Mazda Biante MPV

[Heartlander]

 

ok i get it now

 

maybe his passenger's "airbag" v big so no need car airbags lol

You are very rude! Please don't anyhow make fun of other people who are not in the picture. You are trying too hard to get into any lousy circle.

[Duckduck]

You are very rude! Please don't anyhow make fun of other people who are not in the picture. You are trying too hard to get into any lousy circle.

 

ok sorry relax bro. im not pointing to anybody in particular :)

[Whathefish]

These 2 days used the car quite a lot to run errands for 2 different birthday parties. Really came in very handy as load carrier due to its tall height and flexible seating with its track design. I can push the 2 row of seats all the way to the front or back depending on requirements. Even with the 3rd row push all the way to the back, could still put a ice-chest in the boot area. Pardon my suaku-ness, coming to the full-size MPV club!

 

But all everything is rosy to be frank. The roof is noisy when raining. This car should be the noisiest I ever own, though not as bad as Sunny I sat before. Typical Japanese standard I guess. Also, the FC is holding consistently at 9km/L, not sad but a bit disappointed only. After run-in, would be happy to achieve 10km/L.

 

Making me drooling ..

Have been eyeing Mazda 5 until Biante comes along...went to the showroom n saw Biante instead (never display Mazda 5)..

Price is about 15k difference and high FC but...big and comfortable...kids like it too..

 

Wife say too big and abit like a van...sigh..

[Heartlander]

Sestbelt is still your most important first line defence!!! Wear it, don't loose it. Always buy a car with 5 proper 3-point seatbelts..... and don't remove any headrests 'cos they are really important to prevent / minimise neck injuries. I don't undertand why people remove it. If block rear view, just push it down. When ferrying passengers, they can just prop it up again.

Agree with you definitely.

 

For Biante, the middle headrest of last row cannot be pushed down unlike the other 2 headrest beside it, and it stick there like sore thumb blocking out the view. Not sure why it need to be of different design and so big.

 

For my case, the last row is for my 2 younger children who do not sit in middle seat so not much of concern. As it is, there is some distance between last row and rear window unlike those mid-size MPVs which I have before.

 

ok sorry relax bro. im not pointing to anybody in particular :)

No worries, I also definitely guilty of saying things not very proper.

[Atrecord]

 

Making me drooling ..

Have been eyeing Mazda 5 until Biante comes along...went to the showroom n saw Biante instead (never display Mazda 5)..

Price is about 15k difference and high FC but...big and comfortable...kids like it too..

 

Wife say too big and abit like a van...sigh..

 

I think it cannot be helped that full-sized MPVs should look like vans, except maybe for Merc R(?) class or old Ody. This is because most car-like MPVs are small and cramped, so cannot accord decent space for 3rd row passengers/seats. Only the van-like types, which make use of more height, can seat passengers more upright and give more space.

 

I didn't manage to view Mazda over the weekend, but went to the west on Sat (I stay in northeast), so took the chance to check out a few makes found only in Alexandra/Leng Kee area. I looked at Renault Grand Scenic, Peugeot 5008, Ford S-Max and Galaxy, as well as Citreon Grand Picasso.

 

These are quite different from the Ody, Estima, Zafira, Orlando, Touran, Sharan i saw the last few weeks. Ok, more different from Ody and Estima, as well as Orlando, but Touran and Sharan bit similar...

 

Lots of observations, but in summary:

 

- All these mid-sized MPVs (Renault Grand Scenic, Peugeot 5008, Citreon Grand Picasso, Zafira, Orlando, Touran) all CMI, in terms of space. I have now confirmed that my current Wish, while old, is still more comfortable than all of these. If want to sit in Orlando, Zafira, Grand Scenic, adults have to bend the legs a lot -- confirmed leg cramp after, say, 10 min... or less.

 

- S-Max is slight larger, but still will cramp... Galaxy, Sharan are better and can spare from cramps, but still can't have too much space, and they have both two individual seats in 3rd row = cannot seat 3 on 3rd row.

 

- boot space betw 3rd row and tailgate is almost non-existent in the mid-sized MPVs. All 3rd row seats only have one position. Cannot move. (now i realise the Wish is very flexible in this sense. Will seat a bit upright (a bit discomfort), but we managed to fit one 28" luggage plus two 20" luggages behind the 3rd row seats last time when we drove to Genting, with all seats with passengers. No way for any of the mid-sized ones mentioned here.

 

- Sharan and Galaxy got more luggage/boot space. Ody and Estima has quite a lot of space, but Ody cannot allow one seat up and the other folded, in 3rd row.

 

- All the Europe mid-sized MPVs are now small in cc, and often small in bhp, so as to be eligible for Cat A COE. A few of them bring in diesel variants to achieve this. Also advertised that one tank (diesel) can travel all the way to Thailand...

