit of time going over the features of the 5. Wow... cool vehicle, but figured it would drive like a brick. Well, 5 minutes into the test drive I was fairly hooked. I went back a week later and bought one. Kept it until it had 80K miles on it, then in 2012 bought a used 2009 GT - not because of a problem with the the first one. I just wanted the rear a/c for my daughter, additional arm rests, 5 speed instead of 4, etc. Kept that one until last year when I bought my Audi A6. Between the two of them I drove about 130K miles in the Mazda5. When I sold the last one, it wasn't because of the vehicle as much as it was that I just wanted something different for difference's sake.

When I was car shopping this weekend, I saw some new 5s sitting on the Mazda dealer's lot and started to walk over, but made myself stop. I was afraid I'd end up in another one... not that that would be a bad thing, but just not the "different" I was seeking when I sold the last one.

I still like the lines of the 5, both old and new body styles, and it's really hard to beat the utility of the seating arrangement. When I bought the Audi A6, I quickly realized that all the stuff I had stored in the various compartments in and around the Mazda wasn't going to begin to fit in the Audi.

Personally, what other people think about my choices aren't on my list of concerns in life. The Mazda5 is a ridiculously practical vehicle that's really fun to drive. Plus you aren't going to see yourself coming and going like you would driving a small SUV. They should have sold like hotcakes here, but too many people wouldn't begin to drive one because of the minivan image. Sad that they're being discontinued here.

During my ownership I had several cases of young dudes in Hondas with coffee can exhausts coming screaming up on my tail heading into a clover leaf interchange. I'd let them get close enough so that I could see the frustration on their faces from being "stuck" behind a little vanlet heading into a curve. Then I'd shift into manual mode, bump it down a couple of gears and start pulling away. They'd usually accelerate to match my speed only to start backing off as the corner came closer and I wasn't slowing down. Threshold brake, downshift, apex, accelerate, track out, upshift... by that time there'd be 8-10 car lengths between me and the Honda that was previously climbing up my tailpipe. Usually, they'd then pass me, but always looking out the window with a terribly puzzled look trying to see what and who just outcornered them.

Man card? Eff the man card concept. That suggests membership into a club where others decide whether or not you're worthy. You picked a vehicle that works for you and your family. That's not something to be ashamed of or seek penance for.

[porsche4life]

At least the 5 has the soul of a sports car. We are cruising around in a sienna, and considering getting a newer one. Not the most fun car to drive, but like lee said, the van style is extremely practical!



Glad you got into a newer car Scott. Hope it serves you well.

[Steve Carlton]

Porsche needs to be making minivans...

[WPOZZZ]

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

That is a "Car of Champions".

Imagine how many beers you could haul with that thing. Plus fill it up with chicks to drink the beer

Imagine the wheels, exhausts, transmission, seats...that you could carry!

[Scuba Steve]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

...
If you don't know, the Mazda5...

Is

a

Minivan...
...

Don't kick yourself. The CUVs and SUVs people buy are minivans people pretend are something else. They aren't fooling anyone, we can see the honor roll bumper stickers and melted crayons everywhere.

[onewhippedpuppy]

We just sold our 2013 Mazda5 GT a few months ago, what a great little van. We only replaced it with a Nissan Quest because we needed something bigger. Look at it this way, most of those driving a CUV are not man enough to admit they drive a minivan so they stick fake off road stuff on it. You are man enough to scream "eff you world, I drive an effing minivan!"

[Rick V]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

Scott, we love you man, but you had an automatic Miata, your man card was revoked a long time ago.

Beat me to it

[95avblm3]

Just slap a "Zoom-Zoom" sticker on it and keep on keepin on. Congrats. At least you can haul a lot more $#!% in it than a Miata...

[Avolyn Ave.]

We have a Mazda5. It's a mini, mini van, in that it has sliding doors. Otherwise, it is way more fun than any minivan. This coming from a guy who cares not about the stigma of owning a minivan. As a matter of fact, I think less of the people who go out and buy giant suvs to make up for the room they missed out on for not buying a minivan. That being said, the 5 is not as big as it seems, but nonetheless, has it's advantages

[LeeH]

Originally Posted by Avolyn Ave.

We have a Mazda5. It's a mini, mini van, in that it has sliding doors. Otherwise, it is way more fun than any minivan. This coming from a guy who cares not about the stigma of owning a minivan. As a matter of fact, I think less of the people who go out and buy giant suvs to make up for the room they missed out on for not buying a minivan. That being said, the 5 is not as big as it seems, but nonetheless, has it's advantages

Funny, but I always thought it was bigger inside than it seemed. I've hauled 3 bicycles inside, a love seat, 17 cubic ft. upright freezer, treadmills, exercise bikes, all sorts of stuff.

[Avolyn Ave.]

Originally Posted by LeeH

Funny, but I always thought it was bigger inside than it seemed. I've hauled 3 bicycles inside, a love seat, 17 cubic ft. upright freezer, treadmills, exercise bikes, all sorts of stuff.

I agree. We've also hauled lots of stuff. It's not until we park next to a Mazda3 or another car that size that we realize it's not as big as the sliding doors and giant rear hatch opening lead you to believe.

[LeeH]

Originally Posted by Avolyn Ave.

I agree. We've also hauled lots of stuff. It's not until we park next to a Mazda3 or another car that size that we realize it's not as big as the sliding doors and giant rear hatch opening lead you to believe.

The visual that always got me was when I parked next to a Honda Odyssey. Makes the Mazda look tiny.

Just for fun...



This may be a stretch... but pretty funny.

[dave 911]

Originally Posted by LeeH

Funny, but I always thought it was bigger inside than it seemed. I've hauled 3 bicycles inside, a love seat, 17 cubic ft. upright freezer, treadmills, exercise bikes, all sorts of stuff.

WOW - that IS a lot of stuff to haul inside all at the same time!! They are bigger inside than they look!

[sammyg2]

Good for you! There is no shame in driving a mini-van.
Being a good father and family man is the most masculine thing a guy can do.


Besides selling a miata of course

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Nah, blowing up a Miata with 100 pounds of dynamite - now THAT'S manly.