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2008 Mazda5 Safety Question

31 messages,  Last post on Jun 11, 2008 at 4:48 PM

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#5 of 31 Rear Hatch by mrbwa1 May 09, 2008 (11:09 am)
One thing I have wondered about the 5 is how much effect the plastic rear hatch affects rear crash results. I would think that the plastic can deform and shatter, potentially absorbing more energy than metal, but my physics are a bit rusty.   Anyway, to the OP, the 5 is a safe car. It's strange that it isn't tested in NA, but The Eurocap results are pretty impressive. The only thing I would like to see is the IIHS frontal offset, as I imagine that could present some risk to the drive feet. The middle and back rows look to be pretty darn safe though.   One other element that isn't often mentioned is that the Mazda 5's handling is a huge advantage in an emergency situation. Unlink a small SUV, it's better handling and lower center of gravity should keep the 5 on all 4 wheels even in an extreme swerve.   The one other ding on the 5 is that Traction Control and Stability Control are not offered. To me this isn't a big deal, but it is becoming available/standard on more and more cars and may be of importance to others. Again, I don't find it to be a big hassle, but I certainly will not impose that train of though on others.
#6 of 31 Depends who you want to protect by west_exchange May 14, 2008 (5:44 am)
Here are the two links to Euro NCAP tests. Keep in mind that the test differs from the US test, just as the driving conditions vary. I wish I found this before I bought my Mazda 5 since I would have never bought it. 3 star rating for my daughter on the back is not acceptable to me.   Mazda 5 Safety ratings:   The AA: http://www.theaa.com/allaboutcars/ncap/ncap_car_results.jsp?make=Mazda&model=Maz- - da5&year=2005&publicationDate=2005-09-01   NCAP: http://www.euroncap.com/tests/mazda_5_2005/241.aspx   Keep in mind that the European version of the car is slightly different (7 seats instead of 6) and that in the UK they have the steering wheel on the other side. Replies to this message: kivo (May 16, 2008 9:38 am) athenasius (May 16, 2008 2:08 pm)
#7 of 31 And if you are concerned with safety... by west_exchange May 14, 2008 (6:01 am)
I bet this will scare you further. This car is the highest in the category for indoor car toxicity. In my mind that's worse then 3 star rating. Accidents might or might not happen, but cancer will get you ever time. See this: http://www.healthycar.org/vehicle.details.php?getrecno=116 Replies to this message: coolmazda5 (May 14, 2008 7:51 am)
#8 of 31 further explaining chemicals by west_exchange May 14, 2008 (6:04 am)
No wonder we have so many autistic kids and learning disabilities. We spend a lot of time surrounded by polution!   Bromine Bromine is likely associated with the use of brominated flame retardants (BFRs). BFRs are added to plastics, fabrics and foams in order to impart fire resistance, but they are released from these materials into the environmental over the life of the vehicle or child car seat. Heat and UV-ray exposure in cars can accelerate the breakdown of these chemicals and possibly increase their toxicity. Some BFRs have been associated with thyroid problems, learning and memory impairment, decreased fertility, behavioral changes, and other health problems.   Chlorine Chlorine is likely associated with polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a widely used type of plastic that is of concern to the environment and public health during all phases of its life cycle. Flexible PVC contains chemicals called phthalates, some of which have been associated with decreased fertility, pre-term deliveries, and damage to the liver, testes, thyroid, ovaries, kidneys, and blood. There is also evidence that phthalates can pass from mothers to babies through the placenta and through breast milk.   Lead Lead is sometimes used as an additive in plastics. Exposure to it can lead to a number of health effects depending on the exposure level. It can cause brain damage as well as problems with the kidneys, blood, nerves, and the reproductive system. It can also cause learning and behavioral problems.
#9 of 31 Re: And if you are concerned with safety... [west_exchange] by coolmazda5 May 14, 2008 (7:51 am)
Replying to: west_exchange (May 14, 2008 6:01 am) Geee, don't leave your house if you don't want to be exposed to any of those things... oh wait, how many things made out of toxic materials are in your house?   Yes, there is a little bit of "bad things" everywhere, but then you may find out that some ethnicities are more prone to cancer than others, or there are some hereditary conditions that make your kids more prone to certain illnesses...or maybe kids go to school and are exposed to tuberculosis by a fellow student, or even they break a bone when playing in the swing, who knows...   I love my family and I care, but live a little, we cannot keep the kids in a magic world bubble
