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Mazda 5 vs Kia Rondo
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Comments
And now for something completely different:
Have a gothy Christmas everyone. If you want to see more pics of the Carens with Magyars dressed as Szent Mikulás and as Slipknot roadies, see here (yeah, I know Slipknot isn't really goth, but that's besides the point).
Here are the results:
Which is uglier?
34% (14) Kia Rondo
24% (10) Mazda 5
9% (4) Both are ugly
26% (11) Neither is ugly
4% (2) Looks are secondary/irrelevant when I evaluate a vehicle
Total: 41 votes
One article discussed earlier here the "smaller car" suspension issues with a full load of adults (focused on Rondo, but it may be the same case for the Mazda5, except one less adult) so I believe this pic below a good example. Now imagine driving through potholes and speed bumps :sick:
Mazda 5: 2,011 vs 1,214 for 2007 a 65.7%
as I said before this segment of the market is really doing well
Let me repost the MotorTrend review extract I was referring to earlier:
Although it's adept at hauling a variety of gear, the Kia is less proficient at transporting a full load of adults: "We drove over to a restaurant with seven passengers, and the engine and suspension felt tapped out-it's clearly not made for adult passengers all of the time."
Source:
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/oneyear/112_0804_2007_kia_rondo_update/
Plus I don't know anyone carrying 7 big adults all the time looking at buying a Rondo, so let's be realistic. With the average family consisting of 4 people, 2 adults and 2 kids, the Rondo or Mazda5 are plenty big.
And for those obese families with obese kids, maybe if they drove around in a Rondo or Mazda5 they might have more incentive to lose some weight
a)
These pics are from Hungary and, contrary to some other European countries, there is a highway speed limit there, so 100mph is not allowed in all of "Europe"
b)
My wife is from Germany, and there you see no speed limit in some autobahns (not all of them). Regardless you don't see Mazda5s, Citroen Picassos, Opel Zafiras and VW Tourans at 100+mph when fully loaded
c)
If you look at the pic showing the 3rd row passengers, regardless of what Country the guy to the right hails from, he's big. The rest don't seem though, but regardless, the point is: it is a 7 seater on a compact car designed suspension (with mods like the Mazda5, but still)
d)
Yes, I don't recommend a Mazda5 or a Rondo for a family of 5 either. For 5+ a big minivan is the car to go, but that is besides the point discussed here, I still believe the MotorTrend review is accurate
Rondo - 1039 (a all time monthly record) vs 595 for April 2007
A gap? I see a fender shadow over the tire, not a gap (unless the rear tires are a very low profile, irregular ones).
I'm not aware of many vehicles that can handle 7 adults. Heck, most of the vehicles today can barley handle 4 adults. Case and point, my 2002 Cavalier 4dr, 4 adults (none of us over 150lbs) and the car is bottoming out. I know, this is a car, not a CUV, or SUV or whatever the heck you want to call it. The wife and I were very interested in the Sportage, but then happened upon the Rondo in the lot. We will be taking it out for a rip today. If any of you are old enough to remember, there once was a wagon (as in Station wagon) that had a back seat that folded up out of the floor. With 4 adults, one child in a car seat and 3 of us kids (5, 7 and 8) in the back, that old wagon was bottoming out ever chance it got. If your planing on hauling 7 adults around all the time, get a tractor trailer. It's almost as bad as the reviews I read about how this is an inadequate vehicle, because it doesn't accelerate like a sports car, or it doesn't handle like a sports car. If you want that, then buy it, otherwise,,,,,,,,,,, :mad:
Oh, and I don't want to buy a Rondo, I already have 2 Mazda5s, that is good enough for me :shades:
Guess this limits my choice :P
I doubt the Rondo 3rd row fits you well but I also doubt you will ever ride in that row anyway
But, in all seriousness, I feel your pain, I'm close to 6' and a couple of extra inches of legroom for the driver's seat would have helped, but I'm used to it now. I've also known of a 6'3" owner who is just fine with it. It depends on how people are used to drive or maybe, how long their legs are (i.e. tall people, but short legs?) LOL
Heavy rain but no trouble, Cross-winds were more noticeable with the box though
Photo links in case the site gives trouble:
http://www.carspace.com/coolmazda5/Albums/2008_mz5_stormy_blue/mazda5_may_11_200- 8%20002.jpg/photo/v./photo.jpg
http://www.carspace.com/coolmazda5/Albums/2008_mz5_stormy_blue/mazda5_may_11_200- 8%20003.jpg/photo/v./photo.jpg
---------
2008 Car Complaint Index
Thanks to consumer advocate Jack Gillis, author of the 2008 Car Book, and the efforts of the Center for Auto Safety, we are able to provide you with the vehicle complaints on file with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Each year, thousands of Americans call their government to register complaints about their vehicles. The complaint index is based on a ratio of the number of complaints for each vehicle to the sales of that vehicle. The numbers represent relative index scores, not the number of complaints received. The complaint index score considers sales volume and years on the road. Lower index numbers are better....
