WRX owner looking at Mazda5 for 3rd child

[chimchim]

Hi... my wife and I found out a few weeks ago that we are expecting child #3. The first two are 4 and 1. I currently drive a Subaru WRX wagon and tote my two kids around. My wife drives a Lexus RX330 (because she refused to get the minivan I was suggesting). The RX330 has been our long trip family vehicle.

But now that we have #3 on the way, we need a car with 3rd row seating, and the features of a van: a bench seat to change diapers in, and the ability to "walk around the interior" when parked (for changing those diapers). The obvious choice is an Odyssey or Sienna. HOWEVER, I'm considering the Mazda5 for these reasons:

- my wife doesn't want to get rid of her RX330... she loves the luxury
- I don't want to get rid of my WRX; I take it to the track, and love to drive it daily.
- thus, we could use a 3rd car for when we need to pack everybody in
- I hate big cars and if a lighter, better mpg car can fit the bill, I'll go with that
- from searching this forum, it appears that a family of 5 would fit
- since no latch is available in the 3rd row, I'd have to use the booster for the 4 year old there
- cargo space is limited with 3rd row up and I need to fit a stroller; but since the 3rd row split folds, I can fold one side to increase cargo space
- I would probably be driving the Mazda5 most of the time (when it's driven) and I really would like a lighter car than a van, and handling that would drive circles around SUV's and vans.
- crash safety seems good, but I didn't find the US crash tests

So here are my questions:
- links to crash safety tests were broken from the searches here, any working links? What's the crash safety (note that I'm coming from a subaru)
- MPG seems to average around 25-26 for most people... but a dealer is advertising 30MPG... is that total lie?
- reviews say the ~150hp engine is gutless at freeway speeds.... I often need to go from a 10 mph lane into the 70+mph carpool lane... am I gonna die?
- not much info on the 5 speed MANUAL. Does this help the power delivery?
- am I going to wish I had just got the bigger Odyssey?
- now that the Mazda5 has been out for a few years, have their been reliability issues?
- although family of 5 is workable, is it going to be regrettable?
- does it handle like a tall Mazda3?

 

[kyoshiro]

Well you're lucky that the 08s are coming in because it has refined many little things that we didnt get before.
Crash safety wise, I dont have links but its on the same platform as a volvo so it IS safe and it does have pretty good ratings, and with side curtain airbags now standard, its even better.
MPG wise, its all down to your driving habits and all, i do 400km per tank, dont know how many gallon and miles that is but yeah, its pretty good for a car of this size
the 153hp engine is ok if you're not trying to win a race and such. It does outrun other I4 vans =p (acceleration is faster than the big fat ones for sure)
5 Speed manual, no idea, i drive an auto BUT 08 has a 5 speed AT gear box now and it has manual shifting so its good for you and your wife (if she doesnt drive manual)
Bigger car = harder to manuever, odyssey isnt as fun to drive. I mean if you need space, you need a bigger car but its not impossible to pack stuff into the 5. The NEW MPV in japan is actually pretty sweet =p
there only has been minor problems with the 5, the only complaint would be the tires for me, the stock oems are horrible in wet weather (then again i've only been driving for 2 years and owned the car for 3 months)
5 is not regrettable to this 19 year old single LOL (turning 20 next year) Its better than the civic by far
Finally, the handling IS awesome, 60km in curves no problem (on a dry day)

 

[coolmazda5]

- links to crash safety tests were broken from the searches here, any working links? What's the crash safety

This is what I posted some time ago (copy-n-paste to save time):

"There may not be (yet) NHTSA American centric crash test results, but if the Mazda5 passed the Japanese NCAP and EuroNCAP crash tests with the highest ratings, then there should not be anything to hide in my opinion (BMW, Volvo, Honda or even Renault in Europe and Japan would be a good comparison point)"

Mazda5 Wins Highest Crash Safety Rating from EU and Japanese New Car Testing Agencies
http://www.japancorp.net/Article.asp?Art_ID=12380


(note that I'm coming from a subaru)
Don't worry, nobody is perfect, and we are open minded (lol2)

- MPG seems to average around 25-26 for most people... but a dealer is advertising 30MPG... is that total lie?
Close enough, heavy dependencies on how much you drive city vs. highway but the numbers seem fair. I have gone to up to 32-33MPG pure highway and have averaged 24MPG combined

