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Comments
By the way, I will be grateful if somebody will post a way to disable the irritating noise of the passenger seat belt...I know that if you have a laptop on the seat, the noise will not stop. I read long time ago a message about that but forgot to save it. Thanks a lot!
I've been reading reports that the air conditioning on the mazda 5 is weak. I'm trying to decide if air-condiationing is worth the extra $1100. As the GT has a moonroof anyway, how effective is a moonroof at removing heat from the cabin?
I've been reading reports that the air conditioning on the mazda 5 is weak. I'm trying to decide if air-condiationing is worth the extra $1100. As the GT has a moonroof anyway, how effective is a moonroof at removing heat from the cabin?
If they had it on 2006, I would have bought one, if they don't have it on '07 I won't wait anymore and will get something else. Lack of these fatures (in sometimes snowy New England) is a dealbreaker.
1) driver skill
2) automatic transmissions
I've driven cars both with and without TC and I would never buy a car with TC. Stability control is nice, but again it's there to compensate for Lack of Driver skill. the problem with these 2 features is they create a false sense of safety that allows drivers to drive beyond the limits of there skill. ABS is a great example of this. people still think ABS means that they can stop quicker in shorter distances. That myth has caused many accidents.
You are far better to spend the $1000 or so that TC and SC would cost on a winter/advanced driving course. You'll be far ahead of most drivers if you do that.
just my 2 cents worth!
My 2002 Protege5 has weak ac
Basically when its hot, just to make the car driveable I have to roll down all the windows and open the moonroof to let the hot air out. Drive for about 5 mins this way then seal all the windows and switch to max AC.
Even then its still barely adequite.
Mainly its the strength of the sun here in NJ. and the Greenhouse effect with all the glass on my car. I would think that the Mazda5 with more glass would be even worse.
That said. Tint the windows
Mark.
HiFive
I think one of the reasons that the Mazda5 has taken a hit is that it has a large interior and only has A/C vents in the front of the car unlike larger minivans that often have rear vents.
We took a road trip this weekend and I had to turn the A/C off as I was getting too cold in the front seats. In other words, the temperature of the air coming out of the vents is really cold and the volume of air it moves is the same as other compact cars, but the interior volume is really large for its size and the front windshield is angled so much that it probably gets a lot of heat gain from the sun.
We did recently tint the rear windows (passenger doors and back) recently and I think it makes the car look great (silver car with dark tint), provides some security for cargo, and should help keep the heat gain down in the summer. It isn't legal to tint the front door windows or windshield here in CA but it would make it hard to drive at night anway.
A note on the A/C controls. The "Max" setting closes the vents to the outside and recirculates the air that's inside the car. In theory, this will allow the air to get colder since you are re-cooling the already chilled air from the inside of the car. However, if you get into the car and it's been sitting in the sun so that the air on the inside is hotter than the air outside, you should NOT use the max or recirculate setting. You're better off bringing in cooler air from outside and cooling that then switching to max if you want after the air is cooled. Opening the windows to bring the interior air to the ambient temperature works as well. There isn't much point to running the A/C on a car that's been sitting in the sun with the windows closed, it will take longer to cool down since you're trying to chill super-heated air.
I think this is a common misperception. The Max setting doesn't make the A/C work harder or colder, it just changes where the air comes from.
http://www.mitsubishicars.com/07outlander/
~ In freezing temperatures, the back doors do not close. The service department says this is probably because moisture gets in the door and freezes. There is no fix to this, just frustration. It is not as simple as a standard car door where you can just pop the latch back into place. They said that perhaps in 2007, they will come out with a new cable that will not have the same problem in freezing temperatures.
~ Heater is extremely weak. On freezing days, it takes a very long time to heat up the car. Air conditioning is weak also, however, since I live in Montana I haven't really had an opportunity to test it out in 90 degree weather yet. This summer we will see.
~ Seams are already separating in the front seats. The service department is replacing the seats. This is such poor quality it is astounding.
~ Gas mileage is definitely not as advertised. On a highway road trip to Jacksonville, WY it averaged 20 mpg.
I am very dissatisfied with my Mazda 5, and I wish I had chosen something very different. It seems to do well on snow and ice despite the fact that it is not a 4-wheel drive. The only positive things about the Mazda 5 in my opinion are the moonroof and the fact that it does well on snow and ice without snow tires or 4-wheel drive. Other than that, it is a very low quality vehicle. The trade-in value at this point is barely $12,000.
