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Rondo vs Outlander/Rav4/Santa Fe/Mazda5

271 messages,  Last post on Jul 30, 2008 at 1:09 PM

You are in the Mazda Mazda5 Forum.

What is this discussion about? Kia Rondo, Mitsubishi Outlander, Hyundai Santa Fe, Toyota RAV4, Mazda MAZDA5, Car Buying, Wagon

Messages Page 26 of 28

#247 of 271 Re: 2008 Mazda5 for North America. Updated Pics [bobw3] by medicineman

Dec 03, 2007 (9:25 pm)

Replying to: bobw3 (Dec 03, 2007 7:02 pm)
I don't really trust the volume measurements given out by Mazda or Kia. The best thing to do is to get out the old tape measure and to measure both vehicles. Of course, who has done that? Not me.
 
I've read in another forum about someone selling a washer and dryer set. The seller recounted how the buyer came by in a Rondo and was surprised that the buyer could fit both in the cargo area behind the first row. Not in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that would be even remotely possible in my own Rondo, so you learn something new every day.
 
When comparing cargo space, you have to remember the different seating arrangements in each vehicle. The Rondo is 2+3+2 (or 2+3 in the five seater) and the Mazda5 is 2+2+2.
 
Let's say there are 4 people in the vehicle and you want to store stuff behind the second row. In the Rondo, you have the option of folding down one seat in the second row to free up additional cargo space. That option, of course, isn't available in the Mazda5. You can probably make use of the space between the second-row bucket seats in the Mazda5, but that space obviously isn't as large or useful as the space created when folding down one of the second-row seats in the Rondo.
 
Now let's say there are 6 people in the vehicle. When I was checking out the Mazda5 earlier this year, it appeared to have more space behind the third row seats than the Rondo. You can probably store a bulky stroller behind the third row in the Mazda5, whereas I can just fit an umbrella stroller behind the third row in my Rondo. With the Rondo, however, you also have the option of folding down one of the third-row seats to free up additional cargo space. In the Mazda5, all seats would have to be deployed.
 
As for how well seven people actually fit in the Rondo, I've posted about this before in much detail (my motto is, why say something in ten words when you can say it in a hundred?). That was in another forum, though. Long story short, sitting in the middle of the second row is comparable in comfort to sitting in one of the third-row seats. That's based on my subjective reading of the whine factor of my passengers. I think we can all agree that, for either vehicle, four people can sit in relative luxury and the additional seating is really for occasional use only.
 
I've sat in the third row in both vehicles and my take is this: the Rondo seems to have more leg room and the Mazda5 seems to have more head room. This is after making adjustments in both vehicles so that the leg room is optimized in all rows.

#248 of 271 Re: 2008 Mazda5 for North America. Updated Pics [08outtie] by bgw

Dec 30, 2007 (6:04 pm)

Replying to: 08outtie (Dec 03, 2007 4:18 pm)
08outtie makes the statement about the Rondo's interior design - "The side effects are less comfortable sitting position". I have to disagree. For me, this makes for a MORE comfortable seating position, and it is one of the reasons I bought my 07 EX V6 Rondo. Judging by the sheer numbers of Rondos that I see, I can only assume these owners don't feel the same way either.

#249 of 271 Re: 2008 Mazda5 for North America. Updated Pics [bgw] by coolmazda5

Dec 30, 2007 (6:34 pm)

Replying to: bgw (Dec 30, 2007 6:04 pm)
Originally posted by bgw:
Judging by the sheer numbers of Rondos that I see, I can only assume these owners don't feel the same way either
 
Hmmmm, not all of the Rondo owners buy them because they have comfortable sitting. I own 2 Mazda5s and I wish they had 1-2 inches of extra legroom for the driver, yet it pays off with the rest of its space design. All cars have their little or big griefs, it is not just about sitting.

#250 of 271 Re: 2008 Mazda5 for North America. Updated Pics [bgw] by 08outtie

Dec 31, 2007 (1:16 am)

Replying to: bgw (Dec 30, 2007 6:04 pm)
I apologize for the confusion. In my previous post, I was referring to the interior-room design trend in general across all the newer vehicles. I didn't mean to say that the seats in Rondo were less comfortable than any others. I actually only sat in a Rondo for a couple of minutes in the showroom, so I could hardly attest to how comfortable it is.
 
I bought an 08 Mitsubishi Outlander earlier in December. The 7 seats were very handy as my family just came to town for Christmas and I was able to caravan all 7 of us. However, my sister gave the third row in the Outlander a level 9 in UN-comfortableness with the scale of 1-10 with 10 being the worst back seat ever. The third row in the Outlander was low to the ground, so my sister basically had her knees touching her chin when she was back there. The cushioning in the third row was also not good, which made my sister went "ouch" everytime we went over a bump on the road. The upside was that the second row in the Outlander continued to have better than good legroom and headroom whether the third row was in use. This was the area where Mazda5 and Rondo cannot match.
 
