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Comments
Meade
Engine Specs: 2.3L I-4 157 HP
Transmission: 5-spd man w/OD
Fuel Economy City: 22.0 mpg
Fuel Economy Highway: 27.0 mpg
Door Count 4 doors
Maximum Cargo Volume 44.4 cu.ft.
Exterior Length 181.5 "
Exterior Width 69.1 "
Exterior Height 64.2 "
Wheelbase 108 "
Front Tread 60 "
Rear Tread 60 "
Turning Radius 17.4 '
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating 4,572 lbs.
Curb Weight 3,333 lbs.
Drag Coefficient .31
Front Legroom 40.7 "
Rear Legroom 35.2 "
Third Row Legroom 30.7 "
Front Headroom 38.9 "
Rear Headroom 39.2 "
Third Row Headroom 37.1 "
Front Hiproom 52.9 "
Rear Hiproom 58.3 "
Third Row Hiproom 40.9 "
Front Shoulder Room 55.5 "
Rear Shoulder Room 55.6 "
Third Row Shoulder Room 49.2 "
Passenger Volume 98 cu.ft.
Interior Cargo Volume w/Seats Folded 44.4 cu.ft.
Warranty (months/miles)
Bumper to Bumper 48/50,000
Major Components 48/50,000
Rust Through 60/unlimited
Roadside Assistance 48/50,000
Accessories 48/50,000
This is just half of all Specs and Features For Mazda5 "Touring 4dr Passenger Van". That is how they call it. The price:
MSRP: $18,950
DEALER RETAIL PRICE RANGE: $17,435 - $18,950
For "Sport 4dr passenger van":
MSRP: $17,435
DEALER RETAIL PRICE RANGE: $17,435 - $18,950
Just food for thought
Put 6 people in it and it's gonna be a slooow ride.
-juice
The '02 Highlander has 155 Hp from its 2.4 Liter engine - and yes it has VVT-i. It's all the engine I'll need. I can pass safely on the freeway, and cruise at 80 mph all day long. A lighter vehicle, with more Hp and the benefits of the manual transmission, should be able to blow it away.
Additionally, my Outback had 68.6 cu feet of storage with the rear seats folded. The 5 has only got 44.4 cu feet? Seems to be like I'd be better off with an MPV or a 6 wagon.
Yeah, I too drove the manual-trans Outback before I got the Highlander. It seemed slow to me as well. The Mazda3 seems like a quick car though, and that's the same engine as the Mazda5. Different final drive ratios and transmission gearing could make the 500 lb weight difference less noticeable.
Still, it's all just speculation until we can drive it. Where would these forums be without a little speculation? Not to mention TV sports shows.
But they had AWD standard, and there is more drag in the drivetrain. Usually you lose about 1-2 mpg with AWD compared to FWD.
05 OB is up to 168hp and the 06 should get another bump to at least 173hp.
-juice
The Mazda5 is a fantastic product. Apparently some of my fellow posters want it to do 0-60 in 6 seconds, cruise on the highway at 1700 rpm, and get 40 MPG. Sorry, maybe they'll try harder next time.
On the concern of performance, remember that the Mazda3 hatch w/manual has been clocked 0-60 at 7.7 seconds. It weighs just over 2800 lbs. Now add the 500 lbs for the Mazda5 and you have a power/weight ratio in line with the original Miata; not your neighbor's Camaro, but plenty of good clean fun. Fully-loaded at 4500 pounds, it won't be fast, but it'll still-have the power/weight ratio of a base-model 2004 VW Jetta with no passengers. I've never heard anyone call a Jetta unsafely slow.
On the concern of gas mileage, a figure of 22/27 is not hybrid-spectacular, but isn't shabby either. It beats any minivan, and is in line with small SUVs and lots of midsize cars. Note that the heavier Mazda6 wagon gets 19/26 w/man and 20/27 w/auto. It does have a V6, but it's the critically-panned Ford Duratec. Few of those vehicles can carry six passengers or as much cargo. Let's not forget that EPA ratings come from sniffing the exhaust in a lab, just like they did in the '70s. Real-world mileage ratings should be more enlightening when the reviews come in later this year. The EPA test does not factor in the effects of wind resistance, and the Mazda5 has a fairly small frontal area and an impressively small drag coefficient of .31. Compare this to the Mazda3 hatch, whose coefficient is .346.
