USED Mazda 5 MPV (05 - 11)

My car

Bought as ex demo from a dealer in Kings Lynn. It was 6 months old and only had 154 miles on the clock. I looked at the Ford S Max and the Honda, neither supply even a space saver spare wheel, the lovely Toyota Verso, with the spare wheel located under the back, (Just like my 1993 Transit Van :-))(And probably as easy to forget about?) NOT being able to get comfortable in ANY of the Citroens MPVs. The Mazda 5 rear sliding doors are a real blessing. The seats ALL fold flat and give over 60 inches of length space. The car warms up quickly, accelerates well through the gears and has a good 3rd gear for overtaking with very little turbo lag. 6th gear makes cruising a delight.(Any speed above about 50MPH)) I have only done a couple of thousand miles so at present any tyre wear issue has not come to light. I did a bit of homework AND made a particular point of asking the Service Manager (no good speaking the sales people) I was assured it was only earlier models affected and that the rear suspension geometry had been modified and this SHOULD (famous last words) Not be a problem ......Only time will tell. I enjoy the fact that it is a slightly firmer suspension and doesn't "wallow" on corners. 1 year on it still suits my driving style. Leisurely, but without hanging about too much. 60mph cruising where possible & STILL get 40mpg+

AM I HAPPY WITH IT? Come back and ask me again in another NINE YEARS.

My car

having owned this car for 2 months now and having done 3000 miles, I am extremely pleased with it. The drive is fantastic and is the car feels very solid. the equipment is great and I particularly like the standard bluetooth. sliding doors are great, the easy 6-7 seat option is great when you use it and that's because you can easily fold them away when not needed. overall a great car. a little point: gearbox is a little stiff when cold. supplying dealer MKG3000 have been great and Rivervale Mazda Brighton sorted the gearbox issue. thanks to both of them.

My car

I purchased the Mazda5 Individual in May 2007 I has so far covered 2700km all 4 of my tyres have their inner threads exposed. I am observing the must uneven and irregular tyre wear on any vehicle that I have owned. I have written to the Mazda Customer Care site in SA twice already but no response from them. I eventually got thro to their Helpdesk and spoke to a consultant, during that conversation I realised just how well trained the call centre staff are trained din evading the root cause of your complaints. Anyway I have booked my car in to have all four tyres replaced next week. I spoke to 2 owners of this vehicle here in SA and they share the same experiences regarding the tyre problems. My college has a blow out on the road one morning and she collided with the road structure casing serious damage to her car. Ps: Yes I had the wheels rotated and aligned at 8000KM but by that time the front tyres had already been “damaged”

I challenge any SA authority to contact me in this regard (deenan@nedbank.co.za). If I knew then what I know now….. I would have bought some other vehicle. Buy this car and you will experience the same issue that I have guaranteed. Deena

My car

I bought this car new in Feb '07. Since then, I have covered 27,000 miles and during that time, this car has suffered from more problems than any other car I have ever owned. There have been recalls for engine mountings, crankshaft problems, intercooler problems and electrical faults. This car also devours tyres! I am on my third set of new tyres with this vehicle, mainly because of uneven tyre wear. Mazda refuse to acknowledge there is a problem witrh this yet readers forums about this car suggest otherwise! Fuel economy is also very poor, nothing like stated in the brochure. If you have a family and are considering this vehicle - DON'T! You will spend more time having it repaired at dealers which don't care, (Barnetts, Dundee!). It handles poorly in the wet and due to the uneven tyre wear, is a danger to drive. Interior quality is also not great, plastics are cheap and easily marked. Don't let the sliding rear doors fool you into buying this car for 'ease of access', they stick and don't always work properly. Mazda Customer Services are a joke and fail to respond to any queries about this car. To sum up, don't waste your money on a Mazda5, Toyota Verso, (or walking!) is the better choice!