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2009 Mazda5
Does anyone have confirmed information regarding the US version of the 2009 Mazda5? I have read rumors but have not seeing anything solid. I figure for a car that is going to be released in 8-10 months there would be some info out there!
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Maybe things like the Chevy Safira are an indicator of mini-minivans coming to the US market.
2008s are selling well w/o marketing so I'm almost sure the 2009 will make it here. As per power doors, the standard ones are so light I doubt they will have them, also, Mazda will be doing a lot of campaigning for the new Mazda6 so that will keep them busy :surprise: for sure...
http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com/2010-chevrolet-zafira.htm
As for the power doors I've seen them mentioned a few places as well.
http://horisly.blogspot.com/2007/12/bologna-motor-show-2008-mazda5-facelift.html-
http://www.auto-power-girl.com/cars-2009/mazda-specifications/mazda5-2308
http://www.autoblog.com/tag/2009%20mazda5/
It’s the same approach used for the only other such vehicles on the American scene, the Mazda 5 and Kia Rondo, each a five-seater.
However, we suspect final pricing will be somewhat lower and maybe sweetened with incentives, this to match the competition and because mini-minivans have yet to catch on with U.S. consumers. Indeed, both the Rondo and Mazda 5 are hardly flying off the lots, with respective sales around 24,000 and 14,000 for the first 11 months of 2007.
Rondo can get up to 7 seats and the Mazda5 is 6, weird
Also, this year is selling very well after the facelift. I'm not sure that they will make 2 facelifts in a short period of time though.
Yes, Premacy in Japan and the Mazda5 in Europe and Asia offer power doors since 2005, but I think the article is right on one thing: price needs to be lower in NA. Keeping that on mind things like power doors may not make for models here to remain competitive on price. I mentioned somewhere here that last year I stopped by at a Mazda dealer in Germany. A Mazda5 "Top" (kind of a Touring here) was 27100 Euros! For that money power doors should be a must
Allright, best of luck! I own a 2006 and a 2008 Mazda5s, so I doubt 2009 will be a time to trade-in any
I may remove the drivers side rear seat or install some system that lets me fod it backwards, since the seat back only folds down rather than than the whole assembly folding forward.
My fear is I buy the 2008 5 and then three months later they announce the bigger/better specs for the 2009 model and a Mazda5 Speed edition.
LOL, would be great, but no. Mazda NA is running the Mazda5 message as economical, great family hauler and without sacrificing handling and fun-to-drive. A turbo engine like the ones for the MazdaSpeed3 or MazdaSpeed6 will bring the MPG really down plus may not be a good seller for such a small market niche.
It might be more attractive to sell in Japan or Europe though but the new Mazda6 will keep them busy at least through 2009.
Who knows...
The sales guy confirmed that the 2009 would have a new, improved engine. But, generally, details on other features are few and far between.
I'm in the burbs north of Seattle. We get rain like 200 days a year and a few days of light snow here and there. The 5 doesn't offer AWD or even traction control, so I'm wondering if they might be upgrading the safety features for 2009. I like the 5, but if they don't step up their game on safety, it's going to be a hard sell to the wife.
"New Liquid Silver exterior color to replace Sunlight Silver (late availability)
Sand interior color now available with Stormy Blue and Brilliant Black exterior colors."
Since we will not buy a family vehicle without Electronic Stability Control, that rules out the Mazda5 for us for at least another year.
This should have been my first Mazda purchase and the start of a long valuable consumer relationship between Mazda and me. Instead, this glaring lack of proper, soon to be mandated, safety feature technology has bittered this consumer to the core. After patiently waiting, and taking the time to personally write (by both s-mail and e-mail way back in Feb) all explaining the expectations of ESC in the ’09 model; I am utterly disappointed they have stuck with the status quo; ignoring my (and many others) call for an updated M5 with ESC.
