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Mazda5

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Comments

  • microrepairmicrorepair Member Posts: 508
    From previous message:

    "and can't understand why so many reviewers say it's underpowered. "

    It isn't just the reviewers, many drivers today are on a power trip worse than what happened just before the 1974 oil crisis. Seems like today no one is satisfied unless they have at least 300 HP under the hood. I had a 1988 MX-6 with the 3-valve 4 cylinder engine and it put out approx. 122 HP and I and everyone who rode in it felt it had more than enough power. And we now have a Toyota Matrix with 130 HP that is just fine as a utility type vehicle. Won't win any drag races although when it is empty it can leave a few cars behind from a light.

    I also drive a 5 year old E-class MB with the 3.2 liter 220 HP engine and if I had any more power on a a daily basis than that, I would be in serious danger of causing harm to myself or others. And that is a pretty heavy car..! I drove a MB SL500 with 305 HP a year ago and it has way too much power for people who don't know how to handle a car.

    This power race is insane and the extra oil needed to produce the gas for these ravenous engines is not helping with the goal of reducing how much oil we import.

    Bottgers and others: Take an extended test drive and try some hilly roads and on-ramps and then judge for yourself whether the engine in the "5" is good enough for what you NEED. More folks ought to think about how much power they NEED..

    Off the soapbox.. :D
  • idavidsonidavidson Member Posts: 41
    Well said on your soapbox.

    I also wonder whether the people saying there is not much
    power in passing are down-shifting.

    They are right, going up a steep hill in 4th the 5 starts to
    decelerate quickly. But then I find that if I manually down
    shift to 3 the car can easily accelerate up that steep hill.
  • bottgersbottgers Member Posts: 2,030
    Thanks for the input, but I think you'd better check your mileage again. I'm sure it gets better mileage than the MPV, but there's no way the 5 gets anywhere close to 35 MPG. My PeeVee gets around 20 city, and 24 highway.
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    It looks like the mileage was based on an assumption that the fuel guage is an accurate way to calculate milage. So yeah, I doubt the 35.71mpg was even close to the actual.
  • nissmazlovernissmazlover Member Posts: 162
    Yes, that is based on the assumption that the fuel gauge was correct. As I said, I was exactly on half a tank when mileage read 250 miles, so I am assuming a full tank would have produced 500 miles, thereby achieving the approximate 35 MPG. This can, of course, be flawed.

    Nevertheless, I do know how to compute more accurate fuel economy, and the BEST MPG I calculated from my 5 was definitely 32.30. I had 420 miles on my 5, from a long highway trip, and the gas tank was empty (light on and everything, but still could have gone further if I wanted to risk it). I filled up with 13 gallons and this would give me 32.30 MPG. STILL pretty darned good and better than any MPV - and not THAT far from 35MPG.

    Thanks.
  • d_hyperd_hyper Member Posts: 130
    Put fuel. Zero trip odometer. Enjoy your ride in M5. Come back to refuel. Divide trip miles by gallons you put in tank. Zero trip odometer...and so on.
  • twaintwain Member Posts: 185
    I was excited about the 5 when it first came out and still am but not as much. :) The big advantage of a small minivan would be handling and mpg. For the 5 to really impress, it needs 30mpg. The EPA ratings are barely better than the Odyssey and Sienna bohemeths. And they have powerful V6s. A 5sp auto would help. A diesel would help a lot.

    I think the Kia Rondo gets 29hwy with its 4cyl. That's more like it. Mazda... good job, room for improvement.
  • idavidsonidavidson Member Posts: 41
    That's a good point.

    I bought a 5 despite the relatively poor "official"
    fuel economy.

    I bought the 5 because people who owned Odyssey's
    and Seinna were posting attrocious actual mpg
    results of city (under 15) highway (high teens)
    (see various forums).

    For the 5 I found people were getting close to
    the offical numbers and often better (see sub-forum
    at edmunds)

    I've driven 2500 miles and check my fuel consumption
    carefully. In that times, I've never gotten below 20 mpg
    and on pure highway driving (at high speeds 70mph)
    I do get around 26-28 mpg.

    People have reported higher than than when driving at
    55 mph.

    So the take home message is, do not rely on official
    consumption numbers. Check what people are actually
    getting. Maybe the Rondo in practise gets 35 mpg ...
  • twaintwain Member Posts: 185
    So the take home message is, do not rely on official
    consumption numbers. Check what people are actually
    getting.
    --------------------------------

    I understand what you're saying and you're probably right. But it's very difficult to go by the mpg reported by individuals. It could be anywhere from 15 to 40. We need a reliable mpg system that is accurate. Maybe the new one will be.

