Odyssey vs. Mazda5?

I've been puzzling over a new car for a bit now - I have an older model ('03) Forester and having 1 RF'ing Radian XTSL in there is hard enough - with our new addition arriving in probably just over a month, it'll be time for something new!
Due to needing cargo space for 2 very large dogs (Plastic travel crates firmly lashed down in the back is the safest way for a canine to travel!) I finally came up with the Odyssey. Relatively good gas mileage, and the fold-down 3rd row means I could put both girls in the captains chairs, and have the crates in the back. I've been keeping my eyes peeled for an '04 model - I don't want to get too much newer to avoid skyrocketing insurance rates!
However, I joined up here and discovered that there a TON of you absolutely raving about the Mazda5! I've tried looking up more about it, but can't find much info online. It seems the more minivan-like model with the sliding doors, etc, debuted in 2006? Any idea what the pre '06 models are like? They seem pretty small from what I've seen, is it safe to assume that it has a small cargo area?
Outside of that, any recommendations for an '03-'04 mid-size or large SUV that has OK gas mileage? I'm still trying to narrow it down!
TIA!

The Mazda5 didn't exist in North America before 2006 (you're probably thinking of the Mazda Protege 5 which is what is now called the Mazda3 hatchback - confusing I know).

I'm one of the ones that loves her Mazda5 but cargo space wise it doesn't come close to an Odyssey. I'm not sure how large your crates are but I think the Mazda5 with the 3rd row down would have comparable space to the your Forrester. If you want measurements I can try to do that later today.

With the third row up, the cargo space is next to nil.

ITA, with the 3rd row up you might be able to crate a couple of hamsters in the mini cargo area

Bahaha! Thanks, guys. That's what I figured. We'll stick with the Odyssey then.

Hi, I'm another Mazda 5 fan. Just wanted to chime in and confirm your decision - in your situation, the only reason to go with the M5 over the Ody would be for gas mileage - and with the 3rd row folded down and carrying two large dogs in crates (even if they did fit) your gas mileage would go down pretty significantly. I average 25mpg in my car, but it's a stick-shift, and I rarely transport my entire family. I've noticed that when I do haul all of us, or carry cargo, the mpg is closer to 21mpg - which is not much better than what you're going to get in the Ody.

I just went from a Forester (hated it) to a Mazda 5 (love it). With the back row down I had much more cargo room than in the Forester, MUCH more. As much as a minivan, of course not. But enough that I could easily put in two medium flight crates, possible one medium one large. If you're able to get them into the cargo area of the Forester, you definitely should be able to do it with the Mazda5.

Ok, I'm back to this yet again - LOL. I had thought that the Mazda5 3rd row needed to be removed completely - but with more research I discovered it folds flat just as the Odyssey does. This puts it back in the running, especially because of the gas mileage!
The dogs are in a custom crate that takes up the entire cargo area of the forester - it's 1 crate with a divider down the middle. I could use it again if the Mazda5 cargo area is terrible even with the seat folded down, but I'd really prefer to get new ones because I'd prefer them just a little bit bigger.
Mazda5 gets better mileage, safer than Ody, and I don't have to become a full-fledged minivan mom quite yet, LOL. Of course, the fun part is finding a used one in my area.

I used to have a 5, an '08. The 3rd row seats fold completely flat which creates a LOT of extra space. But with the 3rd rows up, or even split, there's little room for anything of significant size back there. If you don't need the 3rd row all the time, the car is amazing. I absolutely loved it. The gas mileage was insane (in a good way!).