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Rondo vs Outlander/Rav4/Santa Fe/Mazda5
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Comments
But now that I'm thinking, Wouldn't that be funny? Following each other around forums to defend/fight our preferences?
The thing that comes to mind now is for Mazda and KIA to find us and hire us as sales guys or something. I'm pretty sure that with our arguments around we have sold at least 2 extra Mazda5s and Rondos each... :P
It is all about individual preferences. Isn't it great that we have so many different cars to choose from?
you hit the nail on the head with this one. That's what makes the Rondo appear so large inside (along with its lighter interior - can't stand black interiors). I have noticed on so many new cars over the last couple of years where the windows keep getting smaller and smaller, more noticeable in particular the Chrysler vehicles. I sat in some of their newer models at the Toronto Auto Show last February and it felt like I was looking out of "gun slots" - felt very enclosed and turned me right off! More and more manufacturers are creating these higher beltlines, with less and less glass area.
Yes,also Mazda5 runs under Premacy in Japan and some other Asian countries and has been around for some time already (1999 ?). However the one we purchased is the first model of the 2nd generation (oh man, I hope all this 1st, 2nd yara naming convention makes sense ). Still, knowing the potential trouble of a first model, we took the risk back in 05 as we were really delighted with its design and versatility. And, as said earlier, even with the early recalls (well ironed out by now) the damn car versatility still surprises us (just the other day we managed to fit a full swing set box, when not even the store guys believed us. They said: "no way it will fit, rent a pick up truck". To their surprise, everything fit just fine).
As for reliability, wife and baby are the day to day primary driver and passenger and have had zero issues, so it is reliable. Plus, those sliding doors are just plain awesome.
I have a silly idea. For all Rondo fans I'll step aside defending the Mazda5 attributes based on my arguments and I'll use my wife's...
She is not into brands, models or engines, yet if you ask her what are her thoughts of a Mazda5 and the potential competitors (she just saw a Rondo the other day at the grocery store), Mazda5 wins heads down (top of her list: sliding doors, low height, 5 speed manual transmission, a really economic 4 cylinder engine, 6 CD Player, it does not look like a typical Soccer Mom Car nor an SUV and is an IKEA box carrier compliant car )
I rest my case
BTW, why is this thread in mitsu forums?
"BTW, why is this thread in mitsu forums?"
Good question growwise. It seems that this thread has been placed as "shared" among all featured forums for cars listed in the main topic text (Rondo/Outlander/Rav4/Santa Fe/Mazda5) so possibly that has caused the noise. I.e. When I logged-in the first time I saw the topic under:
Forums > Vans & Minivans > Mazda Mazda5
Then I saw the title and I wondered: Why does the Rondo need to compare against the rest, Shouldn't the Mazda5 be compared against the rest instead? Anyway, I promised to rest my case, but I need to be sitting @ the computer today, so...
maybe so, but the Rondo has "normal windows" and it gets 4 and 5 stars for side impact. I think is more of styling gimmick!
That response is as biased as you can get.
Aside from the Rondo and Mazda5, the other three are all CUVs. Actually, I believe Kia advertises the Rondo as a crossover
FWIW, between the Rondo and the Mazda, both are great mini-MPVs. Rondo is more practical, Mazda5 is more sporty. If I was in the market for a minivan or mini-MPV, I would go with the Rondo for its purpose. Actually, all three of Kia vehicles (Rondo, Sedona SWB, Sedona LWB) are great products. Believe it or not, Kia is the only maker that has the minivan market covered from small to large...kudos!!
That response is as biased as you can get
Thanks for the input, sounds reasonable, yet I believe you are not understanding the issue discussed earlier. If the thread shows on a Mazda5 forum, then the title makes it biased from the start . It only makes sense if the thread shows in a Rondo forum . The problem found is that it shows in multiple forums at once regardless of the car model primarily discussed.
For the rest of your reply: "It is all about individual preferences" (credit: member waygrabow).
For what is worth, I hope we can get some input from somebody who already has owned a Rondo for at least the time it has been in the market in the US. I believe the input would be more accurate (good or bad)
It does show up in both forums. It also shows up in SF, RAV4, Outlander, Car Shopping, and Wagon forums.
My point being, you said earlier Rondo wasn't even worth comparing with the rest...
I've spent extensive time in both the Mazda5 and the Rondo (that's my job). Thanks for discrediting my opinion, yes, I don't own either one.
