Mazda 5 vs. Ford Focus Wagon

[lslater]

Hi all -

I'm in the midst of a new(er) car search and have narrowed my already small amount of choices to a Mazda5 and a Ford Focus Wagon. Both have the cargo room I need to haul a dog and camping gear but aren't beasts in terms of fuel or size.

Did anyone here look at the Focus Wagon when they were deciding? What made you choose the Mazda 5 instead?

Laura

 

[Evan_in_CA]

I have looked at Focus wagons, but the main thing was that the styling really didn't do it for me. The big selling points of the 5 to me was the size and styling. It gets good fuel mileage and is perfect size for a family of 4. I think it looks cool and crams a whole lot of function into a very different, distinctive package. It's primarily the wife's car so I don't drive it all that much, but it only took a couple of trips with the kids to really appreciate the function of the sliding doors.

 

[B16RacerN2NR]

I never looked at the Focus Wagon but I had a new born at the time so the low height of the 5 combined with the sliding doors made it a no brainer for me. Not to mention all the features I got for under $20k

Now I have another baby, my son is 2, this car couldn't be any more perfect for my situation. Plus, it's just so much more stylish

 

[dreamym5]

I never looked at the Focus Wagon but I had a new born at the time so the low height of the 5 combined with the sliding doors made it a no brainer for me. Not to mention all the features I got for under $20k

Now I have another baby, my son is 2, this car couldn't be any more perfect for my situation. Plus, it's just so much more stylish

Focus (no)
Mazda5 (cabpatch)

enjoy Zoom Zoom(wiggle)

 

[dw8]

Focus (no)
Mazda5 (cabpatch)

enjoy Zoom Zoom(wiggle)

That's actually funny. The Mazda5 is based off the Mazda3 platform. The Mazda3 is built off the second generation Ford Focus in Europe. It's amazing that two cars that share the same DNA are totally different.

Back on topic, I really like the Focus. But then again, I have owned 2 of them.

 

[Medicman]

Islater,
I actually traded my 2000 Ford Focus on the 2006 Mazda5. I did look at the Focus as I had good luck with mine. The main reason I went with the 5 was the seating for 6 ( vs 5 ) and a little extra height on the road. There is one common problem with both and that is when you load up the rear of the vehicle, the suspension changes the way the tires contact the road and can cause some wearing on the insides of the tires ( I have experienced it) and the local Ford service manager told me the same thing.
Good luck in your search..
PS - I'd go with the Mazda5

 

[B16RacerN2NR]

There is one common problem with both and that is when you load up the rear of the vehicle, the suspension changes the way the tires contact the road and can cause some wearing on the insides of the tires ( I have experienced it) and the local Ford service manager told me the same thing.

Every car will experience that problem when you load up the rear. With the exception of cars such as the MS3, MS6, EVO, STi, ect... cars that come with sport suspension that have stiffer springs so the rear load doesn't have that much effect on camber issues.

You'd especially have it in the 5, seeing as how it came from the factory with negative camber to begin with... Since the 5 is based on the 3, and the 3 is based on the Focus (which i didn't know, thanks for the info ) then it's easy to see why both cars would have a similar problem in that aspect.

 

[pick41]

for us the 5 is flexible enough, with the dog and taking stuff places. Haven't really looked into the Focus.

 

[BOCjer]

I looked at the focus wagon and kia rondo both make a nice enough package. The 5 sold itself on the sliding doors.
I too wanted something good enough to travel either to the cottage or the interior for camping/canoeing etc. Reality reared its head and reminded me that 90% of the time we'd be in town moving people, buying groceries ferrying the kids around and travelling to and from work. This being said the ease of the sliders in parking lots was a deal breaker regardless of the other incentives.

the kids love the doors, and space (it seems to be larger in back than a focus), the wife loves the drive (her daily driver is a Volvo) and her perch is higher than a car. I would choose the 5 again over most of the competition - unless you happen to have a 1974 type III land rover you're looking to unload....

 

[5phreak]

I liked my 2001 Focus sedan so much I almost replaced it with a Focus wagon, but the Mazda 5 sliding doors own me.

my girlfriend bought a used 2005 Focus zx5 and that car is really nice.

 

[cancoi]

Having had a Focus Wagon (2000), and Focus ZX3 (2001) and now a 5 (2006), go with the 5. The Focus wagon was nice and holds a great deal, but with the seats down, the 5 matches it almost perfectly. Plus, there is the added bonus of the sliding doors.

We traded our ZX3 (with stability control) in for a used 5 and both DH and I cannot be happier. The Focus is a great car; however, please note that the Focus based off the Mazda3/Volvo S40/Volvo V50 is the European Focus. The American Focus has never shared that platform, unfortunately.

 

[antlind]

Are they still making the Focus Wagon available for 2008? In Canada I think we can only get the Focus sedan and coupe....No more wagon or hatchback.
Anthony

 

[lslater]

You're right Anthony - no more Focus wagon here in Canada which is why I'm looking at an 06.

Thanks for everyone's feedback. However with no kids (and no plans for them ever) the sliding doors are probably the thing I dislike the most about the 5... So minivan-esque!!!

 

[pick41]

You're right Anthony - no more Focus wagon here in Canada which is why I'm looking at an 06.

Thanks for everyone's feedback. However with no kids (and no plans for them ever) the sliding doors are probably the thing I dislike the most about the 5... So minivan-esque!!!

Gives the dog all kinds of room to jump in and out. Not sure how big the dog is, but ours loves the Huge window to stick his head out of. and I'm actually starting to like it, less door dings in the parking lots.

and as for overloading the rear, they had the same problem with the PT Cruisers when they came out, ended up having to redesign the Rear Wheel Bearing, since the Neon Platform wasn't designed for it.

 

[5phreak]

You're right Anthony - no more Focus wagon here in Canada which is why I'm looking at an 06.

Thanks for everyone's feedback. However with no kids (and no plans for them ever) the sliding doors are probably the thing I dislike the most about the 5... So minivan-esque!!!

43 and been snipped since my twenties... on my THIRD small car with sliding doors. why are you so opposed to them? be different.

 

[coolmazda5]

Mazda5: More useful space (IKEA compliant), better looking, really nice wheels, sliding doors, much better handling and manual tranny available

Value after X years, I think there is no one better , both seem to have very low value after some time so I'll need to keep them long enough to not feel bad.

 

[lslater]

Am beginning to see the benefits of the sliding doors because the dog is about 50 pounds (too big to lift more than a few feet) and people here in Ottawa don't seem to know how to park within two yellow lines.

We'll see how tomorrow's test drive goes!

Thanks all.

 

[coolmazda5]

Sliding doors: perfect for parking and compact car garages on cold days.

Oh, and irrelevant for you, but in my Mazda5s I have huge toddler seats rear-facing and still the front seat passenger can be seated "comfortably" i.e. wife. Other wagons you really need to move the front seat way forward and with zero reclining (i.e. Mazda6, Subarus). That is a no go...

 

[cancoi]

Oh, and resale/trade-in on the Focus -- not very good at all. BIG hit, unlike with the Mazdas.

 

[lslater]

Like my trusty Honda Accord, I plan to drive my new one into the ground instead of resale/trade in so that's not really a factor for me.

And coolmazda - having room up front even though stuff is crammed in the back is important (despite my stuff not being a carseat). On an 8 hour trip on a 2 lane highway in northern Ontario, you don't want to have your nose stuck to the windshield. Thanks for the feedback!