No plans to discontinue the Mazda5 in Canada (as of May 2015)

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2014 Mazda5 GT - 6 MT - White
Published yesterday here in the Toronto area...


Six is Mazda5s magic number
Want a minivan that seats six? There is only one answer
By: Mark Richardson Special to the Star, Published on Fri May 01 2015

"...It was rumoured recently the Mazda5 had run its course and would be canned this year, but the maker denies this. We currently dont have any plans to discontinue the Mazda5 in Canada, so this is not the last model year, writes Sandra LeMaitre, director of public relations for Mazda Canada... "



So there you have it. According to Mazda Canada, the Mazda5 lives on, and we still get the manual transmission up here.




Source: http://www.thestar.com/autos/2015/05/01/six-is-mazda5s-magic-number.html

Theres nothing in Canada quite like the Mazda5. Its a six-seater, for a start. Everything else has five seats, or seven seats, or any other number from two to eight, but not six.

Mazda calls it a people mover. Most people arent quite sure what to call it. A mini-minivan is probably the best descriptor. Its shaped like a minivan, after all, and has parking-lot-friendly sliding rear doors.

Its much smaller than any other minivan, though, all of which seat at least seven people and still have room for luggage behind the rear seats. Its even smaller than many crossovers and SUVs, but this means it gets better fuel consumption than the much more powerful minivans on the road.

The Mazda5 is even fun to drive if its pushed on a curvy road, not floating like most vans on soft suspension set up for heavy loads, but making the most of its dynamic stability control to stay tight on a corner. Its no MX-5 or Mazdaspeed3, and its slow, but its enjoyable nonetheless.

So perhaps its the solution for families who just cant bear the idea of buying a minivan, even though they need the space and practicality of a Grand Caravan or an Odyssey. Forget zoom-zoom for a catchphrase; how about: Buy a Mazda5 and you dont need to hang your head in quite as much shame in the suburbs. Thats almost as catchy, no?

The Mazda5 is a popular choice in much of the rest of the world, where smaller vehicles are better suited for smaller roads. In the city, its a smart alternative to larger vehicles, though most crossovers now offer the extra luggage space without the supposed stigma of a wagon.

They dont offer the third row of seating at an equivalent price, however. The Mazda5 starts at $21,995 and its fairly well equipped at that level, although without heated front seats or leather upholstery.

Youll have to pay an extra $1,200 for a five-speed automatic transmission too. Dont dismiss the six-speed stick shift too quickly: like all Mazdas manual gearboxes, its one of the best transmissions out there, certainly at this price point, and it will enhance the sporty drive if you truly cant bear the idea of owning a minivan.

(Youll save money now buying the manual, of course, but youll pay later when you want to sell. Most used buyers wont even consider a stick shift, especially not in a functional vehicle like this. Mazda no longer offers the manual in the U.S.)

I drove the Mazda5 to Ottawa in March with my wife and it was both comfortable and accommodating. We drove the GT, the more loaded of the two versions. It lists for $26,795. By the time youve added the automatic gearbox and another $1,895 for the freight and pre-delivery inspection, youre squeaking in just under $30,000 before taxes.

The GT includes larger 17-inch wheels and fog lights and the heated leather seats. Theres no Navigation available, and no rear back-up camera, and the hard black plastic inside feels dated it was last overhauled in 2012. For this year, there are just a few minor changes to which options go with which versions.

It was rumoured recently the Mazda5 had run its course and would be canned this year, but the maker denies this. We currently dont have any plans to discontinue the Mazda5 in Canada, so this is not the last model year, writes Sandra LeMaitre, director of public relations for Mazda Canada.

The engine was pleasant enough at cruising speed on the highway, and enjoyable on some side roads, but its underpowered. The redesign gave it a larger 2.5L thats good for 157 hp. Thats okay for a couple of people, but load it up and the Mazda5 will be strained by the weight.

Official fuel consumption for the automatic is 10.7 L/100 km in the city and 8.2 on the highway, with the manual slightly more thirsty. Theres no fancy SkyActiv engine technology in the Mazda5. My combined consumption after a week of driving was 9.9.

When the third pair of seats were in place, there was very little room behind them for luggage. Seats folded? A large, tall cargo area, ideal for a dog crate.

The official capacities are 426 litres of space with the rear row flat, and 857 litres with both the second and third rows folded down. That falls short of any number of compact SUVs and crossovers. A Honda CR-V, for example, offers more than twice as much space with its second row up, and again with the third row folded flat.

But the more mainstream CR-V doesnt seat six. Its wider, so theres room across the second row for three people (at a pinch), and its more powerful, and its better on gas, but it doesnt seat six.

That second row of two captains chairs in the Mazda folds forward simply and allows easy access to the third row. Those rearmost seats are smaller and not so comfortable for larger passengers not an issue for most families.

Prospective buyers will either have two kids who should be separated by different rows, or three kids one of whom could be in a car seat. The older third kid gets the whole of the rear row, with luggage alongside. With six people, theres no extra space for bags.

Is this the best solution to fitting everything in? For some families it is, especially families in more cramped areas of the world. In Canada, we have too much space and too much selection to make the Mazda5 an obvious choice. Some will find it ideal.

