# Mazda 5



## hondachevy (Jun 30, 2009)

Who has one? What do you like? What do you hate?


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## XJaredX (Apr 17, 2006)

In case nobody else chimes in, I don't have one but really like them- I have a Mazda3 which has the same motor as the 5 (and a LOT of other shared components), and the 5 is really cool because it fills an otherwise unfilled niche in America- the smaller-than-a-minivan van. Plus you can get it with a manual transmission. I look at it as a stretched and taller Mazda3.

Reliability should be very good, just like the Mazda3. It is on a list of possible next vehicles for me, but the Ford C-Max is coming in the near future, so if you're looking for an alternative to the Mazda5 in the mini-minivan segment, wait a little bit:

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20101004/carreviews/101009968


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## wankel (Mar 7, 2004)

I've had one since 2005. I really like the overall flexibility and utility of the vehicle. We have carried home some pretty big stuff in the back. Love the handling and power is adequate. Sliding rear doors are great

However, the paint sucks (at least on my silver 2006 model). The wheel wells are rusting out and so is the roof above the windshield. Mazda offered to "fix" it, but that turned out to be a complete joke and has completely soured me on the brand...and I use be to a loyal Mazda fan. We have owned many over the years, but I think we are going to try something different next.

The thing also eats shocks for breakfast...they last about 1-2 years. The brakes are prone to warping. The interior has a lot of road/wind noise. Persistent crunch from sway bar bushings in the cold. The list goes on...check the Mazda 5 forum on mazdas247.com and you will see the common issues. My car has almost all of them.

That being said, we've had no engine or transmission related issues, but the minor stuff can wear you down. For comparison, I also drive a 1999 Honda Civic and it has had zero issues in the 4 years I've owned it. I change the oil and that is it! I think that car is one of the last of the truly reliable Japanese cars.


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## XJaredX (Apr 17, 2006)

Oh! I forgot about the paint. The paint on our Mazda3 seems to chip if you so much as look at it the wrong way


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## wankel (Mar 7, 2004)

XJaredX said:


> Oh! I forgot about the paint. The paint on our Mazda3 seems to chip if you so much as look at it the wrong way


Yes, the paint problem is a well known issue with the Mazda 3. Some have been successful in getting Mazda to fix it, but once it rusts it always comes back.


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## hondachevy (Jun 30, 2009)

I had an Odyssey before, it was not the 'be all and end all' of vehicles, but I think I'll get another. The minute I get a van that fits 6 people, I'll need one that fits 7. Thanks for the feedback.


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## was98strat (Jul 10, 2007)

I have one, and love it. I have a first year model (2006), I've driving the daylights out of it. I'm at 145,000km and have yet to have a major repair. I replaced the front brakes at 127,000 but nothing else. I';ve had the warranty /recal stuff done, but that's it. All I've done is regular maintenance! the car is bullet proof!!!

and way fun to drive with the manual tranmy!! 

I'm using a hitch mount rack, a sawgman. I'd never buy one of those again. You can see the marks in the frame where the rack has dug in!! Next rack will be a tray type carrier!


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## Zeroack (Jul 4, 2005)

I just bought one a few months ago. I have a 2010 model and I love it. I haven't had so much fun driving a car since my 1986 Dodge Daytona Shelby. I can fit three people, and three bikes inside. I've got a Thule rack planned out and I think I'll even put a hitch on also just to have some options. I've driven it in snow, ice, wind, and mud. Handled great in every situation. I got a great deal on mine. It had some major hail damage from a storm earlier in the summer of 2010. So between the Mazda cash back, allowance for the hail damage and zero percent financing I have a payment that's under $200.










Good luck!


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## madsedan (Aug 4, 2010)

We bought one right before our 3rd child was born in 2006, its the newer body style that started that year.
90k miles and other than it eating tires every 15-20k miles its been great.


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## Rock (Jan 13, 2004)

Zeroack said:


> It had some major hail damage from a storm earlier in the summer of 2010.


Yep, that'll go down as the best understatement of the day.

