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Mazda 5 vs Kia Rondo

859 messages,  Last post on Aug 22, 2010 at 8:13 PM

You are in the Mazda Mazda5 Forum.

What is this discussion about? Mazda MAZDA5, Kia Rondo, Car Comparisons, Car Buying, Wagon

Messages Page 31 of 87

#296 of 859 Re: Snap Judgements [bobw3] by coolmazda5

Feb 08, 2008 (2:13 pm)

Replying to: bobw3 (Feb 08, 2008 10:15 am)
Weird. I uploaded them here in CarSpace to avoid any non-compatibility issues. What about the links?
 
http://www.carspace.com/coolmazda5/Albums/mazda5%20cargo/mazda5_stroller_001.jpg- - - /photo/v./photo.jpg
 
http://www.carspace.com/coolmazda5/Albums/mazda5%20cargo/mazda5_stroller_003.jpg- - - /photo/v./photo.jpg
 
And I have added the ones with the car seat. Captain chairs just make it work well, the baby seats are extremely wide
 

 

#297 of 859 Re: Snap Judgements [coolmazda5] by mrbwa1

Feb 08, 2008 (3:05 pm)

Replying to: coolmazda5 (Feb 07, 2008 5:43 pm)
coolmazda5: thanks for the photos. I remember seeing them a while back and they look like a similar stroller. Our son was born Jan 24th (Our 1st), so we really haven't had too many outings. I'm still getting the hang or fatherhood right now. We have also have my 2 1/2 yr old nephew in a booster seat in the 5 a few times and the 6-seat configuration is very nice there. He also loves the 5 because he can operate the sliding doors due to their low effort! Surprisingly, with a toddler in the middle row and the seat all the way up, he had a nice foot rest on the back of the passenger seat and I had decent room back in the 3rd row "economy class" section. (The wife is usually driving "her" car).
 
  I'll also second the amazing amount of space that baby "stuff" takes up in a car! Another nice thing about the 5 is the shallow tray in the back. I just checked and ours is filled with extra wipes, diapers, etc.
 
All and all, I think the 5 has some very kid-friendly features that helped sway opur decision. BUT, if I were putting in a bunch of adults, or perhaps needing to tow, than the Rondo has some advantages there.

#298 of 859 '08 Rondo EX 5-seater, CDN by conwelpic

Feb 08, 2008 (5:22 pm)

becp - congratulations on the purchase of the '08 Mazda 5, I'm sure you will enjoy it very much.
However I was extremely surpised regarding your comment
"my arms had no place to rest ... I am used to that centre console and side arm rest... I started thinking of what I liked in the Explorer so I turned on the stereo .. and it was poor .. not even fair .. I would consider it poor ... when back at the dealership .. I asked about arm rests and stereo upgrade and told no to armrests and that was the upgraded stereo ... "
 
this is totally opposite to my findings, the combination of the door rest and the centre console armrest makes it very confortable and just at the right height and I also find that if you are using the transmission manually, that resting your arm on the console armrest to shift is the ideal height - couldn't be more perfect set up. I have the seat all the way back and I'm 5'-11".
Regarding the stereo - I find it outstanding and listening to my CD's through the six speakers, I couldn't ask for a better sound. It's so easy to operature, maybe it wasn't set up right? Very puzzling comments, almost like you are not driving the same vehicle I own.
 
some pictures
carrying a large item in the back of my Rondo
 

 
possible storage capacity in the 5-seater model
 

#299 of 859 Re: '08 Rondo EX 5-seater, CDN [conwelpic] by coolmazda5

Feb 08, 2008 (5:40 pm)

Replying to: conwelpic (Feb 08, 2008 5:22 pm)
Finally some pics. That gives a better "picture" to potential buyers. What is in the box? I think I posted these long time ago, but here we go again, I'm not tracking where all my old posts are:
 
Here is a swing set (2 seater). The store did not think it would fit . I just had to tie the liftgate and drive through back roads.
 

