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Mazda 5 vs Kia Rondo
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Comments
http://www.mazda.com/mazdaspirit/env/engine/siss2.html
I find my Mazda 3i's driver's seat and driving position to be comfortable for me and would assume that a Mazda 5's driver's seat should be similar. Note that I'm 5'8 and ~153 lbs.
My Mazda's driver's seat is adjustible for seatback angle, height & lumbar support and the steering column tilts and telescopes.
I'd say our Kia Rondo LX's driver seat is also fairly comfortable-at least for me. However, I can't say how comfortable it may be on a long trip since my wife drives it 95% of the time and so far I have not driven it on a long trip. As I recall the Rondo's seat also has adjustments for seatback angle, height, and (I think) lumbar support. The steering column only adjusts for tilt (doesn't telescope). The seat bottom might be a little short for taller drivers, but this could also be a blessing for those who are relatively short in stature. I do like the relatively high "chair like" seating position in the Rondo and the significant amount of headroom. The second row seat also is relatively spacious for two adults. Note that our car has the optional third row seats, which also includes fore-and-aft seat adjustibility for the 2nd row.
I've read comments from some who claimed the driver's seat in the Rondo was uncomfortable for them and I can undertand how larger drivers might have a hard time finding enough space in most any midsize to small vehicle-particularly ones manufactured by Japanese and Korean companies.
Regardless of what I or anyone else may think, the only person who can determine whether or not the seat & control adjustments in a vehicle can be set to a position that will be comfortable comfortable for you...is you!
--- Aaron Gold, About.com Guide
7. KIA Rondo
10. Mazda5
More:
http://cars.about.com/od/toppicks/tp/FamilyCarsUnder20k.htm
- One of those 'why haven't I thought of that' kind of solution'.
http://www.mazda.com/mazdaspirit/env/engine/siss2.html
a good alternative until the price of hybrids come down to a more affordable level.
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I wonder if it adds any reliability issues? It seems a sensible thing to have on most models. Air conditioning would be a problem in extended stop and go traffic unless it was able to run the AC electrically.
Rondo - 356 (1,657 in Jan. '08)
If you like sales statistics for all manufacturers, I find this site very good and entertaining. He covers both US and Canada.
http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/
What we are not happy with is the horrible reliability. :mad: We have a 2007 and the sunroof exploded for no apparent reason soon after getting the car. The clutch exploded at 92,000 km and the engine went at 108,000 km. None of this was covered by Mazda.
The car has been extremely expensive due to all these problems. I'd go with the Kia. It can't be any less reliable than a Mazda :lemon:
We joke that our Mazda goes Boom Boom Boom instead of Zoom Zoom Zoom
We did buy an '09 Rondo just before Christmas. So far, so good. When my heavy footed husb drives it, the mileage is not good. But all the more reason not to make short stops, and zoom when the light turns green.
I drove it most of the way from MA > NJ and got 35 mpg. So there.
One thing that does annoy me is the dome light does not go on when you open only the back gate (Only annoying at night! lol) I am planning to get a stick-on LED light for the post next to the gate.
Otherwise, very manueverable, peppy drive, lots of room to haul both cargo and people at same time---which is what we were looking for---without being a minivan or a big honking SUV. And it has 3 seats in second row, which the Mazda 5 does not, and which we also need.
Oh, one other thing---DD goes to college in another year. We were able to put a large down on this one, and we will have it paid off before she eneters---so we will not be carrying a car laon when she is in college. That matters a lot to us. A 30 - 35k car wd not have made that possible.
We bought an '09 Rondo just bef Christmas. I am 5'3" and DH is 6'2." I'll be the primary driver, so the comfort etc for me counted most in choice--although he has to be able to sit in it too!
The driver's seat has 3 adjustment controls--you can push a ratchet-lever that makes it higher, you can push another one that changes the angle of the seat back, and there is the usual bar under the seat that slides it back & forth. I make the seat as high as possible--DH finds that too high & changes it. There is plenty of head room no matter who is driving.
I slide the seat forward more than he does, but you can keep from being right on top of the steering wheel. I also angle the seat back a bit -- I really do not like the way the head protector bumps the back of my head. But I can fix that with adjustment of seat angle.