- reviews say the ~150hp engine is gutless at freeway speeds.... I often need to go from a 10 mph lane into the 70+mph carpool lane... am I gonna die?
Die? LOL, no. The Mazda5 is not the most powerful thing around but it does its job well. Don't take me wrong, but it is very common in the US to say that 153Hp is gutless, yet most of the time you can only drive @ 65MPH and join a carpool lane full of SUVs going @ 20mph. Also, keep on mind that if you want auto the 2008 comes with 5 gears

- not much info on the 5 speed MANUAL. Does this help the power delivery?
I cannot comment on auto as I have not driven one yet, but my Honda and Mazda are Manual. I feel that the Mazda is peppier with the 5MT as the Gear-RPM ratio is much more effective (keeping on mind that we are talking about a family car, not a WRX )

- am I going to wish I had just got the bigger Odyssey?
Yes on space, based on the fact that I have driven an MPV (loaner on the 2005 recall), a Grand Caravan, and a Toyota Sienna (rentals). Positive no on handling

- now that the Mazda5 has been out for a few years, have their been reliability issues?
2006 has most of the recalls, some of them very silly really. Ironed out on 2007s and 2008s it seems. Time will tell for other longer term issues I guess, but so far so good.

- although family of 5 is workable, is it going to be regrettable?
How much luggage? Some of the fellows here may have some more info, We are only 3. IMO ideal number of passengers when traveling long distances is 4. 5-6 passengers for day trips/errands


- does it handle like a tall Mazda3?
I recently drove my buddie's Mazda3 (Grand Touring) and I was surprised about how close the driving/handling/acceleration feels, keeping on mind, again, that the Mazda5 is a people hauler, so it is heavier and, as you say, taller.

 

[PolarBear]

Mazda 5 is a great car but I wouldn't buy it for family of 5.
I would look for something else. Having kids that age quite ofter will require a lot of space for luggage.

 

[daonly1around]

shoot, when me and my siblings were that age, well even up to ages of about 10 8 and 5, we would all sit on the bench seat of my dads '71 chevy truck and the three of us kids would all share the lap belt on the passenger side... who needs all this space eh?

but the way you are talking i would get something bigger than the 5....

 

[misbehave]

Mazda 5 is a great car but I wouldn't buy it for family of 5.
I would look for something else. Having kids that age quite ofter will require a lot of space for luggage.

Exactly!

I would suggest you consider the MPV or Honda Odessey.

 

[raspykart]

yes it gets great gas mileage, handles great, is an absolute joy to drive daily or on long road trips, 5 peeps on a long trip may get interesting... but if your not disinclined to using a roof rack an cargo bin dealy then you'll be more gleeful on your daily commute vs in a big hurkin minivan... which I don't think I'd call mini hardly anymore. The Mazda 5 will also park a helluva lot easier. Power wise, we have the 4AT and I'm satisfied with it, and thats coming from a guy that used to daily drive a 350+hp RX7 and race shifter karts in the summer

 

[starlightmica]

5 kids in a Mz5 is doable, but definitely give it a good try before you buy with all 3 car seats, and as others have said - plan on getting a roof rack and carrier if you do (max weight 100lbs).

One option to consider: buy the Mazda5 for commuting and getting around town as it's a joy to drive, rent a Grand Caravan or similar megavan for road trips.



A few times a year I have all 3 kids in the 5 as we have a Sienna (at the dealer today) for usual family hauling, and we travel with lots of bags and accessories. Here's a picture of what the view out the rearview mirror looks like with two big car seats in the 3rd row - not good. Also, if you have a booster in the 3rd row, luggage or stroller in the adjoining seat needs to be secured. The cargo net won't do the trick as it's made for if both seats are up or down.

There is a thread on the other forum about strollers that fit in the 3rd row:
http://forum.mpvclub.com/viewtopic.php?p=156281&sid=920f82e0ffc21648711276b70d1ce6b3

 

[doctorz]

With three kids, I'd get a bigger minivan if it's going to be the family hauler. I think the 5 is doable with three (we have two), but it's going to be tight. The third row is tough for everyday use, between access and the fact that it's small. My eight year old fits fine back there for now, but there are little things like the booster not fitting flat on the seat and then sitting on top of the buckle making it tough to get to that make me question whether you'd just wish you had an Oddy or Sienna. We get 30-31 mpg on long trips, but both the Oddy/Sienna get high 20s.