I plan on getting rid of it at my earliest opportunity. I have never experienced problems like this and with such frequence with any other new car that I have bought.
We've had ours since December, and it has exceeded our expectations. We haven't had any problems at all. If you've been to the "Problems" forum, I'm sure you've seen the door latches are a major problem. Hopefully Mazda will get this fixed soon. Living in Tulsa, we do not get cold enough (luckily) for that to happen to us.
I'm very surprised to see you say the heater is too weak. Our experience has been the exact opposite. Even the one time this winter it was 11 degrees and snowing outside, we actually had to turn the heater off because it was getting too hot inside the vehicle, even in the back.
It's been over 90 degrees the last 2 days here in Tulsa, with some humidity, and our A/C has been great, even in the 2nd row. We don't have anyone in the 3rd row most of the time, so I can't say how cool it is back there. We had the windows tinted a couple of weeks ago, and I think that helps a lot. We'll see how the air does when we start hitting 100 everyday in July.
Again, sorry to see your having problems. Hopefully Mazda can do something to get you fixed up and you'll have no other problems.
I wasn't really looking for diatribe (assessment?) if they are effective or not, BUT stability control has been cited by many publications (including Car and Driver) as very effective at reducing accident rate. If you'd rather not have it, fine, but for me in this day and age this is a must. So are airbags and ABS.
Not everybody is as advanced as you are ... my older son will eventually drive this car and I'd rather have him have the extra safety net of SC. I have finished driver courses in Germany and Poland, and believe me, I can control a skidding car, drive at well over 100mph - and haven't had an accident driving for 26 years now in many countries (including Canada in February).
FYI, ABS let's you still steer the car while you're braking to avoid obstacles, theoretically you could still do the same by pumping brakes. So, you'd rather not have it?
And SC doesn't cost $1,000 - it should be either included, or a $400 or so option like Stabilitrak on many GM vehicles. Small $$$ for those suspenders in addition to your airbag belt.
Up here in Canada we find that in the winter, most accidents (after a snow fall) tned to involve SUV's. They tend to think that because they have AWD they can ignore the laws of physics! We see more SUV's in the ditch than any other type of car.
All I'm really trying to say is SC and TC are IMHO highly overrated . I think that Auto manufactures sometimes put SC and TC in vehicles to compensate for what would otherwise be a vehcile with unacceptable driving dynamics
Just my honest opinion
OK, just kidding about that.
You're right, stability control is no substitute for stupidity. Still, even the best of drivers can and probably will make a mistake sometime or another. We're only human, you know. It'd be nice for a person to have that backup if they wanted it.
Back to the original question about having TC & SC in the '07 5. I don't know.
see link below
http://www.parkers.co.uk/choosing/carreviews/review.aspx?model_id=1401
So I guesss it's a market thing. Also looks like you can put on 15" wheels (makes snow tires easier!) In Canada you have to but the top of the line GT to get the curtain air bags (which disapoints me) The GS with 16" rims rides much better than the GT's 17's
But I still think it's better to spend the money on good advanced driver's training than to by the gadgets. TC and SC tend (in my experience) lead to drivers thinking they can push their vehicles harder because they think "don't worry I have TC and SC!"
TC and SC are great add on's AFTER you have good training behind you!
(rant mode on)
Automatic transmissions have lead to decades of driver skill deterioration! I've driven Manual transmission vehicles all my life. The first time I drove an automatic, I was shocked how easy it was to ignore what the car was doing!!! Put your foot down and the car is doing 50 without you really noticing! You can't get unsuck in winter with an automatic. It's very simple to rock a Manual transmission.
(rant mode off)
http://www.carpages.co.uk/mazda/mazda-mazda5-19-09-05.asp
But Like you I can't find any NHTSA or IIHS crash test data yet.
Do keep in mind though that the Mazda5 is not a new model (at least not in Europe where it's been sold for a couple of model years already)
I sent an e-mail to Mazda asking if 07 Mazda5 will have TC and SC and they replied back "the features of 07 model year are not known at this time". Yeah, right.