 

 
And here is trip day (4 seater):
 

#300 of 859 Re: '08 Rondo EX 5-seater, CDN [coolmazda5] by conwelpic

Feb 08, 2008 (6:13 pm)

Replying to: coolmazda5 (Feb 08, 2008 5:40 pm)
don't see your pictures in this last post, I see mine. The pictures on your early one with the stroller came out fine.
 
The box weighed nearly 200lbs and was 56" long, 33" wide and 25" high, I had quite a bit of room to the back of the front seats when it was in place.

#301 of 859 Re: '08 Rondo EX 5-seater, CDN [conwelpic] by coolmazda5

Feb 08, 2008 (6:33 pm)

Replying to: conwelpic (Feb 08, 2008 6:13 pm)
I'm afraid to say that mine was bigger than yours, sort to speak (that sounded nasty) although I think less heavy
 
Damn Carspace web site, it is so weird and user unfriendly, I see them OK on my side even if I don't log in. Oh well, that is one of the reasons I don't use it often.
 
What about the links:
 
http://www.carspace.com/coolmazda5/Albums/mazda5%20cargo/1.jpg
 
http://www.carspace.com/coolmazda5/Albums/mazda5%20cargo/3.jpg
 
http://www.carspace.com/coolmazda5/Albums/mazda5%20cargo/4.jpg

#302 of 859 Re: Snap Judgements [coolmazda5]. Mazda5 Car Seats Links by coolmazda5

Feb 08, 2008 (7:59 pm)

Replying to: coolmazda5 (Feb 08, 2008 2:13 pm)
I resist to use any other forum site for pics hosting so to respect this CarSpace forum rules, but here are the links to the car seats if you are still interested, if not, well, just don't click on them .
 
Tested on Firefox and Internet Explorer...
 
http://www.carspace.com/coolmazda5/Albums/mazda5%20cargo/mazda5_car_seat_width_1- 7.jpg/photo/v./photo.jpg
 
http://www.carspace.com/coolmazda5/Albums/mazda5%20cargo/mazda5_car_seat_width_1- 8.jpg/photo/v./photo.jpg

#303 of 859 Re: '08 Rondo EX 5-seater, CDN [conwelpic] by becp

Feb 08, 2008 (11:59 pm)

Replying to: conwelpic (Feb 08, 2008 5:22 pm)
Thanks conwelpic and medicineman !!
Im a perdy skinny guy and 5-11 myself ... so that is odd how it fit you .. It was just not doing it for me... Im my previous SUV's the seats were higher so I guess I could be closer to the steering wheel so my elbows were able to rest on the door armrest and console... The ability to move the steering wheel around has always helped me get comfy in a vehicle ... but in the Rondo, when my legs were comfortable with the seat back I also noticed my arms were stretched out ...I played with the seat and drove for about a 1/2 hour adjusting all the time trying to get it right ... I had to reach out to the steering wheel ... believe me I wanted it to be comfortable ... M5 has very limited seat adjustments, not powered ( that feature I loved in my Explorer to adjust all different ways... so Im lucky it works for me or I may still be shopping or settled for the Legacy Touring addition)
 
As for audio .. being in the music industry most of my life... I was trying for a sound I enjoyed ... again it just wasn't doing it for me (I had no CD's with me on any test drives and rely on radio most of the time anyways)
 
I think the real deal breaker for me was that I had to get the 7 seater to get the options I wanted and to fit my monthy budget, it would have forced me to have a substantial pay out after the finacing term available ... but make no mistake, the Rondo was impressive ... the way that the back seats of the Rondo layed out flat was excellent ... the protective backing on the seats .. it was roomy ... I was in luv lol ... seeing your pics with the seats folded down bring a tear to my eye (kidding of course)
 
Bottom line ... the M5 won my over... I am loving it ... up to 600km WEEW HEWWW! lol ... no regrets yet lol

#304 of 859 Re: smooth on the highway [coolmazda5] by medicineman

Feb 09, 2008 (12:33 am)

Replying to: coolmazda5 (Feb 08, 2008 2:05 pm)
Okay, I took some pictures with the strollers and child seats in place. BTW, I didn't bother asking anyone (i.e., the wife) to sit in the car to demonstrate the car's roominess (or lack there of). When I told her what I was doing, she basically mocked me for wasting my time on this--and she's pretty much right. Ahh, she always provides a dose of reality.
 
