I have owned my Mazda 5 for a year now, and I can tell you that for the price you pay, the stereo is more than decent. I Install stereos for a living, and it's more than what I would have expected for a well-priced vehicle. The sound comes across clean, crisp, and strong. As for the 3rd row access, it is very good for small children. Being that this car barely made the mid-sized category, 3rd was not intended for large adults. The third row slides forward to allow small to get in very easy. And just in case adults have to sit back there, I haven't heard my adults complain about access or discomfort. The car has great forward visibility, although you will have to watch out for a blindspot when changing lanes. All in all I'd rather drive a car assembled in Japan than a Pontiac Vibe that's been disconitnued for lack of interest and questionable looks.

I had this car as a rental car. I was very excited to have this car when I first saw it. It has tons of space for our luggage. Then I started driving it. I could not find how to adjust the steering wheel till a few days later. The driver seat was uncomfortable. The windshield was really deep and let a lot of sun in. On the windows there is a black rubber bar that is kind of distracting that splits the window. The speakers for the radio are lousy. You can not hear the radio over the noise the tires make going down the interstate. The ride is really rough on different surfaces as many interstates have.

I really like the idea of the sliding doors and the the folding third row, but you are not able to get back to the third row very well. It is hard to get through the 2nd row of bucket sets. There is a lot of space but I would not buy this car at all.

I have a pontiac vibe which is smaller but a much better ride and still has a lot of space.

I've had my Mazda 5 for a few weeks now, and I couldn't be happier. My wife and I were looking for a car that suited both of our needs. She wanted something small, but refused to own a big SUV or a mini-van, and I was looking for something that had a decent amount of cargo space and good gas mileage. When we stumbled across the 5, I knew almost instantly that it was the car we were looking for. The plethora of innovative interior design elements to maximize the use of space and to add comfort is mainly what sold us, but the icing on the cake is that this car is a blast to drive. The handling and acceleration are superb, and it is simply the most fun I've had behind the wheel in a very long time. It's just nice to be reminded that getting from point A to point B can also be a lot of fun.

The vehicle looks really sharp and iconic, too. Seeing as this type of vehicle is fairly new to the market in the U.S. (though popular in Europe and Japan), I notice a lot of folks turning to look at it, perhaps wondering what it is. I'm betting that this is the future of the family car, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of them on the road in the near future.

I don't know what class this vehicle fits into a mini van or wagon but what a fun car that looks great and functions well.

We wanted an 08 Pearl White GT but because there were none within 500 miles we settled for Stormy Blue GT which still looks great.

Seats are surprisingly comfortable even on long trips. Way better IMO than the Xb and RAV4 seats. My only two gripes, the front passenger seat is a little narrow at the knees. And with a little planning I'm sure they could have made the second row a three seater. They do it in Japan or in other vehicles with same amount of hip space.

With a family of five we always have to have one of the kids in the third row which takes up storage space. If you leave one seat down in the 3rd row for groceries or other cargo the things could end up in the lap of the child in the back. Maybe I can rig up something with the cargo net? Anyway, with both 3rd row seats up there is almost no room in the back even for bags of groceries unless they are half filled. But with both 3rd row seats down there is a ton of room.

The ride is great and the 5 absorbs bumps rather well. Not a bumpy ride at all like many small SUVs have. There is a little road noise coming from the back wheel area but over all it is not bad. The engine is fairly quite until you get on it.

The 5 is not a power house but the engine has a lot of pep and gets the job done. With the new auto 5spd tranny we cruise at around 2500rpm at 70mph and easily get in the high 20s for mpg.

The moonroof is pretty small but a nice feature. The Xenon adjustable lights work great. The sliding doors are a breeze to use even four our 4 year old. And the windows open which is a big plus.

The stereo system sounds decent and I really like the automatic volume control.

Overall, the Mazda5 is more fun than our Nissan Quest and doesn't break the bank in fuel usage. I think this vehicle is ideal for a family of four that occasionally has an extra passenger or two. For a family of five it works but you lose some storage space, and for six? I don't have a clue how you would go on a long trip with this thing as it would have no storage space at all for luggage. Possibly a roof rack or hitch setup but those would definitely be extras.

But like my kids keep saying, ZOOM, ZOOM, ZOOM!!!

well balanced,fuel economy is excellent,sporty looks is a plus.
I was caught in a snow storm up at Donner summit in NV,without chains car was extremely balanced and very stable.I was able to pace with hummers,sequioas and lifted 4x4 trucks on the icy road.

Very clever with the dual sliding doors. Perfect family vehicle without and very compact. Could use a few more outlets for cell phone, satellite or GPS. You are out of luck if you want to charge your phone and use your GPS at the same time.

The interior materials makes me feel like I'm driving a toy. The controls and buttons feel flimsy (especially the side mirror control switch), brake feel is a little scary so I usually brake a little early just to be safe, power windows don't seem tight and a little squeaky,

Although I was suprised by the handling, I didn't think it would handle as good as it appears it should.

I have 2 kids and I needed to get an alternative yet stylish vehicle. I've had the car for 5 months already and I can say I'm satisfied with the vehicle for the price it's worth.

I come from having 2 BMW X5's ('98 & '01) , an '00 Audi A4, and a BMW 95' M3, '99 M3 in the past and currently have an '03 M3 so maybe I am just spoiled from German luxury.

To sum up, I really like this little guy. I keep him in my garage and detail him as much as I do the rest of my vehicles.

We picked up a 2006 a few months ago with 15,000 miles, got a steal at $12,800 in an end of year deal. Nice peppy engine, 26-27 highway, fun to drive around town. I think the stereo is nice, especially blasting it with just my wife and I. I almost bought one in 2006 but got a Milan instead which I still enjoy. This is just handy to have to haul stuff around, and fun to drive. With the rear sliding doors, with the windows that go down, it is a style more will copy.

Had my Mazda 5 for one year now and I still love it. I was not ready to drive a minivan but loved the look of this car. I put studs on it this winter and it did VERY well. I love that the back seats are captains chairs.
We have moved a small futon couch with both children in the car by having them sit one behind the other.
LOTS of room in this little UNvan!

Very nice car. We looked a long time and selected Mazda5 over Kia Rondo. We waited for the 08s to come out in order to get the five speed automatic. Glad we did as gas mileage ratings improved and our practical experience says mileage is pretty good. Wanted red color but had to settle for another color (Galaxy Gray) to get a black interior. Tan interior is too light in color for practical use (grandkids, etc.)