Experience with automatic Mazda5's?

Considering a Mazda5 for a daily commuter/kid hauler. I've seen a few manual shift units, but they are slightly more costly and slightly more wear and tear. Primarily if not always my own daily driver, with occasional slogs through the CAD-US border, so I wouldn't specifically hate having an automatic, but likewise wouldn't mind having the stickshift for a bit more fun. 

Not looking for anything that will be knocking my socks off, but would one of these mini-minivans suck my soul out of my nose in auto? 

We bought a 2012 brand new in 2011 (that is the latest design sold in the US). Ours was a AT model, GT. $20,500 brand new. 

We drove it 9 years, 140K miles. Nothing other than oil changes, filters. I did the belt at 75K.  Shocks blew at 90k. Replaced by Bilsteins.  My car had the MS3 18inch wheels with sticky rubbers.Sold it for $8,000 to a family in NV, who came and got it. 

I have driven my friends MT of the same van. Given the motor, weight of the vehicle (the MT isn't significantly more fun), and the AT isn't terrible. 

To me, it served our purpose. It was entirely forgettable. I told my wife to buy a Sienna at that time. If we bought - it we would still have it.  The subpar quality of the Mazda interior gave me a headache. 

My soul was sucked out, when I decided not to wear a condom. Minivan ownership didn't suck my soul - my soul was dead when I got married and had kids.

Owned 2006 Mazda5 AT for 90k miles. The AT subtracted from the about average - not terrible, but not Porsche PDK "wow" proximity to MT fun.

The lack of an LSD made it a drag in spirited driving, as well as an impairment in Mid-Atlantic winter driving, even with new Blizzaks.

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In reply to Steve :

We have two of them. It's a bigger, heavier, and therefore slower Mazda 3 with sliding doors and a (tiny) 3rd row seat. My wife loves ours because she likes driving smaller cars, and it drives like a compact. But it also feels cheap like a Mazda compact car.

 The automatic is pretty snappy and has a manual shift mode that isn't terrible. I don't think there's much reason to seek out a manual, especially for a commuter car.

But it's cool to know they are out there with a stick

Would it be feasible/worthwhile to drop the driveline from a Mazdaspeed3 under a Mazda5?

Seems like combining the best of both would cure a multitude of sins and make for a pretty fun miniminivan.

BoulderG said:

Would it be feasible/worthwhile to drop the driveline from a Mazdaspeed3 under a Mazda5?

Seems like combining the best of both would cure a multitude of sins and make for a pretty fun miniminivan.

I think Car and Driver tried it back in the day and it didn't really work right. iirc, major differences in the wiring harnesses were just some of the complications.

Or maybe it "worked" but never ran quite right. There's articles on it out there somewhere

BlueInGreen - Jon said:

In reply to Steve :

We have two of them. It's a bigger, heavier, and therefore slower Mazda 3 with sliding doors and a (tiny) 3rd row seat. My wife loves ours because she likes driving smaller cars, and it drives like a compact. But it also feels cheap like a Mazda compact car.

 The automatic is pretty snappy and has a manual shift mode that isn't terrible. I don't think there's much reason to seek out a manual, especially for a commuter car.

But it's cool to know they are out there with a stick

I agree with what Jon wrote.  Probably because one of his two used to be mine (wife's.)  We bought it new and liked it for 8 years.  In general, my wife like the Grand Caravan that replaced it but she still comments that on errands like a Target Parking Lot, she misses the Mazda5.  

At 6'1" with a 32" inseam, I wouldn't want to be any taller and expect to fit comfortably.  I always wished the driver's seat went back another notch.  Another quirk is raising the seat with the manual lever has he interesting affect of also moving the seat forward.  For my wife, At 5'3", she would have the driver's seat at max height.  I would then have the seat at max low.  The funny thing is we really had the seat at the same fore/aft setting.  But, as said, when you lift the seat it also lifts the seat forward too.  

PS: ours was a 2010, last year of the first body.  Actually that "body change" is the same floor pan and roof so its more of a style change.  But for 2012 (there is no 2011) the engine went form 2.3L to 2.5L.  All things being the same, I think I would seek out that 2.5L engine version now that they've both depreciated.  

We've got a 2014, wife's daily and family hauler. We like it, would buy another if they were still in production.

Do you need seating for six?

My second one was an auto, 2008 the first year of the 5-speed auto. Fun fact, the "manual" mode is actually real, it will bang off the rev limiter all day and won't upshift until you tell it to. The gear selector is also the "correct" way around (up/forwards for a down shift, like a sequential box).

That said, they are slow and cheap. They aren't the sportiest thing, but they aren't the worst either. Just don't put coilovers and 18x9's on it like I did...

Link to the GRM Mazda5 thread.  Started by Mr. Javelin nearly 12 years ago and now at 22 pages.

Wife's car is an 06 auto.

The later 5 speed is likely worth seeking. Slow acceleration, just the acceptable side of the penalty box. You wind up flat footing it around a fair amount. Every time it rains I mutter about how much I hate fwd. Gas mileage is only soso.

