Mazda5 - New owner to be

[Orataro]

Greetings all!

The wife and I are thinking of buying a Mazda5 and would like your input on it. With a new baby, were looking for something bigger then what we have but not a full size van.

We are looking at buying a 07 model but may wait until the 08's are released.

Any feedback on do's and dont's would be great.


Thank you!

 

[jandree22]

DO wait for an 08. They're gonna add all sorts of goodies.

I'd give the car a 9/10. It's a flippin blast to drive... not fast but it handles great and has a nice firm ride. It's got great versatility, sliding doors are effortless, easy on gas (I average 27mpg), a cinch to parallel park, and people definately give you the "what is that?" look which I find to be pretty cool. Overall it's a great blend of performance and practicallity... without being cookie-cutter like your average Toyota or Honda (not that they're bad cars of course).

The only reason I didn't give it a perfect score, I have to be honest, this car has quirks... mostly during the cold winter months. This pretty much involves benign stuff like noises, which I've read from long time Mazda owners, is the status quo for Mazda... cars that are a hoot to drive and reliable, but just, well... quirky. Don't let this scare you though, if you're willing to accept the fact that it's just how this car "is" and nothing's necessarily wrong with it, then you'll be fine. (Besides, no car short of a Beemer or Porsche is perfect, right?)

All in all, I HIGHLY recommend the car. It's practical but certainly fun and unique. If you want one now, don't hesitate, but the 2008's will add a lot of features. Keep us updated!

 

[GreenTea]

+1
wait for an 08.

 

[doctorz]

We love our 5. I agree that the current model has quirks, some of which will be addressed in '08; in particular, we'd like the extra armrests and the rear A/C. The vehicle's basic goodness (size, handling, mileage, fun), however, is all there already.

My recommendation is that if you can get a sure-fire, blow-out price, the '07 will be fine. Otherwise wait for '08.

 

[jeffpurd]

has anyone seen any comfirmed pictures of the 2008? I know there was a line item on some list stating the exterior would be "freshened" - I'm not expecting much change. I've had our 5 since August of 2005 when our baby was 4 months old. It's been a great vehicle and we're approaching 60k miles already. I would wait for 08 unless they're giving the 07's away. 5spd auto should make your wallet happy at the pump and the armrest will make your passengers happy.

 

[slvrsleeper]

You won't go wrong with the 5 in any form. The 08s add a few little things that will only improve on an already fantastic car. For the money there is nothing else on the market that competes. If you can get an 07 for really cheap than go for it, but the 08s have even more going for them.

 

[jandree22]

No pics of the 2008 yet. I suspect the body change won't be drastic, but I'm particularly interested to see the new taillight and wheel design.

 

[raspykart]

I was in the same boat as you, new baby, need more space something a bit bigger and more seating than a station wagon but not gas hogging like a mini van or SUV... the Mazda 5 couldn't be any more perfect of a vehicle... seeing what 08 has to offer I'm a bit jealous, but we've gotten 11,000 miles of awesome use out of ours in the 6months we've had it so I can't complain.

 

[perfecto]

Wait for an '08. I bought a '06 with a manual transmission and I love it. It's a great car. The niggles that Jandree posted about above are fairly accurate, especially in the cold.

If you're going to get an automatic and have kids in the back, seriously, wait for the 5-speed automatic and the rear vents for the A/C. Those things will make a good car very very good.