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Mazda5

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Comments

  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    You may want to first determine if you need a 2 or 3 row vehicle. If you only need 2 rows, then don't get a 3 row vehicle. Even though you can fold the 3rd row, it takes up space if you never use it. Then look at how often you're going to use the 3rd row. That might help you narrow your choices, since some of your choices have 3 rows and some don't. And with two car seats in the 2nd rwo, you're not getting a 3rd person in the 2nd row, so you basically have a 4 person vehicle with 2 rows.
  • andmoonandmoon Member Posts: 320
  • odie6lodie6l Member Posts: 1,173
    but with the Mzda 5 I can have infant in middle row on pass. side then fold and store the driver side 2nd row and have 3yr old in her seat in 3rd row. I sent an e-mail to Mazda to ask them if it was possible to add the LATCH to the 3rd row seats, if not, then it might be a nice addition to the '07 model. The 3rd row has the tether hooks on the back of the seats, but not the lower acher sites on the seat bottom. I will post the answer I get from them.

    Also I posted some pretty good pics in my Carspace Garage Odie's Garage I have a bunch of different shots in there. Also my wife decided she may want to look at the Honda Fit. (I wonder if the doctors have a cure for "Silver-H-itis")

    Odie
  • d_hyperd_hyper Member Posts: 130
    Plea-a-se... "Japanese" is "made in Japan". One could argue about whether Honda Accord (built in States) is Japanese or American (or both). Besides, what is wrong in using a shared platform? What if one of the designers was german? One of recent Ferrari's was designed by a japanese
    guy but it doesn't make it less Italian.
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    Where are those phots on your page link? So where do you put your stuff in your seating configuration, since there's not much space behind row 3?
  • odie6lodie6l Member Posts: 1,173
    photo's are under the New Car Album in the Photo album section (scroll down the page).

    As for stuff... the 3rd row is a 50/50 so 1 seat could still be dropped. The stroller we have will fit behind the 3rd row when seats are up (tried at Philly auto show) so storage is not a problem.

    Odie
  • odie6lodie6l Member Posts: 1,173
    I got a reply back from Mazda about the 3rd row. They said "The 3rd row is being looked at for the 2007-2008 model rear to include full Latch systems to comply with federal standards by the model year 2008 that all REAR passenger seats have LATCH." This at least answered my question and I got a very fast reply.

    Odie
  • wa98stratwa98strat Member Posts: 66
    Shouldn't really be too hard to have LATCH on the third row, It's just an anchor system similar in structure to the seat belt anchors. really it's just a bar with loops welded to it. Every one I've seen so far uses the same bolts positions as the seatbelts to anchor each end of the bar
  • shasta5shasta5 Member Posts: 7
    Dealership in Windsor, Ontario has a few in stock, black, blue and a couple of platinums. All GT's :)
  • caliaghicaliaghi Member Posts: 7
    Hi there,
    I am wondering if somebody experiences with a Mazda 5 GT a somehow loose direction feeling when cruising at 100Km/hour or more on the freeway.... I traded my Mazda Protege 5 with a Mazda 5 GT and I have the feeling that this Mazda does not have the same crisp direction like my old Protege 5. It's hard to describe it but it is like when you drive on a straight line at 100km/h the car tend to slightly move left or right and you need constantly to correct the movement turning very lightly the steering wheel.
    Thanks for your feed back on this issue
  • wa98stratwa98strat Member Posts: 66
    I would have a dealer look at it. I haven't got my 5 yet, just ordered it. When I test drove the 5 (2 test drives) I never noticed that on the highway. I found the steering to be more direct than my current Dodge stratus.
  • wusterwuster Member Posts: 153
    You may want to check the tire pressure. If the tire is over-inflated, it would make the steering very sensitive.
  • oskwioskwi Member Posts: 88
    I was online looking at some pricing for a new M5 and supposedly, Mazda is changing their warranty for 2007 to read 3years/36,000 miles bumper to bumper and 5/60 powertrain...much like Toyota. Has anyone else heard of this? When I test drove at the dealership, this was never mentioned even when I specifically asked. I guess I will buy this year to avoid having 14,000 miles shaved off of the bumper to bumper. (I'd rather additional warranty on the whole car than additional on only the transmission...Japanese trannies that are properly maintained rarely cause problems) I was a little wary to purchase a first year vehicle. If this is accurate, I'm disappointed in Mazda. One of the reasons I'm such an advocate is their extended warranty.

