2008 Mazda5: SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES!!!!

[AIMWO4]

My first guess would be... not enough roll-over in stock. Typically, the lower the quantity, the less options you get.

Foreign vehicles made for export to the US require a different assembly process at the plant as well. This also limits what the manufacturer is willing to do.

Nobody "needs" power doors any more than they need AWD. The point is that, shortly after the 5 was released, Mazda proudly announced that 70% of the Japanese home market chose power doors as an option. Why don't we have that choice?

 

[AIMWO4]

My FWD Saabs with snow tires have always smoked the pants off of AWDs without snow tires. Typically, AWD owners don't see a need for snow tires. They think AWD will do it for them. It all comes down to tires when you hit the brakes. And all cars (FWD, RWD and AWD) have four wheels.(band2)

One could easily argue that AWD is a safety feature.

It would be much harder to argue that power doors are a safety feature.

 

[opus]

I would take ESC (Electronic Stability Control) ove AWD any day of the week. ESC simply adds a computer control module, while AWD adds 100-400 lbs. of weight and the milage implications that additional weight caries with it.

 

[P_bouchr]

I would take ESC (Electronic Stability Control) ove AWD any day of the week. ESC simply adds a computer control module, while AWD adds 100-400 lbs. of weight and the milage implications that additional weight caries with it.

Ditto! I miss that from my Jetta 1.8T . On snowy days I was always first to get ahead, gaz pedal to the bottom lol...

 

[HotRodSaint]

My FWD Saabs with snow tires have always smoked the pants off of AWDs without snow tires.

My AWD '97 Subaru Legacy GT would smoke any 2wd car off the line in the rain. And it gave the added enjoyment of acting like a rear wheel drive car when taking a right turn and giving it some gas. (drive2)

 

[HotRodSaint]

I would take ESC (Electronic Stability Control) ove AWD any day of the week.

I don't really care about either on the Mazda5. At least not until they put the Mazdaspeed3 motor in it!

 

[meackerman]

we rented a buick minivan while in Florida, it had power sliding doors. The passenger side worked fine, the driver side you had to help it the last 6" or so. Granted a buick isn't a Mazda, but if my 5 year old daughter and open and close the Mazda5's sliders, I don't see a need for them.

 

[AIMWO4]

uh... right.(rlaugh) ... was that the Stock twin turbo, inter-cooled, 2.0L, flat-4. 280hp and 245lb/ft of torque, 5-speed manual transmission, or the 2.5L 165hp with high velocity stacks and supercahrger?

My AWD '97 Subaru Legacy GT would smoke any 2wd car off the line in the rain. And it gave the added enjoyment of acting like a rear wheel drive car when taking a right turn and giving it some gas. (drive2)

 

[HotRodSaint]

uh... right.(rlaugh) ... was that the Stock twin turbo, inter-cooled, 2.0L, flat-4. 280hp and 245lb/ft of torque, 5-speed manual transmission, or the 2.5L 165hp with high velocity stacks and supercahrger?

Off the line, in the rain, all you need is traction. (drive2)

And it was the 165hp 2.5 with a header, exhaust, intake and light weight flywheel.

But I drove a twin turbo 2.0 tuned by SYMS once in Japan. Boy was that thing fast!

 

[AIMWO4]

Traction

And that is where tires come into play. A 1997 Legacy isn't going any quicker from 0-60 in the rain, than on dry pavement (where it was lackluster at best). My Saab 9-5 wagon could have licked a Leagacy in rain. It was a slug 'til it 10-15 mph, then shot away like a rocket. I don't care what those Saab lovers say, there IS turbo lag. You need a manual tranny to squeel Saabs off the line. (mswerd)

Off the line, in the rain, all you need is traction. (drive2)

And it was the 165hp 2.5 with a header, exhaust, intake and light weight flywheel.

But I drove a twin turbo 2.0 tuned by SYMS once in Japan. Boy was that thing fast!

 

[HotRodSaint]

A 1997 Legacy isn't going any quicker from 0-60 in the rain, than on dry pavement (where it was lackluster at best).

"Off the line", a Mustang 5.0 spinning it's wheel isn't going anywhere.

 

[HotRodSaint]

And that is where tires come into play.

There's a reason that AWD was banned by IMSA in the late '80's, even though all the teams ran essentially the same tires.

And there's also a reason that all Rallye cars are AWD and not FWD or RWD.

 

[AIMWO4]

How far is "off the line"? My Toyota 4Runner had to be quicker than a '97 Legacy. (bike)

"Off the line", a Mustang 5.0 spinning it's wheel isn't going anywhere.

 

[HotRodSaint]

How far is "off the line"? My Toyota 4Runner had to be quicker than a '97 Legacy. (bike)

Let's say for argument sakes, that the whole intersection is the line. I'd see the 2wd car in question crossing the second line of the first cross walk as I reached the first line of the second cross walk. So how far is that, 50 feet? (burnout)

And that heavy ass 4Runner couldn't get it's mass rolling off the line, and once you did you certainly couldn't keep up with me on the twisties! (wrc)

Hell the reason I didn't buy the '97 4Runner that I test drove, was I thought it was going to roll over when I made that first right turn out of the dealers lot. (yes)

4Runner (second)

vs

Legacy (first)

 

[Zoom5Zoom]

HERE IS WHAT I GOT FROM MAZDA CANADA

- Re-fit bumber covers and grill area (maybe like the Maz 3 face lift)
- Availible NAV System which was a US option since 06
- 5 Speed Automatic tranny (bout time eh)

Colors TBA

 

[07MZ5SA]

It is interesting the 5sp AT increase mileage by 2,

???

 

[gardgen]

wait for 08 or great deal on 07

Looks like some of us were right, some of us were wrong, and some of us had NO IDEA it'd be getting a refresh after only two model years!

I might wanna trade up, just for the 5 speed AT, and the PASSENGER FRONT ARMREST!!!! We'll have to see what it'll look like though.... hope they didn't uglify it.

OK so I was ready to purchase an 07 but now I have been reading about the 08 changes. Do I negotiate a great deal on the 07 or are the changes on the 08 really worth paying more for and waiting for....

 

[07MZ5SA]

OK so I was ready to purchase an 07 but now I have been reading about the 08 changes. Do I negotiate a great deal on the 07 or are the changes on the 08 really worth paying more for and waiting for....

Is you are in Texas, the second row vents is well worth the purchase.

 

[opus]

OK so I was ready to purchase an 07 but now I have been reading about the 08 changes. Do I negotiate a great deal on the 07 or are the changes on the 08 really worth paying more for and waiting for....

If you don't like sweeping out your car every third day, the sand interior color would be worth the wait. I like the look of the black, I just HATE trying to keep it looking clean, it is almost impossible, and I am a neat freak about my cars so it drives me even more nuts than most folks .

 

[AIMWO4]

Must be a narrow street.(omg)

Let's say for argument sakes, that the whole intersection is the line. I'd see the 2wd car in question crossing the second line of the first cross walk as I reached the first line of the second cross walk. So how far is that, 50 feet? (burnout)

And that heavy ass 4Runner couldn't get it's mass rolling off the line, and once you did you certainly couldn't keep up with me on the twisties! (wrc)

Hell the reason I didn't buy the '97 4Runner that I test drove, was I thought it was going to roll over when I made that first right turn out of the dealers lot. (yes)

4Runner (second)

vs

Legacy (first)