1st Apr 2007, 19:54
If anyone is going to do any towing, it would be wise to install an auxiliary automatic transmission fluid cooler. For manual gearboxes, a heavier oil would be wise.
21st Jul 2007, 00:00
Actually, the Mazda 3 and the Mazda 5 have the same 2.3 litre engine. Same horsepower and torque.
8th Feb 2008, 18:32
I'm the original reviewer, and my electrical problems have not returned, it really was just a glitch at the test drive. Outside a single piece of broken trim that our toddler kicked off, we haven't had any problems at all. (And they replaced it for free.) I'm coming up on 20,000 miles, and I couldn't be much happier with the car. My little complaints - any car has them - are that the A/C and heating could be a little stronger, especially A/C, the stereo's just a little weak for me, I can say I'm glad I didn't get the DVD because it would have killed my rearward vision, and I can say I've had it loaded enough that I could have used a bit more power from time to time. Our Dodge pickup we bought 6 months later has been at the dealership over 8 weeks for repairs; we half-joke about just trading it off for a second Mazda5.
20th May 2008, 09:41
I would not use the car for towing. The big 4 cylinder has only enough power for the car, Just enough. If you tow with this car it will become a dog.
20th Jun 2008, 08:41
I'm the original reviewer again. Never dealt with the towing issue, although I found plenty of Mazda5 owners doing utility towing without any problem. If you were hauling a motor home, you bought the wrong vehicle anyway.
I totalled the car on Wednesday. I spun and rolled and flipped the car at 75mph when a deer ran in front of me, I ended up upside down and backward in the median. The car's not in good shape, pretty grim as you'd expect. But I walked away from it with a couple minor scratches and a bruise where one of the smaller airbags went off just as you'd expect. I couldn't be happier with how the car protected me. I'm glad I was the only one in the car, but after seeing it again yesterday at the wrecking yard to reclaim some belongings, the entire passenger compartment looked very good, it's a tough little car.
We're most likely replacing it with another Mazda5 once we work out the insurance stuff, there's not really anything like it to comparison shop with. You can get something that hauls more and you can get something that gets better MPG, but it was a pretty great combination of everything. I won't be able to get a manual transmission AND a sunroof again, they changed the equipment combinations, but I'll live. Literally.
2nd Oct 2008, 18:24
I've had a 2007 Mazda 5 for about 9 months, and I have been very pleased with it. I love the flexibility of the interior area, and the ability to actually carry 6 people instead of 5 as in most cars, has come in handy more times than I can count. I always call it my "microvan" since it's like a minivan but smaller, and yet it's a little more stylish and gets better gas mileage.
There are a couple minor annoyances I find, including the problem with the noise from open rear windows at high speeds, and I agree that the air and heat are weak, especially for those in the third row seats. I find that the interior is kind of noisy, though it's quieter than the compact sedan I had before, and during the winters in Minnesota, all the plastic parts squeak while the car warms up. But most of these issues are minor and don't detract from my pleasure in owning it.
However, I do have a rather odd issue that's arisen recently. I don't use my stereo much, preferring to drive in peace and quiet, and the last time I remember using it was a little over a month ago. Last week I decided to listen to the radio, but when I hit the power button, nothing happened. None of the controls on the stereo function, and the manual says the fuse for the stereo is shared with the power mirrors, which are working fine. Has anyone else had an experience like this? The car's no longer under the bumper-to-bumper warranty, so any service will be on my dime.
10th Nov 2009, 13:05
I just recently bought a used 2006 Mazda 5. I drive about a 1,000 miles a week. The car rides nice and you don't ache when you arrive. I was very happy with the car until last week. 11/07/09 While putting luggage in the rear, I noticed a crack on the top of the hatch on the left side. I thought I would take it to my dealer upon my return home. The next day I noticed another crack on the other in the same place. I took the car to my dealer. The service manager said that it looked like a defect to him. He said that he would have to contact his District Service for his approval. He denied my warranty claim because he has not seen this before. The car is still under warranty so I have appealed his decision. No word yet on what they are going to do.
28th May 2010, 20:45
I too have a crack in the LHS of the hatch over the hinge on my 2006 Mazda 5. I think I noticed it last Oct/Nov 2009, but my spouse usually drives this vehicle so I never got back to look at it until this week 27 May 2010...
Of course it's now off warranty and the crack is almost the full distance going from front to back. It almost looks like a 'stress' crack, which I personally think may be caused by the hatch opening to the full position versus the lower position? The lower position would cause most to hit their head, so the full height I think would be normal.
I'll post back if I have any luck with the dealer here in southern New Brunswick.
13th Jul 2010, 13:59
Isn't that interesting? I have the exact same cracks on both sides of the hatch. I too took it to a dealer. My car is out of the warranty period (112km - although I have an extended warranty).
The dealer took pictures and sent them to Mazda Canada to find out whether it can be covered. I feel that the fact that this happened symmetrically on both sides proves that this is a material or design flaw.
We'll see what happens.
19th Feb 2007, 18:37
I have had a 5 now for about 6 months and I love it. About the towing issues, I asked the mechanic where I purchased mine (i live in canada, he said he tows two dirt bikes with his mazda3, and that is with the smaller engine, and he had no problem, so he said that we should be good up to 1000lbs with no problem. But it would be nice not to void the warranty.