I hope we can get some input from somebody who already has owned a Rondo for at least the time it has been in the market in the US. I believe the input would be more accurate (good or bad)
Joe97 replied:
It does show up in both forums. It also shows up in SF, RAV4, Outlander, Car Shopping, and Wagon forums.
Exactly. That was my intended point. Please see my earlier reply (message #60) :
coolmazda5, "Rondo vs Outlander/Rav4/Santa Fe/Mazda5" #60, 27 May 2007 7:22 am
What about I suggest a new title next time it's posted as shared: i.e. "Comparing Mini People Movers: Rondo, Outlander, Rav4, Santa Fe and Mazda5". I think that may motivate more readers to reply in a less biased way
Joe97 replied:
My point being, you said earlier Rondo wasn't even worth comparing with the rest...
Really? Where, if I could ask? I'm just a pro-Mazda5 guy, that's it
Joe97 replied:
I've spent extensive time in both the Mazda5 and the Rondo (that's my job). Thanks for discrediting my opinion, yes, I don't own either one.
Nope, I don't discredit opinions, I just don't agree with some of them, which is different . I believe I don't have the authority to discredit anyone on this arena. BTW, talking about car segments and acronyms, MAV (multi-activity vehicle) is also relevant for some of the cars listed
http://newsletter.csmauto.com/2ndQtr2004/?a=2
"Then I saw the title and I wondered: Why does the Rondo need to compare against the rest, Shouldn't the Mazda5 be compared against the rest instead?"
The word "instead" means one but not the other.
As for the other issue, it's one thing to disagree with another opinion, which is perfectly fine; it's another to add subliminal messages such as input from an owner would be more accurate.
Rondo Discussions
Santa Fe Discussions
Also check out Kia-Forums.com for more on the Rondo.
Plus, get a 5yr new vehicle warranty, 10yr powertrain warranty, 5 yr free roadside assistance, and 7 yr rust through warranty.
So many good stuff for a lot less money if you ask me
For your research:
The Outlander forums are here: http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/WebX/.f0d6490/
Another good online community here: http://outlander.freeforums.org
Read some more about the Outlander here: http://paxtech.blogspot.com/search/label/Outlander
For a comparison with the competition: http://www.outeverything.com/out/comparison.html
I'm not asking you to buy one, but rather take one for a test drive, and compare the power and handling with the rest of the competition. I think the car will sell itself if it's good enough.
I saw one the other day (it should have been the XLS then) and, apart for the clean interior design (looks very European), it had those steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters (a la Lancer). Mazda5 only offers those in Japan I believe. I know, I know, possibly your wife may never use them, but should be a good extra for the price (and a good motivation for you to drive it from time to time . A family car doesn't have to be boring to drive).
I have tried the paddle shifters through renting a Saturn Aura some days ago. It takes some time to get used to them and they make you consume more gas, but it is a fun-to-drive item. 5 yr free roadside assistance does not sound bad either. Family peace of mind if you ask)
Best of luck!
But the novelty wears off on those things, and all the other manumatic variants, very quickly, mainly because they don't add to the performance, and they're still not as fun as a true manual tranny, if you're into shifting for yourself.
And, you can always just use it in automatic mode, which is a very smooth 6 speed on the Outlander.
But the novelty wears off on those things, and all the other manumatic variants, very quickly, mainly because they don't add to the performance, and they're still not as fun as a true manual tranny, if you're into shifting for yourself.
You may be right, in my case I really burned some gas on that Saturn rental car
Both cars (wife's and mine) have manual tranny so pssibly the desire comes from there. I believe the Outlander does not offer manual transmission for any trim (manual trannys seem to be getting less and less common to give way to the manumatics) so I think that is the closest to it. I gave it a shot as I understand Spoole will not be the primary driver so would be fun to enjoy it from time to time. His primary car is the Azera... correct Spoole?
Now Spoole, once you get the new car, depending on how fun it is to drive, you could even try to do what I tried with my wife: Have attempted to swap my sedan for her Mazda5, although I have had no luck :P, she likes the damn Zoom-Zoom a lot (OK OK, I admit, it fits a stroller, baby car seat and groceries in a much easier, more efficient way than in my car)
Unfortunately, not as well as the other Japanese brands, especially Honda and Toyota. But probably no worse than the Koreans (for now), and certainly much better than the Big 3.
You know, based on your wife's driving needs, the car you should check out is the Suzuki SX4. Low price, compact exterior dimensions, quite roomy on the inside, hatchback versatility, perky styling, 6 airbags, available 4WD.
I think it's a perfect 2nd car.
