Tell Me About Your Mazda 5

[Anonymous]

We are going to look at the Mazda 5 this weekend. For those who have it, do you like it with respect to its size, functionality, safety, and overall appearance.

We don't want a fullsize minivan and were wondering if this would fit the bill.

My husband and I are 30 with one child and another on the way. We take many 4-hour driving trips to visit the grandparents and often have a live-in nanny who travels with us. We will basically be a family of 5. We really do not want a fullsize minivan and were hoping to get a smaller SUV but we fear that a small SUV is no more useful than a basic sedan.

Do you think a Mazda 5 would be a good fit?

[Anonymous]

Have it. Love it. Couldn't go without it. We have the "3" also for shorter hops with just kid and dog. Great 2d car.

The 5 sounds like it's made for you. You can use the second row of seats or use the cargo space. It is so much easier to park than a minivan but you get your functional space.

Mazdas have much better engines, handling, and pep than Toyotas or most american cars (the Honda Odyssey is reasonably peppy but so much bigger). I appreciate having a car that goes and handles. The Mazda trim/construction at the low price ranges is also superior to comparable cars in the same class. I love the Mazda service people. At Castle Mazda on Briggs Cheney, we got an amazing deal and they threw in six free oil changes.

You will love this car. Truly a way to have your cake (space for passengers) and eat it too (more car-like handling and easier to park).

[Anonymous]

We also love our Mazda5. Bought it just before #2 arrived. We live just outside the city but commute into DC - so I wanted the sliding doors but not the bulk of a minivan when it came time to parallel park or maneuver in crowded traffic. Everyone extols their minivan for carpooling but we just haven't had that need arise yet, in part because we both work FT. I can see why a full-size minivan is appealing, but I just felt like it would be mostly unused space and didn't want the sensation of navigating a cruise ship down Conn Ave every day.

BUT let me warn you that it would be tough to manage 5 people in the Mazda5 for a 4-hour roadtrip if you're carrying luggage as well. The third row seats basically take up the cargo space, so you'd need a rooftop carrier if you use them and bring much beyond a few overnight bags or a very slim stroller. And while whoever sits in the third row will have to be relatively short and somewhat limber in climbing in and out - great for kids but not workable at all for my 6'2" husband or our parents. We accepted those limitations going in - and really think it's a terrific car - but based on your description, you might need something bigger.

[Anonymous]

My sister and her husband just bought this for their family of 4. They LOVE it. They're pretty anti-minivan, and the size of this didn't put them off.

[Anonymous]

This is the OP. Thank you all for your very helpful replies. Two questions - First, does the car come with a roof rack for luggage if the third row is in use? Second, does it look like a minivan in person or more like a bigger hatchback? From the pictures online, it very much looks like a minivan but perhaps that is because the pictures do not reflect its scale/size very well. I feel way too young to be driving a minivan (silly, I know) and my husband really does not want a minivan (again, silly I know).

We also considered the Rav-4 and CRV but they do not really fit five people comfortably for long trips (if two carseats are in use). The only other option is going for a larger three row SUV which have terrible gas mileage and we would still have the luggage issue since most of the ones we've seen (Honda Pilot, Acura MDX) do not have a lot of storage space when the third row is in use.

Any other recommendations?

[Anonymous]

Roof rack is an option.

We are looking at the "5" also to replace our MPV but I think it will be small for 5 people if there is luggage involved. Have you done a test drive yet? Even though you don't want a minivan, go and at least look at the Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey if only to check for space differences. You might also want to look at the Mazda CX-9 while you are looking at the "5" to compare size.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:...My husband and I are 30 with one child and another on the way. We take many 4-hour driving trips to visit the grandparents and often have a live-in nanny who travels with us. We will basically be a family of 5...

we test drove one and felt it's really under-powered. it's really a city car, think Tokyo. go have a test drive with at least four adults in the car and try it on a highway. you might be disappointed.

[Anonymous]

We just got a mazda5 (got a good deal from Castle mazda). Also with #2 on the way and didn't want the full-size minivan (yet!). I love the sliding doors and roominess. Easy to park and manueverable since its still the same size as our camry. THe 3rd row is easy to get up and down. It's easy to get groceries and stroller in and out the trunk. I'm 7 months pregnant and it's easier to get in and out of than a sedan. Did not find any power/noise issues while driving on the highway. Also thought about a small suv, but really didn't see any benefit.

[Anonymous]

For those who got "good deals" from Castle Mazda, do you mind me asking how much you paid.

[Anonymous]

We went and drove the "5" earlier today and hated it, the sliding doors are not automatic, no power seats, small on the inside, roof rack is additional money. We ended up with a CX-9. I think you'd be better off with a mini-van esp. if you have 2 kids because automatic sliding doors are a life saver.

[Anonymous]

At castle mazda, I paid $17100 including all the fees/taxes for the basic model. I think it was somewhere in the $15k for the base price.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have experience with the 2011 Mazda 5?

[Anonymous]

Great van. Drives like a car. Looks almost like a longer Toyota Matrix a little more off the ground, if that makes sense.

5 for a car ride would be hard though. Very very little room.

[Anonymous]

13:14 here - I meant 5 in the car for a LONG car ride. Around town it's great. Just make sure you're stroller fits with all seats up.

[Anonymous]

Just get a minivan. They are wonderful, particularly when your kids are older and you start hauling around their friends, carpooling, etc. Plus much better for trips.

Just do it.