The 2008 Projected Car Complaint Ratings
MODEL
COMPLAINT INDEX RATIO
Toyota FJ Cruiser
28,955
Dodge Nitro
24,624
Lexus ES
14,567
Hyundai Entourage
13,643
Toyota Camry
13,381
Jeep Commander
11,877
Mitsubishi Outlander
10,899
Jeep Wrangler
8,082
Volkswagen Rabbit
7,555
Volkswagen Passat
7,503
Mazda 5
6,964
Mercedes Benz R Class
6,911
Dodge Caliber
6,459
Jeep Compass
5,857
Nissan Quest
5,805
Audi Q7
5,707
Buick Lucerne
5,706
Chrysler Aspen
5,435
Honda Fit
5,201
Lincoln Navigator
5,166
---------
Since I'm a Rondo owner and for the sake of fairness, I'm not implying here that the Rondo is flawless in comparison. The Rondo, like any vehicle, has its own chinks in the armour. One can easily find out for oneself just by checking the Rondo forum here.
But as for your dad's view that there's "no comparison", that is really funny. YOU, is fact, were making comparisons, and found that, with re: to warranty, safety and price, the Kia more than measured up to the Mazda. But, as you noted, you needed to go with space/functionality considerations
I've owned cars from both companies, and I'd tell your dad that Kias and Mazdas offer very comparable automobiles when it comes to quality, function, performance and market nitches, and they will be slugging it out for sales for years to come!
Congrats
My previous car was 06 Sonata V6 and it was much faster then M5 but M5 drives much better.
Rondo I-4 = 19/26, V6 = 18/26
Mazda 5 = 21/28
"Much better"? Given that EPA says mileage will vary by type o driving, driving habits and even the individual automobile you own?
USA:
Rondo - 1566
Mazda 5 - 2076
(this is the first time in the US that the Mazda 5 has passed the Rondo in sales since April 2007)
Canada:
Rondo - 1001
Mazda 5 - 1509
(in Canada the Mazda 5 has always outsold the Rondo)
For comparison the US population is 9.5 times larger than Canada
2008 Rondo EX
PEC, Ontario, Canada
My I-4 Rondo mpg in pure city driving is 20 and my pure hwy mpg is 30. I average 25 mpg.
Can I ask what you paid for your Mazda5?
I paid 22500$ for my M5 but the dealer also paid 1000$ more than KBB excellent value for my Sonata.
I got a 7-seater LX I-4 Rondo with all the options I wanted. As I noted, I'm happy with the overall mpg. I paid $9,700 plus my trade--a 2001 Canry with 80,000 miles. Dealer gave me $800 over KBB at the time, i.e. $7000, for it. Total cost for the Rondo was $16,700.
