Bidding Farewell to Mazda5 -- interesting slight shy of 2 years

[dieseldriver]

Well, I had bid farewell to my Mazda5 few days ago, and saying hello to new family hauler -- the 2013 Honda Pilot EX-L.

Mazda5 was okay at first to move the family but then started to get smaller and when it time to take trips that lasted more than few days, I would be worried about carrying all the cargo.

Then back in Jan of this year, wife had an accident and though the other vehicle, which was stationary at the time, the Toyota Tacoma had sustained little damage yet the Mazada 5 has over $12K of damage which insurance covered. New factory parts were expensive, though the body shop did an excellent job (can't really tell from new after repair), I was nervous about this car from then on.

Aside from that, it was reliable, though I think the kind of plastic Mazda used on the 5 could have been better; for some reason, they easily gets scratched, like the door and lower passenger/driver's side panels.

It was fun making all the modifications; I don't miss it keeping the new owner happy -- but time to move on. Would I get the 5 again? Maybe.. maybe not. But after seeing the sheet metal crumpled up like an aluminum foil at the pound, it really made me think twice about the 5.

That's just my perspective...

 

[Silentnoise713]

Good luck with the Pilot. It is a nice car and you went all out on the EX-L. I looked into one briefly and test drove my co-workers ’10, which I personally dislike but we have different priorities. However, I'm not sure you are actually getting much more cargo space. Seating space -yes, not sure about total volume or flexible cargo space.

One of the reasons that swayed me to go with the Mz5 was due to its high rated crash test results; essentially 5 stars where it counts (see Motor Trend link below). I was actually cross shopping it to the Volvo 240, one of last and original Swedish tanks before Ford killed Volvo softly. The Mz5 gets pretty good crash results, especially for an economy car. I do agree with you about the low quality interior/exterior and parts through-out (poor execution by Mazda but being a small shop with a budget, corners had to be cut to offer the car at its value point so I accept the short falls) but the core unibody chassis is pretty strong and also contribute to driving dynamics. Unfortunately the other parts are pretty much disposable (as are most newer cars) and I would not touch a previously wrecked (no matter how minor) unibody car. It was a good call to let it go after an accident.
http://www.motortrend.com/cars/2008/mazda/mazda5/crash_test_ratings/

Btw, the Pilot is also built on a unibody frame and I suspect it is more likely to crumple also. Obviously it inherently carries more mass and is more reinforced so it can take on impact better than the Mz5 but the point is it sounds like you probably want a true SUV that’s body on frame, which is becoming rare as they are becoming “toddler taxi”. I find body on frame vehicles, like the Tacoma, are always tougher, which is a reason trucks in general are always tougher (they carry more mass too).
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/07/qotd-farewell-to-the-body-on-frame-suv/

 

[kw_da]

As long as the passenger compartment is not intruded upon, the more the other components crumble, the less energy gets transmitted to the passengers. So the crumpled up sheet metal might be just evidence of good energy absorption design. I'd trust the crash reports. I remember when a new BMW came out, the body was too stiff to pass the safety standards, they had to redesign so that less energy was transmitted.

But after seeing the sheet metal crumpled up like an aluminum foil at the pound, it really made me think twice about the 5.

That's just my perspective...

 

[dieseldriver]

Thanks for the feedback guys... wife really like the Pilot though, I like it too. So much more room. I originally wanted no frill Pilot, the LX but then what turned me over to the EX was the wheels, the LX had the steelies LOL. Then I did not want the sunroof but then it came with it. There only few things it does not have which is the navigation (which I did not want) and backup sensors. But it does have backup camera, they said it comes standard now. Only thing I am contemplating is whether to add the overhead or headrest DVD now. But with each kids with Nexus 7" tablet, I asked myself, is it really needed now?

 

[kw_da]

You might look at something like this https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned) to stream dvds to your Nexi. Much cheaper than the other options.

Thanks for the feedback guys... wife really like the Pilot though, I like it too. So much more room. I originally wanted no frill Pilot, the LX but then what turned me over to the EX was the wheels, the LX had the steelies LOL. Then I did not want the sunroof but then it came with it. There only few things it does not have which is the navigation (which I did not want) and backup sensors. But it does have backup camera, they said it comes standard now. Only thing I am contemplating is whether to add the overhead or headrest DVD now. But with each kids with Nexus 7" tablet, I asked myself, is it really needed now?

 

[mpvue]

As long as the passenger compartment is not intruded upon, the more the other components crumble, the less energy gets transmitted to the passengers. So the crumpled up sheet metal might be just evidence of good energy absorption design. I'd trust the crash reports. I remember when a new BMW came out, the body was too stiff to pass the safety standards, they had to redesign so that less energy was transmitted.

Exactly! Cars are supposed to crumble. Much better to have a wrecked car than to lose your life.