I am sure that by the time Mazda sees right; there will be lots of new space wagons as competition here in the US. Look for new products in late ’09-’10, that will surely all come with ESC standard. GM, Subaru, Honda and others are all rumored to have Mazda5 class competition under development. With the cost of fuel on the rise, and a move to smaller more efficient autos already apparent - this niche segment will expand rapidly. Mazda, who was poised to strike while the fire was hot, with an outstanding product in the Mazda5 (save the obvious oversight of no ESC) will blow this perfect opportunity to become a leader in a new segment. No, instead they have settled for a sub par safety reputation; choosing the easy road, the lazy road, the road that leads to mediocrity.
For me, I will move on to something else for my purchase. I cannot continue to wait for Mazda USA to wake up a different brand for me, for sure. Likely, I will be less passionate about its shape and size than I was about the 5 - but at least I will be confident in it safety performance; which is the bottom line for first time parents – purchasing a car for their first new baby.
Mazda you’re dead to me.
I wrote an article titled
"Is Electronic Stability Control Worth It?". It doesn't say that it is or isn't. It goes into what your actual odds of an injury accident or fatal accident are, how the odds are influenced by ESC/DSC, and what your cost differential would be between the Mazda 5 and a Toyota Sienna. Then it's up to you to make up your mind.
Here's a quote... "They claim it will save 10,000 lives a year. In a population of 300,000,000, that puts your odds of being in the group of people whose lives were saved by Electronic Stability Control at 1 in 30,000 in any given year. If you're not in that 1 in 30,000 group, either you weren't in an accident at all, you weren't in a potentially fatal accident, or you were in a fatal accident, but you were one of the 20,000+ people who would still die anyway, Electronic Stability Control or not."
I ended up deciding that the Mazda 5 would be an okay choice. It really doesn't have much more cargo room than a Honda CRV, but the small size, sliding doors, and captain's chairs in the first two rows make it easier to fit into a tight garage, yet still get two little kids into the rear seats without having to back out first.
Last, worth noting... I have a new baby due in November. It will be our second, and I've been looking at the 5 as an upgrade from my 5-door. My current car has neither stability control or ABS (the 5 has ABS), but I carted first kid around in it in the snow without ever feeling it wasn't safe enough.
But, then again, I don't have a lead foot, I maintain a more-than-safe following distance to ensure I have plenty of reaction time, and I don't take my eye off the road while in motion, which probably puts me in a group of 1 in 30,000 drivers all by itself.
For me this DSC thing is not an option. I made a decision long ago that my next car for my new family, would be a new one, with all the latest in safety features that money can buy, especially stability control (ESC/DSC). Basically, it comes down to a personal experience. Back 15 years ago, when I was just a kid, I lost control of a car at highway speeds and nearly paid the ultimate price. You would be amazed at how your priorities shift once you have spent nine days in intensive care. Lucky for me, I came out of it all just fine in the end – probably learned a valuable lesson as a teenager – to respect speed at an early age. Before you write me off to negligent teenage driving, know that I wasn’t just simply avoiding an animal on the hwy. Also, prior to my accident I had 6 years of go-cart racing experience; and at the time, I thought I knew how to handle a vehicle in a dynamic situation. I had plenty of experience for sure. But no one can maintain 100% awareness all of the time – and even the best drivers in the world make mistakes.
I do agree that safe driving skills are fundamental for staying out of accidents. As coolmazda stated so well, all the safety system acronyms combined cannot protect a careless driver from themselves. I agree. But I am an engineer by profession, and by nature, I take nothing for granted when it comes to safety. The more, the better. For my loved ones, I want the state of the art; particularly since I don’t expect that I will be the one driving this car most of the time. Today’s family hauler eventually becomes JR’s crappy cruiser (people always forget this).