On the other hand, we did recently have three adults and two kids in the 5, plus luggage, and two soft bags actually fit behind the third row seat that was raised. So there's some room to work with there. We used an umbrella stroller, so never a problem with fitting. The booster in the third row, though, blocks the view out the rear--again not a good reason for everyday use. starlightmica's picture is good.

Bottom line is that you'll find the 5 a compromise on interior space to get the better driveability. Power is not an issue with the 5-speed. On the highway it goes up hills without needing a downshift.

 

[jlk_250]

It all boils down to personal choice. The Mazda5 is a great fit for a family of four. There is room for everybody and extra seats for friends or room for cargo, but not both at the same time! Even so, I would probably end up with a Mazda5 even if we had one more child because minivans are no fun to drive and I like smaller vehicles in general.

Re: safety, the Mazda5 does well in crash tests and has side air bags all the way to the back. Re: engine power, we have the manual transmission and I find it a lot of fun to drive. I'd rather have better fuel economy than more power. Re: fuel economy, seems to be a big variation in reported mileage. Ours gets only about 26 mpg even on long highway trips at 65 mph. My Subaru Forester gets about 2-3 mpg better MPG. Still, it's better than 19-21 mpg you'd get with a minivan. Re: handling, it's a pleasure to drive. Re: reliability, the 2006 had a lot of recalls for stupid design problems. However, no reason so far to assume it won't last a long time.

Seems like you have a good handle on the facts needed to make a good decision. A minivan would definitely haul more stuff and would be a better choice if you don't mind driving one and paying more, both up front and for gas.

 

[chimchim]

Great responses all!

The mazda5 left such a great impression on me (I test drove it yesterday) that it's still tempting me. I'm completely enthralled with the car-like handling but with the micro-van utility. If I was in the market for a completely new car, (ie I did not have my WRX wagon) then I'd jump at the Mazda5, although the 5sp doesn't seem to be available around here in the 08.

That being said, the strength of the Mazda5 is it's ability to be your main DD car and have amazing utility over a regular car (even my wagon). In my case, it's better than the Honda Fit in that sense. But it can't replace the total usefulness of a minivan.

I researched a little more, and found that since one of my kids is at booster seat level, it's theoretically possible to do 3 across in a rear seat of a car. I measured the middle width and it will fit the Fisher Price (made by Britax) Safe Voyage booster which only needs 13.5". I'm going to try this route. It's cheaper to buy 3 new carseats (or 6 for both our cars) than to buy a totally new car.

But if I'm forced to sell my WRX, Mazda5 is THE car for me.

Sadly, I get the feeling Mazda is going to phase this out due to low volume. (I hope not.)

If I don't think of the Mazda5 as a van replacement, I simply can't see anything wrong with the Mazda5. BTW, the sales guy tried selling me the CX-9 and its 3rd row seating. Yeah, if I wanted a car that big and heavy I think I'd check out the MPV first.

 

[mountjonas]

i think a mazda5 would be a little tight for a family of 5. especially with 2 kids under 4. on long trips, the amount of stuff that a newborn has (i know you know this) is crazy. between the pack-n-play and stroller, alone, that'll cut into your storage space since you'll need at least 1 seat in the last row for a kid. that'll leave very little space for everyone else's things.

if your youngest was 4, then it probably wouldnt be such a problem. i'm not saying it's impossible, it'd be super tight.

don't sell the wrx! especially the wagon. i filled up our wagon with two duffle bags, a small suitcase for my 18 month old, a big stroller, her folding highchair, food for a week, a diaper bag, board games, and other shiat on our trip from temecula to tahoe. we could've used our 5, but i'd be damned if i wasn't going to drive to the mountains in the rex.

 

[zoomzone]

Great responses all!

The mazda5 left such a great impression on me (I test drove it yesterday) that it's still tempting me. I'm completely enthralled with the car-like handling but with the micro-van utility. If I was in the market for a completely new car, (ie I did not have my WRX wagon) then I'd jump at the Mazda5, although the 5sp doesn't seem to be available around here in the 08.

That being said, the strength of the Mazda5 is it's ability to be your main DD car and have amazing utility over a regular car (even my wagon). In my case, it's better than the Honda Fit in that sense. But it can't replace the total usefulness of a minivan.