We chose the cloth seats (not liking leather in summer), and I sprayed them 3x with Scotchgard before using them. It had snowed heavily 2 dys before we picked it up, so we brought beach towels to put on the seats before we drove it home! I also Scotchgarded the carpeted back deck. I don't know why they put carpet back there--no one is going to sit on it. Plastic would have been better imo. No I did not get the cargo tray--the dealership was a bunch of crooks and we were not going to get anything we did not have to from them. I'll buy one from that place someone else recommended, and I can get it to match the car color there, too.
As far as comfort goes--I feel fine. I had been driving a Grand Caravan, so this one is a bit less plush than I am accustomed to. But I haven't had a problem on long drives. If I really wanted more softness under my heiny I suppose I wd get a cushion, but so far, it's not an issue.
I have to say though, that when I scoot up the seat, the console is left behind. I have never driven resting my arm on those things, so this is not an issue for me. In a Rondo the console has 2 "decks," one for items and the other is where the iPod docks, and where you shd stash small stealables. Ours is getting plenty of use from DD. One compartment covers the lower, and the top one has a slightly padded lid.
If armrests and cushy seats and lumbar support matters so much to you, and mpg does not, have you thought of a Honda Odyssey? Those things are like driving living rooms! Very reliable and safe too.
Note that for the first 2k miles I was the primary driver of our Rondo so that I could be sure it was driven carefully during the break-in period. While I was doing most of the driving most of the initial tank averages fell in the 24-to-29 mpg. However, since my wife took over as primary driver it's been fairly rare for her to top 20 mpg/per tank except when she's driven the car to visit family members living 60-80 miles from our home.
Except for (my wife's) fuel economy results we've both been very happy with our first Kia. The Rondo appears to be a well-built, reasonably comfortable, fairly quiet, suprisingly roomy, reliable and versatile vehicle (ours is equipped w/the third-row seat).
I'll mention that I also own a '05 Mazda 3i which has also been totally problem-free as the car's 5-year anniversary approaches with just over 71k miles on the odometer. With conservative driving so far I've averaged 38.8 mpg with my 3i (2.0L w/5-speed manual) with most of the miles accumulated while commuting between home and my office @ ~55 miles/day. Note that this average is based on all miles driven and gallons purchased since I brought the car home from the dealership on 3/1/05.
While I admittedly like the looks of the Mazda 5 somewhat better than that of our Rondo, I have no regrets over our decision to purchase our Rondo vs. a Mazda 5 due to the better deal we were able to negotiate. We ended up paying 15.1k for our '08 LX V-6 before taxes and fees. MSRP per the window sticker including options for our LX V6 was ~ $22k.
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I find it funny that CR gave the Mazda5 the most points for large wagons, and yet the reliability rating they gave it is just average - and is worse than the Rondo's.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
Brand new '09 Rondos are still for sale I believe, run while they last
http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/110018/10-brands-that-may-dis- appear-in-2011
the Chevy/Pontiac twin brands worked well for GM until it was hit hard by the recent economic crisis, but Hyundai/Kia took advantage of it and gained market share.
i'm not sure if the writer of this article knows what he is saying.
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However, models will disappear, 'cause it looks like coolmazda5 has finally won on all his arguments against the Rondo as that model is being discontinued in the US - but not in Canada.
I guess the author is not killing "all" the cars that KIA makes. but rather says that it is better for Hyundai to absorb the KIA brand into its line-up as Hyundai now has much better reputation today than in the past against its Japanese, Korean (OK, KIA), European and America counterparts.
Hyundai Forte, Hyundai Soul anyone?
And yes, I guess the Rondo is gone for good in the US. Interestingly enough when Ford is now bringing the C-MAX and Nissan is bringing back the revamped Quest, are non-suv people movers making a comeback (see the Odyssey and the Sienna)?
i bet there is a better chance that oil will hit $150 than Kia disappearing in 2011.
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http://auto.ocregister.com/2010/06/21/is-kia-motors-in-danger-of-disappearing/36- 495/
The site reads: "All good things should come to an end, but with endings, come new beginnings, introducing the all new 2011 KIA Sportage..."
http://www.kia.com/#/rondo
It won't be long before the 2011 model will be arriving at dealerships. I see the US and Canadian sites are still not showing the details.