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Mazda5 Owners - Give Us Your Report

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Comments

  • gschulzgschulz Member Posts: 17
    If you don't mind keep us posted on the gas milage ect. I will be taking delivery of one when it comes in a week or two.
  • qddaveqddave Member Posts: 164
    My dealer here in Grand Rapids, MI had to dealer trade twice to get a CR GT with Sand leather. We grabbed a CWP Touring with Sand cloth from unallocated vehicles during the first shipment. We were very lucky to get ours. My dealer is turning people away because they just can't get vehicles to sell. It's definitely beittersweet. You want the vehicle to be successful, but at the same time you love the exclusivity.

    Dave
  • qddaveqddave Member Posts: 164
    Kivo,
    Any chance you can post some pics in the sun and clouds. This is very interesting color. I saw one here in Grand Rapids, MI, very quickly and it looked green in the sunlight. When my salesman delivered one, he was very turned off by the color saying that it looked fine in the sun, but when cloudy it was terrible. Actually, when the woman picked it up, her friend said, "That's the color you wnated?" I'd like to see it. I've seen a Mazda3 in the same color which really doesn't look "sand" colored, but its not a 5. Leave it up to Mazda to push the envelope with color.

    Dave
  • gschulzgschulz Member Posts: 17
    Dave, How do you like the CWP? That's the color of the one I have my name on, only saw it one time at a dealer in WI. it struck me as the color that car should be it really sparkled in the sun light, however it was a Sport and we wanted a Grand, or a Touring as the wife likes the idea of a moon roof so do I for that matter the closest CWP Grand was 450 miles away so we're taking the Touring.

    Gerry
  • 5_more5_more Member Posts: 43
    Color is very subjective with these cars. Mazda seems to have screened for colors that evoke the most emotion, positive or negative, from the greatest number of individuals. Colors that look good in the brochure look completely different in person. The blue, red and golden sand colors change significantly under different lighting conditions.

    After seeing what the Golden Sand Metallic looked like, I spent a week driving to different dealers just to looking at colors in different conditions. At least under the lighting conditions I saw it, Golden Sand Metallic could best be described as dilute cooked lima-bean green metallic . Some people love it, others think of things infants do -- although the interior color would have been my first choice.

    A month ago, I bought a white 2008 sport. As there was only one white sport within 300 miles, and it came with a moon roof, I can now see the moon. I didn't like the added cost [moon roof], but will now think twice about buying a car without a moon roof.

    I love the car. I arrived at white by eliminating the other colors. There is no question the white shows more dirt than some other colors might, but it is very sharp when it is clean -- which for me is often.

    For what it's worth, I've been averaging 28+ mpg in mixed driving, biased towards the city side, with the 5-speed auto.

    I bought the car as a commuter vehicle. It was the smallest car that I could comfortably seat my family in. The car has grown on me, and I'm tending towards interesting others in to buying one.

    For me, the white paint unexpectedly added to my positive perception of the vehicle, while the other colors had the opposite effect. Then again, I get the what were you thinking buying a white car question from friends all the time. Take your time making a decision. It's one you'll live with for quite a while. Why not get what you really like? The cost to you is only time.
  • coolmazda5coolmazda5 Member Posts: 525
    Interesting. Well, as said before, the white is clean and keeps the car cooler during Summer :D

