2009 Mazda MAZDA5 Sport

Pros

Size just right, reasonable gasoline mileage, not too costly

Cons

17 inch wheels make ride rough, tires are expensive and wear out rapidly,no AC in back seat

Purchased As New

Would like to see another interior color in lieu of black. Low profile tires look sporty, however, one feels every little bump in the road. Tires are expensive and wear out too fast. Need to replace oil filter with a metal can type. Present one is too expensive. AC is marginal, and there is a need for and outlet for the back seat. Carpeting is chinzey. Ride and handling is very good....read morehide

Pros

Small, drives nice

Cons

COMFORT and NO POWER DOORS

Purchased As New

I have had this car for over 2 years and I would like it more if it had power doors and real comfort...I would have paid alittle more for a little more comfort and power doors...I still like that they side, my kids are too young to be trusted opening car doors. I will be going back to a comfortable, power doors van after my lease!
IT IS WORTH WHAT I PAID THOUGH!!!...read morehide

Pros

Utility, handling, comfort, build quality, reliability

Cons

eats tires for breakfast

Purchased As New

I have owned my 2006 Mazda5 since new. After almost 95,000 miles, I must say that I am still amazed at the utility, versatility, style, quality and comfort of this amazing vehicle.

Since I purchased my Mazda5, I have had only one unscheduled service trip. The only complaint I have is that the car tends to go through tires quickly and the replacement sport tires are rather costly.

What do I like most?
*Manual transmission
*Comfort and space
*Utility; versatility
*Build quality
*Handling and ride
*Low ownership cost
*Design details
*Safety

I was involved in a collision in which I was rear-ended by a late model Hyundai. The Hyundai's airbags deployed and the car was a total loss. My Mazda5 had only $430 in damage to the rear bumper and undercarriage........the structure of this vehicle is solid as a rock.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this vehicle to anyone. I plan on purchasing another one when it comes time for me to purchase a new car in about a year.

I couldn't possibly be happier with a vehicle......I actually feel intelligent just driving it....read morehide

Pros

I love the funky design. The size is perfect!

Cons

The leg room in all three seats could be better.

Purchased As New

I absolutely love this car! It handles and corners extremely well. Mine has plenty of zoom-zoom. I can fit my kayak in the back with all of the seats down or fit three or four teenagers in the back with relative comfort. I absolutely HATE big cars, suv's and minivans so I was thrilled to discover the Mazda 5. I think it is in a class all of its own. There is nothing else out there that is a 6 passenger, with good fuel economy, sporty handling and good looks. I am thrilled driving it whether alone or with a car filled with teenagers. And Kayakers...you don't need an expensive rack!!

Do yourself a favor - GO GET ONE! I bought it new - which I never do and I have not had one moment of buyer's remorse. The stereo is excellent...seats are comfortable...I have no complaints....read morehide

Pros

good quality value for money. sporty looking yet family friendly.

Cons

no third seat on second row. motor engine lacks power kick. no automatic sliding doors.

Purchased As New

generally speaking we love our mazda 5. it's our first new bought car. it's easy and fun to drive. it has great interior quality and enough space on the second row. third row it's ok. i wouldn't recommend sitting there of longer periods like long haul driving. i had only one major issue with the power steering. the pump had to be replaced, due to stiffning of the steering wheel after 10000 miles. but in general a good mini van. zoom zoom...read morehide

Pros

Well put together

Cons

none

Purchased As Used

This vehicle is AWESOME! I can't even explain how happy I am with this Mazda 5. We have three kids and wanted something that was going to be easy to load/unload them, something that had room for everyone but was still compact, and something that didn't leave me feeling like I was driving a house around on wheels. This vehicle has it all! GREAT gas mileage, sliding doors with huge windows that roll DOWN, fantastic stock features that you normally wouldn't find in just about any other make, AND I actually feel kinda cool in this vehicle because it doesn't look like a car...but it isn't a van either. LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVEEEEEEE IT!...read morehide