In terms of cruising RPM, unless Mazda changes the transmissions/final-drive relative to the Mazda3, it should be identical to the Mazda3 s. An online search led me to a Motor Trend article which rates the 3 s hatch at 2750 RPM at 60 MPH w/manual. This corresponds to around 3650 RPM at 80 MPH. Not slow, but not unreasonably fast either. Maybe mdaffron can back this up.
I also think people are sadly overlooking the Mazda5's potential as a phenomenal college-student car. Room for five friends plus junk, full set of safety features, manual trans. option, great styling, for little more than a comparably-equipped Scion tC, Honda Civic, Ford Focus, or, heh heh, Mazda3. With an impressive load rating of 1239 pounds, it can handle six 200-pound people plus medium dog without being overloaded. The huge cargo area would be a boon on moving days, and with the back two rows folded, there's plenty of room for, ahem, sleeping. This car seems at least as good for students as the Honda Element (bought mostly by aging Boomers) and the Scions (more successful, but highly polarizing), the last big Japanese launches aimed squarely at the youth market. An entry price of $18k certainly isn't accessible by everyone, but the Mazda3's solid reliability record points to a good used-car value for the Mazda5 in a few years.
Okay, enough ranting for tonight.
Might you be saying that the Mazda5 has the potential to become the next VW Microbus? Hehehe
...I agree. In Europe, a car like the Mazda5 has a 1.4 liter, 100hp as a base engine. And a couple of diesel options. The 2.3 would be the hot rod in Europe.
I am disappointed it doesn't have a 5sp auto though.
I've been waiting for a genuine small minivan and the 5 is it. But I expect Mazda will call it a Space Wagon or something. Sliding rear doors are the ultimate in practicality. Far better than the Element's "Help me, I'm stuck" suicide doors.
I still plunked down a deposit and will be one of the first in my area to drive one, because it's perfectly suited to my family's needs.
I'd like to see a diesel option in the 5. 250lb of torque would be sweet. Plus better mileage.
Please let us know about the test drive
...That seems low for all seats folded. Maybe for the third row folded. I'd guess 70 cu ft for all seats folded.
Front Legroom 40.7 " 41.2
Rear Legroom 35.2 " 40.2
Third Row Legroom 30.7 " 33.3
Front Headroom 38.9 " 39.4
Rear Headroom 39.2 " 39.4
Third Row Headroom 37.1 " 38.6
Front Hiproom 52.9 " 55.5
Rear Hiproom 58.3 " 55.8
Third Row Hiproom 40.9 " 45.9
Front Shoulder Room 55.5 " 58.5
Rear Shoulder Room 55.6 " 58
Third Row Shoulder Room 49.2 " 50.8
I don't even have children yet. I want that extra space in the 3rd row to put my groceries, camping gear, and/or my large German Shepherd, who is in the car a lot with me. I also want the storage capacity to slide my road bike right into the vehicle with me without resorting to a roof or trunk rack. The only other vehicles which meet this need are SUVs (don't want one) or station wagons, and I just sold my 04 Outback in April--I wasn't pleased with it. I can think of lots of reasons why you'd enjoy having the space of the 3rd row seat folded flat.
Jetta Wagon, etc. lots of small wagon choices would fit your needs. What makes the Mazda5 unique is the 3 rows, so that's what I meant when I said it would be a waste not to ever use them. Or just complete pull them out and have even more space in the back.
I prefer the M5 over wagons like the Focus and Jetta because it doesn't look like a wagon. And it's taller with a higher seating position.
I had a 1987 Stanza Wagon. Not really a wagon, it was a tall, small minivan with sliding doors. Ahead of it's time.
Myself, I would fold down (or take out if possible) the third row, leaving plenty of cargo space in the back.
I don't like the M5 for it's 6 seats. I like it for the sliding doors, manual option, and manageable size.
However, it is rather large, and not remotely sporty. Which is fine for the mission of carrying a large family.