    When the EPA rates a 4300lb vehicle with 250hp and a 3300lb vehicle with 157hp only a mile or two apart, something is askew. The lighter vehicle should get at least 5mpg better. To make the sacrifice in size and power worthwhile.

    As you say, maybe the fault isn't with the vehicle or its designers but with the EPA system. Because if the Mazda5 really is getting 28hwy while the Odyssey and Sienna are getting 20, that's acceptable. But it's too bad the EPA figures don't reflect that difference.
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    Some folks on the Rondo forum are getting about 20mpg average, but I know what you mean about what's reported for different size vehicles. I own a Freestyle and a Fit and in general for the same driving conditions, the Fit will get about 40-50%% better mpg than the Freestyle.

    So on the highway, I'll get about 25mpg driving in the low 70s MPH with the Freestyle, and about 36mpg. If I keep the speed between 65-70 MPH, I'll get about 26mpg with the Freestyle and about 38mpg with the Fit. And around town I'll get in the low 20s mpg with the Freestyle and in the low 30s mpg with the Fit.

    So based on the vehicle sizes, the 45% difference makes sense to me. Now something like a Mazda5 or Rondo are in between the Freestyle and Fit in size, so I would think that something of these sizes should be able to get at least what my Freestyle is getting, but I'd hope for something higher.

    But that assumes that vehicle weight is the prime factor with mpg, but it isn't. Look at the tiny Chevy Aevo, which gets really poor MPG, so I think poor engine/transmission design will create poor MPG regardless of vehicle size. Mazda's in general have poorer MPG versus their rivals. Look at the Mazda3 mpg versus a Civic or Corolla. But then Mazda tunes their engine/tranny for performance vs MPG. And the Rondo poor MPG may just be because of a old engine/transmission design.
  • zbxzbx Member Posts: 30
    No matter how cramped it might be, is the reason why Mazda doesn't offer (even as an option) as a 7th seat a Karakuri in between the middle row seats is becuz it doesn't meet safety requirements in North America? And since it's offered in UK, then this means that safety standards are laxer in the UK?
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    It's Tuesday, so that means Mazda chat night. If you haven't joined us before, stop in tonight for a little fun with the group!

    The Mazda Club Chat is on tonight. The chat room opens at 8:45PM ET Hope to see YOU there! Check out the schedule
  • microrepairmicrorepair Member Posts: 508
    "The lighter vehicle should get at least 5mpg better."

    OK, here's a real world example of upside down numbers..
    I have a 2003 Toyota Matrix XR w/auto and on the highway it does no better than 26-27 mpg.. I also have a 2001 Mercedes E320 that on the highway delivers 28-29 mpg.

    The MB is 220 HP and 4000+ pounds vs. the Matrix at 130 HP and less than 3000 pounds..

    So much for the 5 mpg MORE !!!

    Go figure...!

    I am convinced that Toyota fudges their numbers a LOT... I even took it back to the dealer complaining of the poor economy and they returned it after testing stating it was fine and giving 31 mpg...!! Maybe going downhill with the engine off..!!
    I have a friend with a Prius that gets around 40 mpg highway where they advertise 50 mpg !!!

    Keep in mind that the car companies do the testing, not the EPA. The testing procedure is defined by the EPA but they let the companies do the testing..

    Who do YOU trust ?? :(:(
  • idavidsonidavidson Member Posts: 41
    Hi,

    I love my Mazda5 for how quick it is off the mark.
    I especially appreciate this after driving a Chrysler
    PT cruiser and a Hyundai mid-size (can't forget the name).

    Both these cars really struggle when taking of at
    a traffic light, but my Mazda5 zips off.

    HOWEVER, both these other cars cruise at 70mph at
    about 2400 RPM but my auto Mazda5 does 70mph
    at 3000 RPM.

    Are the two connected? I think the Mazda5 gets not
    great fuel economy perhaps because the engine works
    harder to get to 70mph
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    Weight doesn't necessarily have much to do with MPG. Once a vehicle is moving, it doesn't take much hp to keep it moving. The bigger engine in larger cars is to give it more initial speed and power. Aerodynamics are the biggest factor for highway MPG. That's why a small boxy car won't get much better MPG than a larger, more aerodynamic sedan.

