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Vans & Minivans Mazda Mazda5 Mazda 5 vs Kia Rondo
803 messages, Last post on Nov 16, 2009 at 3:25 PM
You are in the Mazda Mazda5 Forum. Your Host is Karens
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Replying to: kparola (Nov 07, 2007 11:40 am) Mazda5 Wins Highest Crash Safety Rating from EU and Japanese New Car Testing Agencies http://www.japancorp.net/Article.asp?Art_ID=12380 |
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Replying to: medicineman (Nov 05, 2007 2:18 pm) In the December 2007 issue of Consumer Reports, there is finally a review of the Rondo (sorry, no link). The Rondo got a score of 76 out of 100 (thanks, viking79, for that info). The Mazda5 got a score of 86 in CR's 2007 annual auto issue, topping the "Wagons and Hatchbacks" category. If the Rondo were included in that category, it would have been tied for fourth out of 22 vehicles. Watch a video of CR's evaluation of the Rondo. It's short and sweet and incomplete.
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Replying to: medicineman (Nov 08, 2007 5:48 pm) |
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| I went to the Tampa Auto Show yesterday and checked out the Rondo (no Mazda5's there.....don't think the 2008's are out yet....but, I own a 2007 to compare it to). I really liked the Rondo. If I did not require sliding rear doors, I would have selected the Rondo over the Mazda5. | |
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Replying to: conwelpic (Nov 06, 2007 1:03 pm) Rondo - 828 Mazda 5 - 823 Couldn't get much closer than that! However, on a year-to-date basis the Mazda 5 is nearly 4000 units ahead of the Rondo.
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| Sharp looking car. Not sure what year it was. | |
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Replying to: conwelpic (Nov 11, 2007 5:19 pm)  Given the availability time for the 2008 mazda5 in NA (US and Canada) reality seems that the Mazda5 is not a Mazda business priority (marketing-production-sales) for these 2 markets (i.e. cash cow like the Mazda3) Take a look of the numbers for Mazda in general, a different story. Also, my theory is that there may not be more significant sales of 2007 Mazda5s during this past month because potential owners are waiting for the 2008 (with all the new improvements/enhancements) to come. MAZDA reports double digit sales increase for third straight month http://media.ford.com/mazda/article_display.cfm?article_id=27150&make_id=227 Also, in other markets Mazda5 is a big seller and award winner, so if I were Mazda I would ship my production to those markets instead (which I think they are doing anyway  ): Mazda5 Awards Worldwide http://www.mazda.co.za/servlet/ContentServer?cid=1163398491496&pagename=Page&sit- - - - - e=MSA&c=DFYPage |
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Here's another comparative review of the Rondo and Mazda5 (why are all the comparative reviews thus far from the Canadian press?): New breed of minivans shrink to broaden their appeal. The Mazda5 gets the edge over the Rondo. I mostly agree with everything that was said in this review, although I would come to a different conclusion (I bought the Rondo over the Mazda5, after all). This review was of the 2007 Mazda5, not the more feature-rich 2008 version. Plus, the review never mentions looks, which I think the Mazda5 wins by default due to the Rondo's unconventional aesthetics--some think it's butt ugly; others like the looks; I just think it's bland or odd (I'm not sure if I stated that before, but that's what I think now).
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Replying to: medicineman (Nov 24, 2007 7:11 am) |
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Replying to: bowserh (Nov 26, 2007 3:37 am) Hey, I have two eyes. I know the Rondo doesn't conform to how "cool" vehicles look these days. I know it won't win many beauty contests. Having said that, I would have never purchased the Rondo if I had truly thought that it were ugly. To me, the Rondo is bland more than anything else. My wife and sisters, though, think that it's cute. What's that? Did I just hear a collective gasp from every male car enthusiast on the planet? BTW, I'm not suggesting that all women will have the same opinion. I'm just saying that women don't see cars the same way as guys do. A guy tends to see his vehicle as an extension of himself, thus the more sleek or muscular it is, the better. I don't see too many women giving a rat's butt about this or caring that much if others like their ride. When I was shopping for a vehicle earlier this year, I was looking for a mini people hauler primarily for utilitarian reasons. This is actually a redundant statement, because why else would anyone consider vehicles like these? If it also happened to look way cool, that would have been a bonus rather than a necessity. Naturally, I cross-shopped the Rondo with the Mazda5, which I admit is more of a head turner than the Rondo. Utility, however, was the trump card. To me, the Rondo seemed more useful than the Mazda5. What sold me on the Rondo is that it can seat up to seven people (the Mazda5 can hold six) and it has a greater variety of possible passenger/cargo combinations due to its 2-3-2 seating scheme (the Mazda5 is 2-2-2). I think it's more useful having bench seats in the second row rather than two bucket seats. When seating four to six people, the Rondo has more useful cargo space than the Mazda5 due to the amount of unused seating that can be folded away. Do I need seven seats? If I needed seven (or six) seats, I would've purchased a minivan. But I knew that I would occasionally find the up-to-seven seating useful, which has proven to be true. Granted, I wouldn't want tall adults sitting in the third row (isn't that the usual disclaimer for third row seating in non-humongous vehicles?), but my two 13-year-old nieces didn't complain at all while sitting back there and happily listened to their iPods. In a pinch, the third row is useful; if you need that capacity all of the time, look elsewhere. The Rondo is all about versatility and value, with no pretensions at being hot or sporty. To some, this is its greatest weakness; to others, this is its greatest strength. My personal view is, no one demands hottie looks or exceptional performance from practical vehicles like a minivan, so why would one expect this from the Rondo? To knock the Rondo for this seems to somehow miss the point. Functionality is the Rondo's raison de être and this has been achieved in the Rondo with a remarkable deftness. Make no mistake, I'm not saying that looks or performance are never important--but what would be the point of buying a vehicle like this if it didn't first and foremost fulfill your utilitarian requirements? For potential buyers, if you can't get over the Rondo's looks and you find the Mazda5's utility to be sufficient, I would suggest the Mazda5 for its relative hot looks and relative sportiness.
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