Problems in 5+ years of ownership, ac compressor went out and shredded it's belt on a road trip... With my mother in law along. In the summer. Issues with power door locks ( getting new actuators soon).

That all said, it's somewhat nimble and chuckable. Lots of storage compartments. Handles a family of 4 very well. Does it's job without needing a ton of work. 

I guess the 2.3 in the earlier vans must've been pretty gutless. The 2.5/5 speed automatic in ours seems quite adequate to me. I guess if your minimum expectation is a sub 6 second 0-60, then it's going to seem underpowered. 
 

It cruises easily at 80 while returning 28-30 MPG, and had enough torque to easily climb Old Fort in Western NC in fourth gear with the cruise control set at 55 and the AC running. If you're not familiar with that location, there are multiple truck runoff ramps on the eastbound side.

That was carrying the four of us, and two weeks worth of luggage, including fishing tackle and beach gear, plus two full sized and heavily packed ice chests. My best tank from the trip was 33 mpg, and I don't drive the speed limit unless I'm driving through small towns. 

Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) said:

I guess the 2.3 in the earlier vans must've been pretty gutless.

Yup. The 2.5 doesn't really make much more peak hp, but it's a healthy tq bump, and it comes in 500 rpm sooner which makes a big difference around town.

Javelin said:

Just don't put coilovers and 18x9's on it like I did...

Why not? That sounds awesome. I've occasionally thought about building a Mazda5 with as many Mazda3 bolt-on performance parts as possible. 

CrashDummy said:

Javelin said:

Just don't put coilovers and 18x9's on it like I did...

Why not? That sounds awesome. I've occasionally thought about building a Mazda5 with as many Mazda3 bolt-on performance parts as possible. 

Because I still want to be the only person in history to roll the fenders on a Mazda5. It was super fun in corners and actually autorossed way better than it had any right to. I won SMF at a local event with it.

Javelin said:

CrashDummy said:

Javelin said:

Just don't put coilovers and 18x9's on it like I did...

Why not? That sounds awesome. I've occasionally thought about building a Mazda5 with as many Mazda3 bolt-on performance parts as possible. 

Because I still want to be the only person in history to roll the fenders on a Mazda5. It was super fun in corners and actually autorossed way better than it had any right to. I won SMF at a local event with it.

How far did you lower it? I've casually wondered what it would take to get one to meet the height/width requirements for autox

OHSCrifle said:

Do you need seating for six?

No, but the utility of the hatch and sliding doors is very appealing. There are few more frustrating things than trying to get a toddler strapped into a car seat when someone's yukonalade that is the size of a bus is taking up 1.125 parking spots next to me. 

A sidebar to this: 

As I drove into the office today, leaving the LX for SWMBO due to the icy conditions, is there any vehicle out there with modern safety features, the utility of a mini-minivan, and AWD? Anything I am missing out there in my searches? 

BlueInGreen - Jon said:

Javelin said:

CrashDummy said:

Javelin said:

Just don't put coilovers and 18x9's on it like I did...

Why not? That sounds awesome. I've occasionally thought about building a Mazda5 with as many Mazda3 bolt-on performance parts as possible. 

Because I still want to be the only person in history to roll the fenders on a Mazda5. It was super fun in corners and actually autorossed way better than it had any right to. I won SMF at a local event with it.

How far did you lower it? I've casually wondered what it would take to get one to meet the height/width requirements for autox

You don't need to lower one at all to be AX legal. They are 69" wide and 64" tall factory fresh. When mine was on H&R springs it was about 1" lower. On the Godspeed coilovers it was ~2.25" lower when I started but the ride got so bad that I ended up going back up to ~1.75" lower. I had SPC camber arms and front C/C plates on mine.

Steve said:

A sidebar to this: 

 is there any vehicle out there with modern safety features, the utility of a mini-minivan, and AWD? Anything I am missing out there in my searches? 

AWD Sienna

No need for modern safety? Alltrac Previa 

In reply to mr2s2000elise :

You last paragraph describes my life perfectly.  

Steve said:

A sidebar to this: 

As I drove into the office today, leaving the LX for SWMBO due to the icy conditions, is there any vehicle out there with modern safety features, the utility of a mini-minivan, and AWD? Anything I am missing out there in my searches? 

New and old Siennas came on awd. New is hybrid too.

01-05 Mitsu Montero has a 3rd row and is a budget Land Cruiser. That budget being at the expense of more maintenance. 

2009 GT auto. RX8 wheels, Some Mazdaspeed suspension bits.  almost 190,000 miles with only basic maintenance  required. Never ever ever left us anywhere ever. Now in the hands of 6'2 youngest son. Still looks good and drives very well. Everything works as it should. Couldn't ask any more from any vehicle.  It is not a racecar with the 2.3 / auto but its not supposed to be eh?  I suppose a 2.5 swap with a turbo would add zoomzoom but why mess with such a good thing?  

In reply to Javelin :

Sorry dude. We did the same. Baseball bat method on a roadtrip with a vehicle full of family and stuff. Had just gotten a new set of just this much too big tires. Had to do what we had to do... Currently very happy on RX8 wheels and 225 45 18's