Considering buying a 2013 Mazda5 GT. Worried about the low HP

[Redfrog]

Hi to all the Mazda5 owners. I am looking for your experience with this car.

I live in Houston, Texas (Pickup Truck City) and am in the hunt for a car with high reliability, large cargo capacity, and good fuel economy. The Mazda5 scores well in those categories, but I'm kinda worried about acceleration and reserve power. I am driving a 2000 Dodge Durango V8, but I am willing to make some compromises in terms of engine performance.

I use my car for hauling weekend project stuff (mulch, wood, stones, charcoal) and as a daily driver, so mostly it is just me in the car.

I test drove a Mazda5 GT yesterday around a neighborhood - very nice handling, but freeway was too full for a test drive so I plan to take it out for a high speed spin today. I can't find a stick in Houston, so I would be getting an AT.

Any feedback or advice on how these cars perform?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Silentnoise713]

Take it out for a longer drive and give it a good run. Bring some people/cargo to simulate weight. I just drove with about 800-900lbs people+cargo at 3,500 ft and it was adequate; brakes need more attention IMO. Have realistic expectations and it is perfectly capable, especially with the newer 2.5 motor. That said, do you urgently need a new car now?

*Unofficial Speculation Alert*
The 2013 Mz5 in Japan is available with the Sky 2.0 motor so I would believe 2014 should offer it as an option (US is always a year behind). Unless you can get the 2013 at ridiculous discount, I would recommend waiting till the 2014 or used. Then again, Mazda just might kill off the Mz5 altogether but this would mean even steeper discounts.

 

[Orangutan]

I test drove a Mazda5 GT yesterday around a neighborhood - very nice handling, but freeway was too full for a test drive so I plan to take it out for a high speed spin today. I can't find a stick in Houston, so I would be getting an AT.

Well if you're interested in the Grand Touring, you won't find a stick anywhere in the United States, as that combination doesn't exist. You can only get a manual with the Sport trim. I'd say get a Grand Touring or the manual Sport; skip the automatic Sport and the Touring trims entirely, as they're not as good of values as the other two. I picked up an automatic Sport and wish I had gone with a different one now.

 

[Secondtyme]

I have a 2006 with the old 2.3L engine AND the automatic and i have yet to find myself in a situation where more power would have done anything for me. If you need to speed up in a big fat hurry you can use the manual mode on the trans to force it to shift later which will give you the feeling of more power if not the reality of it. She will roll along at 80 with the AC on all day long returning about 26MPG in the bargain which is saying a lot I think. I just wish the manual trans could be had on the upper trim levels sigh.....

 

[thaxman]

Well if you're interested in the Grand Touring, you won't find a stick anywhere in the United States, as that combination doesn't exist. You can only get a manual with the Sport trim. I'd say get a Grand Touring or the manual Sport; skip the automatic Sport and the Touring trims entirely, as they're not as good of values as the other two. I picked up an automatic Sport and wish I had gone with a different one now.

I disagree with this ENTIRELY if you are buying new.
When cars depreciate, its the options that depreciate much faster than the basic vehicle. IF you bought both a 13 Sport and a 13 GT and held onto them for 3 years then unloaded both, the sales prices in 2016 would be closer to each other than the purchase prices in 2013.

OTOH, if you were buying used, getting the highest trim available is a good deal. The only other time it makes financial sense to get the top trim is when you will be buying new, but will drive it until the wheels fall off - which nowadays will be 20 years or almost 300,000 miles.

Nobody does that except for eccentric European men with socks and sandals.

Back to the original topic (sorry)
I've driven a 1st gen Durango with either the 4.7 or the 5.2 I don't know which, but guessing the 5.2 because of the atrocious mpgs. It wasn't so great on power as I remember. It had decent torque, but didn't get out of its own way any better than my Mz5. If you will be loading the new car to the gills then it may make a diff, but if its going to be a daily commuter, you will find the handling more than makes up for the hp/weight ratio.

 

[Secondtyme]

Nobody does that except for eccentric European men with socks and sandals.

Now wait just a damn minute! I'm from WV which may be a whole other country but it ain't Europe! And I find socks and sandals keep my feet cool AND free of chigger bites thank you very much. Whats wrong with buying a car and driving it for 300K Hell if the 5 will stay with me I'll gladly put a half million miles on it. If that gives the OP any idea of how much I enjoy mine....

 

[Brains]

Our 5 doesn't have any trouble with power when we cram 7 people in it and attach a hitch-haul cargo carrier thing to the back. When there's not 100's of pounds of overweight humans in it it's fun to drive like our mazda3 and almost as fun as my protege (i think it's a bit faster than the protege too...).
One think though, the rear suspension components ware out somewhat fast. The car's like a mazda3 with a ton more weight in the back, so it wears out faster back there. At 60,000, we've replaced the shock absorbers back there, the sway bar bushings are due to be replaced, and my dad thinks the springs are making noise for some reason.
We don't let that bother us though, we're used to working on our cars and we love our 5. Great gas mileage, great handling, and you can cram a crap load of crap in it.

