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Mazda5

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What is this discussion about? Mazda MAZDA5, Wagon

Messages Page 72 of 139

#707 of 1387 Re: Mazda5 Review [kivo] by nissmazlover

Mar 14, 2006 (12:37 pm)

Replying to: kivo (Mar 11, 2006 8:18 am)
When I read the review in the link that you had provided, it actually angered me. It angered me because of the fact that this reviewer was SO negative and seemed to have some sort of vendetta against the 5. It also angered me because of how much I LOVE my 5! I have never liked a car so much in my life! It also angered me because this reviewer just didn't seem to get the point of the five. Anyway, let me discuss my likes and dislikes of the 5 and compare it to this reviewers:
 
Van - First off, it's NOT a van. It is considered a tall wagon, or mini minivan or microvan. Therefore, it should NOT be compared against regular mini-vans that are really no longer "mini" anymore. I LOVE the size of the 5 and think it's JUST the right car for my family and I.
 
Likeability factor - I cannot tell you how many times I have been complemented on this car by total strangers. It's THAT much! Since I always keep it nice and clean, I get compliments everywhere I go to the point that I don't even react to them anymore. I LOVE this car, my family LOVES this car, my extended family feels we made the best decision in getting this and even some of them have a little jealousy for not getting the car first and feel and some have stated that they would like to get it, my friends love the car and I have not met ONE person or read ONE review of someone that dislikes it, except for this one reviewer, who is more than entitled to his opinion, even if it is a wrong one (and I DO believe opinions can be wrong or right)
 
Space/Cargo - I have a family of four: me, my wife and two twin boys age 6. But, I constantly have others in my car as well, including our respective mothers, other adult family members, or adult friends and this car is absolutely perfect. The third row is DESIGNED FOR CHILDREN, not adults. So whenever we have four adults with us, our kids hit the third row seats and they LOVE it back there. Some times they even ask to sit back there when there is no one in the second row. Recently, I had my brother drive my car and I sat all the way back in the third row with one of my kids. The car was full with the driver (my brother), front seat passenger (my wife), one of my boys in the left side middle passenger seat, an adult friend in the right side middle row seat, my other boy in the left side third row seat and ME, a 5'10" adult male, in the right side third row seat and we were ALL comfortable. Granted I was in the third row seat for less than thirty minutes, but I was just FINE. I was actually comfortable and enjoyed sitting back there. Granted, I won't be able to be back there for more than an hour or so, but the seat was not designed for adults, but for children or the occasional third row seat adult passenger which will be fine in short trips.
 
I LOVE the flexibility of the seats and cargo configurations of the 5. It's one of my favorite features. We once took a trip to an upstate NY outlet mall with FIVE adults and we came back with HOARDS of stuff and we all still fit inside and were comfortable for the over an hour drive back to NYC. That speaks loads of the car.
 
Power - I think all this talk about the engines power is so silly. Nowadays people seem to want to be speed demons in every car they get into, even economy ones. I LOVE driving and I LOVE speed, but I know that NO ONE in this world, besides race car drivers, REALLY needs 240+ horsepower cars as is so prevalent nowadays. In any case, I feel the power of five is JUST right. Yes, there is a difference between having the car loaded or having just the drive and/or the driver and one passenger aboard, but that difference exists in every car. In any case, the power is just fine and the car definitely picks up its pace quickly. I have been very pleasantly surprised in this car taking long road trips and how it performs on the highway. It passes with authority, can go up to almost triple digit speeds without making too much of a fuss, is smooooth all throughout (one of, if not the most, smooth four cylinder engine I have ever experienced). The ONLY time I had a problem with power was when I was in the hills of North Carolina with the car fully loaded with adult passengers who were ALL above 200 lbs. The car DID struggle all throughout the hills, but then again, this car is not designed to be carrying six 200+lb adults in very hilly terrain. Otherwise, power and pick up are totally fine and if one gets honest about their need for speed and power, it exceeds expectations.
 
Shifting - Fine, I agree that the Mazda5, coming out as a 2006 model, SHOULD have had a five speed automatic. Nevertheless, aside from what it SHOULD have had, it is a GREAT automatic! This things shifts like a dream! It is a very smooth and smart transmission and I never desire for it to be any better. I even sometimes question the need for the manual feature. I use the manual feature from time to time, but solely for fun purposes and not because the automatic is deficient in anyway. It shifts wonderfully and always at the right time it's needed. Plus, I don't know what this reviewer's problem is with the gear indicator. I think it's GREAT to always know what gear you are in! Not distracting or annoying at all, but an actual asset - not liability as he makes it out to be. What a sour puss!
 
Handling - This is where the reviewer is WAAAAAAYYY off! To quote Edmunds.com itself: "We were also impressed by the Mazda 5's handling. For a tallish vehicle, it maintains its composure well during our slalom testing, maneuvering through the cones at 63.4 mph, which is more than 3 mph faster than the Odyssey. Our test car was equipped with sticky 17-inch Toyo Proxes A18 tires, which certainly helped performance."
 
63.4 mph around the cones is VERY respectable and the 5 handles AWESOMELY - especially for a mini-minivan. I came out of driving regularly a 2003 Accord and my 5 handles BETTER than that Accord! The 5 is actually very fun to drive and a total pleasure. I don't know WHAT in the world that reviewer is talking about!
 
Comfort - The only place that may feel crowded is the third row seat that was designed for CHILDREN anyway. The front seat and the middle row have MORE than enough room for comfort and the seats themselved are plenty comfortable even in long trips. The heater works VERY well and I live in NYC where winter's are harsh and cold. We have had to actually turn it down since it gets TOO warm in the cabin. Same thing with the A/C so, AGAIN, the reviewer knows not what he talks about.
 