    Garth
  • wa98stratwa98strat Member Posts: 66
    I wouldn't worry about the 5 being a "first year" vehicle, it's not. At least not for the rest of the world. The 5 is the next gen of the Premacy (as it's sold in Europe and Japan.
  • medicmanmedicman Member Posts: 4
    Hello all,
    just picked up my 2006 mazda GS , blk , auto. Awesome vehicle so far !! Just need to add on cruise and tint. Possibly a trailer hitch to tow my utility trailer.All I haul is bikes and coolers for camping so I think the car can handle it..
    Maybe there should be an Ontario meet sometime..
    Take care,
    Bluemedic
  • terence3terence3 Member Posts: 1
    Are you nuts? two kids in the xB!!. Hmmm they may fit. I think you should get the SUV's off the list and add some vans. The SUV are a pain for the little ones. Any van is a better way to go.
    The Mazda 5 may have trouble with a rear facing convertible seat be sure to check it out.
  • kanatakanata Member Posts: 22
    We just picked up a pearl white 5GT. After living with it for a couple of days we find that the car is too bright and too noticeable - it stands out like a sore thumb. No one in the family is keen on driving it now. The car is great, but the colour....

    Anyone know if Mazda sanctions the possibility to swap for another colour?

    This is in Ontario Canada.
  • audia8qaudia8q Member Posts: 3,138
    sore thumb huh?...the consensus at our store is that white is the best color by far(on this vehicle)..LOL guess everyone has their own opinions.

    There is no color exchange program, sorry...
  • kanatakanata Member Posts: 22
    Ok, sore thumb was too strong. I'm sure that with time we'll get used to the brightness. I'd like to tone it down, though. (Then why did we order this colour you ask. We saw an M3 in pearl white and it looked good, but it was a lot smaller area.)

    I've noticed white minivans (I know that the M5 an MAV and not a minivan!) around here tend to have a black rubber strip parallel to the road and down the centre of the doors (to protect against other people slamming their doors into the side). I'll have to see if there are any strips that will fit the M5.
  • d_hyperd_hyper Member Posts: 130
    If you don't wash it for a few weeks, it will become less bright naturally. :D
  • tlongtlong Member Posts: 5,194
    I posted this in the Prices Paid forum, but thought I'd put it here as well.

    My wife and I really like the Mazda 5. We're going to wait for the 2007 model, hoping it adds a 5speed auto trans and leather/heated seats as options.

    But we're also going to consider the restyled 2007 CR-V, yet to come out. We would probably be able to save quite a bit of $$ on the Mazda 5. But since it is a low volume seller anyway, and then on top of that it appears that discounts are substantial - anybody worried that it will have a short run in the U.S. due to low demand, and that we might get stuck with a "rare" and therefore hard to maintain vehicle? We usually keep our cars at least 10 years.

    If Mazda could get the mileage up, they would have something. The current CR-V is 2 mpg better on the highway. Hence our desire for the 5speed automatic.
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    We'll probably get into gas prices, CarSpace, the CARS movie... heck, we might even talk a bit about Mazda! :P

    PF Flyer
    Host
    Automotive News & Views, Wagons, & Hybrid Vehicles


    The Mazda Club Chat is on tonight. The chat room opens at 8:45PM ET Hope to see YOU there! Check out the schedule
  • audia8qaudia8q Member Posts: 3,138
    anybody worried that it will have a short run in the U.S. due to low demand, and that we might get stuck with a "rare" and therefore hard to maintain vehicle

    I don't think you have anything to worry about...there is nothing rare about the Mazda5....most of the parts come right from the Mazda3. So if the 5 vanished tomorrow there would still be plenty of parts. Remember, your looking at a Mazda not an Alfa ;)
  • odie6lodie6l Member Posts: 1,173
    but the xB gets better mileage and has more room than most SUV's. As for the 5, we tried the Rear and Front facing seats in all vehicles we are looking at, and only the vehicles that the seats fit in stay in the mix.

