After lurking here for a few weeks I am now a new member. Thanks for all the info you folks have given me here!
I test drove a 5 for the second time yesterday. This test was primarily to drive it home so I could:
--See how it fits in my garage, and
--Load it with the materials I need for arts/crafts shows that I do
And the 5 passed those tests beautifully! It was even smaller in my garage than I expected. (And, tho I was worried about the antenna because of posts Ive read here, there is plenty of clearance in my garage.)
Even more important was how well my 10x10 ft pop-up canopy, the 5-ft-tall display stands (which are on bases that take up a 1x2 ft footprint), cardtable (packed upright), several 2x4 foot folding tables, step stool, folding chair, wheeled cart, crates and supply boxes, etc etc ETC would pack in there. It has been a frustrating search for a vehicle that will get decent mileage yet hold these 5-foot long items straight in, while trying to avoid a vehicle the size and bulkiness of a regular minivan. But it looks like the Mazda5 is the right vehicle for me!
--I did do a slight pause just this week, however, when I saw the recent posts here about the Kia Rondobut the Rondos lack of sliding rear doors is reason enough to dissuade me.
The interesting part of yesterdays test was when I was getting ready to return to the dealer and the battery was dead! Kaput! Apparently having the doors open for a mere 2 hours (and playing 1 CD) was enough to drain it down. That was certainly disconcerting; and the dealer was not really jazzed at having to drive out to my place with a jump starter. But I suppose his explanation made sense that this is the demo theyve had on the lot the longest and it hasnt been driven enough to provide enough juice for what I did.
This might have given me some extra strength to negotiate on that particular car, heh heh; but it isnt the one I want. My (semi-rural) area has this dealer 15 miles away from me and another one almost 50 miles away, and they both have Sports only. So now I look at having them find me an 06 Touring Automatic; they said they have located 2 in Silver and one in Phantom Blue. So it looks like Im close to the last, yuckiest, part: the nitty gritty negotiations to finalize the deal. As a single woman who has not dealt with any car dealers in 20 years and never with a NEW car in consideration! -- it is of course daunting. However, hopefully I will be an Owner Member in this club before too much longer!
One final note about one thing that does particularly bug me about the vehicle: the headrests only adjust up/down and not front/back like the car Ive had for many years. They are set so far forward that the whole seat set-up, even with adjusting all parts of the seat as well as the steering wheel, leaves my neck and upper back between my shoulders rather unsupported. I am fairly seriously concerned about feeling soreness and fatigue after even a 1-2 hour trip. Has anyone else here had a similar reaction or have any thoughts/suggestions? Thanks!
I test drove a 5 for the second time yesterday. This test was primarily to drive it home so I could:
--See how it fits in my garage, and
--Load it with the materials I need for arts/crafts shows that I do
And the 5 passed those tests beautifully! It was even smaller in my garage than I expected. (And, tho I was worried about the antenna because of posts Ive read here, there is plenty of clearance in my garage.)
Even more important was how well my 10x10 ft pop-up canopy, the 5-ft-tall display stands (which are on bases that take up a 1x2 ft footprint), cardtable (packed upright), several 2x4 foot folding tables, step stool, folding chair, wheeled cart, crates and supply boxes, etc etc ETC would pack in there. It has been a frustrating search for a vehicle that will get decent mileage yet hold these 5-foot long items straight in, while trying to avoid a vehicle the size and bulkiness of a regular minivan. But it looks like the Mazda5 is the right vehicle for me!
--I did do a slight pause just this week, however, when I saw the recent posts here about the Kia Rondobut the Rondos lack of sliding rear doors is reason enough to dissuade me.
The interesting part of yesterdays test was when I was getting ready to return to the dealer and the battery was dead! Kaput! Apparently having the doors open for a mere 2 hours (and playing 1 CD) was enough to drain it down. That was certainly disconcerting; and the dealer was not really jazzed at having to drive out to my place with a jump starter. But I suppose his explanation made sense that this is the demo theyve had on the lot the longest and it hasnt been driven enough to provide enough juice for what I did.
This might have given me some extra strength to negotiate on that particular car, heh heh; but it isnt the one I want. My (semi-rural) area has this dealer 15 miles away from me and another one almost 50 miles away, and they both have Sports only. So now I look at having them find me an 06 Touring Automatic; they said they have located 2 in Silver and one in Phantom Blue. So it looks like Im close to the last, yuckiest, part: the nitty gritty negotiations to finalize the deal. As a single woman who has not dealt with any car dealers in 20 years and never with a NEW car in consideration! -- it is of course daunting. However, hopefully I will be an Owner Member in this club before too much longer!
One final note about one thing that does particularly bug me about the vehicle: the headrests only adjust up/down and not front/back like the car Ive had for many years. They are set so far forward that the whole seat set-up, even with adjusting all parts of the seat as well as the steering wheel, leaves my neck and upper back between my shoulders rather unsupported. I am fairly seriously concerned about feeling soreness and fatigue after even a 1-2 hour trip. Has anyone else here had a similar reaction or have any thoughts/suggestions? Thanks!