Rock


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## Bad Idea (Jun 14, 2009)

Those dimples just increase the aerodynamics... like a big golf ball :thumbsup:


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## Zeroack (Jul 4, 2005)

I really don't care what the outside looked like. I'm gonna throw a rack on top, that will cover 50% of the dents right there. It gets me from my house to riding comfortably, cheaply and quickly. I dare you to find a deal as good as mine. $10999, for a new 2010 Mazda 5. I have a quickly growing selection of stickers that are going to cover the back end and cover yet more hail dents. As for the golf ball theory, that's yet to be seen. Gas mileage is good when I keep my foot under control.


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## Abe Froman (Jan 12, 2011)

Zeroack said:


> As for the golf ball theory, that's yet to be seen.


Myth busters did a episode and it really did improve mileage.

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/22/mythbusters-golf-ball-like-dimpling-mpg/


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## Zeroack (Jul 4, 2005)

Yea I've seen it, I must not have enough dimpling, cause my mpg numbers are pretty normal.


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## Raymo853 (Jan 13, 2004)

I do not have one but like them. The newer one is super cool and I bet a lot better with the newer larger engine. 

One thing I am amazed by, how many teenage/young 20's women I know that love/want a Mazda 5.


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## XJaredX (Apr 17, 2006)

Zeroack said:


> I really don't care what the outside looked like. I'm gonna throw a rack on top, that will cover 50% of the dents right there. It gets me from my house to riding comfortably, cheaply and quickly. I dare you to find a deal as good as mine. $10999, for a new 2010 Mazda 5. I have a quickly growing selection of stickers that are going to cover the back end and cover yet more hail dents. As for the golf ball theory, that's yet to be seen. Gas mileage is good when I keep my foot under control.


You totally did the right thing. That's a killer deal. At my dealership we had an 04 Outback with like 60,000 miles traded in with similar damage, and we asked half of what a non-damaged one would go for, and got like a million calls on it. The dude who bought it just put a new hood on it that he got at a junkyard, and all in all he got one hell of a deal.


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## A1an (Jun 3, 2007)

I just sold my 2006 Touring. Absolutely loved that car. Great for hauling bikes, people, etc.


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## hondachevy (Jun 30, 2009)

I bought a new Sienna SE. I looked at a five and decided I wanted more room. As soon as I had a car that could haul 4 little kids I would want to haul 5! Speaking of hauling, this SE rocks! 265 horsepower moves it out in a hurry! I looked at used vans and there weren't any good deals out there so I moved on the toy at 2.9% financing.


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## SeattSlayer (Oct 11, 2011)

Just got a 2010. First impressions: Peppy thing, that can haul a lot of stuff. We just had a rare snowstorm (with ice) here in Seattle, and it doesn't handle packed snow as well as I would have hoped, but again, it's rare in Seattle. (I traded in my '99 Outback, and of course, that thing went through the snow like butter). 

It's getting leather upholstery and a rack put on next week.


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## Seanbike (Mar 23, 2004)

I have a 2012 Sport with the 6 speed manual. I've only put 4500 miles on it so far but I'm loving. I've put all sorts of stuff inside it and even slept in the back which at 6'1" is impressive for a smaller vehicle. I have a Yakima Holdup hitch rack that has been great so far aswell. Only downside is even with the tilt away feature I can't open my hatch all the way with a bike mounted. I can open it enough to get inside if I need something near the back if I'm cautious not to hit the hatch on the handlebars.

It's not as sporty as my last car but moving from a hatchback that was lowered, had upgraded sway bars and some sticky sport tires on 17's I'm not surprised. It still handles great for what it is.


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## jabrabu (Aug 2, 2010)

What gas mileage are you guys getting with the 5?
Can you fit a 29er inside with just front wheel removal?

I drive an Expedition. I bought it back when I needed a tow vehicle, but I no longer need to tow and with my longer commute I am spending a fortune on gas. I have a 4-year old, so I'd like to be able to carry a bike inside the vehicle with a child seat installed. I've always liked Mazdas (I've owned 5 Miatas and used to road race RX7's and Miatas), and the 5 is one that I am considering.

The Mazda3 and the new CX-5 with the new Skyactive engine also look promising. They get hybrid-like fuel economy from a regular gasoline engine and still have decent power. The 3 would get better fuel economy, but the CX-5 has more room inside and can be had with AWD to make it more of an all-seasons vehicle.