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=222b561d-9bb3-463b-8b35- -6317f0f87ddc
We just recently returned from a trip to Puerto Rico where we rented a Rondo. I, willfully, picked it since I wanted to compare it to my 5 and since I wanted a car with an Auxiliary port for our iPods. First disappointment: The LX didn't have an Aux port! We had to contend with a few CD's we had for the trip. Second disappointment: none of us found the seats truly comfortable and their material seemed cheap. Third immediately apparent disappointment: the steering. It was HORRIBLE! It felt like a rubber band. And, I had to contend with many "broken K" turns that my 5 wouldn't handled as proper "U Turns" since the Rondo's turning circle was significantly larger than that of the 5's.
Some positives: the AC worked well! The engine has good pick up - felt powerful. And the build quality of the interior was good, too! See? I can be objective. I also liked the various nooks and compartments in the front and in the rear-most sections where one can hold stuff. Also, I like the styling of the REAR of the car, only. The rest is WAY too dorky - an opinion shared by all seven of us who went on the trip.
Another positive was the fact that all seven of us could fit in the Rondo. We wanted to travel together and that helped out. BUT, we were regretful of that decision. The suspension, which at first seemed just ALRIGHT (actually, TOO soft, yet contradictory, since it would still let in harsh impacts way too...well, harshly) completely bottomed out and practically fell apart when we were all in. It's definitely NOT meant to carry seven passengers! The ones riding in the back were very uncomfortable and their butts literally HURT when they got out of the car due to all the unfiltered bumps we experienced. To be fair in my assessment, I no longer carried that many people in the car, but even with just four adults riding inside all bumps came through harshly. We were all in agreement in saying that the suspension outright SUCKED, and all agreed that my 5 rode WAY better. Again, the suspension gave the impression that it was soft and provided a comfortable ride, until a bump/pothole presented itself. Then, the truth of the cheapness of it came through loud and clear. NONE of us 7 liked the suspension, much less the car, overall.
The handling also left MUCH to be desired. Whereas I revel in turns and curves and roundabouts in my 5 (singing "zoom zoom zoom" in my head all the while), I proceeded with caution in the Rondo. The car's steering, as previously mentioned, felt like a rubberband and just felt CHEAP; the Rondo rolled heavily and just couldn't keep up with any speed through any curve or corner or turn. NO fun driving this thing at ALL!
Another disappointment, even though I had the LX 4 cylinder, the fuel economy was disappointing. The 5 definitely gets better gas mileage AND it is SIGNIFICANTLY noticeable! We drove a mix of city and highway and the Rondo, with a full tank of gas, couldn't reach 300 miles of travel, whereas with my 5 that is a regular occurrence. It wasn't even great on highway alone. Another thing we definitely missed: cruise control. The Kia didn't have it. I thought this would have been standard in such a supposedly "well-equipped" car at a low price. Whatever!
To sum it up, when five of our friends left back to NY and my wife and I stayed in PR, we disliked the Rondo so much that we ended up going back to the rental agency and going through the hassle of exchanging it for the remainder of our trip. I ended up taking a new Scion XD and was very impressed with the car. We both liked it very much and enjoyed its comfort, its good handling, and its great sound system where we heard our songs from our iPod through its auxiliary port.
The 5's looks are so much better than that of the Rondo's, and it looks infinitely cooler and sportier. The 5 drives WAY better, rides WAY nicer, handles a MILLION times better, has a way better tranny and feels WAY more refined than the Rondo. The interior is better, too. The seats, in and of themselves, are more comfortable than the Rondo (my 6'4" friend agreed) including the third row. The 5 gets better fuel economy, has a better sound system and MANY more conveniences are offered over the Rondo. Besides the fact that the Rondo can TECHNICALLY hold 7 people vs. the 6 people the 5 can hold, I can't think of ANY advantage the Rondo has over the 5. Even its cheaper price isn't really an advantage since you get a CHEAPER car that definitely FEELS cheaper, too. Sorry, just had to add my two cents for all those deluded Rondo owners out there who try to convince themselves that their car is better than the 5. :P
I am a Rondo owner. I am loving it. I note that in several reviews I've seen, Rondo bests the 5, so I know there are those out there who feel the same as I do, and differently than you do.