The sixth and seventh seat in the vehicle are really just for occasional uses only, so the comfort in the second row seats are a bigger concern in my case. The second row in the Outlander is so much bigger than Mazda5 or Rondo. That is why I got the Outlander instead. In addition to that, the 4wd on the Outlander is also one of the deciding factors.
 
It is funny that I cross-shopped these three vehicles. The outlander is an CUV, the Mazda5 is "almost" a mini-van and Rondo is "almost" a station wagon. I thought I was having a weird shopping list. But after I saw this discussion thread, I guess I'm not alone cross-shopping these three cars.
 
Cheers and happy new year.

#251 of 271 2008 RAV4 vs 2008 Outlander by batman47

Dec 31, 2007 (6:55 am)

In road test review made by Edmunds in four vehicles, i.e. Mitsubishi Outlander (V6), RAV4 (V6), Honda CR-V (4-cyl), and Nissan Rogue (4-cyl) reported that the RAV4 (V6) was the winner of this road test. The test, however, has shown an involuntary bias in the criteria for this evaluation.
 
Owners of the RAV4 have reported the poor payload capacity of the RAV4 that may demonstrate the lack of meat in the construction of the vehicle. The max payload capacity of any RAV4 is the equivalent of 7-persons weight (approximately 150 lbs each). So if you load your RAV4 with 7-persons the roof rail and the roof box are just decorations. Camping or picnic with 7-person is unpractical in a RAV4, i.e. no cargo for the usual stuff. Let’s us now see the Outlander (V6) where its payload capacity is enough to carry a total weight of 9-people (150 lbs each). This is to say 7-people as passengers and the weight equivalent of 2-people as cargo. The roof rail and roof box make sense here. This situation is much better with the Outlander ES 2.4L which its payload capacity is equivalent to 10-people weight. Making some allowances for the engine weight of both vehicles (RAV4 (V6) and Outlander (V6)) the Outlander has more than 80 lbs of meat. This weight difference in material of construction makes the Outlander stronger for carry more cargo than the RAV4.
 
Road test in the future should test the drivebility of the vehicle with maximum payload capacity no find out if the vehicles still responds as expected. In my research for a 7-seat SUV I was almost ready to order a RAV4 (V6) but after going into the details of both vehicles plus some comments of RAV4’s owners about the poor payload capacity of the Toyota I am now more inclined to order an Outlander ES 2.4L. I am not in the business of towing anything (boat, motor home, etc) so at a price of MSRP $23,100 I think the Outlander ES 2.4L suit my requirements (although the vehicle is 5-seats only).

#252 of 271 Re: 2008 RAV4 vs 2008 Outlander [batman47] by toomanyfumes

Dec 31, 2007 (11:45 am)

Replying to: batman47 (Dec 31, 2007 6:55 am)
The February Car and Driver has a comparison test of compact SUV's. They tested an ES with the 2.4 and the CVT. It finished behind the RAV4, CRV, and Nissan Rogue, and ahead of the Suzuki Vitara, Saturn VUE, Ford Escape, Hyundai Tuscon, and Jeep Liberty. They complained about the Interior quality, and engine noise and drivetrain. I would think the V6-Six speed auto would have done better.
 
It's kind of apples to oranges to compare 4 cyl. vs. V6, though. They said the Outlander has the most interior room. If you look at one, check out the V6-6 speed. It's a nice powertrain.

#253 of 271 Re: 2008 RAV4 vs 2008 Outlander [batman47] by ateixeira

Jan 01, 2008 (9:21 am)

Replying to: batman47 (Dec 31, 2007 6:55 am)
You posted the exact same thing in the 2009 Forester thread. FWIW cross-posting is not allowed on these forums.

#254 of 271 Re: 2008 RAV4 vs 2008 Outlander [ateixeira] by mpuzach

Jan 01, 2008 (12:05 pm)

Replying to: ateixeira (Jan 01, 2008 9:21 am)
You can't post the same info in different discussions? Since when? Why not?

#255 of 271 Re: 2008 RAV4 vs 2008 Outlander [mpuzach] by caliberchic

Jan 01, 2008 (4:39 pm)

Replying to: mpuzach (Jan 01, 2008 12:05 pm)
It's in the membership agreement, link at the very bottom of page. Since always and because it floods the forums with duplicate information. We ask members to not cross post, more times that not it's spam. Not saying your posting is just try to remember to choose the most appropriate place and post there.
 
 

#256 of 271 Re: 2008 RAV4 vs 2008 Outlander [mpuzach] by ateixeira

Jan 02, 2008 (11:46 am)

Replying to: mpuzach (Jan 01, 2008 12:05 pm)
It was just copied verbatim, that's all.
 
You can ask the same question in a different context, nothing wrong with that.

Messages Page 26 of 28

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