The local Mazda guy finally got some Mazda5 last week, so I test drove a Phantom Blue Touring model, automatic, navigation, etc. and came away pretty impressed.
In the vehicle was myself, my pregnant wife (we're due in August), and my two sons, one in the second row, the other in the third row. The kids were happy with the space, and I sat in each row myself and found each row to be comfortable. When I was in the third row I needed to move the second row up a bit for leg comfort, and it occurs to me that a Mazda5 with large adults in all the back seats might be a little tight but when some of the seats have kids everything seems fine.
I found the acceleration of the auto to be ok -- not great, but not bad either. I want to try the manual but they didn't have one yet. I plan to go back when they do and see how the manual compares. Handling seemed fine to me. We test drove a Mazda3 a few months ago and from my recollections the Mazda5 handled equally well as the Mazda3. I'm probably not the most demanding person in this regard though, YMMV.
My kids liked the "hideaway" second row console, that comes out of the right hand seat and gives additional cup holders and a storage net between the seats. I really wish we could have the karakuri 7th seat, but that's not a deal-breaker for us.
We like the Phantom Blue color. Actually, that's probably the only color we really like from what we've seen. They also had a white one and one of the silver ones (Stellar Silver, I think?) that had weird light blue hints in it that someone might like but we didn't.
Honestly, we might have bought the vehicle we drove except I don't see any need for a navigation system and I want to test drive a manual before making a decision. I might be able to live with an auto but I really want to at least try out the manual before deciding that for certain. However, navigation seems like a waste of $2000 to me -- I have a weird native directional sense and never get lost. (My wife, however, is completely different, but if we get this it would be "my car" so she doesn't count.)
One weird thing. To the left of the steering wheel is what looks like four "pseudo-buttons" that don't push in or anything but look like placeholders for actual switches. If one goes to the Premacy site at the following page, you can see that they look like actual switches there (since the layout is reversed, you'll want to look to the lower right of the steering wheel in that picture) :
http://www.premacy.mazda.co.jp/interior.html
I assume those are for some Japanese options that we can't get over here? Not a big deal, but sort of a curiosity for me.
Anyway, my reaction is generally positive and I might be buying a Mazda5 in the near future, assuming I can get a Phantom Blue touring model with manual (maybe auto) and no navigation system.
While I wait for a manual to arrive for a test drive I'm trying to figure out how to make the Mazda5 iPod friendly. In my current car I have a JVC stereo with an aux audio input on the front that is great to plug in any MP3 player you want. No equivalent here.
Anyway, questions?
In the vehicle was myself, my pregnant wife (we're due in August), and my two sons, one in the second row, the other in the third row. The kids were happy with the space, and I sat in each row myself and found each row to be comfortable. When I was in the third row I needed to move the second row up a bit for leg comfort, and it occurs to me that a Mazda5 with large adults in all the back seats might be a little tight but when some of the seats have kids everything seems fine.
I found the acceleration of the auto to be ok -- not great, but not bad either. I want to try the manual but they didn't have one yet. I plan to go back when they do and see how the manual compares. Handling seemed fine to me. We test drove a Mazda3 a few months ago and from my recollections the Mazda5 handled equally well as the Mazda3. I'm probably not the most demanding person in this regard though, YMMV.
My kids liked the "hideaway" second row console, that comes out of the right hand seat and gives additional cup holders and a storage net between the seats. I really wish we could have the karakuri 7th seat, but that's not a deal-breaker for us.
We like the Phantom Blue color. Actually, that's probably the only color we really like from what we've seen. They also had a white one and one of the silver ones (Stellar Silver, I think?) that had weird light blue hints in it that someone might like but we didn't.
Honestly, we might have bought the vehicle we drove except I don't see any need for a navigation system and I want to test drive a manual before making a decision. I might be able to live with an auto but I really want to at least try out the manual before deciding that for certain. However, navigation seems like a waste of $2000 to me -- I have a weird native directional sense and never get lost. (My wife, however, is completely different, but if we get this it would be "my car" so she doesn't count.)
One weird thing. To the left of the steering wheel is what looks like four "pseudo-buttons" that don't push in or anything but look like placeholders for actual switches. If one goes to the Premacy site at the following page, you can see that they look like actual switches there (since the layout is reversed, you'll want to look to the lower right of the steering wheel in that picture) :
http://www.premacy.mazda.co.jp/interior.html
I assume those are for some Japanese options that we can't get over here? Not a big deal, but sort of a curiosity for me.
Anyway, my reaction is generally positive and I might be buying a Mazda5 in the near future, assuming I can get a Phantom Blue touring model with manual (maybe auto) and no navigation system.
While I wait for a manual to arrive for a test drive I'm trying to figure out how to make the Mazda5 iPod friendly. In my current car I have a JVC stereo with an aux audio input on the front that is great to plug in any MP3 player you want. No equivalent here.
Anyway, questions?
