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Vans & Minivans Mazda Mazda5 Mazda5 Owners - Give Us Your Report
226 messages, Last post on Nov 02, 2009 at 9:08 AM
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Replying to: jeobandof (Sep 14, 2007 7:18 pm) http://www.flickr.com/photos/13727793  N04/ 
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Overall impression - fun to drive (drives & parks like a small car), economical (25 average, ranging 23-28), versatile (kayaks on rack, bikes or people or Home Depot stuff inside, 2x2x2 configuration is awesome). Dealer service - very attentive, there's a program in place because I get mailers, an e-mail of the work ticket, etc. Good stuff: mechanicals and controls are flawless; lack of 5th gear is not an issue as engine is torquey and holds a gear without constantly downshifting. Value is outstanding, friends are amazed at the GT equipment (sunroof, leather, HID headlights, climate control) offered for the $. Power is adequate; quick starts, slow re-acceleration if you lose speed on an uphill; decent passing power on the flats. Bad stuff: paint is thin (hood dings from rocks), and plastic is cheap (3rd row belt clip broke; door seal fastener on leading edge of sliding door broke when door closed on my shoulder). There's a slight rattle somewhere in the front, will live with it; carpeting is thin, i got monster mats to protect it. Speakers are really bad; changed out front and rear speakers for $300 including installation at Best Buy. Competition: I drove CRV 5 speed and it is always hunting gears; I drove Rondo with 5SP and V6, great powertrain but wondered about the mileage. CRV build quality seems as good or better; Rondo quality appears outstanding. Rondo does not have tilt-telescope and that killed the deal as I could not get comfortable. Picky stuff: Armrests are goofy, but I saw the '08 at the LA Auto Show, and while the front passenger gets an armrest (console is redesigned), the rear seat passengers do not get outboard (door) armrests - so I don't feel so bad about the '07's design. 2nd row seats should have hard backs to protect from loads; no fold-flat as there are gaps when all rows are down (solution: $20 black carpet from WalMart that I just leave in the back. Overall: versatile, great value, and fun driving experience! I would buy it again.
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Replying to: lcostantino (Dec 13, 2007 12:24 pm) the rear seat passengers do not get outboard (door) armrests 2nd row seats get them in the 08 Overall: versatile, great value, and fun driving experience! I would buy it again. Agreed. I actually have an 06 (2+ years) and now an 08 . Very happy with both.
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Replying to: coolmazda5 (Dec 13, 2007 4:52 pm)
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I have an '07 Touring w/7000 mi. Love it. Only problems I have are: 1: Expected better fuel mileage. Usually around 21-22 mpg. I drive 27 mi. round trip 5 days a week to work, 7 mi. on 65 mph expressway w/cruise set 65. Does this sound reasonable or should I be expecting better? 2: The car seems to slow excessively when let off gas pedal. I have a 1/2 mile downgrade near my house w/a 30 mph speed limit. My wife's van (12 passenger chevy) and my previous car ('93 lumina) both would pick up speed (abt. 5 mph) from top of hill to bottom with foot off gas pedal. My 5 will actually slow from 30 to abt 28or27 top to bottom. If I bump the trans. to neutral it will gain the 5mph. Not sure if this is normal or if there is some abnormal drag which might be effecting fuel mileage. Any comments or other experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
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Replying to: luvsmy5 (Dec 20, 2007 1:58 pm) The slowdown downhill is normal. It is a combination of the gearing, but mostly engine compression in the 5. The modern engines run at upwards of 9.5:1 compression, adding to engine braking. Older engines and especially the bigger american V6 and V8s tend to have much lower (8:1 or less) compression. In theory, coasting may gain a bit better mpg, but I never feel completely safe with the car rolling in neutral.
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Replying to: mrbwa1 (Dec 20, 2007 4:00 pm) |
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I test drove a sport automatic today and drove it down my quarter mile dirt/gravel road. When stopped at the stop sign and starting, the tires seemed to lose traction for a couple of seconds. When I asked the salesman, he said that's b/c the tires are new. I currently drive a toyota corolla wagon and didn't experience this on my road, even with new tires. Is this how a minivan drives? Any comments on the tires that come with this car? Any experience driving it on dirt/gravel ? Thanks.
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Replying to: dlilly (Dec 27, 2007 9:00 pm) |
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I just realized that I could have posted my message here at the "New Owners" section, so I'm going to copy and paste it here. OK, so I have it! I am the proud owner of a new 2008, Sunlight Stellar Silver, Mazda 5 Grand Touring since 12/20/07. I immediately took it on a family road trip to North Carolina and have already put over 2,000 miles on it. So, it's broken in. And, I'm in LOVE with the car! Positives: I have to say that the car looks much better in person than in the pictures provided online - though the ones in the brochure are magnificent and do the car justice. The car looks especially striking at night with the lights on. It really is a great looking car and it makes me turn back to look at it every time I get out of it - as did my old 06, but this one even more so. I LOVE the leather seats! They really are of high quality, and they're soft and comfortable. I was afraid they were going to feel cheap, but I was, thankfully, wrong. I LOVE the HID headlights. They really do make a huge difference in lighting, and in the looks of the car. LOVE the new taillights! At first, I was iffy about them, but, again, they look so much better in person, and the fact that they're LED just adds to the "pizzaz" factor. The same is true for the new rims. At first, I didn't like them judging from the pictures, but they look much better in person. I don't know if I'm crazy, but the car also feels more refined than it used to. It feels more buttoned down, and the ride feels nicer, as does the build quality. It just feels richer, more expensive than it used to. Call me crazy. I LOVE the new 5 speed automatic - it really DOES make a difference in fuel economy. My best tank so far has been 425 miles of pure highway - though I could have gone more if I wasn't so nervous. I filled up with 14 gallons, which equals 30.36 MPG! That's GREAT economy and significantly higher than the 27 highway that is estimated for it. Also, as the car ages more, the economy should get a bit better. As you may recall, I had a previous issue with the fact that the center console now doesn't have any covers for the cupholders and other cubbies. I no longer have issues with that. The center console, on a whole, looks and feels better than before. Did I mention that I LOOOVE the new heated seats? So delicious in these butt cold days we've been having in NY. Did I also mention that I LOOOOVE the new automatic headlights and rain-sensing wipers?!?!? SO convenient. Love it! The new front styling, the rear taillights and the new improvements to the interior really make a huge difference. And the step up to the Grand Touring is really worthwhile in my opinion, too. I'm glad I made the trade-in, even though I miss my old Max (06 Touring) since it was my first car ever. But, the fact that it's the same car really made the adjustment period a lot easier and quicker BTW, I like the rear A/C vents and the true iPod/Aux port, too - very convenient and useful. I love the fact that the charger port is right next to it, too, and that the little covers STAY open when you open them. The ones that keep flipping down, which are prevalent in other cars (like my mom's Honda CRV) are annoying. Just thought I'd add that. The negatives will be on another posting and won't be as long as this one. |
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