    Plus larger engines run at much lower RPMs on the highway, which equals less gas usage. Think about it. If you have a V-8 with twice the engine size of a 4cyl but the 4cyl is going 3200rpm vs the V-8 going 1600 rpm to keep the speed at 60mph for example, which would get the better mpg?
  • microrepairmicrorepair Member Posts: 508
    is strongly related to the LOAD on an engine. An engine running at high RPM may be "loafing" in that it is under almost no load and therefore is sipping fuel where an engine that is running at 1500 rpm trying to get up a hill pulling a trailer is guzzling the fuel at a prodigious rate.

    A v-8 does not necessarily run at half the rpm of a 4-cyl engine for a given speed. That is determined by the overall drive train ratio for that particular car. Both the V8 and the 4 cylinder may be loafing at 70 mph if they are lightly loaded, such as no passengers, no luggage, etc.. Other factors come into play at the hi-way speeds; tire pressure, wind resistance, etc..

    Food for thought............ :D
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    Exactly...my point was that it has to do with a lot more than vehicle weight. My V8 vs 4cyl engine comparision was just a hypothetical example.
  • twaintwain Member Posts: 185
    My main concern with the 5 is its small powerplant and whether or not its underpowered.
    ------------------------------------

    IMO, every vehicle should offer an economy model and a performance model. For the Mazda5, that could mean the option of a turbo or a small V6. 200hp in a Mazda5 turbo would be very interesting. ;) I believe Mazda should offer that option because many people like you are concerned that the 2.3 4cyl isn't enough for a vehicle weighing 3400 pounds and might be carrying 6 people.
  • bostnwhalrbostnwhalr Member Posts: 128
    Really, really liked. Very nice handling vehicle. Definitely on the short list. I just want to check out the FWD Ford FreeStyle and believe it or not, the new Scion xB.

    Question: I've seen others talk a bit about roof racks, but has anyone tried the dealer installed roof rack? Do people like them. From the pictures, I wasn't too thrilled with the location, given the fact that their fixed. Wish one could have greater distance between the two bars. I ask because I haul a 17' kayak.

    I know Yakima makes a custom kit, but I've heard that it rubs the paint off the rear doors or something to that effect.

    I wish they made the 5 with roof rails so that you could add your own Thule or Yakima cross bars. Both the Odyssey Sienna and Freestyle (among others) offer them. Yes, it might hurt the 5's good looks, but it is still a mini-minivan and not a Miata.

    Any thoughts.
  • bostnwhalrbostnwhalr Member Posts: 128
    Sorry, the above message should have been posted elsewhere. I'll repost there.

    And no, I didn't feel it was underpowered on the highway. Of course with 4 of my larger friends onboard.....
  • deirdrefdeirdref Member Posts: 9
    Could somebody do me a huge favour and measure the width of one of the 2nd row seats, across the bottom and the back? I'm considering buying one and want to be sure my daughter's extra big car seat will fit ok.

    Thanks!!!!
  • jeffpurdjeffpurd Member Posts: 11
    by my rough measurement - about 19" wide. My daughter's monster Britax Marathon seat fits on it fine and results in a great height for loading her in 40 times a day. This is actually one of the nice things about the 5's second row being captains chairs - you can slide them forward and backward with the child seat on it. We were looking at a Saturn Outlook's second row bench - and for third row access - the second row essentially collapses/folds-up which seems great but my wife pointed out that this wouldn't work real well with a child seat in that location (good to have someone with common sense along when I'm car shopping).
  • deirdrefdeirdref Member Posts: 9
    Thank you so much! We have a Britax seat for kids with special needs (Traveller Plus), I measured and it's 20" wide. Hopefully it will work ok, guess I'll have to try it to be sure. It does have the Latch system so maybe that will help.
  • daharondaharon Member Posts: 24
    http://www.healthycar.org/vehicle.searchmodel.php?getmake=Mazda

    Seems the M5 isn't exactly the nicest place to spend time in if you intend to breathe. I bought mine to carry a couple of new babies in. Now what? Thanks Mazda, for using all those toxic flame-retardants. At least I didn't buy a Scion xB, which scores the worst.