I researched a little more, and found that since one of my kids is at booster seat level, it's theoretically possible to do 3 across in a rear seat of a car. I measured the middle width and it will fit the Fisher Price (made by Britax) Safe Voyage booster which only needs 13.5". I'm going to try this route. It's cheaper to buy 3 new carseats (or 6 for both our cars) than to buy a totally new car.

But if I'm forced to sell my WRX, Mazda5 is THE car for me.

Sadly, I get the feeling Mazda is going to phase this out due to low volume. (I hope not.)

If I don't think of the Mazda5 as a van replacement, I simply can't see anything wrong with the Mazda5. BTW, the sales guy tried selling me the CX-9 and its 3rd row seating. Yeah, if I wanted a car that big and heavy I think I'd check out the MPV first.

The salesman make a lot more dough on the CX-9. It's exceptionally nice, but way too big.

I don't have 3 kids and car seats and what not, but if they would fit, the Mazda 6 wagon could fit the bill, and still be fun and stylish.

But maybe you're not ready for the WRX fun as hell sports car to station wagon with the family car jump. It's still a helluva lot better than my Dad's old Delta 88 family cruiser wagon.

 

[mountjonas]

with one of them roof rack boxes, it'd be doable.

if you can afford the cx9, i'd look into that. my father has one and it doesn't drive heavy. it actually feels smaller than it is.

 

[starlightmica]

I researched a little more, and found that since one of my kids is at booster seat level, it's theoretically possible to do 3 across in a rear seat of a car. I measured the middle width and it will fit the Fisher Price (made by Britax) Safe Voyage booster which only needs 13.5". I'm going to try this route. It's cheaper to buy 3 new carseats (or 6 for both our cars) than to buy a totally new car.

Your RX could probably accommodate 2 car seats + a booster this way, with the booster in the center. My booster pictured above is the Britax Monarch, which is even wider and doesn't fit in the middle of our Camry between two Britax Roundabouts.

The 2008 5MT is going to be hard to find, but is listed as being available but without available sunroof or other options. Mz6 wagon is now out of production and probably would have a hard time fitting the seats across as above. The CX-9 costs almost twice as much as a Mz5 and is less useful than a minivan.

BTW, congratulations, and good luck!

 

[chimchim]

rent a Grand Caravan or similar megavan for road trips.

BTW, this is a very good suggestion.

 

[2cam16]

Hey Chimchim.....
I didn't know you were here ! This is 2cam16 from IClub. You've autocrossed with us a few times. I was the one with the WRB '04 WRX (#767 in STX).

If you have any questions about the 5, LMK. We've had ours for a year and a half now and love it.
laters !!

 

[chimchim]

Hey Chimchim.....
I didn't know you were here ! This is 2cam16 from IClub. You've autocrossed with us a few times. I was the one with the WRB '04 WRX (#767 in STX).

If you have any questions about the 5, LMK. We've had ours for a year and a half now and love it.
laters !!

Hey how's it going? I love my WRX and I really don't want to give it up.

The Mazda5 is so awesome that if I got one (even if I could afford to keep both cars) I'd end up driving it M-F cuz of the better gas mileage and toting kids around.

So... since you have both a WRX and a mz5, how do you use the two and which car for what?

 

[2cam16]

Yeah, the 5 is a good vehicle.
Sadly I had to let go of my WRX about a month ago as we couldn't afford both vehicle payments anymore. Times are harder. I ended up getting a '97 BMW 318Ti.
But when I did still have it, it was my daily driver, the 5 is my wife's dd. We only have one child so even using the WRX for the 3 of us wasn't bad.
On weekends though the 5 is the family car.Road trips it's the 5 again.
We had an '01 Odyssey for 5 years. Loved until the tranny went out.
Good luck on your choice of what ever you end up with !

 

[snax]

with one of them roof rack boxes, it'd be doable.

Agreed. Without it would be way too tight for any multi-day long distance travelling.

We have two out of car seats and one in a full size toddler seat. Around town it works out very well, being small and nimble without being overly cramped - most of the time.

And power? My 1983 Tercel has survived over 200,000 miles with 62HP to push 2300 lbs around. Just signal well in advance of lane changes and act like you don't see anybody - especially those folks driving the more expensive cars. They tend to get out of the way just fine.