Noises - here is ONE area where I might agree with the reviewer. For a long while now, my 5 has developed an irritating tapping noise that I hear going at moderate speeds over bumps. I have posted about this before and though it is annoying, I have learned to live with it and basically only my wife and I hear it since we are in tune with the car.
 
Another

#708 of 1387 front end noise by flyonthewall

Mar 15, 2006 (9:05 am)

Nice reply to that article.
 
"Noises - ...my 5 has developed an irritating tapping noise that I hear going at moderate speeds over bumps...."
 
I believe Mazda may have redesigned sway bar bushings that eliminate this noise. Check here for more info, "redesigned bushings are in"

#709 of 1387 New 5 owner by zoekentucky

Mar 17, 2006 (9:07 am)

I'm married to a mechanic who, on her days off, doesn't want to talk about cars, think about cars, look at cars, test drive cars, you get the picture. However, last fall we were running errands and she told me pull over to a Mazda dealership, she had read about a new model that she wanted to check out. It was the 5.
 
Fast-forward 5 months and we now have one in our driveway, AT Touring, loaded. We have never ever bought a new car before and never thought we ever would, we have no reason to because of her skills, she can keep almost anything running forever.
 
BUT we fell in love with this car-- it's just so darn versatile, affordable and sleek. Our dogs will fit perfectly in the back with the 3rd row seats folded down (after we get cargo mats!) and when we eventually have kids we won't have to do a thing, car-wise.
 
We love our 5 and we've only had it for 2 days. We're going on our first road trip with it this weekend, I can hardly wait!

#710 of 1387 mp3 player?? by teamoncerider

Mar 17, 2006 (4:55 pm)

Hi guys,
 
I was under the impression that the Mazda5 Touring came standard with an in-dash 6 cd changer with mp3 capability (It mentions this in the Edmunds review). However, I realized that my Touring does NOT have the mp3 option.
 
The funny thing is that when you order the 6cd changer for the Sport model, you DO get the mp3 capability.
 
Has anyone noticed this? I would think they would make that standard on the Touring.
 
Or am I missing something?

#711 of 1387 One of the best cars ever by evananda

Mar 18, 2006 (8:20 pm)

We just picked up our Mazda 5 Sport yesterday, and I have to say, it's the best car I have ever owned. I had it up to 95 mph on some back roads today, and it handled great, (in the manual mode). We looked at it and the KIA van and the Caravan, the mini-van just doesn't suit us, the 5 is not a mini-van at all, and shouldn't be compared to one, the only thing it has in common is rear sliding doors.

#712 of 1387 How does the size of the Mazda 5 compare to by audreymarks

Mar 19, 2006 (1:52 am)

an average sized minivan? A station wagon? We have a Toyota Sienna minivan and a 96 Subaru Brighton wagon (same size as Legacy wagons). The Subaru could really use replacing. My husband drives it to and from work, sometimes 7 miles across town, sometimes 70 miles one way to his secondary location. Occasionally we would have to switch cars and I would need to use it for 3 kids as well (currently 10, 7, 5 yo).
 
I like the minivan type sliding doors as our driveway is quite narrow and these doors make getting in/out of the 2nd/3rd rows a lot easier.
 
Thoughts?

#713 of 1387 Mazda5 3rd row death seat? by rdelaney

Mar 19, 2006 (6:27 am)

We have been impressed with everything about the 5. It meets our needs, gets great reviews ect. The one thing stopping us from buying it is the proximity of the 3rd row seat. Ours would be occupied by our 3 year old girl. Doesn't the thought of a rear end collision scare anyone else? One of the most frequent accidents in traffic is the rear ender-and I have witnessed one at speed. My biggest fear about the car is that scenario with our girl in the rear seat. Has Mazda addressed this? I would like to buy a 5, but not unless there is protection for the children in the 3rd row sear from a rear end collision. I would appreciate any research any one has to assuage this fear as I would really like to buy the car.

#714 of 1387 Re: How does the size of the Mazda 5 compare to [audreymarks] by pagetuner

Mar 19, 2006 (3:13 pm)

Replying to: audreymarks (Mar 19, 2006 1:52 am)
Audreymarks: This http://pagetuner.com/mazda5/mazda5sizecompare.html page shows a side-by-side with a minivan. The step in height makes more of a difference than you'd think. In a sedan you crouch/fall into the seats. In a minivan or SUV you climb up into the seats. In the Mazda5 you open the door and sit down. The sliding doors on a station-wagon sized vehicle are a terrific design. You should test-drive one for sure.
 
pagetuner
http://pagetuner.com/mazda5

#715 of 1387 Re: Mazda5 3rd row death seat? [rdelaney] by audreymarks

Mar 19, 2006 (3:44 pm)

Replying to: rdelaney (Mar 19, 2006 6:27 am)
I have similar concerns. If we were to get one, it would occasionally have all 5 family members in it. Of course if we wait two more years my oldest will be 12 and able to sit in the front seat if my husband and I switch cars for the day. He wants to get a Subaru Baja which only seats 4!

#716 of 1387 Re: Mazda5 3rd row death seat? [audreymarks] by rdelaney

Mar 19, 2006 (5:03 pm)

Replying to: audreymarks (Mar 19, 2006 3:44 pm)
Good to know I am not crazy. I feel like I am the only one who thinks about this. I am hoping there is some special safety featur I don't know about yet. Those rear seats just scare me and ironically are the reason we would get a 5 over a CRV.

Messages Page 72 of 139

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