    Look elsewhere on that site for explanations of what the chemicals are, what they do to you and how they break down. If I keep the car, I'm thinking of getting it tinted and using a windshield reflector to keep the heat down. In the meantime, you'll see me with all the windows open....
    :sick:
  • sir_timbitsir_timbit Member Posts: 39
    From Mazda's media site. I wonder when it'll be out. I'm willing to wait to get some of these features that are not available in the 2007 model, such as the 5 speed auto tranny and improved fuel econ, rear air vents, heated mirrors, alarm, Bluetooth, armrests (hopefully they mean the front passenger armrest), MP3 audio input jack, etc. Quite a number of nice improvements!

    http://media.ford.com/mazda/article_display.cfm?article_id=26425&make_id=227

    2008 MAZDA VEHICLES AT A GLANCE

    MAZDA5

    Introduced in 2006, The MAZDA5 is a three-row, six-passenger multi-activity vehicle infused with sports car inspiration that efficiently transports people and equipment like a large SUV. MAZDA5 demonstrates Mazda’s infusion of stylish, insightful and spirited vehicles. The 2008 MAZDA5 adds a freshened exterior design, five-speed automatic transmission, rear cool air vents, improved gas mileage, arm rests, standard auxiliary audio input jack, and new interior and exterior colors.

    The MAZDA5 is powered by an all-aluminum 2.3-liter, four-cylinder MZR series engine, producing 153 horsepower and 148 lb-ft of torque, shared with the popular MAZDA3. Inside, the MAZDA5 offers a flexible seating arrangement and a flowing wedge-shaped body with solid proportions, defining the vehicle as unmistakably Mazda. The MAZDA5’s large sliding doors and low floor allow for fluid ingress and egress, and a one-touch walk-in mechanism offers easy access to the third-row seats. Pricing for the 2008 MAZDA5 will be announced at a later date.

    New or enhanced for 2008:

    * Freshened exterior design
    * Five-speed automatic transmission
    * Rear cool air vents
    * Improved gas mileage
    * Arm rests
    * Standard auxiliary audio input jack
    * LED taillights (Touring and Grand Touring)
    * New exterior colors – Copper Red, Golden Sand, Stormy Blue, Sunlight Silver, Crystal White Pearl
    * Two new interior colors – Black or Sand
    o cloth seat upholstery (Sport and Touring)
    o leather seat upholstery (Grand Touring)

    In addition, all 2008 MAZDA5 Grand Touring models will be equipped with standard:

    * Security alarm
    * Bluetooth hands-free phone system
    * Auto on/off headlights
    * Heated door mirrors
    * Rain-sensing wipers
  • kivokivo Member Posts: 64
    I don't own a Mazda5 yet, but I took a test drive and liked it very much except I could not see the end of the hood. Has that been a problem for anyone? How about parking? Thanks.
  • deirdrefdeirdref Member Posts: 9
    You can raise the height of the driver's seat. I forgot about this until recently. I'm 5'1" and find it makes a big difference.
  • kivokivo Member Posts: 64
    Does anyone know when the 2008 Mazda5's will be at the dealer's showrooms?
  • f14tomcatf14tomcat Member Posts: 9
    Is there any links to how the 2008 Mazda5 looks, or what the price will be? Will it go up from the 2007 models? Looking to buy really soon and I am trying to weigh the going for the 2007 option or waiting for the 2008. I like the rear air of the 2008, but I like the sticker of the 2007. How long do we have to wait before it arrives anyway?
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    October/November time frame.
  • d_hyperd_hyper Member Posts: 130
    The recent sales results for M5 is a disappointment. I wonder if making it a 6+1 seater (just like outside of NA) could revive the product?! So far, to switch from M3 to M5 gains you an extra seat (in the back) and looses some handling due to extra 500 pounds. Not a very good incentive. Although, I do like the shape and versatility.
    For 800 units/month it's not worth even bringing a '08 model. (Yes, of course Rondo is partially behind it, just like the managers in Mazda USA, who can't respond adequately)
  • f14tomcatf14tomcat Member Posts: 9
    I'm going to have to disagree with you. The M5 is the family version of the M3 and it has a sure spot( while a small one at that, yet still a spot ) in the market share. The M5 and M3 is sort of like the HHR and the Cobalt. The Cobalt sales the vast majority while the HHR is more of a novelty, and sales to fewer but yet enough to be profitable. True, the M5 will never sale what the M3 will but it brings Mazda into a segment that the M3 cannot compete in. It is far from a disappointment, rather a marketing and design masterpeice.

