Wash. Post's Warren Brown bashes the 5!

CX-7's=LOVE said:
More value.
It holds one more person, In a smallish third row.
It does hold more passengers, but with a 4cyl with less than 160HP? I'd be afraid to go up hills with more than me and passenger in the car.

It has a considerably cheaper interior compared to the stripper CX-7, way less power, and it's down 1 or 2 gears depending on what year. It's also missing a available AWD, ground clearance, it's not dynamically the same, it's down on cargo space compared to the CX-7(with the second row folded down the CX-7 offers 58 cubic feet of space, the 5 has 44 cubes)
I could go on why the CX-7 is better, even when compared to a stripper.
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if you bought a mazda for any kind of resale value, you bought the wrong car i can tell you now. ground clearance is meaningless on a vehicle that i am not taking off road, something that neither a stripped or loaded cx7 is properly built to do either. AWD is meaningless on a vehicle of this size and for anyone who, like myself, has lived in snowy climates for twenty plus years and actually knows how to drive in it. i pass plenty of ditched SUVS, trucks and crossovers on unplowed roads every year in this and my other poor RWD and FWD cars. the cx7 and the 5 have the exact same rear headroom at 39 inches, so i guess you too have a smallish rear row for one less person. yours is still a portly 400 lbs heavier and gets worse fuel economy on premium gas on a larger fuel cell.

44 cubic? try 90 cubic if you are aiming for a real comparison champ - with all the rows folded in a 5 it has far more cargo room than a cx7. i've had a full load of people in the car going up steep grades in the rocky mountains with no problems whatsoever. having worked for mazda for several years i can tell you that the materials used in either grand touring models are the same, so unless your interior is "considerably cheap" as well by your definition i regret to inform you they are the same. you aren't driving an RDX anymore than any other mazda owner here.

the cx7 doesn't even have an available five or six speed manual option. how sporty is that?

so lets recap - nearly twice the cargo space, lighter, thousands less from the wallet loaded compared to a stripped model, better fuel economy on cheaper gas, an available manual transmission. i could go on as to why the 5 is better, even when compared to a fully loaded cx-7.
 
I have driven both, and I think both vehicles have their own positive virtues, and appeal to the needs of buyers in different markets.

I will not give up the sliding doors, nor the ease of getting in and out of the second row seats, nor the cargo versatility.

That being said, if Mazda came out with a DISI 2.3turbo Mazda5, I would gladly buy another 5.
 
19,995 for a stripper CX-7.
Even then it's WAY more fun, the 5 is underpowered.

The interior IS cheaper on a 5, what's so hard about that?
The CX-7's interior is better, by far.
The GT(for the CX-7) gets more silver trim, that's about it.


When you are not carrying a full passenger load, you can fold flat all four backseats and get 5 feet of cargo space, 44 cubic feet in volume
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The CX-7 has nearly 6 feet of cargo space in that same configuration.

The 5 offers more feature for the dollar, but the CX-7 offers more sport, way more.

I said smallish third row, not second, so don't twist my words up into something else completely different.

AWD is not meaningless, it's something that can be of assistance over FWD, like going up steep driveways, something FWD can't do in snowy climates, and ground clearance matters in the snow, and in the rain.

Since AWD is SO meaningless, lets not compare a FWD 5's weight with the AWD CX-7's weight, thanks. It's 235 pounds heavier, not 400.

Interior CX-7 MAZDA5
Front Headroom 39.7 in. 38.9 in.
Rear Headroom 39.3 in. 39.2 in.
Front Shoulder Room 58 in. 55.5 in.
Rear Shoulder Room 55.8 in. 55.6 in.
Front Hip Room 54.8 in. 52.9 in.
Rear Hip Room 53 in. 58.3 in.
Front Leg Room 41.7 in. 40.7 in.
Rear Leg Room 36.4 in. 35.2 in.
Maximum Luggage Capacity 29.9 cu. ft. N/A
Maximum Seating 5 6


The configurations are all wrong too, in order for you to have 5 people in the 5 you sacrifice a lot cargo space.

The 5 offers more features for the price, not performance, and with the 5 fully loaded? Can we say dangerously slow?
Considering every passenger is about 150-210 lbs=X5=I can't pass that Kia on the highway without getting rear ended.
 
