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Vans & Minivans Mazda Mazda5 Mazda 5 vs Kia Rondo
806 messages, Last post on Nov 26, 2009 at 2:38 PM
You are in the Mazda Mazda5 Forum. Your Host is Karens
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Replying to: coolmazda5 (Jul 22, 2007 4:21 am) "Ideal size" may not be in the American vocabulary where "bigger is always better".  I think the 1st gen Odyssey was perfectly sized. Though I do prefer sliding rear doors like on the Mazda5. You may recall the little Mitsubishi Expo LRV from the early 90s had sliding rear doors too, while the larger Expo (non-LRV) had regular opening rear doors like the Rondo and 1st gen Odyssey. There were some other good designs then like the tall Nissan Stanza Wagon and Nissan Axxess. (The Axxess we only had in the USA for a single model year but was sold for 5 years in Canada.) http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/jc/90-95axxess.htm Really, here in the USA, we have only a fraction of what they have elsewhere in the world.  Just looking at the cornucopia on this page... http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/about_toyota/manufacturing/product.html it becomes apparent that most vehicles outside the USA are some variation on the hatchback/wagon/"MPV" small minivan theme. More pics of these can be found here: http://www.cars-directory.net/gallery/toyota/ The SUV is really not the best replacement for the station wagon. Chrysler had it right in 1984 with the original Caravan/Voyager. It took way too long for the Japanese automakers to bring something really competitive to the table in the USA. And now everythings just gone all SUV-crazy. All I can say is hopefully sales of the Mazda5 and Rondo will set a new trend toward offering sensible, smaller minivans in the USA market.
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After reading this forum and doing other research, my wife and I finally bought a Kia Rondo LX, v6, 7 seater. We have a one year old and another on the way, and plan on a big family. We bought the Rondo a month ago from a dealer in Auburn WA, and absolutely love it. We have used it as a moving truck from a condo to a house, and it's load capacity is great. Our favorite thing about it, though, is the visibility - it doesn't look as cool as the sleek, high waisted comparable cars, but it makes such a difference to see out of all the windows. Our one year old is clearly engaged with the outside because he can actually see it now. Our experience with the dealer wasn't great (ask, and I'll tell you...), but the car itself is a pleasure to drive and has suited our needs to a "T." Tomas |
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Replying to: dakota29803 (Jul 22, 2007 4:58 am) |
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Replying to: coolmazda5 (Jul 22, 2007 4:02 am)  ! Of all the cars I have had, 16 MPG for a new engine in the middle of a miserable summer really isn't bad. If I am still getting 16 MPG in January, then Houston We Have A Problem Just for the heck of it, I'll top off the tank and take a 50 mile all highway drive. Stay tuned.
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Replying to: vegasrondo (Jul 23, 2007 4:47 pm) 
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Replying to: toronado455 (Jul 23, 2007 10:03 am) All I can say is hopefully sales of the Mazda5 and Rondo will set a new trend toward offering sensible, smaller minivans in the USA market. Yep, this one of my aims for being in these forums . By the time I need to replace my Mazda5, I would like to see more of these models as possible options in the future. In addition, if gas goes up (~$6.82 per gallon in Germany) it will support the cause. Axxess and Stanza Wagon. Well, I've seen them around but never attracted me (even when those were new. They were functional but very ugly). I realize that designing this type of cars is very difficult, that is why when I saw the Mazda5 (very functional, spacious PLUS a good looking design) I really liked it. My personal view is that the Rondo is very functional but still lacks the good looking design part. Other brands, like Opel and Volkswagen, are also catching up. As example, the first Opel Zafira was ugly, but the new one is much better looking. Same with the VW Touran and, actually, the first Mazda5 (1999-2005 Premacy in Asia) |
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"My personal view is that the Rondo is very functional but still lacks the good looking design part. " I hear you on this point - I also like the way the mazda looks better. What I didn't like was that narrow rear window and how low it rides to the ground- we bottomed out on a hill on the test drive. We also got the kia for a lot less $$. Also found the interior of the kia more spacious and the seats 6 and 7 were more comfortable.. Cheers, T
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Replying to: tgahan (Jul 24, 2007 10:45 am) What I didn't like was that narrow rear window and how low it rides to the ground- we bottomed out on a hill on the test drive No issues with regards to the rear window but, very true, The Mazda5 rides lower than other cars (especially the front bumper/spoiler is a troublemaker). I kind of like the height but, yes, it was a hassle when new so we had to spend some time to get used to it. I remember scratching the bumper bottom several times against parking car stops where I usually never cared about with our other car. We now have to make sure we stop at a safe distance from front curbs or car stops when angle parking  , just in case. During snow days and snow piles, yes something to look out as well 
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(Edit: I originally posted 3 articles, but one of them seemed to be just a rip-off of Graeme Fletcher's article.) Looking to downsize, but still needs space I think this is a transcript from an automotive TV show hosted by Jeremy Cato and Michael Vaughan in Canada. They also discuss the Chevy HHR. Vaughan doesn't like Kia's reliability record based on the reports from Consumer Reports and J.D. Power. Being a Rondo owner myself, I want to point out what the reports actually say. Kia ranked 17th out of 36 in the 2007 Consumer Reports study, which isn't outstanding, but it isn't horrible, either. In the 2006 Power's three-year dependability study, Kia ranked fourth from the bottom--but it also notes, "Kia has improved twice as much as any other brand in the past three years." The 2007 study should be released in the next few weeks, so it'll be interesting to see if the trend continues. Power also has a 90-day initial quality study. The 2007 study notes, "Among non-premium brands, Kia posts the largest improvement in ranking, moving from 24th in 2006 to 12th in 2007." |
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