 

[flcruising]

Our 5 doesn't have any trouble with power when we cram 7 people in it...

??????How the heck do you do that??????

 

[Brains]

2 in the front, 2 in the middle, and 3 in the back.
I always ride in the front... i don't want to know what it's like in the back but we get 'em in there

 

[kw_da]

2 in the front, 2 in the middle, and 3 in the back.

You have 3 seatbelts in your 3rd row seat? Must be very thin people to fit 3 back there.

 

[Silentnoise713]

You have 3 seatbelts in your 3rd row seat? Must be very thin people to fit 3 back there.

I think it is obvious folks were "crammed" in and most likely for a short and local drive. Trick is to seat staggered and allocate seats based on size of passengers. No comfort or safe per say but will do in a pinch. I've crammed in more than the number of seat belts, I’ll leave it at that.

 

[Davicho]

Yup me too. Very far and few but I've "crammed" 7 a few times before for short local trips. Works like a charm.

 

[flcruising]

Then his hitch-haul was for groceries and not vacation travel? That's a slight relief, still not something I'd do.

 

[m5pa]

The 5 is adequately powered for 90% of driving done. I have an 08 GT with the 2.3 and the automatic. I live in an area with a lot of hills and I usually don't find myself wishing for more power unless the car is heavily loaded. Driving is all about planning and knowing your situation. The 5 is no rocket, so you shouldn't put yourself in a situation that calls for a lot of acceleration if you don't have it.

If you buy an automatic 5, the manual mode is your best friend for merging and passing. Unlike your current Durango, the 5's engine has a much higher power peak RPM wise, though it does have a fairly flat power curve. I find the 2.3 is a good midrange engine, it really shines from about 2500-5000 rpm's. Above 5500 to the redline, you're getting more noise than power and below 2500, it's just not very strong. The 2.5 is a bit stronger all the way around, but still not tons of power. Plus the 2.5 has the 6 speed automatic, which will help even more.

You might not be able to out accelerate the pickup trucks, but you can out-corner and out-brake them for the most part. I don't say this to be a jerk, I'm saying you can keep more speed and brake later, allowing you to fit into traffic better.

I don't regret buying the 5 in GT form. The leather, heated seats,HID lamps and moonroof made it all worthwhile. My wife can't drive a stick and refuses to learn, so I was pretty much stuck. But the 5 spd automatic in the 5 is a good one. It's been a good car, not without its faults, and will do 80mph on cruise with a moderate load, A/C on and still return 26mpg. Backing off on the speed a little bit (which is tough in Texas) we've seen as high as 32 mpg and that's at 70 mph on the PA turnpike (lots of hills).

We will switching to an Odyssey, Sienna or Town and Country in the next year, but we hope to hang on to the 5 for a long time.

 

[DKaz]

I crammed 7 in mine once as well car seat in the middle position of the second row, LATCHed on to both chairs and tethered to one of them. It was a pain but for the two weeks we had inlaws over, it worked.

Power was never an issue for me.

 

[torquelover]

I don't think I would buy an MZ5 for hauling mulch, wood, stones or charcoal. I have had mine loaded down with just people, never cargo, and it seems to stretch the limits suspension-wise. The previous gen MZ5 was known to go through rear suspension bits, and the current gen looks to be very similar in design. As far as power is concerned, it's all relative, really. You won't overheat it or have a train full of cars behind you up a hill. I find that with a light load, say four adults, the power at highway speeds is lacking for a passenger car. First gear seems pretty steep so city driving, no matter the load, is adequate.

 

[DougNuts]

I recently took a 5 day trip from Kentucky to the black hills in South Dakota. 3 people and a load of gear. The only time I felt that it was underpowered was when going uphill @ 80mph with a 30mph headwind. The car had no problem dropping a gear (or two) to keep speed, but it was a little annoying.

Then again, I have little experience in automatic transmission cars, so something with more power likely would have needed to downshift too. So, on paper, the 5 appears under powered, but coming from someone who owns a 400hp car, it feels fine to me.

Edit to add: I also wanted to say that the handling, coupled with the gas mileage and interior volume are hard to beat in any other currently available vehicle. I can honestly say that I enjoy driving the Mazda5 and it is (to use someone else's words I read on here) the Swiss army knife of vehicles. Sure, I would've loved to have a V6 Highlander, Explorer, Traverse, etc., but I would be getting 18-20mpg and it wouldn't be as fun to drive. I am a staunch car enthusiast and I have no regrets at all. My opinion may be outdated in the next few years, as more vehicles come to market with current technologies, which was another reason I bought the 5 - it was cheap enough that I won't be paying on it for 6 years.

 

[aha]

I don't think it's inadequate for your situation but I've learned it's easier to keep my pace (without accelerating) while merging in freeway esp.in my area where there are too many cars.

 

[phunky.buddha]

There's more than enough power to get you in trouble- all my tickets lately have been in the 5. It's too easy to speed in that thing.

 

[cburrell]

I concur with phunky, if you wind the gears up, it is more than adequate concerning power, it can get up to speed pretty quickly, and you will be speeding before you know it.