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
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