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Vans & Minivans Mazda Mazda5 2009 Mazda5
44 messages, Last post on Nov 25, 2008 at 1:37 PM
You are in the Mazda Mazda5 Forum. Your Host is Karens
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Replying to: motormope (May 16, 2008 11:57 am)
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Replying to: coolmazda5 (May 17, 2008 5:37 am) 
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I'd read rumors of a new engine that got 1 mpg better gas mileage and added a few more horses to boot. I was driving past a Mazda dealership and decided to get a firsthand look at the interior and let my 3 year old clamber around in it. The sales guy confirmed that the 2009 would have a new, improved engine. But, generally, details on other features are few and far between. I'm in the burbs north of Seattle. We get rain like 200 days a year and a few days of light snow here and there. The 5 doesn't offer AWD or even traction control, so I'm wondering if they might be upgrading the safety features for 2009. I like the 5, but if they don't step up their game on safety, it's going to be a hard sell to the wife. |
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| Where are these rumors from? I would be interested in knowing if there was any solid information what the mazda5 will have in 2009. I guess I could just wait until September to see, but curious if someone knows... | |
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According to this press release, the Mazda5 will have minimal changes for 2009. According to it, the only changes for 2009 will be: "New Liquid Silver exterior color to replace Sunlight Silver (late availability) Sand interior color now available with Stormy Blue and Brilliant Black exterior colors." Since we will not buy a family vehicle without Electronic Stability Control, that rules out the Mazda5 for us for at least another year.
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Replying to: bargainseeker (Jul 28, 2008 1:37 pm) |
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NO ESC = NO MAZDA5 FOR ME This should have been my first Mazda purchase and the start of a long valuable consumer relationship between Mazda and me. Instead, this glaring lack of proper, soon to be mandated, safety feature technology has bittered this consumer to the core. After patiently waiting, and taking the time to personally write (by both s-mail and e-mail way back in Feb) all explaining the expectations of ESC in the ’09 model; I am utterly disappointed they have stuck with the status quo; ignoring my (and many others) call for an updated M5 with ESC. I am sure that by the time Mazda sees right; there will be lots of new space wagons as competition here in the US. Look for new products in late ’09-’10, that will surely all come with ESC standard. GM, Subaru, Honda and others are all rumored to have Mazda5 class competition under development. With the cost of fuel on the rise, and a move to smaller more efficient autos already apparent - this niche segment will expand rapidly. Mazda, who was poised to strike while the fire was hot, with an outstanding product in the Mazda5 (save the obvious oversight of no ESC) will blow this perfect opportunity to become a leader in a new segment. No, instead they have settled for a sub par safety reputation; choosing the easy road, the lazy road, the road that leads to mediocrity. For me, I will move on to something else for my purchase. I cannot continue to wait for Mazda USA to wake up… a different brand for me, for sure. Likely, I will be less passionate about its shape and size than I was about the 5 - but at least I will be confident in it safety performance; which is the bottom line for first time parents – purchasing a car for their first new baby. Mazda… you’re dead to me.
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Replying to: autoholic75 (Aug 08, 2008 9:29 am) I wrote an article titled "Is Electronic Stability Control Worth It?". It doesn't say that it is or isn't. It goes into what your actual odds of an injury accident or fatal accident are, how the odds are influenced by ESC/DSC, and what your cost differential would be between the Mazda 5 and a Toyota Sienna. Then it's up to you to make up your mind. Here's a quote... "They claim it will save 10,000 lives a year. In a population of 300,000,000, that puts your odds of being in the group of people whose lives were saved by Electronic Stability Control at 1 in 30,000 in any given year. If you're not in that 1 in 30,000 group, either you weren't in an accident at all, you weren't in a potentially fatal accident, or you were in a fatal accident, but you were one of the 20,000+ people who would still die anyway, Electronic Stability Control or not." I ended up deciding that the Mazda 5 would be an okay choice. It really doesn't have much more cargo room than a Honda CRV, but the small size, sliding doors, and captain's chairs in the first two rows make it easier to fit into a tight garage, yet still get two little kids into the rear seats without having to back out first. Last, worth noting... I have a new baby due in November. It will be our second, and I've been looking at the 5 as an upgrade from my 5-door. My current car has neither stability control or ABS (the 5 has ABS), but I carted first kid around in it in the snow without ever feeling it wasn't safe enough. But, then again, I don't have a lead foot, I maintain a more-than-safe following distance to ensure I have plenty of reaction time, and I don't take my eye off the road while in motion, which probably puts me in a group of 1 in 30,000 drivers all by itself.
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Replying to: autoholic75 (Aug 08, 2008 9:29 am) |
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Replying to: chiefbongo (Aug 08, 2008 10:16 am) For me this DSC thing is not an option. I made a decision long ago that my next car for my new family, would be a new one, with all the latest in safety features that money can buy, especially stability control (ESC/DSC). Basically, it comes down to a personal experience. Back 15 years ago, when I was just a kid, I lost control of a car at highway speeds and nearly paid the ultimate price. You would be amazed at how your priorities shift once you have spent nine days in intensive care. Lucky for me, I came out of it all just fine in the end – probably learned a valuable lesson as a teenager – to respect speed at an early age. Before you write me off to negligent teenage driving, know that I wasn’t… just simply avoiding an animal on the hwy. Also, prior to my accident I had 6 years of go-cart racing experience; and at the time, I thought I knew how to handle a vehicle in a dynamic situation. I had plenty of experience for sure. But no one can maintain 100% awareness all of the time – and even the best drivers in the world make mistakes. I do agree that safe driving skills are fundamental for staying out of accidents. As coolmazda stated so well, all the safety system acronyms combined cannot protect a careless driver from themselves. I agree. But I am an engineer by profession, and by nature, I take nothing for granted when it comes to safety. The more, the better. For my loved ones, I want the state of the art; particularly since I don’t expect that I will be the one driving this car most of the time. Today’s family hauler eventually becomes JR’s crappy cruiser (people always forget this). To top it all off, the DSC software and equipment have already been developed, deployed and tested on this model for all the other markets. Corporate Mazda USA executive, in their infinite wisdom, decided (I imagine in some expensive Southern California board room where the weather is always perfect and nobody at the table even knows what black ice is) …they decided that stability control is not worth bringing to the US consumers – that we somehow do not deserve/care for the very best in modern safety technology. So now Mazda USA decides to spend more money and more time to redesign and re-spec the US bound M5 units, so they can be sold in a sub-standard state. Ultimately, any cost savings made by removing the DSC parts for US markets are likely offset by the redesign, re-spec, re-certification costs incurred. So they spend more to offer less? This does not even account for the damage done to brand reputation and the obvious loss of sales to discerning customers who insist on DSC, like me. This is not rocket science. Family cars need safety first. Mazda USA blew it. |
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