 

- Europe MPVs lose out badly in terms of space (almost all the SEs worried when I indicated I want to test out 3rd row seats, given I'm 1.8 m)... they invariably will say the 3rd row is more for kids... but even my P5 daughter said it's too cramped for her. Wife commented that they are like sitting on the floorboard - this is how bad it is. Wife also suddenly appreciates our Wish so much more, saying while not v comfortable, at least she gets by if she needs to sit in third row now.

 

- While that is the case (lose in terms of space), all the Europe MPVs are very high-tech, have many features that Jap MPVs don't have. This include HUD in Peugeot (apparently just arrived on Friday), side-blinking warning on side mirrors, park-assist, auto-wiper and dimming rear-view mirrow, reverse camera, factory-fitted navigation system, electronic parking brake that disengages automatically when step on accelerator, very nice monitor/screen that shows a lot of things (i'm sure my father if he were to drive the car, would be lost as to the functions available...)...

 

- Orlando is the only exception. Really a bare-minimum, entry-level MPV. No space, no features/gadgets. No wonder the OMV is only around I think $17K.

 

- price-wise, Euro mid-sized MPVs are not that expensive, around $140-160K.

 

- Ford S-Max has 240 hp... No idea why need so much power in a MPV...

[Zafira18]

If you dun mind the brand, check out the brand new Stavic 2.0 diesel turbo, lots of booth space and price is good. Option for 7 or 9 seater too....

[Mkl22]

test drove the biante and mazda 5 over the weekend. world of difference between the 2.

 

The biante is so slow and heavy, with only me and the sales person, the car was already sluggish, what more when loaded further. handling dynamics also rather ponderous. no doubt you get quite some space. but i dislike how the 3row intrudes into the boot space. i also found the 2nd row rather narrow. more like 2.5people width rather than seating for 3.

 

Mazda 5 is a breadth of fresh air after the Biante, it so much more nimble and agile. but its rather cramped. with a low roof height partly due to the sunroof. Feels more like a station wagon with 7 seats rather than an MPV.

 

Likely will strike both off my list.

Edited April 28, 2014 by Mkl22

[Atrecord]

If you dun mind the brand, check out the brand new Stavic 2.0 diesel turbo, lots of booth space and price is good. Option for 7 or 9 seater too....

 

coincidentally i saw ad in i think the papers, and saw a old stavic cab on the road yest (not many left nowadays), and told wife that that one quite affordable. If not wrong, saw the ad saying it's about $140K only...

[Zafira18]

 

coincidentally i saw ad in i think the papers, and saw a old stavic cab on the road yest (not many left nowadays), and told wife that that one quite affordable. If not wrong, saw the ad saying it's about $140K only...

 

was publish 138k for 7 seater....the saving on fuel price can justify the additional diesel tax if you travel a lot...

[Atrecord]

test drove the biante and mazda 5 over the weekend. world of difference between the 2.

 

The biante is so slow and heavy, with only me and the sales person, the car was already sluggish, what more when loaded further. handling dynamics also rather ponderous. no doubt you get quite some space. but i dislike how the 3row intrudes into the boot space. i also found the 2nd row rather narrow. more like 2.5people width rather than seating for 3.

 

Mazda 5 is a breadth of fresh air after the Biante, it so much more nimble and agile. but its rather cramped. with a low roof height partly due to the sunroof. Feels more like a station wagon with 7 seats rather than an MPV.

 

Likely will strike both off my list.

 

Hmm... if want power and decent space, maybe can explore Ford Galaxy. It has same engine as S-Max (240 hp) but only has 200 hp, which is still a lot for MPVs. It also has more space, and the showroom purposely put a couple of luggages behind the car, i'm sure to show customers that they can fit into the Galaxy when seats are up...

 

But got no sliding doors. Seems like only Jap MPVs got sliding doors...

 

was publish 138k for 7 seater....the saving on fuel price can justify the additional diesel tax if you travel a lot...

 

ok, so i was close... nope i don't travel a lot.

Plus i was wondering why all the stavic cabs steadily disappeared from our roads. Surely there must be a problem reason...

 

actually saw in Sat's Life some weeks back that Kia is launching a new MPV in some Motor Show in April. But the website said only available year-end... can't see anything now...

[Ben5266]

 

coincidentally i saw ad in i think the papers, and saw a old stavic cab on the road yest (not many left nowadays), and told wife that that one quite affordable. If not wrong, saw the ad saying it's about $140K only...

Have you stop at the back of Stavic cab before?

When move on... it moves slower than an old man driving a Picanto....

[Atrecord]

Have you stop at the back of Stavic cab before?

