We are a family of 5, two in car/booster seats, and are looking for a good vehicle. My husband has been doing all of the searching - he looks even when we are not in the market - and he has a new front-runner, so I thought I would see what kind of feedback I could get. We are thinking of the Mazda5. I am a bit skeptical because it looks awfully small, but it does have the 3rd row. We would like to buy brand new for under $30,000. We are also looking for good gas mileage, and the all-important seating for 6. One of the drawbacks I see with the Mazda5 is that the only manual transmission they seem to offer has very few options for upgraded features. I have not test-driven one so I am curious about the pep in the 4-cylinder automatics. If you have one, please let me know how you like it or don't like it. Looking forward to help from all the mammas out there.
We had Mazda's growing up and the 4 cylinders' seemed to have great pick up. I did take it for a spin and did like it. My father-in-law is a Ford guys so we are now looking at the Edge.
Hmmm...I just wrote a response but I guess it didn't stick.
My husband drives the Mazda5. We got it a year ago & are a family of 3. I think it might be a bit tight for a family of 5 as the back row seats being down makes you lose all the storage area. It is pretty tight back there. We always have the seats down so that we can use the area for the stroller, etc when traveling.
It does have a great deal of pep to it- my husband really likes the way it drives. Have you looked at the Toyota Sienna? I think that might be a better fit for your family & they start around $25k.
Good luck!
Hey there, I have a Mazda5 and 1 toddler (another baby on the way). We picked up our Mazda5 used, for 10K, so the price was definitely right. I love the convenience and get 24mpg every tank of gas. For a family of 5, though, I really think it's too small. The back seat is for occasional use. I don't think it's practial for every day. I've sat in the 'way back' and I'm 5'8". I fit, but it was tight and getting in was a pain.
We just bought a Chevy Traverse with 3rd row seating and it's been fantastic. It's not a 4 cylinder but it gets 18 miles in town and 24 on the highway. We bought it brand new for about 26,000...
I would NOT buy a Mazda 5 for a family of five. We were given one of these when our Mazda MPV was having some work down on it and we are a family of four and we were cramped! It is super SMALL and when you use the back row there is NO room in the back for storage.
We just recently got rid of our 06 Mazda MPV for a Yukon XL, because I needed more space for daycare kids. But if you are looking for a nice compact van they are great! There is not tons of space in the back when you put up the rear seat. My sister in law has a Nissan Quest and there is TONS of space behind the back row and she is a family of 6 and it totally works for them with plenty of space for storage. If you are trying to find something for a family of five I woudl look into a Quest, Sienna, or Oddessy. I have also heard good things about the new van from Hyundia! Good Luck! :)
I've had a Mazda 5 for about a year. For us it was a way to get the third row of seats and slide doors without paying the minivan price. It was about $22k and gets about 28 miles to the gallon. There are a few other luxuries that we live without, like power doors. It has enough power for the run around town and occasional highway driving I do. My last car had a turbo, so I notice the difference on quick acceleration, but that's to be expected. I have two kids and everyone fits well. The leg room in the second row is great. I wanted the third row for carpool, soccer pick-up, take another kid with us capacity, but I don't think I would be as comfortable using it for more than two kids on a daily basis. When the third row is up the storage is enough for a couple of paper grocery bags. Also, I can't imagine the kids climbing through to the back after about age twelve... just not enough leg room in the third row. Car shopping can be so stressful. Good luck!
Hey There -
I am the proud owner of a 2008 Mazda5 that I bought new 18 months ago after my 2003 Mazda Protoge5 (wagon) was totalled in an accident. I have LOVED both my Mazda's and have NEVER had a complaint. We settled on the 5 because I refuse to buy a mini-van (we think of the 5 as a sport wagon, thank you very much) and we needed something with good gas mileage, seating for 6 and a price tag under 30k. The 5 was pretty much the only vehicle that fit the bill. In 18 months, I have put just over 40k miles on it...I have a hellish commute...and it has been GREAT. I get 27-28 mpg's in mixed driving situations and on long highway trips I can get 30.
We are a family of 5 (almost...and sort of)...let me explain. My husband and I have a 14 year old (step) daughter who we have partial custody of, a 2 1/2 year old son and I am 34 weeks pregnant. I do think the 5's limits will be tested when this newest addition joins us because the 3rd row seat is not a place our daughter likes to be for long periods of time (she complains she can't hear back there...this coming from the child who is permanently attached to her ipod). But if your kids are younger, and smaller, I think you will do just fine (you can always split the rear seats for additional cargo room.)
A few things I'd recommend...upgrade to the Touring (I think that's the highest trim package) model to get leather seats...so much better with kids and it has an auto stick which is fun to drive if you like the extra power of a manual transmission (my Protege5 was a stick and I still miss it). Another recommendation...if you're worried about cargo room/storage is to have a roofrack installed and invest in a car top carrier. I've had one with both my Mazda's and it made all the difference for long car trips to throw the luggage on top and have a little bit more elbow (or dog) room in the cabin. With my Protege I actually left my big bulky stroller in the Thule carrier all the time...it was easier than having to try and maneuver groceries around it in the "trunk." Last but not least...tint the windows...it looks a MILLION times better with tinted windows!
Happy car hunting!
Hello Keira!
We are also a family of five and used to have a Mazda MPV. When we tried out the Mazda MPV (at the time), we found it very cramped. My husband is 6'2" and he could not fit comfortably. We started looking elsewhere and after driving a Kia Sedona, we felt it was very roomy (7 passengers) and a good value. We have had it now for 5 years and have been very pleased with it. It can come with a lot of extras (even more now than when we bought ours) for a lot less than other cars and they have a good warranty. Good luck!
small isn't always bad even with a big family. But I checked out the Mazda 5 & the gas milage really turned us off. If you're looking for something not too small but not huge & very reliable....try Toyota RAV4, Subaru Forester, or the Honda Element is amazing!
happy car-hunting!
i drove a protege for the last few years, basically the grandma to the mazda 5 that they have out now. i had AWESOME luck with the protege, mine was bottom-of-the-line, no power anything and manual 4 cylinder - i loved driving it. could have used power windows, don't get me wrong (lol) but the pep was great. it never left me stranded one time, got great mileage and did anything i asked it to. we even drove to/from florida (from kansas) a couple times. also, i love the look of the mazda 5, i have had my eye on them for awhile. you'll want to test drive it of course, but i wanted to give my nod of approval - my protege was the best car i have owned.
I have never personally driven the Mazda 5 but I did have a Mazda 3 for a few weeks while my car was in the shop. I'm a total 6 cylinder lover and said I'd never drive a car that wasn't one. Well this one I was honestly surprised at the pep it had for being a 4 cylinder. If I were in the market for a new car that got great gas mileage and was a 4 cylinder I would totally go with a Mazda. I don't think you will be disappointed. Give it a test drive, I'm sure you'll love it!
