2012 Mazda Mazda5

Rating from MazdaMom

(4)
Comfort:		4 out of 5
Performance:		4 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		3 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"I've had my Mazda5 for three weeks now and so far I like it a lot. It's a lot more fun to drive than my old minivan and much easier to maneuver in and out of parking spaces. Visibility is really good and I was surprised by how much the tiny windows over the side mirrors helped. It's a great car for families whose kids are in booster seats (or older) because older kids are big enough to work the manual doors by themselves and love being able to lower the windows (which you can lock if you want to). That said, I recently spoke with another Mazda5 owner whose kids were all younger than mine and she thought it was great for them, too. There are a few things that I wish Mazda would change: First of all, there's no place for my sunglasses. There is a little hole down by my left knee, but if I put my sunglasses in there they fall out when I go around corners, which is a little annoying. There's also no place for my bag except on the passenger seat or in the passenger foot well. I can't put it behind me because it would block the kids' air vents, so if I have a passenger it has to go in the way back. The map pockets in the doors are really small -- big enough for a water bottle, but not much else. Similarly, the tray under the trunk floor is so shallow that I can't put my squeegee in there. Lastly, I had a hard time finding where the lever was to adjust the steering wheel. It is on the steering shaft, but I had to reach waaaay down there before I found it. If I were redesigning the vehicle, I would make it about four inches longer and two inches wider. Its small size is definitely a plus in our inner suburb, but a little more room would allow more grocery bags to fit in the back when the rear seats are in use. I would switch from red LED displays to blue or green and lastly I was surprised that the headlights didn't come on automatically and that the names of songs and artists on the radio weren't displayed anywhere. My last car was nothing special, but it had those features and how much do those really cost? A few bucks? One thing I love that I've never seen anybody else mention is the glove compartment because there are brackets on the sides to hold things in layers. This tiny little feature is actually very helpful! I have two folders with all our car and travel information and a smaller-size Rand McNally (the kind with the spiral binder) fits in there. There's also a map pocket on the back of the passenger seat which is also helpful. The rear seats are very easy to put down, as are the middle seats (although I had to check the manual to figure out how to do it). In my second week of ownership I was happy to discover that you can fit many, many cases of Girl Scout cookies in the car with all the seats down! We love the storage in the kids' car seats -- so useful when we need to put away the electronics before leaving the car. We also like being able to hide the cupholder/tray in there. I think the seats are comfortable, but I'm not sure they'll feel so great on a long car ride. I suppose higher-quality tush-support is a bit much to ask for in a car at this price, but it certainly would be appreciated. I think the back support is better. The Sport is the best value, but I was able to get a Touring from the previous model year for a great price and am happy I did. I think that having the bluetooth capability will help with resale and it should come in handy from time to time. The first morning we had the car I drove the kids to school as a special treat and had to laugh when I saw three other Mazda5's in the drop-off lane in the short time we were there. This is a great vehicle for small families who occasionally need to fit in an extra child or two (or camp trunks or big Costco runs), but don't need to haul around a lot of empty space or weight most of the time. It is fantastic to maneuver and park, fun to drive, and just what our family needed. A little bigger would be a little better, but we love it as is."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Transporting family

Rating from Mazda5Mom

(4)
Comfort:		4 out of 5
Performance:		3 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		4 out of 5
Interior Design:		3 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		3 out of 5

"If you want a smaller vehicle that can haul stuff around, it's a great choice. We went with the Sport model since we were very price-conscious and got a great year-end deal. We drive mostly city, but are happy to have the option for extra room and not feel like we're crammed into a subcompact. Price wise, this car was very competitive. I have owned Mazdas in the past, so I look forward to a long life with this one."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Just getting around

Rating from Jackson

(4)
Comfort:		4 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		4 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		4 out of 5

"can accomodate 2 adults and 4 kids (ages 8 to 14) very comfortable. Has the Mazda "zoom-zoom." Combined gas mileage only in the low to mid 20's mpg which is a little disappointing for this size car. The 2.5L enginedoe uses a timing chain which should eliminate the expensive 60K mile timing belt maintenance. I like the up and down adjustment of the driver's seat. Glove box is small. On a scale of 1 to 10, I give the vehicle a 8.5."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: Transporting family

