[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.