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## SeattSlayer (Oct 11, 2011)

jabrabu said:


> What gas mileage are you guys getting with the 5?
> Can you fit a 29er inside with just front wheel removal?
> 
> I drive an Expedition. I bought it back when I needed a tow vehicle, but I no longer need to tow and with my longer commute I am spending a fortune on gas. I have a 4-year old, so I'd like to be able to carry a bike inside the vehicle with a child seat installed. I've always liked Mazdas (I've owned 5 Miatas and used to road race RX7's and Miatas), and the 5 is one that I am considering.
> ...


I've had mine for about a month now, and I'm getting 25-26 mpg in the stupid Seattle traffic. I haven't put my 29er in yet (Camber XL), but I think it'll fit in there fine with the wheel off, put in backwords. I saw a pic (maybe on this thread?) of a guy's Mazda 5 with a fork mount on a piece of plywood and the bike in backwords with the back tire in between the two backseat captain's chairs.

I too have a 4 year old and I can imagine that his seat is high enough that it would be mostly out of the way of the back wheel. Probably.

So far it's been great, I think I had some unrealistic expectations with the gas mileage going in. I traded in an Outback Limited '99 that blew a headgasket. The Mazda definitely gets better mileage than that. We also have a Mercedes ML so that will be the all-seasons (mountain) vehicle.


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## Seanbike (Mar 23, 2004)

I'm also getting right about 26mpg in suburban Chicago traffic with the manual after 4 months. I could probably get a couple more mpg if I wasn't avoiding the increased tolls on the expressway for my daily commute which is about 17 miles each way. 

I put my large frame 29er with a lot of seatpost out on it's side but with all the seats folded. I've since gotten a hitch rack and don't see the bike riding inside the car much if at all anymore.


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## BamaCyclist (Dec 19, 2009)

I've got one, and have put about 65k miles on it. The car is a great concept, poorly executed, IMHO. It has great room to haul stuff, but because it is based on a compact car, it is not beefy enough to handle it. Thus, it eats tires, shocks and brakes like no other car I've owned. 

The road noise is awful (partly because of the tires), and the mileage is just OK for a vehicle of it's size. Love the sliding doors (as does my 6 yr old), and the seats are comfortable for long trips (which we do a lot!). I've also pieced together the parts for my Yakima roof rack to mount to the existing roof mounts, so that is handy.

I wish I could find something similar to replace it, but there is nothing on the market that comes close as far as roominess in a small, usable package. Maybe a Transit Connect, but they are a bit too utilitarian. Oh well, at least its paid for


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## jabrabu (Aug 2, 2010)

The upcoming Ford C-Max looks like a similar micro-van vehicle. It will only be available as a hybrid, though, both regular gas/electric and a plug-in version. So it will probably get great mileage and will probably be expensive to purchase.
2013 Ford C-MAX Hybrid and C-MAX Energi | The 2013 C-MAX is the first dedicated hybrid vehicle line from Ford | Ford.com

I don't know if the Mazda5 wil get the Skyactiv engine in 2013, but that would make it an even better choice. The current Mazda5 gets only slightly better mileage than most minivans and even worse than some AWD SUVs.


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## BamaCyclist (Dec 19, 2009)

I would assume Ford and Mazda are still sharing chassis', so the C-Max/Mazda5 are built on the same one and will still have the shortcomings of the current chassis.


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## jabrabu (Aug 2, 2010)

BamaCyclist said:


> I would assume Ford and Mazda are still sharing chassis', so the C-Max/Mazda5 are built on the same one and will still have the shortcomings of the current chassis.


I think I read that the C-Max is built on the European Focus platform.


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## Knight511 (Nov 26, 2010)

The Ford/Mazda sharing is pretty much over at this point. Thank god! Mazda can keep on doing what they do best. I am still hoping they bring a diesel CX-5 with a manual to the US.  I would be a VERY happy camper!


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## BamaCyclist (Dec 19, 2009)

Are you sure about that? I know the Mazda2 and Fiesta share a chassis, and so do the current Focus and Mazda 3. I would assume some of the SUV's do as well, but I do not pay much attention to them. 

