Mazda5 vs Used Highlander

[halfgreek]

I'm shopping around for a vehicle that is similar to these two. I'd like to have something this is around 3500 pounds (or less). I'd like it to be economical (both of the 5 and the Highlander (4cyl) get very similar gas mileage.

I can't really spend more than $20K. I've seen a couple of used Highlander's for around that price. Obviously I could get a new 5 for that price.

So what are your thoughts? What made you choose the 5 over the Highlander? Or maybe the Highlander wasn't even a consideration.

 

[Wuster]

I compared the Highlander to the Mazda5 when we bought our 5. Though I was looking at a new Highlander, so price was a factor.

A couple of other things that made me past on the Highlander

- Side curtain airbags was an option, not standard equipment. So if you're worried about safety, make sure the used Highlander you get has it.
- Ease of entry/putting kids in the car. The sliding doors on the Mazda5 makes getting in/out of the car & the third row so much easier. Also, my wife was 6 months pregnant with our second kid, and the Highlander was too high for her to hoist kid #1 in/out of his car seat. She is only 4'11"
- 3rd row seats - an option on the Highlander.
- Driving excitement - Mazda5 - fun to drive, Highlander - drove like a camary on stilts = no fun to drive
- Vehicle content - Just about everything on the Mazda5 was standard, on the Highlander just about everything was optional.

My 2 cents.

 

[jandree22]

I love Toyota, but my opinion has always been that the Highlander is way overpriced for what you're getting. With no exageration, I speced a 2007 Highlander to have the same options as the 5 Touring on CarsDirect.com and the Highlander was $30k and the 5 was $21k, that's almost 50% more. I know you said you'd be buying used, but just to make a point.

But anyway, while I never drove one, I have no doubt it's a rock solid vehicle. It's a safe bet to say more solid construction than the 5. The 5 is built good, but has nitpick quirks.

So it comes down to...
Reliability
Build
Conservative look
=Highlander

Fun-to-drive
Sliding doors
more cutting edge look
=Mazda5

In my opinion, either way you win. Good luck!

 

[starlightmica]

Also: Highlander for 2007 in my area cannot be had with both the 4cyl engine and 3rd row seat. It does have standard ESC, and interior colors other than black. Some options available include privacy windows and power driver's seat.

Mazda5 has curtain airbags for all 3 rows, unlike the Highlander which only has bags covering the first 2 rows.

 

[antlind]

Also: Highlander for 2007 in my area cannot be had with both the 4cyl engine and 3rd row seat. It does have standard ESC, and interior colors other than black. Some options available include privacy windows and power driver's seat.

Mazda5 has curtain airbags for all 3 rows, unlike the Highlander which only has bags covering the first 2 rows.

I think the same configuration restrictions exist for the RAV4 i.e., one must get the V-6 in order to get the 3rd seat.
Anthony

 

[halfgreek]

You guys might be right that they are hard to find. You can spec it on edmunds with 4cyl & 3rd row. Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean that they build them that way to have any real availability.

 

[opus]

Throw in the question of how many miles do these Highlanders have on them? How much longer are they going to be under warranty?

Any time you pick up a used vehicle you are rolling the dice as to whether they have been cared for or not.

The beauty of a new vehicle is that you can order what you want, where that is nearly impossible with a used vehicle unless you either live in one of the top 10 metropolitan areas, or are willing to drive hundreds of miles to pick up your vehicle.

The choice for me goes the way of the 5, but either way, at least you are not buying an Aztek .

 

[bulwnkl]

To us, access through the sliding doors on the 5 and price of the Toyota made a Highlander (and many other vehicles along those lines) a non-starter. The reliability question is important to consider. There is no statistical evidence that I can find to show that the Toyota is more reliable or durable than this Mazda. That also argues in favor of the Mazda because of the huge price differential. Remember that you can also buy the 5 used; if there's no need for a new Toyota, then there's also no need for a new Mazda, and there's no need to spend more money just to prove that you can.

 

[coolmazda5]

Highlander: very good Toyota SUV, no doubt, yet I still believe both cars address completely different needs.

