End result, I didnt buy a Mazda

flatfoot

Member
First let me say, that after reading and posting on this forum for several months, what a nice group of people there are on these forums. No back biting and scratching the way you see on some other forums.
This forum has been a great source of information, even with the small amount of people who do own mazda 5,s as compared to other makes and models.
After much deliberation, and my better half, just not being comfortable in the passenger seat on long drives, we have purchased another vehicle. My spouse absolutely loves this little mazda, and if not for the seat we might have pulled the trigger.
The vehicle we purchased I know is nothing comparable or in the same class as a mazda 5, so it is like comparing apples and oranges.
We wound up with a nissan xterra 4x4. Cost us about 5,000 dollars more then the mazda, but in the end I feel we got a lot more, and in some ways a lot less.

Pros xterra vs mazda

1) 4x4, with a low 4x4 also.
2) 265 h.p. 0-60 in 7.7 seconds
3) 21 gallon gas tank
4) stability and traction control
5) Towing ability 5000 pounds
6) More loading space, and huge roofrack(we got the additional yakima loadwarrior)
7) Very powerful air conditioner
8)High command of the road
9) Front passenger folds flat for additonal storage for long objects
10) High off the road for those snow days
11) Flexibility of ways to store things
12) Smooth and powerful five speed tranny
13) Ruggeddness. Its a true truck. Body on chassis.
14) Stadium seating
15) Nice deep supportive seating. And neoprene to boot

Cons

1) Lousy gas mileage. About 16 to the gallon
2) No fun factor of driving, except for straight ahead speed
3)Mazda has seating for six in a pinch
4)More expensive purchase price
5) Harder to park in that obstructed views
6) Both radios are pretty pour, but the mazda has a 6cd changer as oppossed to one cd
7) Have to pay more attention when driving then with the mazda. Its a truck, and on the hiway, needs more constand feedback
8) Because its a truck chassis, the ride is a bit more bumpy and jumpy, and rigid. Have to take turns a bit more delicately.
9)zoom zoom
10) with the auto, having the self gear selector.
11)5000 less greenbacks
12) Insurance of the nissan, will run me about 200 dollars more a year.

Well that is just a general survey. They are two completely different vehicles. Good luck to all who have the mazdas. My wife says if we ever feel the xterra is too much truck for us in the future, we are definately going for the mazda 5.

Much regards Flatfoot
 
Hey, everybody has their needs and thank God there are enough different vehicles to fulfill most of the needs of everybody out there. You have to judge based upon your needs, and that is what you did. If I had to get a 4x4, the Xterra is one that I would look at, I'd probably lean more towards the Subaru Legacy, but that is me. Hope it works out for you :).
 
The xterra's are nice, the only thing I truly hate about them is the retarded 'bump' in the back door.

Xterra%20023.jpg
 
Look more like someone kicked it from the inside...
 
Xterra & Frontier CrewCab with Nismo package were on my list before I bought my Mazda5.

They all are very nice cars.

At least it is not the Kia...
 
Thanks Flatfoot for the thorough analysis and the honest opinion. I haven't test-driven the Xterra, yet I have seen that Nissan has come up with very nice designed models since around 2004. The closest I got to Nissans and the MZ5 was the Quest (we just had a quick look) but no question there, MZ5 had better options.

I have to agree with you in one thing: The better half has to be happy or else you are in trouble (bump)

Let us know how it goes!
 
The bump is for(bang) for not getting the mazda5. Just a little a joke. Hope you enjoy your Xterra. (cheers)
 
Xterras are nice. I wanted to get a supercharged one. I like the rear end, the first aid kit hump, and the dip in the glass break up what would have been another monotonous suv rear end.
 
Somewhere down the road I am sure this will be your families second vehicle to enforce those aspects of the vehicle you did like and not just dump it as a waste of time exercise.....

ps never listen to your wife lol ok jk

ZOOOOOOM ON
 
Thanks for the kind words

Zoom5Zoom said:
Somewhere down the road I am sure this will be your families second vehicle to enforce those aspects of the vehicle you did like and not just dump it as a waste of time exercise.....

ps never listen to your wife lol ok jk

ZOOOOOOM ON

Thanks to all for the nice comments and support. Frankly like the Mazda 5, the xterra has very few things bad written about or, or people complaining about. Couldnt go wrong with either vehicle.
And as far as not listening to my wife, I learned after many years of marraige how to keep it happy.
My wifes priorities for a car at the cubby holes and color. LOL.
She picked the colors of the xterra. She almost decided on the banana yellow one. But we ended up with super black, and desert graphite for the interior.
Going to throw in a pioneer navi receiver, (Unlike the mazda, the xterra has a stock shape double size radio), with am, fm, ipod mount and charger, 7 inch touch and voice activation, bluetooth, sirius, usb , rear back up camera. This setup will probably drain my new york state income tax return and some more.
My union is without a contract for almost three years now, so when its finally settled, I am looking at maybee at least 15,000 at this point, otherwise I would never have the money to buy this car and the multi me dia.
I know my wife is going to get payback with ikea now. What is it with the female species and ikea? I dont personally get it. Now home depot................................................................................................

Much regards Flatfoot
 
Yes, IKEA is out of this world here as well, and as I pointed out earlier on one of these threads, the better half actually measured standard IKEA boxes to include it in the pass/fail car shopping analysis. MZ5 made it, no problems.

The only issue I see with IKEA is that, regardless what fancy car you decide to drive, you end up assembling all the crap bought there (homework)
 

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