I've had the 5 fully loaded with adults and barely noticed a performance ding. Now stop being a troll and go back to CX-7 land. Nobody invited you over here if all you're going to do is talk s*** on us. Seriously, do you think we're going to let you "win" the argument? Just tuck your tail between your legs and go cry to mommy about how your car is teh best. That's about the most compassion you'll get with your whiney "I'm better than you" attitude.

At the end of the day, once you have proven that the CX-7 is better than the Mazda5 really, what have you accomplished? Nothing more than making us feel bad about our purchase and making yourself look like a conceited jerk. Oh wait, mission accomplished. Good for you. Now go away now little boy.
 
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jandree2[RIGHT said:
2;3637143]I've had the 5 fully loaded with adults and barely noticed a performance ding. Now stop being a troll and go back to CX-7 land. Nobody invited you over here if all you're going to do is talk s*** on us. Seriously, do you think we're going to let you "win" the argument? Just tuck your tail between your legs and go cry to mommy about how your car is teh best. That's about the most compassion you'll get with your whiney "I'm better than you" attitude.

At the end of the day, once you have proven that the CX-7 is better than the Mazda5 really, what have you accomplished? Nothing more than making us feel bad about our purchase and making yourself look like a conceited jerk. Oh wait, mission accomplished. Good for you. Now go away now little boy.
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(blah) No one needs an invitation to post in an open forum.

You poor thing, if you honestly think the 5 is better, SELL it better.

It is underpowered and lacks get up and "zoom zoom" the braking and handling is there but the power is not, and it's missing in a big way.

I'm not the one that had the "my car is better than yours, yours is an SUV and sorry, but an SUV will never be as dynamically correct as the 5" attitude. I'm here to let you know, that isn't true.

Oh and when I said More Value, I was talking about the 5, and I wasn't talking about resale.
 
I never said the 5 is better. The 5 is better in that it has sliding doors, available 5MT, better fuel economy, better versatility. The CX-7 is better in performance and IMO, in looks as well. Each has its pros and cons… no one had a gun to your head to buy the CX-7, and no one had a gun to our head to by a 5. We bought what WE liked for OURSELVES so who give’s a s*** in what’s “better”. From your and the original reviewers point of view, the CX-7 is better, fine. But the CX-7 is WORSE for ME because it has stuff I don’t want(91 octane and automatic), and doesn’t have stuff I want(sliding doors, lower price). That’s why there are hundreds of models of cars to choose from. This argument hardly has a point and I’m sorry I got wrapped up in it. No hard feelings to you, the CX-7 is a great car IMO. If you want to dislike the 5 based on your priorities in a car, go for it, no one but yourself can decide that. But please realize that for other people, the flip side of the coin applies, too.
 
jandree22 said:
I never said the 5 is better. The 5 is better in that it has sliding doors, available 5MT, better fuel economy, better versatility. The CX-7 is better in performance and IMO, in looks as well. Each has its pros and cons no one had a gun to your head to buy the CX-7, and no one had a gun to our head to by a 5. We bought what WE liked for OURSELVES so who gives a s*** in whats better. From your and the original reviewers point of view, the CX-7 is better, fine. But the CX-7 is WORSE for ME because it has stuff I dont want(91 octane and automatic), and doesnt have stuff I want(sliding doors, lower price). Thats why there are hundreds of models of cars to choose from. This argument hardly has a point and Im sorry I got wrapped up in it. No hard feelings to you, the CX-7 is a great car IMO. If you want to dislike the 5 based on your priorities in a car, go for it, no one but yourself can decide that. But please realize that for other people, the flip side of the coin applies, too.
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I looked at both when I bought my 5. The CX-7 seats less people (and IMHO in less comfort), gets worse gas mileage, but looks sexier. It's also $32095 Base MSRP compared to $20795 Base MSRP (based on Maxda Canada's website) which means it better be 54% better.

But it's not. For the money a 5 offers a terrific value. As a performance car it's maybe not so good, but it's NOT a performance car, and neither is the CX-7!
 
Mazda5wannabe said:
I looked at both when I bought my 5. The CX-7 seats less people (and IMHO in less comfort), gets worse gas mileage, but looks sexier. It's also $32095 Base MSRP compared to $20795 Base MSRP (based on Maxda Canada's website) which means it better be 54% better.

