Jackie010307
New member
We borrowed a family members 09 Mazda 5 to try before we made a decision. We traded vehicles for a week, and ended up not buying one. Our reasons were many, but I'll list the major factors for our decision.
1. The third row seemed like more of an afterthought than really usable seating. Our then 9 year old (who is very tall for his age) barely had enough leg room there. At 12 he is 5'5" and will no longer ride in the third row when visiting that family member.
2. We have 3 kids and cargo space with the third row up is almost zero. Honestly, getting groceries for a family of 5 for a week in there was pushing it! It does great for 4 people and cargo, but don't expect to get much in there if you're actually using the third row.
3. Hubby and I are both quite tall ( I'm 6'1" and he's 6'3") and there wasn't enough leg room for the driver. At one point hubby was driving and moved his leg and his knee ended up turning the key to the off position while driving on the interstate.
All that being said, I personally thought it was fun to drive, I just wish it had been a little bigger. We ended up getting a Honda odyssey and love it. It really fits our needs perfectly. If the Mazda 5 fits your needs then go for it. Personally, I would see if there's anywhere that rents them and rent one for a week if possible. That should be enough time for you to see of you really want to buy one.
1. The third row seemed like more of an afterthought than really usable seating. Our then 9 year old (who is very tall for his age) barely had enough leg room there. At 12 he is 5'5" and will no longer ride in the third row when visiting that family member.
2. We have 3 kids and cargo space with the third row up is almost zero. Honestly, getting groceries for a family of 5 for a week in there was pushing it! It does great for 4 people and cargo, but don't expect to get much in there if you're actually using the third row.
3. Hubby and I are both quite tall ( I'm 6'1" and he's 6'3") and there wasn't enough leg room for the driver. At one point hubby was driving and moved his leg and his knee ended up turning the key to the off position while driving on the interstate.
All that being said, I personally thought it was fun to drive, I just wish it had been a little bigger. We ended up getting a Honda odyssey and love it. It really fits our needs perfectly. If the Mazda 5 fits your needs then go for it. Personally, I would see if there's anywhere that rents them and rent one for a week if possible. That should be enough time for you to see of you really want to buy one.