Mazda5 vs a "real" minivan

I know the Mazda5 is well loved here and I actually think they are pretty sweet myself. But how do they compare to something like an Odyssey? My wife has an 05 Toyota Matrix now and we want to upsize for baby number 2. Oldest is 2yrs now so will be multiple car seats and we want room for more baby crap and occasionally extra passengers.

In the family we also have my Jetta so for just us and the kids and a little bit of stuff (although the jetta has a surprisingly big trunk) we can always take that and rock the better gas mileage.

The kicker I know the 5 probably would NOT have is she would like the power side doors and even a power lift gate if possible. We've been looking used and at probably spending up to about 20k

We went shopping for a 5, but ended up buying an MPV.

They are cool, but have VERY limited cargo space. One look at the cargo space, and my wife refused to even test drive it.

We love the MPV. Excellent people mover.

Yeah with the rear seat up it looks way less space than either of our two current cars. And I don't like any of the three row compact/mid size SUVs because I feel like they are the same with the third row.

Comparing it to my sister in laws sienna which seems to swallow people and stuff

Drive them both and see for yourself. The Odyssey is on a different level. The newer ones get gas mileage right on par with the 5 and with a boatload more power space and comfort, much less road and wind noise. I own a 2011 which my ex wife currently drives and it is a truly awesome minivan. I test drove the Mazda 5 this spring and was very disappointed. The Odyssey is a tough act to follow.

Odyssey will lay black stripes for a surprisingly long distance

Take your Matrix, and add no room to the front seats.

Add a slight bit of room to the back seat but more importantly add a sliding door for easy entry.

Add a little bit of cargo room, slightly. Now, take all that cargo room away if you put up the two kids-only jump seats.

We like our Mazda5 but what we like about it is that it is not Odyssey sized.

If you can afford bigger, I'd go bigger. The 5 is great for the money, but a "real van" it is not. Think of it more as an XL honda fit. INSANELY good lease on the Odyssey right now. $0$0$0 @ $310 for 35 months, or $259 a month for 36 with $2k down, and man, that thing is a pimp ship. I think there's good financing deals on the grand caravan right now too.

If I could afford either (caravan or odyssey) I'd go that route. I can not afford either

Man.. comparing an Odyssey and a 5. One is basically a matrix with MARGINALLY more room and arguably better styling, one is a paragon of vehicular utility that happens to be decently quick, get decent mileage, and look decent too.

Considering you have a high mpg car already, i would skip the half-measures like the 5, Rondo et al and step up to a real 'mini' van. Which means huge and incredibly useful van.

Not to mention some of the higher spec are friggin luxurious.

chetcpo wrote: Drive them both and see for yourself. The Odyssey is on a different level. The newer ones get gas mileage right on par with the 5 and with a boatload more power space and comfort, much less road and wind noise. I own a 2011 which my ex wife currently drives and it is a truly awesome minivan. I test drove the Mazda 5 this spring and was very disappointed. The Odyssey is a tough act to follow.

Is the 2011 the one with the new lightning bolt look to the side window or was that 2012?

Well you guys are confirming for me what we had already planned so that is not a bad thing

All I know is that I often find the Astro too small, and am plotting how best to swap it for a shortie E-250 without the wife knowing, so a 5 would be downright frustrating.

Here are some dimension comparisons.

Odyssey vs MZ5
http://cars.findthebest.com/compare/666-749/2012-Mazda-5-Touring-vs-2012-Honda-Odyssey-LX

Matrix vs MZ5
http://cars.findthebest.com/compare/193-277/2011-Toyota-Matrix-vs-2011-Mazda-Mazda5-Sport

Much more Matrix sized.

Think about the 5 like a larger/roomier Fit/Matrix/Mazda3. If you only have the two kids, it's more than you'll ever need, but if you always plan on bringing Grandma and Aunt Edna and your dogs and 275 pounds of crap with you everywhere you go Griswald's-style, then yes, you are going to want a "real" van.

We have 1 kid, and are often taking care of a second, both in infant seats. Our 5 has always been enough room for us 4 and our stuff, and even airport-duty with 4 adults, 2 kids, and bags, but none of us cart stuff around like crazy, either. If you need the space, get the Oddy, it's a great van. The difference will be when you're driving it home and I zip past you to go flinging around the backroads. (Except I'll have to make 2 trips!! )

Oh, and power sliders are available on the 5, but not with the manual trans.

