MAZDA MAZDA5 Estate 2005‑2010

I've been using this car for almost 12 months. I found it the best MPV available for a reasonable price, the sliding doors are really good and helpful when you have kids!

I've been also addicted to navigation, it saves me wherever I go, I also used the navigation in France, it was perfect, got many options the big screen show you all exits and services, very helpful on the motorway because it shows you 3-4 next exits with the distance, which exit's got a food facility, b&b ..etc. the cd changer can take up to 6 audio CD's.

the back seats are very practical too. they fold and open in a second.

the only negative point I found is:

it makes a horrible noise when stalling, maybe because it's deisel

Overall, this car is the best for a family, I'm really sad that I need to sell it soon:(

The Mazda 5 is a very reliable car. It has low service costs, but the 2.0L petrol is thirsty, especially on short jounneys. The rear sliding doors are really great and very practical with young kids. The rear seats fold down with ease giving you excellent storage space. The rear seats are only suitable for children and sometimes I wish the car was a bit longer to give everyone more leg space!!!

This model has bluetooth and touch screen satnav and both are easy to use and work very well.

Overall a great family car suitable for the town and motorway, especially with that 6th gear.

We are a family of 6 plus a dog and have tended to have large people carriers- mostly Japanese imports, as we thought we really needed a huge car. We were made an offer we couldn't refuse and so now have a medium MPV. We can currently all fit in easily as most of the children are quite small. With all seats up, the boot is small, but the times that we all travel at the same time are not regular, so for trips away we use a roofbox. It's a shame that the middle second row seat is so small, though.

The huge upside is that the car handles like a small family car and the engine is great, except fully-laden going up a hill, something that we don't do often. We only get low 30s for consumption, but then our mileage wouldn't warrant a diesel.

Overall it is a very good car- fun to use when I am commuting, but capable of carrying us all on a family trip.

The Mazda 5 is a fine family car. Ours has so far covered 6000 miles with no concerns.

The 2.0 TS2 is a pleasure to drive and handles very nicely- on 16inch wheels. The ride may be little firm around town for some but the positive driving experience more than makes up for it.

Performance from the 2 litre petrol engine is ample, pulling well in any gear, but 27-35mpg is the price you pay. 6 speed gearbox doesn't have a particularly high 6th ratio, Mazda could make this ratio longer to improve cruising economy.

The Interior is spacious and versatile, can be configured for 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 seats- though the centre seat in the second row is really only for small people/ short journeys and the interior plastics do seem prone to scratches.

Good boot space with 2 rear seat folded flat, rather limited with 7 seats in place (but still usable)

Sliding rear doors are very useful when loading/ unloading in tight car park spaces or at the side of the road. The comparatively small overall dimensions make the Mazda 5 easy to park and manoeuvre

We needed a car that was not overly large but that had a big boot and seven seats for occasional use. We also wanted to avoid high tyre costs (some people carriers have hugely expensive tyres) and have something that did not drive like a van.

After looking at a few cars, the Mazda was the one that one the day at the time:

much bigger boot than similar rivals;

sliding doors are great for access and avoiding bashing other cars (ever parked next to an MPV and come back to dented panels?);

it drives far better than the French or German rivals - and looks a bit better too - it is also far more spacious than its Japanese made counterparts.

It is very solidly built (unlike some rivals), and has airbags everywhere! The TS2 spec is also more than adequate.

It has been totally reliable so far, the only slight issues we have is that parts seem very expensive - more than our BMW for some general wear and tear items, and it does seem to wear rear tyres quickly (unusual for a FWD car).

We went for the 1.8 petrol model not wanting to pay the extra £1500 for the (at the time) unrefined diesel version. Now Diesel is far more expensive than petrol I still think that was the right decision as day to day the mpg figs were not that different - mid 30s mpg is normal.

Would we buy another one - well thats difficult, this will last for ages and we might not need a bigger car by then!!

I spent along time trying to find the right Mazda 5 and glad I held out for the one I got. It has lovely features, such as the automatic headlights, wipers and cruise control (after 2008). I love the flexibility of the seat configurations, and being able to put down the middle seat of the middle row creates a corridor for my son who sits on the third row to get easy access and not feel too isolated.

Its not the cheapest car I've driven on the school run, but does okay on motorways.

Its lovely to drive, everything is easy to reach and use. The gears seem a bit clunky and sometimes difficult at low speeds, but I'm getting used to them.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this car to a larger family!!

A firm ride may well be behind the suspension problems I have had with this car. It also suffers from Diesel Particulate Filter problems I have had to sort this twice within 2 years this could be due to low town mileage but it should not be the case! I should be able to drive around town without it clogging up this filter!

However it drives well with accurate steering and power from the diesel and not too wallowy. Its one of the better MPV to look at as well only the much more expensive S-Max can be a competitor in both these areas. It is also fairly rare and a better option than the very dull Touran, the ubiquitous Zafira and too smaller and uglier Verso from Toyota!

The local dealer is also rubbish which doesn't help but tell of a good dealer in West Yorkshire and I will buy from them!

i have owned my Mazda 5 now for seven months. It is a 08 plate with originally 18000 miles. The best thing about the car has been the sliding doors- no panic when kids want to get out in a tight car park. Also the load capacity is huge, and the plinths are 2.6m !! The kids love the picnic trays, and the fold flat system of the seats is a doddle. The car is light and agile on its feet like a sporty hatchback and certainly doesnt drive like a bus.

We have been disapointed with our Mazda 5:

Thee car is poorly built by modern standards. Door seals leak and are noisy. The dashboard creaks constantly and loudly. Exterior paintwork is peeling badly and appears not be covered by the mfr warranty. Fuel consumption is 30mpg at best and the tank is not so big giving a small range. The fifth gear is too low and it really could do with a sixth speed as it is very noisy on motorways. The middle seat in the middle row is very uncomfortable.

Good points? Nice to drive with good handling and a lively engine. Very practical, great sliding doors and good visibility.

Would we buy anoth one? Absolutely not. Once this one has been resprayed we will sell it.

Plenty of space in this car. Bought because we needed 6 seats. Easily fits 4 adults and 2 children and still has boot space too. Really nice hanling and feels smaller than it really is. I have the Diesel sport 57 plate and it is packed with climate control and Dynamic Stability control. Have seen people complain about tyre wear, however ours did 25000 miles before needing replacements which I feel is normal considering they were 4 years old aswell.

When rear seats are down there is ample space in the back, great if you do a bit of camping.

We tried a Zafira before deciding on this car and have not regreted it.