I have been lurking here for awhile. Both before and after our MZ5 purchase.
Here is our story:
We have a 97 Subie Legacy wagon that is in need of several repairs and would cost more than the car is worth. It can still get around, but we needed something new. We loved the Subie and it's flexibility, and visibility.
Visibility being a key aspect of a newer car purchase. The wife is on the short side and always complains about sedans and how impossible it is to see out the back. Therefore, wagons/hatches where our only choice.
I shopped on paper for a couple of weeks. This is what I compared: Subie Forester, Legacy wagon; Ford Escape, Freestyle/TaurusX, Taurus wagon, Focus Wagon; Dodge Caliber; Honda CRV, Element; Saturn Vue; Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe; Scion xB; Chevy Equinox; Mazda 3 hatch, 5, 6 wagon.
After looking at the stats and our preferences and price range we looked to physically shop the Ford Escape, Freestyle, Focus Wagon, Mazda 5 and 6 wagon, Subie Legacy/Outback wagon, Forester.
I sat in a Mercury Mariner, it was nice, but the wife didn't like it. We test drove a Subie Outback and Forester. We liked the Outback, but it was an older model and felt too much like our Legacy. The Foresters we found had the ugly light tan interior that would show any speck of dirt.
We next went to the Mazda dealer, afterward we were going to check out a used Focus wagon and 6 wagon, but never made it. The dealer was really wanting to move the 5. They even came down a couple grand! The wife sat in it, drove it and was sold. I had had my eye on the 5 since they came out in 05, I always thought that it was the perfect vehicle for a small family.
Our's: 07 Stormy Blue Touring.
Reasons we bought: price, style, mileage, sliders, size, options (sunroof, cd changer) 3rd row seating. It just had everything we wanted with few concessions. We would have liked better gas mileage, but weren't willing to step down into a Vibe/Matrix and all the concessions they had.
After a month of owership and one 600 mile round trip, I think we made the perfect choice. It was extremely comfortable for the 6 hour trip, and fit X-mas presents perfectly. Usually I am sore after the trip, but I felt fresh in the 5's seat. We also got over 31MPG on the return trip!
Mods: We will get the crossbars in order to carry our canoe, and I would like some Ipod connectivity, but that may come from an FM transmitter. I would also like to do the snub antenna.
We look forward to many, many years and lots of miles in our MZ5
Here is our story:
We have a 97 Subie Legacy wagon that is in need of several repairs and would cost more than the car is worth. It can still get around, but we needed something new. We loved the Subie and it's flexibility, and visibility.
Visibility being a key aspect of a newer car purchase. The wife is on the short side and always complains about sedans and how impossible it is to see out the back. Therefore, wagons/hatches where our only choice.
I shopped on paper for a couple of weeks. This is what I compared: Subie Forester, Legacy wagon; Ford Escape, Freestyle/TaurusX, Taurus wagon, Focus Wagon; Dodge Caliber; Honda CRV, Element; Saturn Vue; Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe; Scion xB; Chevy Equinox; Mazda 3 hatch, 5, 6 wagon.
After looking at the stats and our preferences and price range we looked to physically shop the Ford Escape, Freestyle, Focus Wagon, Mazda 5 and 6 wagon, Subie Legacy/Outback wagon, Forester.
I sat in a Mercury Mariner, it was nice, but the wife didn't like it. We test drove a Subie Outback and Forester. We liked the Outback, but it was an older model and felt too much like our Legacy. The Foresters we found had the ugly light tan interior that would show any speck of dirt.
We next went to the Mazda dealer, afterward we were going to check out a used Focus wagon and 6 wagon, but never made it. The dealer was really wanting to move the 5. They even came down a couple grand! The wife sat in it, drove it and was sold. I had had my eye on the 5 since they came out in 05, I always thought that it was the perfect vehicle for a small family.
Our's: 07 Stormy Blue Touring.
Reasons we bought: price, style, mileage, sliders, size, options (sunroof, cd changer) 3rd row seating. It just had everything we wanted with few concessions. We would have liked better gas mileage, but weren't willing to step down into a Vibe/Matrix and all the concessions they had.
After a month of owership and one 600 mile round trip, I think we made the perfect choice. It was extremely comfortable for the 6 hour trip, and fit X-mas presents perfectly. Usually I am sore after the trip, but I felt fresh in the 5's seat. We also got over 31MPG on the return trip!
Mods: We will get the crossbars in order to carry our canoe, and I would like some Ipod connectivity, but that may come from an FM transmitter. I would also like to do the snub antenna.
We look forward to many, many years and lots of miles in our MZ5