Pros

MPG, Comfort, Value, Handling, Visibility, Engine/Transmission, Line-in,

Cons

Road noice, Gear shifter, Controls

Purchased As New

I've got a car for $15.7k before taxes and registration. Not bad, but could be better.
WHAT I LIKED:
No options - all standard equipment but still very well equipped for the price. It's very comfortable to enter and exit 1-st and 2-nd row of seats. Seats themselves are just great (had some bad experience with 2005 Accord EX for $27k). No back pain or stiff muscles at all - nice and firm with plenty of support. Returns great 34 MPG in mixed cycle 60/40 highway/city driving (i'm calm & no-speeding driver though, so that probably helped a lot in getting these numbers). After one month of ownership I'm averaging 460-470 miles per tank by the time low-fuel light goes ON. You get a lot of car for your buck. Seats fold flat offering plenty of room inside - I just drove brand new entry door for my house in it - yes it did fit but just. Visibility from the cabin is very good. Because it so open it feels like you are driving faster than you actually are. Transmission/engine are well selected for each other. 2-nd pulls out almost from a dead stop and turns are no problem for the 4-th gear. Have to mention handling - it does not feel like a minivan at all. I guess guys in Mazda new what they were doing using mazda3 platform for mazda5 all the zoom-zoom without nasty side-tipping during cornering. CD-Changer, decent speakers is standard but line-in jack is a big plus if you have your portable music on you. Two 'secret' bay compartments behind the glove box for all you CarPC enthusiasts.

WHAT I DID NOT LIKE AS MUCH:
Following Cons are not by any means big deterrents if at all. These things are to be expected for the cars of this class, so I'm not raving - just letting you know.
Road Noise - while not too bad, but you can hear every crack and bump on the road - it will definitely jump at you if you are used to driving higher-class vehicles.
Wind Noise - fairly considerable but also not outrageous.
Gear shifter has some distance to travel between positions. I'm used to my 'short-throw' Impreza shifter and while Mazda5 shifter not going to make you feel like illegal street racer, it also won't make you hate it either. It's good and precise just not as 'sporty' as MAZDASPEED3. It also has a 'firm feel' so if you like 'soft shift' this car won't have it.
Steering column controls are the firmest controls I'e ever had in the car. I thought Honda makes them firm but not until this car. You almost need to hands to operate a blinker or wipers. Nothing really to sneeze at - just a personal preference.

AFTERTHOUGHTS:
Some people complained of luck of power with this car but I failed to detect that perhaps due to manual transmission.

BOTTOM LINE:
If I had to do it all over again I would not even think a second. Despite few minor cons car leaves you with pleasant driving experience and price that is hard to beat for the passenger capacity and interior space versatility and according to Consumer Reports it has great predicted reliability based on past years models....read morehide

Pros

Cheap price

Cons

None

Purchased As Not Purchased

Test drove it 2 times. Rough ride. Claustrophobic. No passing power. Hesitant transmission. Mismatched interior. Looking close I saw that it is not a goodlooking vehicle. No Zoom Zoom Zoom. I'm still looking for another vehicle.

Pros

MPGs, Utility, Value, Reliability, Performance

Cons

Depends on what you are used too, we are a Mazda family so none!

Purchased As New

If you are used too driving a huge gas guzzling vehicle that hauls a million people, this car will seem cramped to you. If you are used to driving a Geo Metro, this car will be a gas guzzler to you. If you are used to driving a Mustang, this car will feel like a minivan to you. For those of us who want a people mover with GREAT mpgs that is fun to drive and extremely practicle, this is the only car on the market! It is a third row seating crossover with sliding doors and a sport tuned suspension. It is not a minivan, rather a compact minivan. It has compact car mpgs, minivan features and conviniences, sports car performance, all at a cheap price. Of course it has more road noise than a Cadillac, it is a sports car! Of course it has less room and comfort than a Town and Country, it is a compact car! Of course it corners worse than a Corvette, it seats six with dual sliding doors! The Mazda5 is the best balance of all of these classes of cars on the market. We saved up for two years for ours and are more pleased now than the day we bought it!!! Even through Michigan winters!!...read morehide

Pros

Great fuel economy for its size & extremely flexible storage/seating configuartions

Cons

Too much road noise, no passanger climate controls, no storage w/all 6 seats up

Purchased As Used

This vehicle met my 3 basic criteria when looking for a vehicle: able to seat 6, above avg fuel economy and a decent price point. The Mazda5 nailed each of these. Beyond that though, this vehicle is EXTREMELY disappointing. While this is a great "around town" car -- forget about long trips or a lot of highway driving. The road noise is severe in this thing. And while I am usually very comfortable as the driver, my passangers in the back do not fare so well as there are NO air vents of any kind to bring heat or a/c to the rear of the vehicle. I love the fold down seats, but wish there was a little more storage with all the seats up. Biggest downer: the tires. The Mazda5 takes "low profile" tires -- great for hugging curves!! Not great for New England winters -- or potholes. I've been driving for almost 30 years and never blew a tire. I've blown three on the Mazda5. All in the dark. All on potholes. The low profile tires are not made for New Engalnd winter driving -- period.

Oh, and forget about changing the rear wiper blade yourself ... you have to go to a dealer for that as there is a special clip only available through the dealership.

Bottom line, I'd think long and hard before buying one of these again....read morehide