To respond to the rants out there with a rant of my own:
- if I didn't plan on having the vehicle driven eventually by my son, I'd be OK with not having SC
- I'd take limited slip differential instead of traction control ... no amount if drivers ed will help anybody if one of the driven wheels is spinning helplessly on ice, and the other one is sitting on asphalt. That's what you need TC (or limited slip) for, nothing else. Makes sense?
But limited slip diff is not available, so it's a moot point anyway.
Cheers,
Tomek
It's not on Mazda5 option list. Doesn't show on mazdausa site for Mazda3 either.
Won't Mazda3 mazdaspeed have 6 speed? (although I'm not sure if limited slip diff would be affected by what transmission is used).
Could you please provide more info?
TIA,
Tomek
In Canada, we have a choice of Added Protection - either New Vehicle Comprehensive or New Vehicle Major Component - that can be purchased when you buy a new Mazda. What did you do when you bought yours, and why? Is Added Protection worth it in your opinion? I note that many people have brought their vehicle back for small (and larger) problems. If you do not have this added coverage, will the dealer charge you for every little issue that you have? I've never bought a new car before, so i'm not that familiar with it.
Some of the problems raised (i.e. doors not opening and closing) are a concern, so we haven't written off a Matrix as a possible alternative yet. However, I love the practically, look and feel of the 5.
besides, I've noticed that as your regular warranty nears it's end, they will call you to see if you want to extend your warranty ( at leas I've been getting calls from Sears, BestBuy and the lot trying to extend my standard warranty at it nears it's end. Don't do that either)
In the first 3 years, you shouldn't be paying for any defect related issues involving your New Mazda 5. I'm not purchasing it under any circumstances!
This is also my first new car!
Previously I've owned the following
85 Mustang
89 Suzuki sidekick
98 Dodge stratus
all purchased used. This time I want to purchase something that I'll keep for 10 years or so.
IMHO
It'll cover all except wear items. (e.g., brake pads, clutch, etc.)
You can also buy an extended warranty any time before your manufacture warranty expires. Though it does get more expensive as the mileage/time pile up.
I think with every vehicle, you'll have some sort of problems. Some will be minor and some will be major. This being my 2nd Mazda, I'm leaning toward the former.
Now, if you do get an extended warranty, I would suggest you get one from Mazda. The aftermarket warranties have too many loop holes.
My 2 cents.
The bad news is that I've now been waiting almost 6 weeks for the headliner/airbag assembly. I heard Tuesday that it is backordered again, until at least May 1st!
Has anyone else had similar frustration? My dealer says that he's tried all avenues.
Any ideas??
Thanks!
I'm just reading up on how everyone likes their 5. My wife an I are looking at trading our '01 Escape XLT for a vehicle that has a little more interior room, but gets better mileage. So far we have narrowed our choices.
My 4 picks (in alphabetical order);
1. Mazda5
2. Mazda6 s Sport Wagon
3. Pontiac Torrent (may be replaced by Jeep Wrangler 4dr)
4. Scion xB
My wife 4 picks (I think);
1. Honda Pilot
2. Jeep Commander
3. Jeep Grand Cherokee
4. Saturn Vue Redline
We will each sit down and scratch 1 vehilce off each others list, and then go from there. We have a 3year old and a child due in July, so there will be 1 car seat and 1 rear facing infant seat. The Escape has been very reliable, and we are simply outgrowing it (plus mileage is only hanging around the 20-23 mpg mark)
Any input you can give me about how you all like the 5 would greatly help. The 5 is actually the 2nd chioce behind the xB, but my wife has already said she will be scratching that off the list.
Thanks
Odie
Why not the new Toyota Rav? Seems logical, the 4cyl is 30 mpg highway and the interior is greatly upsized.
John
Your choices seem to be less expensive than your wife's. Also, you need to assess what is the amount of money you are planning to invest to save several hundread dollars in gas? and I have to assume you would like to have a vehicle with good safety ratings.
If you can wait just a few more months, there are several new vehicles being released with three row seating.
From both lists, I will just keep the Mazda 5 and Saturn Vue (doesn't have to be the redline, why?. The Torrent chasis is an extended version of the Saturn VUE, however the VUE 6 Cyl. has a Honda engine and transmission while Torrent and Equinox have traditional GM engines and not as refined.
