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Mazda5 Owners - Meet the Members
Introduce yourself and get to know other Mazda5 owners here.
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We picked up our Phantom Blue Touring 5-speed w/Nav on July 19 - 100miles so far and loving every minute of it! :shades:
So Far I have put 710 mile on it. I was the only one to test drive it so except for the dealer getting gas and moving it around the lot 705 of the miles are mine.
1) How is the "build" quality and fit/finish of this vehicle? Any squeaks, rattles or leaks?
2) Is the Mazda5 Made in Japan?
Thanks for your feedback.
How's the automatic climate control A/C work there...pretty hot and humid I would guess?
Other posts in other forums indicated that the A/C might be a little weak, especially in the back seats.
Does the A/C seem to drag the engine down much?
I am considering an auto Touring so it would be nice to know.
Thanks
Thanks for the replies.
When I drove a Touring/Auto the A/C did not seem to bother it at all, but I live on the Oregon coast and the temp struggles to get over 60F at times--maybe 65F the day I drove it. It was hard to tell if it was even on except the air coming out of the vents was a bit cooler than outside.
We use A/C here to mainly cool off a car from the sun (when it shines)..and the black interior will probably heat up a bit with only lite tinting on the windows or when we go to the Willamette Valley, where it is quite a bit warmer than the coast, but nothing like Louisiana or Arizona. However it seems quite warm to us "coasties" if it gets over 80.
Thanks
There are no vents in the back for the third row.
Knew that, but sort of hard to test A/C in the back by myself, and as I mentioned, where I live it does not get warm enough to need A/C about 11 months of the year.
So I was seeking information from somebody that lived in a hot, humid area and might be able to at least say how the A/C worked in general in that climate because of comments in several other forums.
I forgot to ask drspongklong if he carried any 2nd row passengers yet and if there were any comments from them about the A/C.
Thanks much for the update....sounds like it should work just fine in my part of the country and even if I take a trip over the Cascade Mtns to the hot side of the state or someplace further south.
All I can say is it's most fun I've had driving in a very long time. Turning and handling is one of the best for this size or bigger vehicle I've tried so far. I believe it's the 5's best trait.
When we picked up the car it had 27 miles on it. We put on an extra 50 bringing it home and showing it off to some friends. Our friends sat in the 2nd row, and they kept commenting on how quiet the car was. No complaints so far, everything's working perfectly.
I loved driving the car home...but my wife will be the one to do most of the driving in it from now on. If I'm lucky she'll let me drive it sometimes
I'd be curious to hear more about your radio. I have a touring model also, which has the upgraded 6-CD in-dash stereo. I haven't had a problem; I think it actually rocks pretty well (between Caillou sing-a-long songs for the boys - 2 and 5 - and Metallica for dad). But I usually drive with an empty back and the 3rd row folded. I have noticed that when the car is stuffed from Costco runs, the sound from the rear is definitely more muffled.
PS I agree on the belt retainers. Haven't broken one yet, but they don't "retain" very well.
I'm reposting this as my first post (with a link to pics of the car) ran afoul of the mods. Mea culpa. Anyone know how I can add pics now?
Yes, I thought your post sounded familiar
I think I touched your car the day before you bought it, if it was the red one under the awning of Browning's showroom.
I picked up the same color on Sunday from a dealer in San Diego. However, I wanted a manual so I took the train down from Fullerton and drove it back home.
As far as showing off your images, I believe a link to a Flickr page will past muster or if you know how to include an image in your message, I think that will be acceptable as well.
If anyone has the autodimming/compass mirror, how has the large back glass affected the autodimming function? I am worried that with as much light coming through the hatch as there is that the mirror can't keep up.
Really like the fact that it is a manual. I can't stand to drive automatics, no sense of control. One thing that is disappointing and that is the lack of accessories. Had to order at same time to get them. Now have to wait until list is published.
KarenS, "Mazda5 Owners: MPG-Real World Numbers" #1, 22 Jul 2005 11:51 am
We bought a Cardinal Red Mazda5 Sport with manual, moonroof, wheel locks, and cargo net Monday. The in stock model was close to what I would have ordered, a Phantom Blue Sport with manual, and moonroof.
Cardinal Red: I still have yet to see a Phantom Blue in person but the Cardinal is growing on me. I liked the Strato Blue automatic that was at the dealer but it was a little darker than I had imagined. I also like the Stellar Greensilver Metalic automatic that was in front of the dealership on Tuesday. Cardinal Red was my fourth choice and my wife's second choice. It's her car so...
Moonroof: Nice! I've always wanted one. Thank you Carolyn!
Wheel Locks: I look at it as insurance but you can get them cheaper on secondary market.
Cargo Net: I wish I would have bought one for our Civic Hybrid. This one doesn't seem as user friendly because it stretches over the two back split seats. We decided to store it on the back right compartment. Time will tell if it is an unnecessary option for us.