First thing you'll notice in the pictures is that I only have the base for the baby seat. The baby was sleeping in the seat inside the house when I took these pictures and I don't think the wife would have been happy if I took the seat (with or without baby) just for this photography session.
 
Second thing, I hope everyone appreciates the effort it took to take these pictures, because I lost some blood over this--literally. While I was taking the last couple of pictures, I noticed that there was a reddish smudge on the seat and couldn't quite figure out what the heck it was. Then I noticed that my thumb was bleeding. I had somehow sliced it while moving stuff around in the garage (I guess). On closer examination, I found even more red spots in the vehicle and on the strollers. Needless to say, I wasn't doing the happy dance. So nobody better ask me to take any more pictures because you're just opening up a can of whoop ass!
 
Lastly, the pictures are fuzzy because I used my cellphone camera. Sorry about that.
 
Here's the umbrella stroller behind the third-row seats. Obviously, a larger stroller won't fit back there. Notice underneath the stroller that there's a handle flush with the floor --lift up the lid and you got some storage space below.
 

 
A larger stroller can fit after storing a third-row seat. Notice the third-row armrests on each side--lift up the lid on top of the armrest and you got a little more storage space. (In the first picture, see the red spot on the top-right set of wheels on the larger stroller? That's my DNA.)
 

 

 
Here are the two child seats. The blue thing is the base for the baby seat (it's latched into place although you can't see the anchors). The other seat is an older booster seat that uses the seatbelt to hold it in place. Last summer, I shoehorned my ten-year-old niece between the child seats on a couple of occasions--I don't think I would try that with an adult. (Notice the smudge on the seat cushion between the two child seats? Again, my DNA. Blood, that is. What fluid did you think I was talking about?)
 

 

 
This final picture is just showing the entry way into the third row.
 

 
As you can see, the door opening is wide and the seat slides forward by at least a foot, so it's really no problem getting back there. If there's a child seat in the way in the second row, you'll have to remove it. I usually have only one child seat in the second row (contrary to what the pictures imply, I only have one kid), so you can always enter on the other side without removing the child seat.
 
The one thing that I couldn't demonstrate was two adults plus child seat in the second row. Obviously, I'm not talking about two CFL linebackers here. I'm talking about my and my wife's kin, who all happen to be around 5'5" to 5'9" (so yes, I'm the freakishly tall monstrosity of my family).

#305 of 859 Re: Snap Judgements [coolmazda5] by medicineman

Feb 09, 2008 (5:59 am)

Replying to: coolmazda5 (Feb 08, 2008 2:13 pm)
coolmazda5, sometimes I see your pictures and sometimes I don't. I finally see them now. Actually, I probably could have seen them by clicking the links, but I was too lazy.
 
That baby seat looks ginormous compared to our Graco. I know that you can access the third row without moving any seats by using the narrow middle aisle, but can you actually squeeze past that humongous baby seat to get to the middle aisle? Or do you have to remove the baby seat first, or enter on the other side of the vehicle?
 
About your box being bigger than conwelpic's box (insert joke here)--you do realize that your box doesn't actually fit in your vehicle whereas conwelpic's box does fit in his vehicle, right? I think the giveaway is that your box is protruding out the back of your vehicle.
 
Anyway, time for a couple of more hours of shut eye.

Messages Page 31 of 87

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