    Odie
    Odie's Garage
  • mschmalmschmal Member Posts: 1,757
    Odie, you have an Escape that you turbo charged. I take it 200hp wasn't enough for you.

    You are dissing the 150 hp available in the Mazda5.

    You keep gushing over the Scion xB. Have you ever driven one? its like 105hp! Or is a Toyota allowed to have only 105hp but it dosn't matter because all Toyotas are perfect.

    Mark.
  • nym5nym5 Member Posts: 20
    "If Mazda could get the mileage up, they would have something. The current CR-V is 2 mpg better on the highway. Hence our desire for the 5speed automatic."

    Keep in mind that the Mazda5 seems to be getting consistently better mileage than it's rated. I often get 31mpg highway, 4 better than rated.
  • kanatakanata Member Posts: 22
    The brochure for the Mazda5GT mentions it has an illuminated lockable glove compartment. Not noticing a light coming on when the glove compartment is opened I looked inside and can see a white window in the ceiling of the compartment (back right).

    I thought the lamp might have burned out or was missing and looked in the driver's manual for the bulb part number. Guess what? There's no mention of a lamp!

    Can anyone shed any light on whether or not there is a glove compartment lamp? How does one open the window?
  • wusterwuster Member Posts: 153
    You may want to try and turn on the headlights first, and then check to see if the glove box light comes on.

    I had an acura integra where the glove box light won't come on unless the headlight was on. I guess the engineers assumed that you would only need the glove box light when it's dark outside. :P
  • odie6lodie6l Member Posts: 1,173
    I like both the 5 and the xB along with my escape... the main reason we are going to be trading the escape is mostly due to it's high mileage (just turned 89,400 on way into work today).

    As for the power issue. The 4cyl in the 5 works good for the size of the vehicle, just as the 103hp work good for the xB. I have driven all the vehicles we are looking at and both the 5 and xB were very nimble and quick footed. I tested each vehicle on both windy back roads and highway conditions. The xB might only have 103hp, but you also need to consider the power / weight ratio.

    Mazda5 Touring - 3333lbs - 157hp / 148lb-ft. (2.3ltr 4cyl)
    Scion xB - 2400lbs - 103hp / 101lb-ft. (1.5ltr 4cyl)
    Mazda6 s Wagon - 3404lbs - 220hp / 192lb-ft. (3.0ltr 6cyl)

    Now of coarse if Mazda dropped the 3.0 that is in the 6 wagon, I would be very happy, but it would also add weight to the vehicle because of the larger motor.

    Odie
    Odie's Garage

    And nothing says that I can't add-on another turbo afterwards. :shades:
  • wusterwuster Member Posts: 153
    Here is something to think about.

    I believe you mentioned in a previous post that you've got two little ones (or soon to be two little ones). So if you're going to get a double stroller or a sit n stand stroller for the kids. Good luck fitting that sucker in the xB.

    :P
  • andmoonandmoon Member Posts: 320
    Mazda already has a turbo version of the 2.3 making 270 hp.
  • wa98stratwa98strat Member Posts: 66
    89,400 isn't high mileage, You're just getting to the sweet spot in the vehicle's life. I just traded in my 98 Dodge stratus with 220,000 miles! the car probably has another 50-60,000 trouble free miles, but I have alot of long trips to make in the near future so I didn't want to have any issues on one of those long trips!
  • andmoonandmoon Member Posts: 320
    How does one campaign Mazda to put these engines into the 5?
  • odie6lodie6l Member Posts: 1,173
    No double stroller... just the same travel system we used with our 1st. My 3yr old has been out of a stroller since she turned 2. The stroller we have only takes up 1/4 - 1/2 of the trunk in my wifes '03 Accord. Plus if I would need to get anything larger I would more than likely make the arrangments to pick-up at a later time. Either vehicle works good for us, it just all depends on my wife. The more and more I look at it, I'm liking the 4dr Wrangler. That olive green that they have in all the pics, is the same BabySpit green that my 2dr had.

    Odie
    Odie's Garage
  • once_for_allonce_for_all Member Posts: 1,640
    my questions too. Evidently Mazda has been polling current purchasers regarding the diesel. I want to stuff the ballot box on this one.

    John
  • wusterwuster Member Posts: 153
    Your lucky.