The other choices are either too large and as mentioned by others, there will not be no gas savings.
Good luck with your decision and hope the feedback has helped. I agree with your wife....you should scratch that boxy Scion from the list :shades:
1. Mazda5 - 18k to 20k
2. Mazda6 s Sport Wagon - 19k to 29k
3. Pontiac Torrent (may be replaced by Jeep Wrangler 4dr)21k to 24k
4. Scion xB - 15k - 17k
My wife 4 picks (I think);
1. Honda Pilot - 27k to 34k
2. Jeep Commander - 27k to 38K
3. Jeep Grand Cherokee - 27k to 42k
4. Saturn Vue Redline - 25k
1. Mazda5 - $22,650 (was offered $9000 trade on escape)
2. '05 Mazda6 s sport wagon - $26,200 (they are knocking $6000 off + $3000 rebate + $1000 if mazda financed, and then $9000 trade)
3. Pontiac Torrent - $22,560(before any rebates)
4. Scion xB - $18,750 (loaded to teath, but only $4500 trade frrom 1 dealer)
As for the others, I haven't even looked at them yet. The Scion gets the best mileage out of the group and has best use of space (32/40 mpg).
Odie
I asked the dealer yesterday about plans for '07 Mazda5 TC and stability control and he said that recently Mazda was doing dealer survey "what would make Mazda5 more sellable" - he put down stability control as #1 issue. He said half of potential buyers inquire about it.
Lower on his list were interior amenities ... armrest for front and middle passengers, iPod interface and so on. Interesting.
I love how the thing drives with a stick shift, but now I'm thinking Mazda6 station wagon (manual, of course).
Uses a Volvo/Mazda/Ford cooperative-designed platform known in Ford and Mazda circles as a C1 and in Volvo as a P1, used for the Euro Focus, C-Max, Mazda3, and sharing significant chassis components with the 2005+ Mustang, then yes, it is Completely Japanese.
The engine, which was designed by Mazda with input from Ford, is the 2.3L version of the MZR global engine, known in Ford applications as Duratec engines (though this label is not exclusive to Mazda collaborated products.
Odie
Have you actually driven a Matrix?? It's awful The base engine is buzzy and powerless, Actually in my opinion unsafe. What I mean is acceleration. It;s just too slow to use on the highway! It's the only car I've ever test driven that actually scared me enough to think about abandoning an attempt to get onto the highway. There's a reason most of the Matrix's I've seen around are the Xrs version, It comes with a more powerful engine.
The MAzda5 by comparison is a much more refined vehicle The power is there at lower RPMs there is more space, the fit and finish is better, and the driving position (for me) is better. Handling is very crisp and Sport sedan like.
I forgot to mention that during my test drive of the Matrix I couldn't get over the odd driving position. The angle of the wheel is just strange. Reminded me of my grandfathers tractor!
In my mind, the Matrix and Mazda5 are different classes of vehicles.
The xB has been the most fun I've gotten out of a car when driving it daily...The handling is top notch and very tight and responsive (especially when you add the front strut & tie bar)...You can also mod the hell out of it to get better styling or performance, and the gas mileage it gets is even comparible to some hybrids!!! I drove the hell out of my xB for two years and put well over 30,000 miles on it without ever having a problem with the car...I took it in for it's regular oil changes and it was fine...Also, at only 105 base HP the engine never felt like it struggled to get up to speed...Because it is a light car, it gets up to speed easily without any real effort...
Also you mentioned you have one child and another on the way...CONGRATULATIONS!!! You might be surprised to know that the Scion xB is equipped with dual front and side passenger airbags and received a 5 star crash rating...It's a very safe vehicle to drive and the back seats can easily accomidate child safty seats both front and rear facing...
In fact, the only reason I traded in my xB was because when I initially got it, I signed into a really bad lease contract when I traded out of my Hyundai Santa Fe and was upside down a lot of money...My monthly payments were killing me and I needed to get lower payments...My wife and I just figured that we should begin looking into other vehicles like the Mazda 5 instead of trying to refinance our lease on the xB...I miss that car everyday though...Believe it or not, my wife is now on the market for a 2nd car for the family and we are considering getting a new xB or xA
Odie
Best of luck in your car buying...Be sure to post up what you guys finally decide on!!!