In our case: Mazda5 was a go, among other things due to the sliding doors (easy in-easy out with baby on-board), right height, sporty feeling/style, safety, 5MT, and why not: awesome wheels and right accessories i.e. fog lamps

Price tag always matters, of course, but if you go for monthly payments and a very low APR it does not make a big difference $$ in the long run.

E.g. We also briefly checked out the Nissan Quest, which runs for 5-7K more. Really nice design but the lack of 5MT as an option and the true minivan feeling at the end were a no go. Final monthly payments were not a big difference.

Take care!

 

[doctorz]

Pretty much any SUV is overpriced. You pay for the style.

Don't underestimate the utility of the sliding doors, particularly if you want to get to the third row. Also, every SUV I've seen short of selected full-size models simply cannot fit adults in the third row.

I think the Highlander is a fine vehicle for what it is, but its mission is different from the 5. Also, how easy is it to find a four cylinder Highlander?

 

[halfgreek]

I don't think the "Mission" of the Higlander is any different than the Mazda5. You want to move stuff & people in a reliable fashion for an affordable price. The marketing and target audience may be a bit different but in reality they are pretty similar vehicles. Considering how the Mazda5 is pretty unique the Highlander is about as close as any other vehicle. Obviously the price of the Highlander is a little higher. It being a Toyota & an SUV allow it to demand a higher price.

After driving them both I think both would serve the purposes of my family pretty equally. I guess it just comes down to, would I want to pay the higher "Toyota/SUV" premium? I don't think I do. Which is why I'm looking at the Mazda5. Based on everyone's feedback the big feature differentiation between the two vehicles is the sliding doors and 3rd row seat space.

 

[canadianexpress]

got to love those sliding doors. Seeing too many people with SUV that have small kids and dents on their doors.

 

[doctorz]

I don't think the "Mission" of the Higlander is any different than the Mazda5.

Let me clarify this point. I think the mission of the Highlander is to offer the SUV image on a mid-size station wagon, and charge a premium for it...after all, Toyota could have continued the Camry wagon instead. This SUV pretension isn't something the Mazda5 even comes close to striving for. I've never owned a Highlander, but we owned a Honda CR-V for seven years. Unless you need the towing capacity from a truck-based SUV, there is nothing that an SUV will do that a station wagon can't do with better driveability and mileage. Interestingly, my wife was the one who wanted the SUV originally, I balked, we compromised and the CR-V (new in '97) became her primary vehicle. And as much as she liked it, she says she has no intention of buying another SUV ever again, even a crossover.

This is not to place judgement on the merits of the Highlander, because I don't own one. It's a nice vehicle and friends who own Highlanders are happy with them. But my parents own both a Lexus ES300 and RX300, which offers an interesting comparison. They're both very nice vehicles. But the RX300 is significantly more ponderous to drive and gets far worse fuel economy to the point where my parents rarely drive it in order to save gas.

The Mazda5 looks like a minivan...so much for SUV pretensions. But those sliding doors are really darn useful, and we love 'em.

 

[jandree22]

While on the subject of sliding doors, I'll slip in that virtually everyone I show my car to is shocked when the pull the handle on the rear door and it starts sliding back rather than opening out. For whatever reason, people just don't view my 5 as a minivan... several people have said so specifically after I called the 5 a 'minivan'.

 

[flomobile]

Hmm... both great vehicles.

+ on the Mazda5:
------------------
Sliding doors for easy access
Available stick shift
More carlide driving position
Poss lower insurance

+ on Highlander
---------------
Doesn't look like a minivan
Better AT mileage in auto/FWD
available V6 for better towing ability
available AWD for winter weather
higher vantage point on road, with more upright driving position

The legroom is about the same in both, although there is a second row center seat in the Highlander.

The Toyota certified used warranty only extends the original by 3 mos/3K miles, though the powertrain warranty and roadside assistance coverage get pushed to 7yr/100K from the original (new) sale date. Compare that to the Mazda 4yr/50K mile bumper to bumper on the Mazda. If you're looking at the 2 year old Highlander coming off of a lease, you'll have more powertrain, but less b2b warranty time left.


Overall, it would probably come down to the driving experience. The Mazda will feel cramped and twitchy to someone used to a larger car. The Highander would feel cumbersome and unresponsive to someone used to a compact.