Mazda 5

folkswagen

Got a golf plus comfortline (great car) and looking for a change now -

anyone got a Mazda 5? Would you recommend it?

bazz26

They seem to be a thin on the ground here like previous Mazda MPVs but have the usual Mazda advantages of being ultra reliable, practical, versitile, well screwed together and come with a 3 year warranty. They are based on the Ford S-Max.

Only downside is that they have a fairly limited model line up, basically consisting of two engines, a 1.8 litre petrol and 2.0 litre diesel, both engines from the Mazda 6 and one trim level.

The Ford S-Max might be a better option but they are more expensive.

zing

Rear doors on them are a huge plus over any other MPV in that size (Zafira, etc..) - ideal for car parks with kids. The 1.8L petrol is fine for normal day to day driving but you'll certainly need to drop a gear or two if you're doing any overtaking - very slow to realise that you've just put the boot down. There's also a 2.0L petrol which I've only driven briefly - iirc over the 1.8L it comes with a reversing camera, a dvd sat nav system, a couple of extra speakers and that's pretty much it. Didn't get enough of a feel for it in that short trip and haven't driven the diesel yet.

Seems quite a practical car - no messing with the middle row of seats if you want to raise/lower the third row, etc.. Not great for internal storage though - would expect a few more compartments/Cubbies.

And finally - don't be fooled into thinking it's a 7 seater. It's not - it's a 6 + a bit really. Middle seat in the middle row is small & uncomfortable and you wouldn't want to sit on it for more than 5 mins. IIRC they market it as a straight 6 seater in the US.

folkswagen

thanks for the information:) I was first drawn by the look, sliding door and apparent roominess - like you say, middle row is a generous 2 seats...which is good for me:) ...also like the price and trim level......not much available yet in ex-demos on carzone.ie

bazz26

Some more details here:

http://www.mazda.ie/NR/rdonlyres/F5CBF304-2CDB-4DCB-8425-2B695636AB73/0/Mazda5_Spec.pdf

PS It's a PDF file so you'll need to have Acrobat Reader installed to view it.