    We're using a sit and stand now and that thing is huge.
  • kanatakanata Member Posts: 22
    The glove box light definitely doesn't work. How does one get access to the light? I want to save a trip to the dealer.

    There is a light: above the white glove box lens is a lamp holder with wires going into it. I can feel it and I can see it (with the help of a mirror).
  • odie6lodie6l Member Posts: 1,173
    we have the Graco Air6 Travel System. But once she got out of the stroller, we created a whole new monster. We also have a Step2 Cross Country Travel Wagon (Generation1) As seen here (Generation2) and we use this for the beach, Hersheypark, picnics, etc. It also works out good as a portable changing table :shades: (a little more sanitary than the ones in the restrooms. Plus it fits in the trunk of the both the Escape and trunk of the Accord with no problem, so I don't see it being a problem with any vehicle we choose.

    Odie
    Odie's Garage
  • gt_fangt_fan Member Posts: 159
    Here's an online review of the M5 that I hadn't seen before. His opinions are definitely mixed.

    http://thetruthaboutcars.com/content/11466668791075666741/index.php
  • simonsez5simonsez5 Member Posts: 21
    It appears that there is conflicting information on the true cargo capacity of the 5. Since I would rarely (if ever) use the 3rd row seats, they would be flat to the ground most of the time. Can someone please clarify how many cubic feet or cargo exists behind the 2nd row of seats? Some websites have posted 44 while others 15.

    Also, would the Mazda6 Wagon offer more cargo?

    Thanks
  • audia8qaudia8q Member Posts: 3,138
    Mazda will add an additional trim level for 2007...the Mazda5 Grand Touring. It will have all the features found in the touring model plus leather seats, heated seats and HID headlights. There will only be one color available for the leather interior (espresso brown) so the GT exterior colors will be Black, silver,whitewater and galaxy.

    They will drop carbon gray and cardinal red....add galaxy gray and dark plum.
  • dagmar3dagmar3 Member Posts: 8
    Dang! I bought it a year too early! :cry:

    Dark plum (is that like black cherry?) with espresso brown leather sounds great!
  • bksimonbksimon Member Posts: 3
    That's great news (my wife's been a little hesitant about the lack of leather interior), but won't this push the M5 into the price range of the RAV4 and others? If so, can the M5 really compete in that territory?
  • kanatakanata Member Posts: 22
    Any news on MP3 upgrade for 2007, like a single CD-DA/MP3 player or line-in jack?
  • tlongtlong Member Posts: 5,194
    audia8q, thanks for the info. A couple more questions:

    1. Do you know the date the '07 model will be available?
    2. Any info on whether the '07 will get the 5speed automatic?
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    With the 3rd row folded it's 44 and it's 33 for the Mazda6 Wagon (from Mazda's website). I think it's less than 10 with the 3rd row up. As a comparison, the Ford Focus wagon has 35, but the Mazda5 is taller and longer than the focus. So the Mazda5 is still better even if you don't use the 3rd row much.
  • odie6lodie6l Member Posts: 1,173
    But remember the 6 wagon is not as tall as the 5. That's where the extra cargo space is being counted. The 6 wagon is wider (70.1 inches) than the 5 (69.1 inches) by only an inch. Here you can see the difference in height between the two. Plus the 6 wagon has a more slanted window. To bad neither vehicle has a rear hatch window like most SUV's do.. they only have where the entire hatch must open.

    image

    Odie
    Odie's Garage
  • andmoonandmoon Member Posts: 320
    Didin't notice how ugly those clear tail lamps look!
  • audia8qaudia8q Member Posts: 3,138
    The info I have is basic so I don't have all the details yet..I will pass along details as I get them

    production starts in July which means September/October arrival.

    Also...the dark plum is not expected to be available with initial shipments.
  • simonsez5simonsez5 Member Posts: 21
    Thank you for the info. As you can see cargo capacity is a very high priority on my wish list for a new vehicle. So in essence it would be safe to say that I could carry 2 passengers in the 2nd row and be able to cram in more cargo in the back of the 5 (with the 3rd row folded) than the 6 wagon, Legacy wagon, CR-V and RAV4. (these 4 vehicles are also on my shopping list)
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