By the way, I just live north of you in Vancouver, Canada. Your vehicles should last longer since it rarely snows in these parts thus the roads are rarely salted. Someone once said to me, "Yeah, but you have the salty air." Salty air? Water evaporates into the air, not salt. I guess ocean-side roads might get some salt on it by the spray or other means. Anyways, I digress.
Yes, my primary car is the Azera. I REALLY LIKE that car. I have owned 11 new Lincoln Towncars ( I was a road salesmen driving 70K per year)and I like this Azera better than any of the Towncars.
A little bit off topic I should say, but interesting comment about the Lincoln TownCar. I just read a related comment this past week: A person was trading a Cadillac CTS for an Asian brand model (you may have figured the brand and model already) claiming final interior quality and boring interior style. As incredulous as I was, this is then an issue for Ford and GM, specifically in models I would not have considered as vulnerable.
Oh well, Spoole, I hope all this input has been useful so far. Keep us in the loop!
Thanks again...and I will let you know what transpires.
All would represent a good value, have a long warranty... None of the Kias or Hyundias have great resale value(too soon to say for the Rondo), but you make up for that to a degree with low up front costs. Given her how little she drives reliablity should not be an issue. Her car will barely be broken in in 3 years.
Don't get me wrong, I think the Rondo (or Tuscon)is a great car but it seems like much more car than your wife needs for her short errands, assuming he Escort has been meeting her needs & you just want to update her wheels. The fancy Mitsu sounds with all it's bells & whistles sounds like huge overkill for a retired person who is looking for basic transportation. Also, I suspect it is a long way to a Mitsu dealer from the Olympic Penn. Then again, it may be just as far to a Kia dealer.
You are probably right on about the Taxi being less expensive for her, but that is no fun unless she likes being chauffered around!
Best thing to do is go test drive everything a couple of times. Narrow it down yourself, then bring your wife along to drive the final contenders.
We tested drove the 2006 CR-V when buying the Mazda5 as it also offered Manual Transmission in the EX trim but it was too much of an SUV for us. Manual is not on your wish list but now, to my point, the 2007 model looks less SUV and more wagon like than its predecessor so a 2FWD may be a good option to look after.
Also note that, at least for the Rondo, many people like it for its 3rd row seat. While the CR-V does not offer one, it seems that in your case you don't have a real need for one, so this means more "wagon like" space for your wife :shades:.
I personally like the 3rd row seat on my Mazda5, but to be sincere, it is folded 95% of the time to give way to groceries, stroller, swing sets, mulch...
Interesting to hear CR-V has a weak engine. I haven't the patience to drive all we have mentioned. Frankly, once I decide to buy a new car, it doesn't take long to make a decision. I appreciate the input from you all.
10 days and counting-- loving my Rondo. I think that it is such a nice smooth ride-- my husband & the boys took it for a ride this weekend (Audi, Saab & BMW drivers) and the LOVED the handling, power and smoothness. 182 HP is quite enough to get a thrill apexing in an offramp apparently. I was riding behind them in a friends mini-van (a behemoth of a vehicle, let me tell you) and the Rondo looked small-- you could see the entire outline of the SUV ahead of it-- but the guys didn't notice that at all-- between the excellent visability and the spacious seats (two guys over 6') they "forgot" they were in my "tall wagon".
We are getting installed today an Eclipse nav system (AVN6610) & head-set mounted monitors for the back seats. I'm back to driving my old Honda wagon today, & I notice the low to the groundness of the station wagon--I couldn't see around the traffic to make a hairy-ish left turn, & aready I see the benefit of being "up high" when moving through morning traffic. Also, I noticed the gas lever was at 1/2 with 200 miles on the tank. The Rondo is also at 1/2, with 150 miles on it. That is a bit of a bummer, especially driving by the discount gas station where the 87 grade is $3.06.
I hope someone finds this information useful!
dnatoday replied:
Also, I noticed the gas lever was at 1/2 with 200 miles on the tank. The Rondo is also at 1/2, with 150 miles on it. That is a bit of a bummer, especially driving by the discount gas station where the 87 grade is $3.06
An here is the excerpt from the article read in cars.com (the V6 engine). I won't post the link itself as it takes you to a non-Edmunds blog (non-written rule about online forums/blogs, but I can send you a private message if interested). Here we go:
"On the downside, while driving the Rondo for a couple of days, it only got about 15 mpg. That's not enough for a car this small; perhaps a six-speed transmission down the road could help get that number up"
Well for the rest, you sound happy about the purchase, so that is the relevant part
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/04/23/us-bound-hyundai-bringing-i30-wagon-as-elantra-in-08/