I love my Mazda 5!

I had a 1990 Honda Civic that I just loved! All I ever had to do to the car was regular maintenance and replacing some parts when they finally wore out. The car had roughly 294,000 miles on it when I finally traded it in.

DH and I thought about a mini-van to accomodate our growing family. I wasn't wild about driving a large vehicle nor was I too thrilled with the gas mileage of the large mini-vans. DH came across the Mazda 5 and thought that I might like it. He was right. We traded in our 1990 Honda 18 years to the day and bought the 2008 Mazda 5.

Pros:

• I have consistenly gotten better than the 22/27 EPA estimated mileage for the vehicles. Around town I generally get 26-28 miles per gallon and on the highway, I've gotten around 30 miles per gallon.

• The vehicle seats 6. I wouldn't recommend adults in the third row, but the car has plenty of space for 4 kids and carseats.

• The seats in the back row have a 50/50 split and fold down for ample cargo space. I haul around 3 kids and still have room for groceries and my stroller.

• 2nd row seats also fold down and have storage underneath the seats and a fold-out tray with cupholders.

• The cargo area in the back also has storage beneath. DH keeps tools and roadside emergency kit materials in the storage area.

• The car has a tight turning radius so it is easy to maneuver around parking lots and in tight spots.

• Because of the smaller size, the vehicle drives and handles like a car rather than a van. It definitely is way more zoom-zoom than any large mini-van. DH and I both really enjoy driving the Mazda 5.

• The passenger doors slide just like any other mini-van.

• There is a manual transmission option on the sport model. DH and I both enjoy driving a manual.

• The MSRP is around $18,000 for the sport model. Even the basic model comes with loads of features such as power locks and windows, anti-lock brakes, cruise control, 2nd row ducts and controls for air-conditioning, and driver and passenger-side airbags.

Cons:

• This is definitely a smaller vehicle. With the 3rd row up, there is not a whole lot of space left. I generally have enough for groceries though. I read someone's blog that said they could fit 8 standard paper grocery sacks in the back.

• I wish the back window opened so that you could more easily fit things in the back without trying to keep things from falling out.

• The Mazda 5 comes with 17" rims so the tires will definitely be more expensive to replace later on than if it had come standard with 16" rims.

I really love the Mazda 5 and can't think of much that I don't like about it other than what I already mentioned. On the rare occasion that we need more space, DH and I bought a Thule roof rack (easily fits onto the top of the Mazda 5 since the hardware to accomodate the rack is already there) and a Yakima cargo bag. Even with the car loaded with 3 kids, a beagle, luggage inside and on top of the car, and 2 adults, we still averaged 28-30 miles per gallon. We were pleasantly surprised at how much we could carry with the roof rack and bag and still get the same gas mileage. This is a great vehicle for anyone looking for something that has a sporty look, the functionality of a minivan, and good fuel economy.