Poor us living by the beach and in the fantastic weather that is San Diego we do tend to sometimes want to carry a lot of crap plus multiple kids. Plus my wife is now hooked on the whole Pinterest thing so with that addiction come various "projects"

Javelin wrote: The difference will be when you're driving it home and I zip past you to go flinging around the backroads.

Shens. Shens indeed.

Everyone here pretty much summed it up. We wanted a 5 and even convinced my Mom to buy one. As a result we got to try it out all we wanted. We ended up getting a used 2005 Odyssey with way more miles for $11000 and it was in a whole different league. We loved it right up until we had to sell it to move overseas. I'll also point out we were rear ended while sitting still just weeks after buying it. It took that hit like a champ and I even drove it home. We can't wait to get another when we get back to the US. In comparison my mom's 5 is a great car, but it's a choice between using the third row OR carrying luggage. Using the third row means you can only carry a purse or two in the trunk.

Don't forget towing. The Oddy will tow an honest 3500lbs the Mazda 5 tows nothing. Our 2008 Oddy averaged 23mpg and hustled around just fine. It even ran course flow duty at an autox and was only about 4 seconds off HS pace. When my wife went back to work she decided she didn't want it anymore and replaced it with a Subaru Outback. In a few years I'm fairly sure we will end up with another one.

Baby number two = Mazda 5

Above that is a real minivan.

Also, power gate and doors operated from the key fob totally rock in parking lots. Owner of a 2011 Caravan, father of three (soon to be four) kids.

I'd say the 5 is pretty close to what the original Odyssey started out as.

In reply to Jaynen:

The 2011 bodystyle is the same as the 2012. Sharp looking rig indeed.

As the owner of both a grand caravan and a Mazda5 I'll say that you are looking for a mini-van. The space, fuel economy, manual trans and fun are why I bought the 5 over a regular 4door but the space and the space plus decent fuel economy are why we bought the GC.

tuna55 wrote: Also, power gate and doors operated from the key fob totally rock in parking lots. Owner of a 2011 Caravan, father of three (soon to be four) kids.

Agreed.

We recently rented a new Chrysler Town & Country for a trip to Florida & 4-people. It absolutely swallowed all our gear with ease. Stow & go in the floors is awesome. Amazingly quiet down the highway.

I despise minivans, but it's an incredible tool for the designated job. My wife and I considered a 5 for her, but it's lots of compromises to cram lots of people in (with no cargo room left if you do...), and the mpg's really aren't stellar. We opted for a traditional wagon instead (Volvo V50 T5) which did a better job of swallowing strollers and crap, but she is envious of sliders now that she's seen the T&C in action.

Key fob dual sliders and hatch are brilliant!

Why no love for the Nissan Quest on this thread?

My wifeunit drives a 2004 Quest. Maxima Suspension & VQ35DE in the front.

It's stupid quick and as a bonus no Timing Belt to worry about. (When we were shopping for a van I would always get a deer in the headlights look when I would ask, on a Honda van that is, "when was the Timing belt last changed?")

xflowgolf wrote:

tuna55 wrote: Also, power gate and doors operated from the key fob totally rock in parking lots. Owner of a 2011 Caravan, father of three (soon to be four) kids.

Agreed. We recently rented a new Chrysler Town & Country for a trip to Florida & 4-people. It absolutely swallowed all our gear with ease. Stow & go in the floors is awesome. Amazingly quiet down the highway. I despise minivans, but it's an incredible tool for the designated job. My wife and I considered a 5 for her, but it's lots of compromises to cram lots of people in (with no cargo room left if you do...), and the mpg's really aren't stellar. We opted for a traditional wagon instead (Volvo V50 T5) which did a better job of swallowing strollers and crap, but she is envious of sliders now that she's seen the T&C in action. Key fob dual sliders and hatch are brilliant!

There is a reason that the Mopar minivans continue to be the best selling vehicle in the segment they invented decades ago(despite many magazines nearly ignoring them). They are the best for hauling people and gear comfortably and quietly down the road, their interiors are great and they don't try to gimmick up the styling.

In reply to pk386:

I always thought this was a really cool feature on the later Nissan Quest