Ralph Greene Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 (edited) We are in Colorado on a weeks vacation, staying in one of the Denver suburbs. At the airport, we thought we had a Chevy Transverse or similar reserved, but wound up with a Mazda 5. Not sure what model, but it is a 2009 with fancy alloy wheels with low profile tires. Silver exterior with black cloth interior. Auto air F/R (which works well), and manual sliding doors. I always measure a utility vehicle by how many and how well bikes fit upright inside with seats folded. This will hold 2 or 3 with front wheels removed OK, if seats are folded and bikes not too tall (had to remove my bike seat) . Floor to ceiling about 32". My Explorer has 36" in this measuement (don't have to remove bike seat). I don't ever put expensive bikes on outside. We are quite impressed with it's practical aspects. it holds our stuff (3 adults) better than a mid sized SUV, and it drives terrific. Quite responsive handling. Good precise steering. It kinda drives like the Mazda 3 it's built around. Seems screwed together good....no rattles, and this is hard used rental car with 13,000 miles. Considering it's price range, it seems a lot of hauling and transportation value. Fuel economy is fantastic. Over two tanks of 85 octane, crossing over the rockies to Vail and back, plus up and down the front range, I'm averaging about 32 MPG calculating miles driven by fuel purchased. I only go 65-70 MPH....not the 75 speed limit on I 70 in front range. It is a little noisy from wheel wells, probably normal for it's price range, and the 4 cyclinder engine with useful 5 speed auto/manual struggled crossing 10,000' passes (like most of the other vehicles), but on regular terrain, performance was adequate for it's intended purpose. Anyone needing a mini minivan, at at good price, with terrific fuel economy, won't go wrong with one of these. It is what it is....no sports performance car or luxury vehicle, but it sure gets the job done at minimal cost and fuss. I'm impressed. Edited June 16, 2009 by Ralph Greene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldZephyr Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 Thanks for the review, very helpful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coppermine33 Posted June 20, 2009 Share Posted June 20, 2009 I rented one when I went to Las Vegas. I cant say that I was a huge fan. The gas was VERY touchy. As far as practicality in a pinch, it wasnt a bad car. I was driving with 5 other guys and all of our luggage. The suspension literally bottomed out. Getting on the highway was terrible. Fully loaded like that, the acceleration was god aweful. The 4 cyl couldnt propel that much man. My friends in the 3rd row complained like babies. Overall, I got 18mpg. Its not a bad little car, it just isnt good for hauling a full load of adults. If you were going cross country with 2, even 4 people, Im sure it would be great. 6 and luggage was overkill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Greene Posted June 24, 2009 Author Share Posted June 24, 2009 (edited) I will rephrase my report. The Mazda 5 is a MINI minivan. It is 181" long....about 2' shorter than a full size mini van. It has seats for 4 adults....and folding seats in rear best suited to small children. It has a small engine....designed to give good fuel economy....which I got. It has mostly standard Ford parts....reliable and fixable forever. It costs about $20,000....not the $30,000-$40,000 of the larger, more powerful, more luxurous mini vans we all like. If this is the kind of vehicle you want, and is what fits in your budget....I think it is a terrific vehicle. It's perfect for the younger family with a couple kids on a budget. For hauling 6 adults plus luggage....it's the wrong vehicle for that job. Look at my sig....generally I prefer more powerful more expensive vehicles. But IMHO this vehicle gets the job done for it's intended purpose, especially since it's relatively inexpensive to buy. Would I buy one for my use....I prefer a loaded Odyssey Touring edition for about twice the cost. Edited June 24, 2009 by Ralph Greene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodslinger Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 I own a 08 model and the wife had an 06 model until a few weeks ago. Mine is a 5-speed manual and love driving it. I would only consider it a mini-minivan if comparing to a modern fill size "minivan". Parking my 5 next to a late 80's or early 90's original Dodge Caravan and they are pretty close in size. Similar story with my sister's Honda Odyssey parked next to my father's 1982 full size chevy van. They are nearly identical in size. They have all just gotten bigger over the years. The 5 just went back to the original intent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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