    For my 2 Mazda5s my priorities were: Manual Transmission and colors not being black nor golden sand (or the green silver that came for the 06). Luckily I found them and they were close from home. I stopped by the dealership the other day and the sales guy told me he has not received another Manual Tranny since I bought mine (December 2007). Luck I guess...
  • gschulzgschulz Member Posts: 17
    Thanks for all the input, I really do appreciate it. This forum is great.
  • gschulzgschulz Member Posts: 17
    Just purchased our 2008 Mazda5 Touring. Got the best deal by far from a dealer 180 mi. away here in WI. Picked it up 4/15/08 (tax day) drove back 150 mi. with a very strong cross wind the car handled beautifully, the final 30 mi. into direct headwind still got 31.02 MPG driving 70 mi. @65, 40 mi. @ 70, 40 mi. mixed between 65 & 70, the last 30 mi. @ 60, I feel on a brand new vehicle with those windy conditions it did very well. The car is really fun to drive handles well, quiet and looks sharp with the CWP paint, with a great price I couldn't be happier. I highly recommend the dealer, if anyone is interested let me know.
    Thanks to this forum my buying decision went a lot faster. Thank you to all.
  • 01le01le Member Posts: 18
    I have just logged 850 on the odometer so I am a little over the engine break-in period of 600 miles according to the owners manual. Here is how things are going so far. The more I drive my M5 and the twistier the roads get, the more I love it. I am just amazed at how sporty this micro-van is. WOW! The a/c is the best of any car I have owned, and worlds better than my Pontiac Vibes system (the worst ever). My third fill up at the gas station only yielded 19.3 mpg and this concerns me because my first two fill ups were 22 - 24mpg. The car has developed a "rattle" sound coming from under the car during acceleration so I will be taking it into the dealer. The ride is so smooth on the highway and it cruises along just fine at 85mph. Around town is very comfortable and doing u-turns and tight parking situations are a breeze. The power windows go up and down faster than the Pathfinder I traded in for the M5. So far I am very happy with my purchase. :)
  • kubaskubas Member Posts: 13
    I've just gotten a new M5 GT. Love the leather, 5 speed automatic, steering, handling and design. Fuel economy better than expected (23MPG / 90% stop and go). This is a great car!!
  • dougs3dougs3 Member Posts: 1
    I am considering purchasing a 5. I live about half an hour from the closest dealer. I know that this may should like a minor inconvenience to some, but it's in the opposite direction of work and during rush hour the half hour turns into a full hour. Do the dealers have some sort of arrangement with local repair shops to perform warranty work? Anybody have any experience with this? I'm hoping that there will be no warranty work required, but I'm guessing that I would be very fortunate if that was the case.
  • dclurkerdclurker Member Posts: 57
    FWIW, be aware that M5 oil changes should really be done by the dealer because of the "environmentally-friendly" permanent plastic oil filter housing and because of the large panel that must be removed in order to access the underside of the engine.
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    Why would the oil change be exclusive to a dealer?

    Many people (and quick lube shops) have successfully changed their own Mazda3/Mazda5 oil or even converted to a standard, environmentally un-friendly cartridge.
  • gschulzgschulz Member Posts: 17
    Question for dclurker, I own a 2008 Mazda5 with 3600 miles, I have always changed my own oil and planned to do so with this one but it sounds like it is not a easy as my cars in the past. I am sure that I can remove the plastic pan on the bottom but I was not aware that it had a filter other than a standard one, can you fill me in on the filter and how to deal with it and can one get and install a standard filter easily or does it take special tools ect.?
    gschulz
  • gsupstategsupstate Member Posts: 6
    Just picked up my 2nd Mazda5. Traded '06 Touring for an '08 Grand Touring. I feel like I got a good deal - GT with autodim mirror/compass/homelink & Sirius satellite radio for $22,500 out the door.

    Has anyone else noticed this?: I really enjoyed driving my '06 Touring (5-spd Manal), and it was reasonably comfortable. But, my new GT with 5-spd Auto feels like a totally different (and much more expensive) vehicle! I almost feel like this is a vehicle Lexus would sell, if they made a 6-passenger, compact Euro-style people mover. It's quieter, smoother and feels more substantial. I'm beyond in love with my 2nd Mazda5!! :shades:
  • gsupstategsupstate Member Posts: 6
    On my '06 Touring, I had a sound that emanated from the passenger-side rear sliding door, but only when it was cold (under 40 degrees F). Once it warmed up, no noise.
  • dclurkerdclurker Member Posts: 57
    I refer you to this gentleman's website. He's talking about a Mazda3, but it's the same 2.3 engine that's in the 5. (I hope the link works)