So I can see where the 5 would have different strengths - smaller, sportier, cheaper.
-juice
As a soon-to-be-a-one-child-family, the Mazda5 seems like a nice option. For now, we won't feel guilty driving it with one child in the 2nd row and the 3rd row folded down (because it isn't a rediculously huge car and its fuel economy is better than most minivans). But if our family expands to 2-3 children in a few years, we'll have the third row in the Mazda5 so we won't need to trade it in for a different car.
I like almost everything about the Mazda5 specs, but I must say I'm a little disappointed in the gas milage of the AT (21/26). The Toyota Sienna minivan is rated at 26 highway (same as the Mazda5) and it's larger and heavier. I assume that the gas milage of the Mazda5 isn't amazing because some fuel economy needs to be compromised in order to make it more "fun-to-drive". The trade-off is probably worth it...can't wait to test drive one and find out.
-Brian
The last rumour I heard was June 30, for Canada. Don't know about the US but I can't imagine you'd be far behind.
Meade
Other than the back row, the Nissan Axxess seems like an earlier version . It did have sliding doors on a tall wagon body.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
So, you're saying this is a perfect vehicle for Mazda!
:shades:
I'm proud to be an original-thinking zoom-zoomer, and NOT a member of the Honda Herd!
Meade
Mazda seems to carve out a fringe niche in every segment, even the mainstream segments. Their van is smaller than the herd, their FWD sedan is smaller and sportier, and their sports car has 4 doors and a rotary!
-juice
GS
2.3L 5MT $19,995
2.3L 5MT A/C w/Auto Climate $21,095
2.3L 4AT $20,995
2.3L 4AT A/C w/Auto Climate $22,095
GT
2.3L 5MT $22,795
2.3L 5MT A/C w/ Auto Climate $23,895
2.3L 4AT $23,795
2.3L 4AT A/C w/ Auto Climate $24,895
Meade
Like the Colt Vista and Expo, it would fit right in with the crossovers that are popular now. The Mazda 5 does remind me a lot of the Colt Vista, except it had normal doors.
The manufacturers are avoiding the "cheap" label that plagued the 80s hatchbacks and small wagons by making the new models the top of the line. Wider tires, bigger engines and better appointments. For instance, my Aerio SX is the premium version of the basic Aerio sedan. If you can call an Aerio "premium".
I do recall that it didn't have a B pillar or something? I think you got a wide open side when you opened both doors.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
We now have Matrix instead of Corolla Wagon, 5 Doors instead of hatchbacks and GM has even grafted SUV noses onto their minivans and called them Sport Vans.
Just shows how important image has become.
That's right, no B pillar. It was really a great, practical vehicle. Maybe a little susceptible to crosswinds due to the tall height and low weight and that may be why it was dropped. That, and the public didn't care much for great, practical vehicles.
The Spectra5 is similary well equipped, as is the Elantra GT. The GT comes in 5 door only, as a matter of fact.
Funny, though, that there actually is a Corolla wagon, it's called the Corolla Fielder in Brazil, and it is very different from the Matrix, longer by far. The Matrix is sort of a 5 door hatch version of the Corolla. The Fielder is a true wagon.
Here is a review from my native Brazil (in Portuguese, but check out the pics).
http://quatrorodas.abril.com.br/carros/testes/0704fielder.shtml
-juice
I think you'd be surprised - there are waiting lists at a lot of dealerships for the 5 up here in Canada.
The 6 doesn't seat 6 people. The 5 offers that option.
Hopefully soon the US will start getting smaller, practical vehicles instead of the behemoths we have now. High gas prices may be the only way that will happen.
I like both the Spectra5 and the Elantra GT. But after owning a couple of "tall" vehicles and sitting up higher, they're not tall enough.
I much prefer the Mazda5. I don't want a traditional wagon and I don't want a traditional minivan. The 5 perfectly fits the bill of a small, sporty minivan/wagon thingie.
The only things that might improve the 5 are a 5sp auto and a diesel or hybrid option for better mileage. Until hybrid prices come down I'd opt for the diesel.
The 6 wagon is very sharp...for a wagon.