But it's not. For the money a 5 offers a terrific value. As a performance car it's maybe not so good, but it's NOT a performance car, and neither is the CX-7!
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ffds the CX-7 is a sports crossover, in a class of it's own.

Go buy in America, you will save a bundle.

Also, the seating arrangement is pants in the 5.

You have sacrifice cargo space in order to seat 5/6 in the 5, and the last row is helplessly cramped.
 
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If I were in the market for a 6 seater, the 5 would have been top of my very short list. Honestly, it is the only "van" (mini, micro or whatever) that I could see myself in. Much more "zoom-zoom" than anything in that segment and the fact that it shares components with the 3 would make adding more a possibility too! :D

The original article seems strange in that the person is asking about a minivan and the writer goes into a sales pitch for the CX-7; truly odd. The two are only slightly similar, so he might as well have recommended a mazda 3...
 
From somebody that doesn't own nor driven a 5 or CX-7 I can't comment on performance. Both serve different purposes. I would not buy a 5 and expect it to perform or do anything that a CX-7 could do. I would not buy a CX-7 and expect it to perform or do anything that a 5 could do. Both vehicles are good looking vehicles. I would buy a 5 before I would buy a CX-7 just because it would serve my needs better. This is not an attack on the CX-7 or there owners, but a "performance SUV/Crossover" is a joke. I am not saying they can't perform, I just see no point in them.
 
Kurt07 said:
From somebody that doesn't own nor driven a 5 or CX-7 I can't comment on performance. Both serve different purposes. I would not buy a 5 and expect it to perform or do anything that a CX-7 could do. I would not buy a CX-7 and expect it to perform or do anything that a 5 could do. Both vehicles are good looking vehicles. I would buy a 5 before I would buy a CX-7 just because it would serve my needs better. This is not an attack on the CX-7 or there owners, but a "performance SUV/Crossover" is a joke. I am not saying they can't perform, I just see no point in them.
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It's called a niche, and if we want to use that logic the 5 is pointless and a Volvo wagon makes much more sense, because it's a wagon and not a miniminivan, and it does all the things the 5 can do.
 
And the 5 is an economical people mover, in a class of it's own, which is why comparisons between the two don't work.

I really wanted the 7, but it just didn't fit me, or my family, or ultimately my wallet! I need a vehicle that occasionally needs to fit six, not five. And the 9 is well out of my (self-imposed) financial reach. Different strokes for different folks. You should be happy with your 7, it's a Mazda after all!

Buying in America isn't as easy as it seems, as many of the car manufacturers have forbidden their US dealers to sell to Canadians. Also by the time you factor in travel costs, cross border duties and taxes, and the risk of having a voided warranty, it's not worth buying a new vehicle in the US. At least, not for me.

Buying used, on the other hand, means there are some absolutely killer deals to be had. A friend of mine just bought a two year old Titan for almost $15K less than it could be had here, and that included the flight to San Francisco and all duties and taxes!

As for the git from the Washington Post, offering a 7 in place of a 5 is a silly thing. He's up-selling the buyer by a considerable margin and like many automotive journalists has lost sight of why most people buy cars, which is to go from point A to point B.

That being said, my current job means I have a 100K round trip (62 Mi) of mostly mountainous highway driving. It may take me longer to get up to speed, though in reality I'm pretty quick off the line in ANY car, but once there the 5 has plenty of Zoom Zoom compared to the other people haulers out there. It handles very well, can leap the big hills without panting or down shifting, and does so with remarkable aplomb. I am not bored!

On a trip to Calgary last year, which requires driving through the spectacular Rocky Mountains, the 5 zipped up the passes as fast (faster, truth be told!) as anyone else out there, and maintained it's cool even though it was the height of summer.

I got what I wanted, you got what you wanted, we should both be happy!
 
Wait, does the world really work like that?

I mean, I would really like to have a Mazda5, and I can act like a huge cock, too, (see, there I go) if that will cause someone to buy me one! ;)

Do I have to wait for Christmas, though, my birthday is in August?
 
I can get you one by August, but sorry, it won’t have a big red bow. (Hey, beggars can’t be choosers, right?)
 
Foolish said:
Wait, does the world really work like that?

I mean, I would really like to have a Mazda5, and I can act like a huge cock, too, (see, there I go) if that will cause someone to buy me one! ;)

Do I have to wait for Christmas, though, my birthday is in August?
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Acting like a huge cock?
You're on your way.
 
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