    http://robert.aitchison.org/tiki-page.php?pageName=Mazda3+DIY+Oil+Change
  • dclurkerdclurker Member Posts: 57
    Personally, I would never take a car with a non-standard oil filter to a quick lube shop. Too easy for something to go wrong. IMO, you should either take the time and change the oil yourself (I do) or take the car to a dealer. Yes, you can go to the trouble of converting to a standard filter, but I wonder if doing so wouldn't void the warranty.
  • gschulzgschulz Member Posts: 17
    dclurker, Thanks for the important info. already ordered a filter replacement & O-rings on line paid shipping that way but it will come to my house saves time which is at a premium right now. I have never gone to a Quick-Lube shop and don't intend to start now, always have changed my own that way I know what is going on.
  • dclurkerdclurker Member Posts: 57
    No problem. I prefer changing my own oil, too. I was a little anxious the first time I did it on my Mazda5, but as long as you torque the filter housing properly you shouldn't have a problem. I've read a few horror stories online where the housing was over-tightened and the plastic cracked causing subsequent oil leakage. I still prefer the old spin-on filters, but that's progress I guess. Good luck!
  • windstorywindstory Member Posts: 1
    Hi Schulz,

    We will buy this car very soon. Could you please tell me the dealer's information? Also, if you don't mind, would you please tell me your OTD paid and why you think it's a good deal? my email is yannie_ieee@yahoo.com . Thanks in advance.

    Regards,
    Ian
  • nealywnealyw Member Posts: 1
    We're unexpectedly expecting our third baby, and looking for something to replace our Saturn sedan as the official kid-transport vehicle. I really like the idea of the Mazda5, because I prefer manual transmissions, and I'd love to have enough seating with up to 28 mpg. Also, I can't discount the lack of sticker-shock when I compare it to most minivans. The main worry I have is cargo space. Suppose I have the baby and the toddler in the second row, and the kindergartner sitting in the third row. Is there any chance I could then somehow have the baby's stroller in the car too? Or a load of groceries? I hear I should plan to get a roof-mounting luggage rack for road trips if I go with the Mazda5, but would this vehicle really be impractical for us for ordinary in-town usage? Thanks for your advice on this matter!
  • krainfokrainfo Member Posts: 5
    I'd go with the Mazda5. However, if you're planning to put a kindergartner in the back, encourage him/her to decorate the "big kid space" and make it a good-behavior honor to sit back there instead of in the middle with the little kids. Otherwise they feel exiled to the rear and fight over the middle seats as they grow up. Whatever you buy, go with captain chairs in the middle instead of a bench seat.

    Our new car is a 2008 Mazda5 and it's great on space. I had three vans (2000 Toyota Sienna, 1998 Voyager, and 1994 Caravan) prior to this. All my vans were the sport/short model, not the extended model.

    If you go with a full size van, I recommend the Toyota Sienna for quality. However, it drives like a tank. My 16-year old driver managed to scratch/dent every panel on the Sienna, and do a number on the garage door as well. Since she moved to a VW Jetta, her scraping problems are over.

    On the down side: -We liked being able to roll our bikes right into the back of the Sienna without taking off the wheels. Very safe and convenient. The bikes are too tall for the Mazda 5, so we put a bike rack on top, and love it. It's a few extra loading minutes, but it's fine.

    Yes, the Mazda5 is smaller, but it's so flexible. You can flatten one rear seat and leave the other up, to carry strollers, bikes, etc. and still have a child in back. We put the infant in the way back when he's likely to be napping anyway or for short trips. We load/unload his carry seat from the back.

    On the plus side, the Mazda5 has a tight turning radius, gets much better gas mileage, has a great feel on the road and fits in the garage better. We love it.
  • bbq797bbq797 Member Posts: 1
    Hi,
    I am very interested in purchasing a Mazda5 (current lease is up in Nov.), but I understand that there is no traction control or antiskid. I live in NY and can get a good deal of snow. Is this something I should be concerned about? I'm wondering what people's experiences have been in snow/ice etc.

    Thanks!
  • 5_more5_more Member Posts: 43
    If you drive sanely, you shouldn't have a problem.

    Given the stock tires, I was surprised how well it handled in the snow and ice.

    Put a decent set of four snows on it, and you'll have a safer winter vehicle than you would have with all seasons and the features you mentioned.