#10 of 31 that's true you can't keep them in the bubble.. by west_exchange May 14, 2008 (11:54 am)
..however would you willingly expose your child to chemicals that "might" be poisonous? If you had a choice. Even if there is a little risk, I'd still try to avoid it if I knew about it ahead of time. Let's say you're debating between two cars and one is low toxic and the other one is high toxic. Which one do you chose all else being equal? Sadly for me my first two choices of Subaru Forester and Mazda 5 were all very toxic. It's too late, I already bought Mazda 5, but if I can help someone else get this information I'll be at peace. I know that people just DON'T WANT TO HEAR the bad news about their beloved car. I am the same way. But I wish someone told me that before I bought it. It would have swayed my decision to another automaker (Honda for example). Replies to this message: pdx5 (May 14, 2008 10:57 pm) riproy (May 15, 2008 9:04 am) coolmazda5 (May 16, 2008 6:21 am) athenasius (May 16, 2008 2:20 pm) athenasius (May 16, 2008 2:22 pm)
#11 of 31 Re: that's true you can't keep them in the bubble.. [west_exchange] by pdx5 May 14, 2008 (10:57 pm)
Replying to: west_exchange (May 14, 2008 11:54 am) Thank you for the heads up on the toxics. I was familiar that "new car scent" was bad for you. Now I fully expect to drive our new car around with all the windows open for the next few months. And maybe even leave them open in the garage for the 1st few weeks. I would hate to think I could have lessened my 2 daughter's exposure to toxics and didn't at least TRY to minimize it.   Oh, and we can't just "stay in our house," just learned we have RADON. Eeek!
#12 of 31 Re: that's true you can't keep them in the bubble.. [west_exchange] by riproy May 15, 2008 (9:04 am)
Replying to: west_exchange (May 14, 2008 11:54 am) I hear what you are saying, and i wouldn't want to willingly expose anyone to harmful chemicals. However, salt can be toxic. Water can be toxic if you drink too much of it. It is all about the dose. I don't spend 8 hours a day or even 1 hour a day in my car, although i understand that some people do spend lots of time in their car. It's not as great a concern for me. On balance, i think there are many other harmful things in our environment that we are exposing ourselves to without knowing it. Maybe if we spend less time thinking about what our cars are made of and instead concentrate on how we can spend less time in cars, we would be better off in many ways. But i am all for reducing the amount of these unnecessary chemicals in our cars. I some manufacturers can do it (i notice Nissan has a pretty good track record), all of them can. This is all only my humble opinion and I will shut up now. Replies to this message: coolmazda5 (May 16, 2008 6:21 am) athenasius (May 16, 2008 2:20 pm) athenasius (May 16, 2008 2:22 pm)
#13 of 31 Re: that's true you can't keep them in the bubble.. [riproy] by coolmazda5 May 16, 2008 (6:21 am)
Replying to: riproy (May 15, 2008 9:04 am) I agree with riproy. I don't wanna tell you the car chemicals you were exposed when you were a kid, problem is, nobody really started making serious analysis until recently.   My family and I don't spend large amount of time in the car, plus the cars are either on shade or garage most of the time. In addition, hot weather in this area is not as bad as i.e. Texas or Georgia   Also, I do this for my little one: - Limit their TV watching to 15-30 minutes a week. Enjoy outdoors whenever possible so they sweat their hyperactivity (at least 1hr a day) - Boost their creativity by playing with Legos, read them books and play nice music instead of watching Baby Einstein videos and Dora the explorer - Feed them healthy, organic foods. Avoid McDonalds, Burger King and pizza from Chucky Cheese - Get the best seats or boosters regardless of price. As an example Britax offers 5 point harness for weights that nobody else offers.   If you have checked all of the above, then worrying about car chemicals might not be as critical as you think.   My 2 cents
#14 of 31 Re: Depends who you want to protect [west_exchange] by kivo May 16, 2008 (9:38 am)
Replying to: west_exchange (May 14, 2008 5:44 am) Hi - I think you're worrying unnecessarily about the crash tests. No matter what you drive, if you get hit hard enough, no car will help you. Sounds like you don't want a Mazda, you want an armored personnel carrier! Just drive safely, stay at 55 mph in the right lane on the highway, and enjoy your new car. There's plenty of real important stuff to worry about rather then what might happen. Enjoy and have a good day!

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