Mazda Mazda5 2002-2014Change

Fun little car to drive. Not too much power, but it felt like driving a go kart. great handling and acceleration. Not too bad in the winter time. Fuel economy was decent but nothing too special for an early 200's vehicle

420,000 kms now, and still drives like the day I picked it up. The interior has stood the test of time, although the background illuminator lights disappeared on the upper dash console (emergency four ways etc) and the heated seat buttons. Keep the oil changed and she will keep going.
Some rust spots above windshield from gravel hits over the miles, and needed several wheel alignments over time. Had to replace front bearings and struts last year.
For cargo carrying - great. Put board over middle seats and had a totally flat area for my samples.
Looks in as a great a shape as when I bought it.
Gotta run winter tires on it in Alberta.

My 2007 Mazda has been the most reliable vehicle i have ever owned. It has been through many family road trips and family additions. We are nearly at 200 000 km and still going strong. I would recommend this vehicle to anyone wanting a reliable family vehicle. My only complaint is a lack of leg room in the third row seats. I have 3 kids and my 7 year old is starting to complain about the amount of leg space he has back there. The Mazda 5 is perfect vehicle for a family of 4.

Love driving this car. Smooth, powerful and safe.
Great for families that don't need to have a bog minivan

PROS
-safe reliable
-good fuel economy
-gets you from point A to point B
-interior design and exterior styling is decent for the price that you are paying
-good performance and fairly comfortable
-good price

CONS
-loud brakes due to weather fluctuations
-bumpy
-lots of wind noise especially on the highway
-horsepower is fairly low; car does not have power

Very clean car, Leather seats, Heated seats, Alloy wheels, Sunroof, Bluetooth, AUX, Power windows, Power door locks, Previous daily rental, Power side-view mirrors, Leather wrapped steering wheel, Steering wheel mounted volume and cruise control, Tilt & Telescopic steering wheel and many more features.

This is the car full of compromises targeted specifically for that compromising time of your life. Have 1 or 2 kids and need extra space but not too much extra space? Need a realistically usable 3rd row? Want something still relatively fun to drive? This car really is a jack of all trades…but master of none.
Pros:
-It handles like a Mazda3 with a really big behind. Driving solo is fun (for what it is). Driving with another 2 adults is considerably dulled.
-Sliding doors. You can legally install 4 child seats. The third row is actually usable for average height passengers (all six seats set comfortably if everyone is 5'10").
-Cheap aftermarket support for the DIYer (basically a Mazda3 ranging from 2004-2013).
Cons:
-Interior tech is as low as it gets in the industry (forgivable as previously sales showed little interest in expensive tech). However, the interior build quality is borderline unacceptable. Hard, cheap easily scratched plastics everywhere, above average panel gaps, cheap adhesives that don’t hold more than a year. I drove a 2002 base model Chrysler Neon with an interior that held up better than this.
-Noise/vibration/harshness: Bad. To get that athletic ride and above average fuel economy, you’ll have to live in one of the loudest cabins that doesn’t exactly absorb every bump in the road. A trade-off that I deem worth it, but be warned.
-Cheap exterior panels and paint compared to other mainstream brands. Paint easily chips and scratches, panels feel too light and can dislodge easily.

Bottom line: If I had to make the decision again I would buy it in a lower trim and save the money spent on the cheap and poorly executed OEM options. This is the semi-athletic,
purposeful people mover and nothing more. Any comfort and luxury options are negated by the poor noise/vibration/harshness of the ride. Those with refined tastes should look elsewhere.

the most comfortable vehicle I have ever owned, controls are easily accessible almost like being in a cockpit, seats seem to wrap around me

This was our second Mazda 5 first one was a 2007 which my mom still owns, I bought my 2012 in 2015 with 80,000kms on it. I bought it because I loved driving my moms. It gave me the driveline feel of a Mazda 3 (which I owned before this) but the ride height of an SUV.

It also had room in the back for my Golden Retriver which was a huge bonus! It also included the flexibility of being able to have 6 people in the vehicle (yes slightly cramped but Share some room between all three rows and everyone will be content).

Positive:
Lots of room for 4 people +luggage
Fuel economy
Pep when hitting gas pedal
Radio position
Trip computer
Auto Climate Control
4car seat fix points

Negatives:
Noisy on the Hwy
No rear cup holders
Only 6seats (could have and seat in the middle of the second row)
Drivers seats doesn't move back far
Small tires
Fwd only
Fuel economy

You might of noticed I put fuel economy on both.... well it is great most the time, you really have to baby the gas pedal to save fuel. This car loves to "Zoom Zoom" and the gas really shows it. I averaged 9.4l/100kms.

The only reason I decided to get rid of the car was that I wanted something with AWD. This car would of been FANTASTIC with AWD and would of made it through everything. (It is lots of fun the snow).

Over all I love this car and would buy it again in a heart beat (if it came out with AWD; but I have been told it will be discounted as of fall 2017.

I hope this review helps you decide on your next vehicle.

