Not the mazda5 poster, but my mazda mpv has been a nightmare, I will never buy another mazda. To the poster who suggested the CRV, I tested out the seats in back, they were like rocks! I am also looking for a smaller car than the mpv I have, but find that the CRV is a bit pricier, even used. Still looking around>>>

Just curious, OP, and anyone else, what don't you like about the Mazda 5?

Hyundai Sante Fe SUV. Inexpensive, mid-sized and a great warranty.

We just got the Honda CRV and are very happy with it. I didn't want a full SUV but wanted extra room for our two kids and their stuff.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. We want something smaller that the Ap will feel more comfortable driving ad will be cheaper to drive and maintain (current SUV is a "luxury" car so it's expensive to maintain).

Gotcha... You should consider a used Volvo XC70 wagon... Its AWD and plenty of extra room.

Or as someone just posted a jetta or passat wagon, but understand a used car is going to have a whole new bag of maintenance issues.

Fords are good cars. The Fiesta is inexpensive but may be too small for your needs. The Focus and the Fusion are nice too (though the Fusion is more expensive). The Focus starts around $16K. The Fiesta starts around $13K.

You should be able to find a used Ford for less.

Mazda5 is crap. Get a VW station wagon (jetta or passat). I'd get an Audi but it costs much more.

OP here. We want something smaller that the Ap will feel more comfortable driving ad will be cheaper to drive and maintain (current SUV is a "luxury" car so it's expensive to maintain).

Why not just keep the current SUV? I understand if you are having problems with it, but from the posts you sound like you just want a different car... At 15k and used there are some good options out there, but you prb be best off just keeping your current car.

OP here. No offense but for some reason, I absolutely hate the Mazda 5. Any other suggestions?

OP, I second the Mazda 5. We were looking at this last year, and a new one then cost about $16-17K.

Outback

Mazda 5 might be good, but I'm not sure of its price.

OP here. We're hoping to spend around $15K.

OK, here's our situation. We have 2 kids (old enough for boosters and one is almost out of a booster so car seat space is not an issue), 2 large dogs and an au pair. We want a car the au pair can drive with the kids and we can drive occasionally. We're downsizing from a full sized SUV (not a Suburban or anything but a regular SUV). I'm thinking small SUV or small wagon or something. Our family car is a sedan, so we'd like a hatchback or small SUV so the dogs can ride easily. Want a used car less than 5 years old or a cheap new car. Thoughts?????