To top it all off, the DSC software and equipment have already been developed, deployed and tested on this model for all the other markets. Corporate Mazda USA executive, in their infinite wisdom, decided (I imagine in some expensive Southern California board room where the weather is always perfect and nobody at the table even knows what black ice is) they decided that stability control is not worth bringing to the US consumers – that we somehow do not deserve/care for the very best in modern safety technology. So now Mazda USA decides to spend more money and more time to redesign and re-spec the US bound M5 units, so they can be sold in a sub-standard state. Ultimately, any cost savings made by removing the DSC parts for US markets are likely offset by the redesign, re-spec, re-certification costs incurred. So they spend more to offer less? This does not even account for the damage done to brand reputation and the obvious loss of sales to discerning customers who insist on DSC, like me.
This is not rocket science. Family cars need safety first.
Mazda USA blew it.
Nice scenario,but I doubt it plays out that way.
1st, you made the assumption that the car was designed, specified and certified with DSC and then removed.
2nd, you assume that the market segment consists of individuals just like you, with the same desires, background and priorities.
3rd, you assume that decisions are made based on key individual's (in this case, executives on surfboards) desires and not those of the consumer.
Having worked in marketing for a while, here's my simplified guess of how it goes:
1st, federal regulations are met.
2nd, a list of popular equipment of the segment is outlined.
3rd, a list of "delight" items are added with the aid of review clinic and survey data.
4th, steps 2 and 3 are fed through a financial equation. Every item on a car is assigned a dollar amount and then weighed based on what the market will accept.
$500 may not sound like much for someone with that item as a top priority, but for the person who's priority is being able to plug in an iPod or have a flat folding cargo area, that $500 may be a huge turn off.
Marketing is not a perfect science, but until a customer can configure a product and have it ready the same day, it is what it is.
http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/jul2008/bw20080711_125369.htm'
Also read and reply here, I think it would make more sense:
http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f18986c/46
Every time you make a change in a model, you need to retool part of the assembly line and train the workers to install the new part. This costs money and takes time. If their projections don't show a good enough return on investment for that retooling and retraining, then it doesn't happen unless required by the government.
If you want something else, consider the Dodge caravan. The base model comes with a 175 hp 3.3 liter V6, it has DSC and traction control, and at 17/24, it has the highest mileage rating in the minivan segment after the 5. If you figure a 70/30 highway/city split, you'll see a 21.9 MPG average vs. 25.2 for the automatic transmission on the 5. At $4.01 a gallon for gas and driving 13,000 miles a year, your gas costs on the Caravan would be around $26 a month higher.
Since Dodge is doing $4,000 customer cash ($2,000 general + $2,000 for some trucks and the Caravan) to get the '08 models off the lot by September. If you buy a base '08 model now, you're looking at a price around $1,500-2,000 lower than the automatic transmission 5 sport, which covers the gas price differential for 4-5 years.
So if your reason for a 5 is price, Dodge is competitive now. If it's mileage, they're offering the second best mileage in the segment. If it's safety, they're offering more safety features. Plus you get a third row that a 6' tall man can sit in comfortably.
If your reason for picking a Mazda is the car-like feel when you drive, well, that's unique. According to the model specifications on Edmunds, the 5 has a tighter "turning circle" at 34.8 feet than a Porsche Boxter (36.4) or a Mercedes Benz C-class (35.6), while the Caravan pulls a 38 foot turning circle, which is wider than the Honda Oddyssey (36.7) or the Toyota Sienna (36.8), but less than the Chevy Uplander (39.4), Kia Sedona (38.2), Nissan Quest (40), or Hyundai (39.6).
Also, though the Dodge has 22 more horses, it's pulling more weight, so the Mazda's engine is likely to be peppier.
And last, there's the reputation for being a car you'll quit before it quits on you that Mazda has but Dodge doesn't really pull off.
So if price and safety features are your biggest triggers, check out Dodge during the next 3 weeks or so.
This cars drives as well as my Audi 5000 which had AWD. It is really great and feels really safe. We have driving it up and down the east coast loaded to the gills and no problems.
Again...how would I know if I am missing something when everything else is so great?
ESC is not a cure for all that ails the automotive world, just as airbags and anti-lock brakes before them.