    Plus: There is a lot more people room in a M5 then there is in a M3.
  • chikoochikoo Member Posts: 3,008
    http://www.mazda.com/publicity/release/2007/200706/070612.html

    Mazda Awarded First Place in Auto Bild Magazine’s “Quality Report” for the Third Year Running

    HIROSHIMA, Japan— Auto Bild, Germany’s largest car magazine, has ranked Mazda in first place in its highly respected “Quality Report” for 2007, which was published on June 8. This was the third straight year that Mazda has been awarded first place in this annual report.
  • f14tomcatf14tomcat Member Posts: 9
    Sounds like Mazda is keeping their quality up. I will say that the Mazda 5 we checked out was very refined. We went down the street to the Kia place to check out the Rondo and after I had compared the two, it just felt like Mazda put more time in their product then Kia did. Kia just felt tinny and 'cheap' I totally believe that Mazda is top quality.
  • jaxs1jaxs1 Member Posts: 2,697
    This looks like it only applies to cars built in Japan. Is the Mazda5 built in Japan? I thought they were built in a US factory.
  • f14tomcatf14tomcat Member Posts: 9
    The Mazda5 is built in Japan according to all of my references and also according to the sticker on the one we looked at.
  • coolmazda5coolmazda5 Member Posts: 525
    Yes, the Mazda5 is built in Japan.

    Here is an old site with some data I saw once:
    http://media.ford.com/mazda/article_display.cfm?article_id=21731
  • jaxs1jaxs1 Member Posts: 2,697
    I read that the 2008 Mazda5 will have new rear seat vents to help with back seat cooling.
    Does anyone know if there will be changes to the condenser and compressor to make the system more powerful? I'm not sure that just adding more vents without the system having the capacity to push more cold air will be a big help.
    By the time the 2008's come out, the weather will be cool and no one will be able to give the A/C a sufficient test for effectiveness on their test drives.
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    I'm not sure where you get 800 units/month. Mazda's July sales report shows 9,265 for the year to date total.
  • d_hyperd_hyper Member Posts: 130
    Must have been preliminary numbers. 956 units last month,
    half of the sales a year/month earlier. Rondo is definitely eating it's share instead of creating a new market with joint efforts.
  • f14tomcatf14tomcat Member Posts: 9
    I thought 800 units/month was a little low. Those figures seem a little more resonable.
  • kivokivo Member Posts: 64
    Maybe if Mazda would advertise the car once in a while, sales would increase. I don't think I've ever seen an ad for the car on TV.
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    You haven't and Mazda said they wouldn't. initial releases of the car said Mazda was planning on low volumes so I don't think anyone there is very worried. If the niche catches on, at least they have a foot in the segment.
  • coolmazda5coolmazda5 Member Posts: 525
    Yeah, not too much advertising here since the 2nd generation show up in NA. Back in 2005 we got ours when we saw the ad in a magazine though (Business 2.0 I believe). It really caught our eye especially when we found out it was heading to this part of the Globe. Yet we needed to resource the Web in Asia and Europe to find some more data and ads to shop around.

    Before, and after, buying it I've seen some of the TV ads (Was it the Winter Olympics?) in the US and in Canada.

    Here are some I remember. Note: Some findings are credit to some of the folks from a Non-Edmunds forum... :)

    Old model:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_uz8VO08Rg

    New model:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWHExiLhqWA
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3BcFb_wJsc
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14rMZbbHPIE

    New model Asia:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwH2X31Cpbk
  • castg1castg1 Member Posts: 34
    We went to MAZDA to check out the price of MPV. We had test drove the Odyssey and just wanted to try another minivan before deciding.

    Then we saw the MAZDA5 in the show room. And we went for it.
  • yysyysyysyys Member Posts: 51
    2008 Mazda Mazda5 Trim Style MSRP Invoice
    Grand Touring Station Wagon
    (2.3L 4cyl 5-speed automatic)
    $21,500 $20,117
    Sport Station Wagon
    (2.3L 4cyl 5-speed manual)
    $17,735 $16,606
    Sport Station Wagon
    (2.3L 4cyl 5-speed automatic)
    $17,735 $16,606
    Touring Station Wagon
    (2.3L 4cyl 5-speed automatic)
    $19,350 $18,112
    Touring Station Wagon
    (2.3L 4cyl 5-speed manual)
    $19,350 $18,112
    Source
  • coolmazda5coolmazda5 Member Posts: 525
    Long time no coming to Edmunds :blush: , but the 2008 model is out (I'm sure you've seen it, I hope :D). It is for Japan only at this point (Premacy), but many of the options shown will be around the World for sure...

    http://www.premacy.mazda.co.jp

    or

    http://www.premacy.mazda.co.jp/narrowband/
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    what are the changes for '08?
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