RIP Mazda5

What a shame, it is such a great concept. I just returned from Canada and there were 5s everywhere, I guess the American market does not get it. Too bad...
 
Sad. Our locale is full of Mazda5s. They're like 6-seater Corollas there are so many. More 5s than 6s, and maybe nearly as many 5s ad 3s. But then, we are a USED car market, not new, so we are getting trade-ins and lease returns en masse.
 
The product decison they have made recently that makes no sense to me is the "no new Mazda2" decison. According to Car and Driver if you want one you'll have to buy the Scion iM, or is it the iA?
 
Secondtyme said:
The product decison they have made recently that makes no sense to me is the "no new Mazda2" decison. According to Car and Driver if you want one you'll have to buy the Scion iM, or is it the iA?
Click to expand...

You're right with the Scion iA. The Scion iM looks better IMO.

2016-scion-im-07-1.jpg
 
The 2 never sold well either so it makes sense to focus plant capacity on the CX3, which will sell significantly better and probably have higher margins.
 
Of course it didnt sell for almost exactly the same reason that the 5 never sold that well. That being Mazdas refusal to lavish any time, attention, development money on an elderly platform. I can understand the 5 dying, it just doesnt make sense to spend all the money to completely redesign a slow seller to align it with the rest of the product line. But the 2? Cmon that thing is almost turn key ready for our market and would lay waste to the competition (except maybe the new Fit) of course im a little biased as i would love to have one but hey...
 
Secondtyme said:
Of course it didnt sell for almost exactly the same reason that the 5 never sold that well. That being Mazdas refusal to lavish any time, attention, development money on an elderly platform. I can understand the 5 dying, it just doesnt make sense to spend all the money to completely redesign a slow seller to align it with the rest of the product line. But the 2? Cmon that thing is almost turn key ready for our market and would lay waste to the competition (except maybe the new Fit) of course im a little biased as i would love to have one but hey...
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The 2 got pretty poor gas mileage considering how small it was. Same goes for the new 2 - the iA is rated for 32/37 city/highway, a Mazda 3 auto hatch with the 2.0 is 30/40MPG. Why would you pay the same price for a smaller car with less gas mileage? The 2 would have smaller margins too.

However, the 2 redesign makes sense because it sells well globally. The 5/Premacy was never a big seller regardless of markets. So instead of trying to market the 2, the higher margin CX3 just makes more sense because people are willing to buy crossovers but not the lower hatchback variant.
 
I read an article yesterday about how the senior demographic is controlling the auto market. Fewer 16-27 year olds than ever are licensed, while the 69+ licensed drivers are way way up. Every demographic over 45 is also up, because Gen X is notably smaller than the Boomers, and because Gen Y is generally just nose-deep in a smartphone and forgets that they can physically go places instead of staring into a 4" screen. Cars are being designed for old people with body aches, poor vision and limited range of movement. Hence the CX-3 replacing the Mazda2 and the CX-5 replacing the Mazda5. Once the MPV got axed, the over-60 set never did see the Mazda5 as a real minivan, so didn't shop Mazda at all. By the time all this rubberbands back & things get fun again, I'll be too old to enjoy it, which is kinda a shame (for me at least).
 
Most of the Mazda5 I see are all rentals anwyays with the zip code in rear window.

Ours still works for us. Bought it new in 2011, trouble free 50K miles.
 
I would fully expect to get about 35-40MPG in real world use with a 2, of course I would only buy it if it were a stick. The 3 with the 2 liter skyactiv engine would probably be more like 30 MPG at best given its hauling more car with only a little bit more engine. I really, really like the CX3, and would love to just get one of those but the asking price on them is completely insane. The one I just saw in R&T stickered north of 30 grand! For a Mazda2 on stilts fer petes sake! Fortunately my 5 is still going strong so I'm not really in the market per se....
 
thaxman said:
I read an article yesterday about how the senior demographic is controlling the auto market. Fewer 16-27 year olds than ever are licensed, while the 69+ licensed drivers are way way up. Every demographic over 45 is also up, because Gen X is notably smaller than the Boomers, and because Gen Y is generally just nose-deep in a smartphone and forgets that they can physically go places instead of staring into a 4" screen. Cars are being designed for old people with body aches, poor vision and limited range of movement. Hence the CX-3 replacing the Mazda2 and the CX-5 replacing the Mazda5. Once the MPV got axed, the over-60 set never did see the Mazda5 as a real minivan, so didn't shop Mazda at all. By the time all this rubberbands back & things get fun again, I'll be too old to enjoy it, which is kinda a shame (for me at least).
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I think boomers having money from the good ole days and the younger gens being broke, lower wages, worthless money, etc. because of the greedy boomers, is a much bigger factor than staring at smart phones.
 
Sad to hear because my Mazda5 has been good for over 215k miles now. Maintenance cost has been as promised. Still original tranny fluid. Drives like new, of course I have replaced shocks to KYB G-2. On my third drive belt, 3 sets of brake pads, flushed the coolant once and brake fluid twice. I am surprise as this is the best car I have owned so far. Handled all my home construction projects like a pick-up truck and hauled many events like a full size van LOL. My in-laws love it as it is lower than their Van so coming out the Mazda5 is like getting out a regular dinner chair. Gas consumption has been the same since the day one 26-28 mpg combined using 87 oct. No tune-up other than I replaced the spark plugs some 50k miles ago. Too bad it won't be till next year that my son starts driving. Well I may just go back on the MX-5 :)


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I should say every 100k miles but I found a cheap OEM deal on Ebay so I over did it lol.


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They should be replaced when a visual inspection says they're cracking. My A/C belt started squeaking at 40K miles, but at 5 years or so. I replaced both.
 
215K on a 2012!? Damn, you, my friend, do some serious driving! I thought I was up there at 201K on my 2006.
 
Secondtyme said:
215K on a 2012!? Damn, you, my friend, do some serious driving! I thought I was up there at 201K on my 2006.
Click to expand...

It didn't take that long LOL. 2 cross country, she has been to Alaska and Quebec. She is our daily driver between me and my wife so she gets driven 5-6 times weekly. I swear this car has got me surprise by its durability. We are now concern that it may just quit one of these days. Even the guys in Firestone are amazed as I got a lifetime free alignment so I bring her there at least twice a year.


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I don't worry so much about the car just quitting as much as I worry about me wrecking it somehow LOL I bought mine used at auction for next to nothing almost three years ago and have slowly fixed all the things that were wrong with it. It is my usual pattern that just about the time i get a car the way I like it, I do something stupid and the car is totalled. So I have my fingers crossed....:p
 
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