To rule out a car without it, and then say that that car company is dead to you, well, enjoy your Chrysler. Or Kia. Etc.
Dave
First, I love the way the car drives and so does my wife (important). We are both average height and our kids are still small and we don't plan on them being tall either. Although our needs will change in a few years anyway. The car just fits our lifestyle of minimizing the excess. In Colorado it is pretty much the norm to have a cargo/rocket box on your car anyway.
We would be using the car for mostly around town and we really don't do a lot of driving anyway. No long road trips except for a few up to the mountains to hit the slopes, but this isn't a significant distance.
There are several double umbrella types of strollers on the market and with the money saved on purchase price and fuel, some of these additions can be justified (cargo box, different stroller, etc) This thing certainly doesn't hold too much with all of the seats up, but everyone fits and we do have one extra seat to play with.
Thanks to the folks on the Mazda 24/7 forum I have seen the capabilities of this car. These folks have taken pictures of just about every scenario.
Anyway, I like the all around concept of saving money from the purchase and the savings that are passed on in the fuel economy. This car will definitely be a great second car, but don't know if it would be better to purchase now while the kids are small, and then move it over to the "second" spot if for some reason we need a bigger car once we are lugging around our kids, their friends, and other the other accessories.
I am contemplating pulling the trigger on an odyssey lease (would purchase the 5), but I'm having a hard time justifying this much car at this stage in my life.
Any thoughts or real world experience in this department?
What refueled it is that I have a bunch of emails in today that say the dealers here are getting more 09s in next week.
Got an '08 LE in Blue Mirage Metallic last Friday.
Dual powered sliding doors, enough room to load a full sheet of plywood, front passenger seat folds for long internal cargo and...
STABILITY CONTROL!
I like the Mz5 a lot (agree it drives tighter & feels more nimble), but with only a slight increase in MPG over the Sienna (seems like it should be better), the extra room and convenience of the Toyota cannot be beat. With three kids it would seem to me that the Mz5 might be a bit tight on room.
I also got mine with 0% for 60 months - and then even the payment difference was negligible between the two... no real finance deals to be had with the Mz5 right now.
I looked hard at both and was leaning toward the Mz5... but in the end NO DSC killed it for me.
The Sienna's 8-seat arrangement works well 3 with kids. The back seat in mine is rarely used.
The Mazda 5 works well for 3 kids too.
The gas mileage difference between the Sienna and 5 is about 5 mpg.
The Sienna is MUCH faster.
The Mazda 5 handles MUCH better.
I ruled the Odyssey out because of local Honda dealers' arrogance, the dysfunctional 8th seat, and its less than stellar transmission history (possibly resolved with the 5-speed).
Thanks for the input. It is much appreciated.
Have you run the numbers beyond just the monthly payment?
It depends on your circumstances, but if you can afford both vehicles, regardless of the financial method you choose to employ, I'd be surprised if it makes financial sense to lease either one. Perhaps there is some tax advantage related to a business arrangement?
For around town, I'd pick the 5, unless you buy large things like plywood, furniture and so on.
There is a safety difference between the two vehicles -- especially for 3rd row occupants during a rear-end collision.
I have only 2 kids, but have been in the same dilemma. I LOVE everything about the 5. However, it does not seem to be larger enough for long trips with luggage, double stroller, and 6" 1 spouse. Plan to use it for daily driving with just myself and 2 kids (7 month old and 2 yrs old), since this is 90% of our driving and probably end up getting a full size fan at some point down the road. Right now, though, the incentives on the Chrysler vans are outstanding and there is nothing to be had on the 5, so there is still some indecision on my part.
In our mazda5, there is no bending down, or climbing up to load and strap the little ones unto their seats.
In fact, one of the reasons I'm so looking forward to getting a 5 is because it seems to be an ideal long distance family travel-mobile. If you need to haul more things only occasionally, like bikes, etc, I think it's much more economical to get roof racks and roof cargo units than have the expense of a large van. Looking forward to my 5!