Now, like you said, if they put a diesel in one, that might get my attention. It pains me to see all the diesel options that the rest of the world gets and we are stuck with either huge pickups or German luxury sedans (VW not withstanding).


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## Knight511 (Nov 26, 2010)

BamaCyclist said:


> Are you sure about that? I know the Mazda2 and Fiesta share a chassis, and so do the current Focus and Mazda 3. I would assume some of the SUV's do as well, but I do not pay much attention to them.
> 
> Now, like you said, if they put a diesel in one, that might get my attention. It pains me to see all the diesel options that the rest of the world gets and we are stuck with either huge pickups or German luxury sedans (VW not withstanding).


I swore I read that they were done sharing... I guess that really only applied to the upcoming Fusion because you are right... 2/Fiesta share and the 3 is actually the platform that was developed for the last 3 carried over (so it shares with the old Focus and Volvo C30, but I am not sure about the new Focus). The original C-Max (not sold in the US) also used the same architecture as the Focus/3/C30, but it appears the new one may not since it is the new Focus global chassis.

I think what I read is that Ford is divorcing from the shared platforms to use their global platforms and I just interpreted it the wrong way.


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## pimpbot (Dec 31, 2003)

... and just because they are sharing platforms, doesn't mean that they are sharing engines and transmissions. IIRC, the high end Focus used to use Mazda engines and transmissions, but the lower rent ones were Ford USA specific units that were not as reliable. That was like 6 years ago, tho. 

I've rented Ford Fiestas and Focuses in the last few years, and they are decent. If I was in need of a car and found a good enough deal on one, I would not turn it down.


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## BamaCyclist (Dec 19, 2009)

Whether they share/shared drivetrains was not the point. As it relates to the Mazda 5, the point was that the chassis is the problem, and as long as Ford/Mazda were sharing a chassis between the C-Max/Mazda5, it would still be inadequate for it's marketed purpose (a people carrier). Fiestas and Focuses are a different storey because they are small cars, and I would have no problem potentially owning one and using it as such.


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## Seanbike (Mar 23, 2004)

FYI, for 2012 they improved the rear shocks which should help with the tire wear issues people have reported on earlier years. You can also spend a $100 to be able to adjust out the negative camber on the rear Ford Focus Mazda 3/5 Adjustable Rear Camber Kit. Still have to account for install and alignment unless you're doing it yourself.


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## JmZ (Jan 10, 2004)

Seen that on a few different cars I've owned. Different compromises on different cars, but that's for a different post.

I think Mazda though trades a bit of longevity for a sportier feel. Got the big brother to the 5, the MPV and it does eat tires. That and for at least the year I bought it, they spec'd a passenger almost performance tire too. So it got expensive when the tires would need replacing. I ended up getting around 30k on a set of tires with tires that were _supposed_ to last at least 60k.

For shocks, don't have much of an answer, but for brakes - consider some aftermarket replacements. Had a Mitsu that would eat discs. Not the pads, but the discs themselves. Pitting, warping, wearing down, etc. Finally put on a cryo dipped set of rotors and kept those for the rest of the life of the car.



BamaCyclist said:


> I've got one, and have put about 65k miles on it. The car is a great concept, poorly executed, IMHO. It has great room to haul stuff, but because it is based on a compact car, it is not beefy enough to handle it. Thus, it eats tires, shocks and brakes like no other car I've owned.
> 
> The road noise is awful (partly because of the tires), and the mileage is just OK for a vehicle of it's size. Love the sliding doors (as does my 6 yr old), and the seats are comfortable for long trips (which we do a lot!). I've also pieced together the parts for my Yakima roof rack to mount to the existing roof mounts, so that is handy.
> 
> I wish I could find something similar to replace it, but there is nothing on the market that comes close as far as roominess in a small, usable package. Maybe a Transit Connect, but they are a bit too utilitarian. Oh well, at least its paid for


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## Octane (Mar 16, 2004)

The Mazda5 is a great car for the price point. The Mazda3 w/ SkyActiv, or the upcoming CX-5 SkyActiv are both better vehicles for handling and engine performance, but cost more. 

Even the CX-7 is a great car, even with an Automatic. It's bigger than the Mazda5, but more expensive. 

-B


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