It was a great vehicle. Even better that they offered a trim level with a manual transmission! The Mazda5 did have tremendous capability for its size and class. I always looked at it as a 3-row Mazda3, which it effectively was. However, we found it a little bit tight on certain occasions. On those same occasions, the CX-9 works superbly! I guess it depends on your needs, but I can certainly see why they didn't sell as many.The MZ5 is simply the perfect compact family vehicle. It does everything great, but it's a shame that hardly anyone bought one. I think I read that in the entire 10 year run of the van in America, Mazda didn't break 120,000 sold. And that's not 120,000 per year, that's 120,000 total. Truly sad.
I would not be seriously considering a Transit Connect as a replacement for a Mazda5. They are very expensive for what you get, with mid-level trim XLT models starting at $34K. And they don't even come with the desirable turbo engine anymore. All you can get is the 160HP 2.0L engine that used to be in the Ford Focus. You'll get cloth seats that don't fold into the floor and no power sliding doors.I will be taking a look at Honda Odysseys and Ford Transit Connects after mine is done