Rating from Rational enthusiast

(4)
Comfort:		4 out of 5
Performance:		4 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		4 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"My 2012 Grand Touring has done it all. We bought it because my wife crashed our Freestyle just before a planned vacation and I always wanted a five. Immediately drove it with wife and three teenagers from Michigan to Alabama with a windsurf board and 15 Foot Sea Kayak on the roof. It has more room and flexibility than a hatchback or anything else in this convenient of a size. It scoots well enough, though we can't get over 25MPG avg. to save our lives. The controls are really good, but the rear air outlets are only vent, no heat/AC. The sunroof is a bad, bad joke. Unless you need leather, opt for the Sport and save the money. The 17 inch wheels also seem very unnecessary and don't help the already stiff ride. Also, delivered with a bad right front fender fit, I haven't bothered to complain about. My other cars include two BMW 3 series and a vintage Vanagon, this Mazda 5 does just fine keeping me entertained and doing what I need it to do. We have 22K uneventful miles."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Transporting family

Rating from Revrend

(5)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"Own the 2003 wagon and the 2012 5 wagon great car low price and great value will own before the week is up"

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Having fun

Rating from Ali

(5)
Comfort:		4 out of 5
Performance:		4 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		4 out of 5
Interior Design:		4 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"I got our Mazda5 in January of 2011 and loved it so much, This past Tuesday we were in a car accident and let me tell you that car saved our life! We hit the guy doing 50mph (that was the speed limit) The guy says he didn't see us when he went to turn into a store and at 50 we hit the side of his truck.... First Responders said that if we had another car our injuries would have been worse, I am sad that she is totaled but she saved us! And for that I will be getting another Mazda5!!!"

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: Transporting family

Rating from Family of Four

(5)
Comfort:		3 out of 5
Performance:		4 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		4 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"We researched cars off and on for about 3 years before purchasing our 2012 Mazda5. With our second daughter on the way, we wanted a bit more room than our 12 year old Camry could provide, but weren't yet ready for a full minivan. We liked the previous generation Mazda5, but my wife didn't like the road noise. After becoming frustrated with even used car prices for the type of vehicle we were looking at, I convinced her to test out the 2012 Mazda5. We knew immediately that it was the car for us. Right size, right price. The greatest strength of this car is the amount of space for the size of car. If there's only one person driving, you don't feel like you're wasting gas in a giant minivan. But you can also load the family plus grandparents in for a quick trip across town. Driving dynamics are again relative to the space vs. size. It feels like you are driving a fun little car. It's actually quite a bit of fun to throw around a bit! There is some road noise, but it is certainly tolerable. Fuel economy is best on the highway (have hit 32 mpg so far) and can suffer around town. Admittedly, part of this could be that my wife and I drive the car pretty aggressively around town. But it's so hard not to drive it that way! The ONLY downside that we have come across thus far is the inability to turn on the interior dome light from the driver seat. Our girls can't yet reach the one on the ceiling while seated. But that's truly my only complaint!"

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Transporting family

Rating from Amanda in Austin

(5)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		4 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"We needed a new family car, and searched high and low for the right one. After months of looking, we landed on a Mazda5 Grand Touring. We love the interior room, the flexible seating, the zippy handling, and the fact that it looks like a car (not a minivan). I highly recommend this car to small families looking for a little more elbow room or a car that can handle toting groceries, sports equipment and a few kids around town."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: Transporting family

Rating from javelina73

(5)
Comfort:		4 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		4 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"I've had the 2010 for over a year and love it. For my family of 5 it is the perfect second car. We have an odyssey for the longer trips with the whole crew. The 5 is perfect for the every day, especially since it is rarely the 5 of us in it. What I get: manual transmission, good gas mileage, can fit my 5 (wife, 3 kids under 4) plus 2 dogs in it for short haul. Minus the 2 dogs and add a roof bag for long hauls. I like not driving a boat. I like not spending a fortune. I like not spending $60 to fill the tank. I LOVE the sliding doors. Can't believe no one else does this. I love being able to strap my kids in their child seats without climbing halfway in the vehicle. I didn't like that when I first got it I would hit the ac controls while shifting but I've changed my habits and don't do that anymore. The stereo is also junk. Don't think the cd player even has esp which causes lots of skips on our dirt road but get something after market and be happy. If you have bigger kids definitely test that all will fit before you buy. If you don't have kids, it's still a great vehicle and worth checking out. If only they could make this a clean diesel or hybrid. The space behind the rear seats is minimal, maybe 3 grocery bags. I have one side down which gives good storage space."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Transporting family

Rating from auction nut

(5)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"I was using my car as a pickup truck.Not wanting a pickup I went looking for a mini van.I knew this Mazda5 was for me the minute I laid eyes on it..It wasn't huge..had easy access..easy fold down seats.I just love it."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Just getting around