Question questions about Mazda5

[montanamama]

We are looking at replacing my DH's Ford Freestyle with a Mazda5. I know it is a popular car around here I have been reading all the posts I can find on it. I guess my only concern is do you think it would really work for a family of 6 with 4 kids still in car seats/boosters? Ideally the set up I would like to have is MA70 RFing in 3row with Frontier and two Montereys in 2nd row. I already have a 2001 MPV so for long road trips we would use that but would like to use the 5 for most of our daily running around to save on gas.. The one we are looking at is a 2009 5 speed manual but we are also considering a new 2012 automatic both are the sport model, is there any major differences safety wise?
Thanks

 

[Dillipop]

We test drove and purchased a mazda5 today. I get to pick it up Monday. We got a new 2012 Sport without any options. It wasn't all that much more than the used ones around us and has a full warranty!

I don't know how it'll do with our 3 kids. We'll see. I put a cocorro in the third row rfing and had ds in a booster in front of it. I had to move the seat up a few notches to get the cocorro to fit. I think with a taller, more upright seat, I could get away with something else there without moving the seat forward. In fact, Darren (admin) had a marathon 70 rfing in a video on carseatblog.com and the seat in front of it was all the way back.

I got to ride in the back with the cocorro. DS was in front of me in a booster and had to move up a bit to give me leg room. I would assume the same would be needed if you put a ffing seat in the third row.

Overall, everyone had enough leg room. I think it'll work out really well for us.
It also helps that we have a Sienna as our main family vehicle which we'll use for long trips.

 

[amyd]

I have a 2010 Grand Touring manual transmission and I LOVE it so much We are expecting #3 so haven't used the third row full time yet, but I have done 4 car seats for a fairly extended period (6 weeks) while I looked after a friend's 2 LOs. I did 2 rearfacing Radians in the third row (with angle adjusters) and a Nautilus and Maestro in the second row. It worked very well.

 

[montanamama]

Yah I am excited about getting one, on paper to seems to be the perfect fit for us! I am going to test drive the 09 on Tues. I saw the clip with the MA70 and Frontier 3rd row so I have an excuse to get a Frontier ( I have been trying to get DH to let me get one for about 6monts!!)

 

[GirlFriday]

I have one for two kids plus occasional extra passengers and I love it. I would keep your mind open about who is going in which row. Loading a rf-er into the third row is easy but I'd make sure whoever is FFing back there can buckle themselves especially since th second row seats will be in use. I'm short but I have a hard time reaching the third row to buckle unless I can flip the 2nd row seat forward and climb in (when we have a full car I put the my kids in the third row and any adults in the 2nd row so I can flip the seat to get everyone buckled. Or with 4 kids, rfers or booster riders go in the 3rd row)

 

[legaleagle]

I have 3 kids (4.25, 2.5, 7 months) and have a 2009 grand touring. Currently DC1 is in a frontier 85 passenger side 3 rd row with DC2 in front of him in a radian with angle adjuster, moved up a few notches for legroom for DC1. Baby is currently in a CCO behind the driver, though I've also had a marathon 70 and a radian with angle adjuster there. A Peg (which we have in the other car) would also fit beautifully. I'm 5'7" and I have no problem reaching into the 3rd row to buckle/unbuckle the frontier. DH is 6'3" and prefers to buckle DC1 through the hatch.

The most significant safety differences are 2010+ have traction control and don't have the weird 3rd row headrest tethering issues. If you live somewhere with significant winter weather I would plan on getting snow tires. The stock tires in particular are terrible on anything but dry pavement. Since mine doesn't have traction control, I felt better getting separate rims an inch down for the snow tires (and then we can swap them out ourselves, too). The other issue for us is that between DH's height and his terrible knees he doesn't find it that comfortable to drive so we won't keep it for a 2nd car when we bow to the inevitable in a few years and get a minivan.

 

[teekadog]

It's our largest vehicle for our family with 4 in seats. The kids are I are happy with it, my dh finds it too small. And I'll admit, with all 6 of us in it, it is tight (he rarely travels with us). If you have a larger vehicle you can use when needed, it's probably the perfect car.

 

[Avery'sMama]

We have a regular mini-van, and a Mazda5. The Mazda is DH's car primarily, but he can pick up the kids from school, run errands with three of them, etc. It was important to us we had two cars that seat our entire family.

I have four in seats, we have two boosters in the third row, although it's not a full sized seat and my 8 year old is darn close to 5 stepping back there. She usually just uses a Bubble Bum and I suspect in 6 months or less, I'll just let her go without. I have a Keyfit 30 and a RFing Marathon 70 in the second row. The kids go in and out where the Keyfit base is, before the baby is snapped in. I have not tried to install seats in the third row, it would be a tight fit for a RFing seat. The kids barely fit in their boosters back there.

All in all, it works well for us as a second family vehicle. DH likes that the third row folds easily and he can keep his work junk back there. I like that we have a safe way to transport everyone in both of our cars. I would not replace my big van with one though. There isn't enough room. We use my mini-van as our primary family vehicle.