    You might want to compare the expected depth of snow that you'll be driving in. The 5 is a low vehicle. Snow tires or not, the air dam becomes a snow plow pretty quickly.
  • 5_more5_more Member Posts: 43
    You might want to compare the expected depth of snow that you'll be driving in, to the 5's ground clearance.
  • dan5678dan5678 Member Posts: 28
    "Others" are still having this issue 25months later. Someone should let Edmunds know that the height of this vehicle includes the antenna, so is not 64.2", but more like around 77" by my eyeball. My garage is circa 1950's. Apparently cars were smaller then?
  • vg33e powervg33e power Member Posts: 314
    I ALSO HAVE THESE ANNOYING RATTLING SOUNDS COMING FROM THE LEFT REAR SLIDER DOOR (PERHAPS ON THE RIGHT SIDE AS WELL) AND I DONT KNOW WHAT IT CAN BE. DOES ANYONE ELSE EXPERIENCE THIS AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT CAN BE? USUALLY ON ROUGHT TERRAIN.
  • 5_more5_more Member Posts: 43
    Are the middle seat belts in their clips -- on the pillars just behind their seat backs?
  • 5_more5_more Member Posts: 43
    Regarding the antenna, start at the top of this thread: http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?p=4097508#post4097508

    Or, look here: http://www.therpmstore.com/product_info.php?cPath=103&products_id=296

    I don't know how well it works, but it stands to reason that reception will not be quite as good as the original. :lemon:
  • vg33e powervg33e power Member Posts: 314
    I WORK FOR AN AUTO GROUP IN WHICH WE CARRY CHRYRLER PRODUCTS. WHEN I FIRST GOT MY MZ5 I ALSO THOUGHT THE OEM ANTENNA WAS A BIT LONG AND R/C, GOOFY LOOKING. SO I TESTED AN ANTENNA FROM A 2009 DODGE JOURNEY HERE IN OUR LOT, WHICH HAS A STUBBIE 6" LONG THING AND TO MY SURPRISE IT SCREWED IN PERFECTLY AND EVEN PERFECTLY ALIGNED AT THE BASE, IT SEEMED LIKE THIS DODGE ANTENNA WAS SPECIFICALLY MADE FOR OUR MZ5s. ANYWAY I PICKED ONE UP FROM OUR PARTS DEPARTMENT AND I COULDN'T BE HAPPIER. IT LOOKS WAY BETTER AND SPORTY, PLUS IT IS STILL AN RDS ANTENNA (ADDITIONAL WIRE THAT TWIST AROUND THE MAST) SO YOU WILL NOT LOOSE ANY RECEPTION QUALITY.TOTAL COST $5.94 INCLUDING TAX. YES YOU HEARD RIGHT $5.94 INCLUDING TAX. I WAS AWED WHEN I HEARD THE PRICE. BEST $6 EVER SPENT ON A MOD. FOR MY MZ5.

    IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED THE PART NUMBER FOR THIS ANTENNA WHICH YOU CAN PICK UP AT ANY LOCAL CHRYSLER, JEEP, DODGE DEALERSHIP IS: 5064710-AA

    DON'T LET THE STEALERSHIP GET YOU CHRYSLER'S MSRP IS ONLY $5.50
  • vg33e powervg33e power Member Posts: 314
    ITS DEFINATELY NOT THE SEAT BELTS, BECAUSE I CAN HEAR IT RIGHT AT THE INSIDE DOOR HANDLE, SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING LOOSE BEHIND THE DOOR TRIM PANEL PERHAPS A LINK ROD??
  • 5_more5_more Member Posts: 43
    Nice suggestion for the antenna.

    So far, the only thing that's rattled for me is the seat belts. Let the rest of us know what you find.
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,147
    A reporter is interested in talking with owners of a 2009 Mazda 5. If you are interested in commenting on your experience, please reply to jwahl@edmunds.com no later than Monday, November 3, 2008 and include your city and state of residence, the model year of your vehicle and the age of your child/ren.

    MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
    Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
    Share your vehicle reviews

  • jnsacjjnsacj Member Posts: 4
    vg33e power,

    Thank you so much for the idea of replacing your horrible OEM antenna on your Mazda 5 with the Dodge Journey antenna. I just picked mine up today and it works perfectly!! I paid $5.83 with tax and it looks soooo much better!

