Mazda5 on PBS' Motorweek...

Eeegads! I didn't realize it was so slow! I thought it was a 9 second 0-60 / 16.4 second 1/4 miler.

Most people don't realize how slow the Mazda5 is in straight acceleration. It barely beats the Prius for goodness sake.

However, for most normal driving it is somewhat hidden by the decent handling... except of course if trying to pass someone at freeway speeds is your normal driving.
 
True, the 0-60 time sounds disappointing, however one has to only watch the Japan video of the Honda and Mazda vans racing on the track to realize how much more ability the Mazda5 has when it comes to maintaining momentum around curves.

I have lost count, the number of times I have watched tailgaters struggle with car control when they realize they can't take curves or the freeway on-ramp/off-ramp at the same speed as me.:D

I also fully utilize the manual shift mode of the automatic about 50% of the time.
 
I believe the 5 speed should do 0-60 in 8.1 seconds and 1/4 mile in 16... same as the Sienna.

The Sienna isn't exactly a comparable vehicle to the 5, but a 2007+ Sienna is considerably faster than that (0-60 time).

Sienna FWD 7.2 sec / 15.7 sec / 0.76g
Sienna AWD 7.4 sec / 15.8 sec / 0.74g (winter tires for all)
Mazda 5 9.4 sec / 17.3 sec / 0.80g

Sienna FWD
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...007_honda_odyssey_comparison_test+page-5.html

Sienna AWD with winter tires
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...oyota_sienna_limited_awd_short_take_road_test

Car and Driver earlier published 0-60 times as low as 6.7 sec for the Sienna FWD -- which is possible if manually shifted. The biggest challenge is keeping the tires from letting go -- which do let go in 1 and 2 with no problem, and 3 if shifted late, from 2.

Mazda 5
http://www.caranddriver.com/buying_...ring_short_take_road_test+t-specs+page-2.html

I'm not sure that the manual 5 speed is going to be much, if any, faster than the auto 5 speed. A torque converter isn't a bad thing, for acceleration, if it keeps the engine at a higher rpm during the event. The biggest penalty is going to be weight. If the auto is shifted manually, the times are going to be pretty close.
 
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I love our 5. i bought it 2 years ago on a 5 year finance. love it so much we paid off the loan and plan on keeping it until it dies. i have never owned a car that i said that about before, and I had vw's, caddilac, merc, etc...

this thing is that cool, and fun!
 
The Sienna isn't exactly a comparable vehicle to the 5, but a 2007+ Sienna is considerably faster than that (0-60 time).

Sienna FWD 7.2 sec / 15.7 sec / 0.76g
Mazda 5 9.4 sec / 17.3 sec / 0.80g

I'm not sure that the manual 5 speed is going to be much, if any, faster than the auto 5 speed.

Not that my wife and I are going to race a Sienna soccer mom out of Target or Home Depot parking lot, but here are the numbers for the manual tranny model, I do see a difference:

Engine 2.3 I-4
Transmission 5-Spd Manual
Drive System fwd
Acceleration, 0-60 MPH: 8.53
Quarter Mile 16.59@84.56

Source:
http://www.intellichoice.com/report...149/section/specs/type/used/2006/Mazda/Mazda5

And not to create an anti-Sienna thread here (for a family with 3 kids I would really think about it, along with an Odyssey), but take a look at the most basic Sienna (CE, hubcaps included ;)) specs so to make it a fair comparison with what you pay for a Mazda5:

http://www.toyota.com/sienna/features.html
 
Manual rules! :D I'm still going to take my 5 to a dragstrip when I have money to waste and see what I get, I still remember seeing a manual 5 0-60 in 8.1 seconds. It doesn't really matter anyway -- great handling = not having to slow down on corners = no need to accelerate = Mazda 5 wins!
 
Wow, I did not figure the 5speed vs. Auto numbers were that big of a difference. That is the first published figures I have seen for Manual Trans.

No wonder you 5spd guys rave about the 5spd so much!

I would like to see a 5spd vs Automatic vs Auto in Manual shift mode test.
 
Yah.. the torque convertor still robs quite a bit of power.

Put in a DSG Automatic Transmission however (aka Twin Clutch, no Torque Convertor, shifts in milliseconds) that the Nissan GT-R, VWs/Audis, and Mitsubishi Lancer EVO/Ralliart has. There is a discussion of whether the DSG is the final blow to the manual transmission or just a better alternative to the torque converter automatic transmission. I have yet to drive a DSG but from what I hear from my stick shift buddies, they're absolutely blown away by its performance, though there's still no way we're giving up the clutch pedal.
 
Yeah it looks like the manual tran. is the only way to get respectable acceleration numbers out of the 5. Too bad it is only offered in the lowest Sport model.
 

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