2015 MAZDA5

Price: As tested, $21,995 / $27,995

Engine: 2.5L inline four

Power/Torque: (hp/lbs.-ft.) 157 / 163

Fuel Consumption: (claimed, L/100km, Premium recommended) 10.7 City, 8.2 Hwy

Competition: Kia Rondo, Dodge Journey, Dodge Grand Caravan, most compact crossovers

Whats Best: Compact size seats six, sporty handling, comes with a stick

Whats Worst: Dated interior, slow and underpowered, thirsty

Whats Interesting: In Japan, its called the Mazda Premacy
 
Interesting that they will allow it to continue when it really doesn't fit their current line-up at all. The death of it makes more sense than for it to continue, especially if they aren't going to give it any love in the engineering dept. ie: Skyactiv engines, Blutooth, new interior scheme etc. And for the record, the CRV IS NOT better on gas, maybe, just maybe in 2WD it is, but no way in 4WD.
 
More room in the 5 than RAV4, CRV and CX-5 as well. Mazda has great products but the lack of marketing the strengths is what baffles me: MPV, 5 and 6 wagon especially. CUVs are just sedans lifted and given a slightly larger cargo area.
 
If their marketing guys were half as savvy as their engineers they would be impossible to beat. They have incredible products, that succeed solely on word of mouth in the case of the 5, it continues to baffle me why they don't try harder to get the word out....
 
The problem going forward with this car is that as crash testing becomes more stringent and as a result automakers are making safer cars... the Mazda5 starts to fall way behind. The over 10 year old chassis design is really starting to show it's age in crash testing and against redesigned competitors. I don't think I'd buy a brand new car with a "Poor" rating in the "small front overlap" test and a "Marginal" rating in the "side impact" test. These are not good for a car designed for families. It lost it's Consumer Reports recommendation because of this.

So a full chassis redesign is needed and you'd think it wouldn't be too expensive or difficult because of it's extremely close ties to the Mazda3. The 2015 Mazda3, by the way, achieved top results of "Good" in all tests and is a Top Safety Pick by the IIHS.

As a comparison, a Ford C-Max received "Good" in all of it's tests except the small front overlap where it still achieved a respectable "Acceptable"

Then it's lack of even the Skyactive engine treatment makes it's engine design quite old... and so it's fuel consumption is surprising to shoppers who see a smaller vehicle but not much to gain in fuel consumption.

To me a 2015 Mazda5 is a poor buy. Don't get me wrong, I love the Mazda5 and still love mine... but due to all the above, there's no way I'd spend new car money on a new one. But then the bigger problem is... what car would I buy!!?? Which is why, for now, I'm stuck driving my 2007 into the ground :)
 
The problem going forward with this car is that as crash testing becomes more stringent and as a result automakers are making safer cars... the Mazda5 starts to fall way behind. The over 10 year old chassis design is really starting to show it's age in crash testing and against redesigned competitors. I don't think I'd buy a brand new car with a "Poor" rating in the "small front overlap" test and a "Marginal" rating in the "side impact" test. These are not good for a car designed for families. It lost it's Consumer Reports recommendation because of this.

So a full chassis redesign is needed and you'd think it wouldn't be too expensive or difficult because of it's extremely close ties to the Mazda3. The 2015 Mazda3, by the way, achieved top results of "Good" in all tests and is a Top Safety Pick by the IIHS.

As a comparison, a Ford C-Max received "Good" in all of it's tests except the small front overlap where it still achieved a respectable "Acceptable"

Then it's lack of even the Skyactive engine treatment makes it's engine design quite old... and so it's fuel consumption is surprising to shoppers who see a smaller vehicle but not much to gain in fuel consumption.

To me a 2015 Mazda5 is a poor buy. Don't get me wrong, I love the Mazda5 and still love mine... but due to all the above, there's no way I'd spend new car money on a new one. But then the bigger problem is... what car would I buy!!?? Which is why, for now, I'm stuck driving my 2007 into the ground :)

Excellent points! All of them.

There is no replacement coming (like a direct replacement, an all new Mazda5). I think they will discontinue it first in the USA, leave it in Canada for 1-2 more years, and then pull the plug.

The comments from Mazda Canada should be read carefully, especially "currently"... "We currently don’t have any plans to discontinue the Mazda5 in Canada"

Not today. By the end of the year? Plans may change.
 
I've had a 2012 Mazda 5 GS and a 2014.5 CX-5 GT both for a year.

Both great cars however, in terms of utility, the 5 wins. It has more room and better use of space.
In terms of driving experience (acceleration, handling) the 5 wins, no question. Yes, I did have the 2.5L SkyActiv (GT)
Interior design the CX-5 controls are nicely placed but the infotainment system, in its entirety, is terrible. BT is slow and forgets, TomTom is like watching a i386 computer from the late 80's rendering a 1FPS flight sim. I now use a cell phone holder in my CD slot and used Nokia Here offline mode for navigation, night and day difference.
Gas mileage is about the same. I'm getting about 9.8L/100KM on the 5 (I'm just over 800KM total), the CX-5 was about 9.3L/100KM after a few months of driving.

To add: adjustable and reclining middle row seat. Storage under middle row seats. Arm rests in middle row seats.
I'd love the return of the MPV!
 
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