To each his own.
If he does drive one in the future, he'll have to eat his words and change his name to formermazlover...
I have an 07 EX V6 Luxury, and disagree with all his negative comments energetically.
Nissmazlover,I think you should ACTUALLY drive a Rondo, or maybe you are afraid you will like it?
Yes, the M5 is a nice vehicle, really nice for that matter. See, I can be objective too.
I have a 5 and love it, but see how the Rondo appeals to others. The 5 is very much biased towards sport and the driving dynamics and ride show it to a certain extent. This is not saying that the Rondo is terrible. I imagine it handles decently (most everything made in the last 10 years handles fairly well!), but that small difference between nice handling and the sporty edge is a big deal to some people.
My sticking point will always be the sliding doors. There are just too important to me as a new-ish parent. I have read some other comments about the Rondo having a hard time with 7 on board. I have done 6 in the 5, but it was only 4 adults and 2 kids. I have also done 5 adults in the 5 and it handled it well
, but the suspension has bottomed out with 5 on board over a large speed bump (well unusually large that is).
The real question is, will you eat your words and take the rainbow sticker off your car when he posts his vacation pics showing that he did, in-fact, drive it?
I am pretty surprised by the two empty responses to his post.
Look, from a pretty good website review
(http://carfamily.wordpress.com/2008/04/29/buyers-guide-to-station-wagons-gas-mi- leage-and-safety/)
the 2 cars are lauded. No need to imply that people's judgment and choices are wrong.
What is strange and was one of the reasons I chose M5, the Rondo doesn't have a cargo cover with 7 seat configuration.
I still believe the Rondo is an excellent choice. It offers a lot for its price.
Regardless, both are great vehicles for differing needs - and both are stylish, fuel-efficient and space-efficient. One can can find faults with both, and advantages with both.
http://suvs.about.com/od/kia/ig/2007-Kia-Rondo/Rondo-Stains.htm
Per staining issue, I wonder what that stain source was (at the suvs.about.com URL)? My curiousity stems from the fact that I have had no problems removing a couple of stains (unknown source) from the shotgun seat in my Rondo.
Mind you, I really wanted to like the Rondo. I had never driven a Kia before, and am a Hyundai fan. I was, actually, very excited about it. But, from the moment I stepped in until the moment I returned the car, I was disappointed with it. Nevertheless, I still wrote quite a few positive things about it, which, again, you will see if you read back on the post (no need to repost them).
Ladies and Gentlemen, I present you with Subject A: "bgw" - An unfortunate sufferer of the aforementioned delusion.
I only take pictures of cars that I like. So, I do not have any pictures of the Rondo itself. That being said, my friends took pictures from inside the car and I will be posting them later today (gotta get the pics from them). Rest assured, I DID drive the Rondo extensively from Thursday, May 22nd until Monday, May 26th, which is the day I became fed up with it and exchanged it for the Scion XD, which I kept until the end of my vacation. Please prepare yourself for our special of the day: A delicious entree, which we call "Your", along with a succulent side of "Words". Ready to eat up?
I, honestly, am interested in reading the reviews you say you have seen stating that the Rondo bests the 5. Can you please post these links for our reading enjoyment? Thanks.
I'm looking at replacing our larger car with a small 3-row vehicle and I've been researching/testing the Mazda5 and Rondo a lot and I've come to a simliar conclusion as when I was researching/testing the Fit & Versa.
While the Rondo has a slighly larger 2nd row, the driving dynamics, interior quality, MPG and versatility (i.e. sliding doors, underseat storage, etc) of the Mazda5 make it the winner to me over the Rondo.
Plus it's hard for the AC in Rondo to reach the 3rd row because of the 2nd row bench vs the captain chairs of the Mazda5.
That being said, if I had a towing requirement or a need for 7 pass seating, then I wouldn't buy a Mazda5.