This car is a great value. It runs very smoothly and is extremely reliable. Comfortable for long drives and absolutely wonderful on gas.

nothing but pleasure, being an older person I find the interior one of the most comfortable interiors I have ever experienced, the ease of getting in and out of this vehicle is a very important element. The controls are within easy reach and easy to understand

I bought this car to help me out for work but found it to be a great family car. Travel from Elliot Lake to Stoney Creek a couple times a year to visit family. We can fit everything into the car with loads of space left over. One of the best vehicles I have purchased.

The Mazda 5 is a great family car. It can seat 6, but the rear 2 seats are very tight. Lots of space for family trips. A great car at an affordable price.

I drove a 2012 Mazda 5 GS for two years and put 159,000 kilometers on it. My driving was hard on the car doing Saskatchewan highways and grid roads with a cleaning business.

Inspite of the poor roads and harsh weather my Mazda did remarkably well.

The Mazda 5 has great cargo/pasenger room for size, excellent fuel economy and amazing reliability.

I only have 2 complaints. My GS model did not have cruise control and that was a little bit of a disappointment during my numerous highway trips. Also the Mazda's bumper is a little two low to the ground. When driving to a farm on a dirt road my wheels dipped in a slight pit that was no problem for the Dodge Caravan, Ram pick up or even the Ford Taurus that the farmer and his family owned, but for my Mazda the pitting was deep enough to almost take the bumper right off my car. I got it fixed once and I think it cost me $700 and then a week later I was on another dirt road and the same thing happened to me again, so I just lived with it until I sold my car.

If you do city and paved highway driving only the low bumper won't be an issue. If you do a lot of back roads it will be an issue, but the truth it my done in bumper was not unbearable for me. The rest of the car was an absolute charm. Starting in -55 celsius weather was no problem, only needed maintenance, never an actual breakdown. Really an excellent car.

-very low maintenance cost.
-very comfortable seats.
-Japanies cars can be driven easily over 250K
-provides six-passenger capacity along with the distinctive look and sporty
-fuel economy from the four-cylinder engine. A good family city car

I have had this car since 2013, and I enjoy it. It has served me well for road trips around Ontario, and runs quite well in the winter.

My main issue is that though there are 6 seats, the 2 rear-most seats don't provide much leg room at all, and would be a tight fit to get someone over 5'6" into (I don't make use of those seats, but I did test them myself by attempting to sit in the rear seat to see if it was possible and I had no leg room, even after moving the two seats in front of it all the way forward).

That being said, it works great when you need to haul larger items around. Fuel economy is decent for the vehicle, though I wish it was a 5 speed automatic vs a 4 speed, as I feel that could help the fuel economy by adding another gear. I have just started to see rust develop around the rear fenders, but I expected this to happen as this seems to be common with Mazda's. All in all, this car is reliable, good on gas, and has been relatively cheap to maintain.

This is one of the best small van for family with small kids. Easy access for kids and easy to reach for parents. Easy to transfer to wagon. Good in gas!

I'm driving this car for 4 years I took a good care of that car and this car doesn't have any problems

Perfect and reliable commuter for a family! Saves a lot of money on gas, durable, reliable acend stylish! Takes very little for maitenance.

Only a full size mini-van could be more practical but the handling and control difference from a larger, clumsy van is night and day. This car is probably the best car we have ever owned. It won't impress your friends with it's lack of style or the fact that it is not a popular SUV, but this car will do so many things with ease. It lacks just a bit of power when fully loaded but it handles so well. Driving and parking in the city are a breeze. It hauls items inside and out of the weather that I can't fit in my full sized truck and you can get up to six people inside comfortably, though the last row seats are suitable for kids. We have had no major problems and there are no groans, creeks or rattles from the engine or chassis. Visibility and ergonomics are very good and it is well equipped with safety features. (I am quite sure that the stability control feature saved our lives during one rainy, highway incident.)
This reliable car is and has been a great car for all practical reasons. Its European style handling make it fun to drive and you will out-haul any sedan or small SUV.

But it drives like a zippy car, If you need practical and lots of room but don't want a mini van get a Mazda 5. Great for family or moving a lot of stuff about.

Wonderful drive, manual rides like a dream, it is great on gas.
Just don't need such a big ( 6 passenger ) anymore. Our daughter got her own car and so we went to a smaller car.
It is a beautiful colour( teal). Sliding doors, easy to get in and out. Very comfortable to sit and ride. Very clean and has lots of space. Just fold down back chairs and you have lots of extra space for cargo!

This car is a great vehicle for getting around town without the expense (fuel) of a minivan. It has lots of room for groceries or for larger items when you have the back two seats folded down.
Sliding doors make an easy access to the second row seats.
The seating is higher for good visibility.
This is a great vehicle for those want a combination of car like fuel economy and space like a minivan for its size.

This car is a great vehicle for small families and getting around town without the expense (fuel) of a minivan. It has ample room when you have the back two seats folded down for groceries or for larger items like kids bikes. However, it also flexible enough to more 6 people for quick jaunts around town. Although, there isn't much leg room for adults in the back.

Overall, this is a great vehicle for those want a combination of car like fuel economy and space like a minivan for its size.

I have thoroughly enjoyed owning this car! It comfortably seats 6 adults & it is very fuel efficient, for it's class. It is very reliable, as well.