Only one color option for interior: It's a little dark and hot in summer for my taste. I'd prefer more shades of gray but red and black do look good together. I noticed it also looks great with the silver model in the showroom. The lack of interior color options may change with next year's model.
Should we have bought a Touring manual? I'm still not sure but my wife doesn't like climate control and wouldn't use the 6 CD changer much. The four speakers in our Sport are adequate. There are some other nice options that are standard in the Touring, but overall for us, the lower cost Sport outweighed the Touring's package of standard options. I didn't get to play with the navigation system but I'm sure my wife didn't want one so this wasn't an option for us.
Lastly, this is a first year model. There is a good article on first year vs. second year and later models in this month's Consumer Reports. Reliability does increase markedly in later years of a new model. However, I noticed that the Mazda reliability record for first year models was not too bad and the Mazda5 is based on the Mazda3 platform. I'm hoping the first year 5 is going to be reliable. We've had one recall on our first year model manual Civic Hybrid but overall, it has been extremely reliable for the first 35k @ 39.7mpg. I'm a little dissapointed that the new 06 Civic Hybrid doesn't have an manual transmission option... but I'm digressing here...lets get back to Mazda5.
Zoom Zoom
Bert
Still looking for a K&N filter to install, but it is not referenced on the K&N site due to the newness (?) of the 5. I assume the filter would be the same size as the Mazda3 2.3L, but one of these days I'll take it out and measure it.
We test drove it and was completely happy with the car and the fact that Bour Mazda in Scranton PA was willing to deal. They had 7 Mazda5's on the lot and wanted to move them.. no one had heard of them yet and he wanted some on the road. He said I'd be better off selling my van on my own and I did.. Last Friday (September 16th) I sold my van.. on my way back I stopped at the dealership and saw there WERE NO Mazda 5's on the lot!??! The next morning I called and found out they had been recalled.... I saw on these boards that Mazda was offering a MPV in the intrim...
I asked Jay (our salesman) about getting a loaner and that I was in a tight spot because NOW WE AHD NO CAR because we had intended to buy the '5' that day... Jay explained that the MPV was only given to OWNERS of the MAZDA5 and since he could not sell it to us, we really weren't due one.... he could give us a uses 626 instead... I explained we needed 3 rows of seats (our kids always end up fighting when they are so close)... BOTTOM LINE: They gave us a 2005 MPV... now I read MAZDA expects the recall to last at LEAST 30 days....
I can't wait for the new vehicle to come in.. we are getting a Cobalt Grey Touring... with the Gerbers discount and the Ford Family Plan (my dad worked for FORD).. it came out to $500 below invoice... or $18,700... IMO a great deal for all the car we are getting...
I just want to say that Jay and Bour Mazda have treated me real well.... and I really appreciate it... I'm impressed with the MPV, it rides much better and car like than the Odyssey (albeit a little smaller.. but the 5 sill be smaller yet, so I'm fine with that)...
The Edmunds discussion helped me a great deal when getting my Odyssey and have been invaluable when getting this car...
I read $7/gal prices are possible in the future... I cannot see how people can keep on getting their SUV's with 13/mpg... and I'm glad I got in on this Mazda5 before they all sold out....
Keep up the good work and when this recall is finally over, I hope to get a lot more info and hopefully add some useful thoughts of my won....
Replacing the intake system with a so-called "cold-air intake" takes this a step further, allowing freer flow of air through the system due to larger pipe diameters and a larger filter element. Instead of a flat, rectangular shaped filter inside of a small box, these use a cone-shaped filter which is open in the engine bay. There are a couple of problems with these, though. If they are poorly designed (any many are), they allow road water to splash up and soak the filter element, which can cause engine problems. They get dirty really fast (because they are open in the engine bay). They often add a "distinctive" sound to your car, particularly when you change the exhaust system as well--your choice whether you want that or not.
Hope this has been helpful.
The repair should have been done before you bought your 5, However, on the plus side I would think you now qualify for the $500 recall rebate. If so, and it were me, I'd be happy it didn't already have the fix done... Take your car in and drive a loner for a day and get $500!
The dealer I spoke to before really researching the car told me that the 5 wasn't meant to compete with the MPV or Mazda 3 Touring - although I see it as a direct competitor to a MPV.
Are the automatics reasonably peppy? I've not seen Car & Driver or any of those do a road test yet.
I've driven on long trips and think the ride is great. But you really need to test drive one to feel it for yourself. The perceived ride will be largely effected by your perspective. It rides much, much better than my 4 previous vehicles. But those were all true 4x4s and rode little better than buckboards. I'd say it rides much better than the Cadillac my grandma drove, which is to say it doesn't ride like a sponge with wheels. And to me it rides much better than the Caravan I rented last fall. To me the Caravan was sloppy and unwieldy. But to others it might be just marvy.