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Safe, small minivan/MPV - options?
curlfriend
Member Posts: 5
i'm devastated by the news that ford has pulled the plug on the US release of the 7-seat c-max -- that was my (future) car! as a san franciscan with a small shared garage, two kids, weekly grandparent visits and an eco-friendly bent, i feel like the market has nothing for me. (kia rondo, c-max and 7-seat prius alpha -- buh-bye. mazda5 maybe, but i'm concerned about the 4-star rating for the rear seat and our kids' safety.)
europe and asia have so many small MPV options. all i want is a (somewhat affordable) car that fits our garage spot (currently housing a 99 mazda protege), has a high (highest?) safety rating for all rows and gets good mileage. i don't even care what it looks like (i'm no enthusiast.) am i that out of touch with the american car market?
do i just get a used kia rondo or mazda5 or is there something else coming up that might suit?
europe and asia have so many small MPV options. all i want is a (somewhat affordable) car that fits our garage spot (currently housing a 99 mazda protege), has a high (highest?) safety rating for all rows and gets good mileage. i don't even care what it looks like (i'm no enthusiast.) am i that out of touch with the american car market?
do i just get a used kia rondo or mazda5 or is there something else coming up that might suit?
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Comments
The 7-seat C-Max looks like a good family-friendly efficient vehicle. I also find it strange that Ford isn't bringing it to North America.
Here in Canada, the Rondo is still available. We just bought a 2011 Rondo EX V6 in April, replacing our 2007 EX V6. The 2007 was reliable (only in the garage once in 3 1/2 yrs), comfortable, practical, loads of space, and surprisingly fuel-efficient. On the highway, at 110km/hr (65-70 mph) with four people and luggage, the 2007 routinely saw 33 mpg Imperial (about 30 mpg US gal).
We expect nothing different from our 2011. In addition to the 2007's features, the 2011 has Sirius, USB and Aux connections, and a backup camera.
Are you close enough to the Canadian/US border to come up here and buy a Rondo? If not, a used one would do the job, if our 2007 is any indication.
The C-Max is not totally gone, it will be a 5-passenger and only available with a hybrid engine.
I agree Europe as such a large choice of this type of vehicle and made by many of the major companies. Not much choice for these type of vehicles in the US. I guess Mazda enjoys the fact it has that particular niche part of the market all too itself.
Not sure if the Rondo is coming back to the US because KGIS recently posted all the info for the 2012 Rondo on their site, its odd they would do this if there is no vehicle - very puzzling. They had not posted the 2011 info as the vehicle was discontinued in the US and KGIS is California based site, it does not cater to the Canadian market.
The Rondo is still continued for 2012 in Canada with no changes.
I suspect the 2012 Rondo will be its last year, not sure at this point if it will be a complete overhaul or replacement, none of that info as so far surfaced. Peter Schreyer (Kia's chief designer) said in a statement not too long ago that the Rondo and the Sedona were his two next priorities.
I own a 2008 Rondo EX 5-passenger model with the 2.4L engine and almost 70,000 km (43,500 miles).
Do you require a 7 passenger unit? If so, that also leaves out the Mazda 5 as its only six passenger.
The Rondo is based on the Kia Optima, which of course is related to the Hyundai Sonata, both of which are huge sellers. The 2.4 and 2.7 engines in the Rondo are normal Optima engines (not the new 2011 Optima but the 2010 and prior Optimas). Many of the ancillary items (power window motors, stereo, switches) are usual Kia items.