    Great work! :blush:
  • vg33e powervg33e power Member Posts: 314
    jnsacj,

    No problem bud, I am glad you made the change and took my suggestion. Thats two of us for sure that made the change and are satisfied...best $5.83 spent on a mod.
  • vg33e powervg33e power Member Posts: 314
    BTW, for those of you who missed it part number for the Dodge Journey antenna is #5064710-AA and MSRP is $5.50 plus tax.
  • riproyriproy Member Posts: 57
    Hey-
    I did the swap too, and so pleased that it works. The old one kept hitting the garage door. This one fits perfectly on the old mount - THANK YOU!
    $8.20 CDN with tx.
  • vg33e powervg33e power Member Posts: 314
    Glad to be of service riproy, I am glad your pleased as I was.
  • jnsacjjnsacj Member Posts: 4
    The funny thing is after I picked it up from the parts department at the Dodge dealership, I took off the old antenna and put the new one on in the Dodge parking lot! LOL!

    The workers weren’t very happy! LOL
  • mclincolnmclincoln Member Posts: 3
    Here's a list of the Mazda5 out of the box flaws that that annoys me.

    • Suspension crushing noise when weather drops below freezing point.
    • Periodic belt squealing when going hi-speed in the rain.
    • Sudden transmission jerk, loss of power, even stall (had it twice) This would only occur when engine is still cool.

    I have a 07 model, does anyone know if Mazda has a fix for these issues?
  • vg33e powervg33e power Member Posts: 314
    Other than the belt squealing in rain issue (which I honestly believe is a temporary thing when the belt gets wet) I believe there are fixes for the other two concerns. Here is the link for the suspension noise bulletin and here is the link for the engine stumble bulletin
  • mclincolnmclincoln Member Posts: 3
    Thank you so much vg33e power for the links.
  • riproyriproy Member Posts: 57
    The suspension fix is not a sure thing. We had ours repaired with the parts listed in the bulletin a month ago. Yesterday temps were at the freezing mark and the squeaking is still there. Just slight right now but i am waiting for temps to drop lower and i am sure then the noise will be much more substantial, same as previous years.
    We have been trying to get this remedied for the past 2 years.
    I cannot for the life of me figure out how dealers cannot fix this problem when later models with the same design don't seem to have the problem.
  • jnsacjjnsacj Member Posts: 4
    Hi,

    I was thinking about removing the "Mazda 5" on the back of my vehicle. Does anyone know if it will hurt the paint, or if there are pins under it?

    I removed the letters off my Grand Caravan, but those were more like stickers. This one seems more difficult.

    Please let me know if anyone has info on this subject.

    Thanks!
  • coolmazda5coolmazda5 Member Posts: 525
    The Mazda part has 2 pins so it will leave holes
  • jnsacjjnsacj Member Posts: 4
    Oh! Glad I didn't attempt it.

    Thanks for the info coolmazda5.
  • wrubertewruberte Member Posts: 12
    If it is 2007 Mazda5, the VIN can be checked against a Technical Service Bulletin for defective rear and (or) front bushings on the stabilizer bar as the rear might give the impression it is behind the passenger door on the left or right side. It is one of those things that dealerships should be checking before they sell vehicles, however most don't as occurred when we purchased the same model vehicle that has defective bushings, albeit in the front. Some less reputable dealerships will actually sign off on Mazda's 100-Point Inspection, well without doing the inspection as occurred with us.
  • PaprikashPaprikash Member Posts: 1
    I'm looking for replacement tires for my 5. So far I've found Yoko YK-520 and Cooper Zeon Sport AS. I don't need high performance, but all season with decent handling.
    Anyone found something that works well? The OEM tires are terrible...25K and they are making strange sounds, not to mention the poor ride/handling.
    Hopefully this will help with the cold weather clanky/crunchy suspension issues...the dealer replaced both the upper and lower control arm to fix this (under warranty) and it seemed to help some, but now it's back.
    Any thoughts appreciated.
    Columbus, OH
  • vg33e powervg33e power Member Posts: 314
    I just replaced mine on Tuesday and I couldn't be happier with them, I should have done it sooner. I went with Michelin 225/50R17 MXM4 Pilot HX. Man these tires are sweet! Smooth, quiet, soft when traveling and awesome performance when cornering. I know these tires are expensive (around $150-$160 each) but I got an awesome deal on a set of new "take-offs" because I work at a dealership.
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