When move on... it moves slower than an old man driving a Picanto....

 

Really? actually i've not noticed.

 

But i'd taken the stavic cab once, about 8 yr ago when it was quite new. I remember asking the cab driver whether the engine was powerful enough for such a big car, and he said no problem and it's actually quite responsive. I was alone (other than the driver) in the cab, and already i had my doubt, i was wondering what will happen if got 9 persons in the car...

[Heartlander]

test drove the biante and mazda 5 over the weekend. world of difference between the 2.

 

The biante is so slow and heavy, with only me and the sales person, the car was already sluggish, what more when loaded further. handling dynamics also rather ponderous. no doubt you get quite some space. but i dislike how the 3row intrudes into the boot space. i also found the 2nd row rather narrow. more like 2.5people width rather than seating for 3.

 

Mazda 5 is a breadth of fresh air after the Biante, it so much more nimble and agile. but its rather cramped. with a low roof height partly due to the sunroof. Feels more like a station wagon with 7 seats rather than an MPV.

 

Likely will strike both off my list.

I am not sure you have been overwhelmed by the sheer size of Biante as I did during the test-drive. Not used to the large size, I was very tentative and the car felt much slower and unwieldy. Comparatively, Mazda 5 would feel much at home with its shorter length and width and height, thus you will more likely to dare to trash it around. After all it is of similar dimension to any sedan or mid-size mpv.

 

But after owning Biante for awhile, perhaps the car has run-in somewhat, the car could move off when gently tapped unlike when just took delivery. The 12.7sec century sprint of Biante compare to 11.4sec for Mazda 5 should not differ so much in performance. And the fact that both my wife and myself could adjust to Biante within a week of ownership after close to 3 years of owning a 9.5sec century sprint mpv speaks for itself. Definitely not cursing and swearing everyday driving the Bainte but enjoying every minute of it.

 

And to quote the figure from Mazda website, the second row for Biante is 1280mm wide compare to 1240mm for Mazda 5. It is 1245mm for Wish. So the issue is more of a perception.

 

Anyway, go with your heart. This is an interesting period where you try to find your dream car according to your preferences. Do not believe what everyone has to say but do try it out yourself and made your own opinion. But do delay the purchase for as long as you can tahan as prices is sure to drop. Cheers.

 

Edit: To share more, there is GREAT difference when driving a full-size MPV for the first time, comparing to a sedan or mid-size mpv. I still remember the few days I had Sharan was really terrible, always very glad when managed to reach destination safely without drama. Parking was mightmarish even after owning 2 mid-size mpv before. The length and width will make the car seems very difficult to drive and "detached". But you will get used to it quickly. Do not worry too much.

Edited April 28, 2014 by Heartlander

[jimboy]

 

Coming from a bi-turbo car with 9.5s century sprint, the loss of power in this car is especially telling. But as it runs in, it is definitely adequate to pull the car along nicely. 12.7s century sprint is not too shabby on all accounts. The presence of I-drive which tends to shutdown the engine when idling, making the car very jerky and felt no power when engine restarted, definitely help to create the impression that it is lousy. Those who going for test-drive remember to shutdown the I-drive by long-press the I-drive button once after starting the engine, or ask the SE to off it for you. It must be turned off every time the engine is turned on. I did not have too good an impression after the test drive, but still got it on virtue of what it can offer in other aspects. But no regrets in area of power after driving it for close to a month, just need to anticipate and off the I-drive everytime.

 

I never drive Alphard or other full-size mpv before, so cant comments on differences. But just use it as it is, you will not be disappointed.

 

Hi Heartlander,

 

Is it that bad to use i-stop, thought by using i-stop it will help to save fuel?

[Heartlander]

 

Hi Heartlander,

 

Is it that bad to use i-stop, thought by using i-stop it will help to save fuel?

Yah the purpose of I-stop is to save fuel by cutting off engine when it sense that the car is stopped. It is supposed to restart within 0.35s upon sensing that the accelerator is tapped, but that will contribute to the laggy experience. On top of that, the car will vibrate during that part which I do not like. VW also advocate this kind of thought that if you stop your car for more than x seconds, then better switch off the engine.

 

I also worried about parts premature tear and wear due to frequent engine on-off.

 

I believe the 13.5km/L is achieved with i-stop. But I never confirm that.

[TVT]

Yah the purpose of I-stop is to save fuel by cutting off engine when it sense that the car is stopped. It is supposed to restart within 0.35s upon sensing that the accelerator is tapped, but that will contribute to the laggy experience. On top of that, the car will vibrate during that part which I do not like. VW also advocate this kind of thought that if you stop your car for more than x seconds, then better switch off the engine.

 

I also worried about parts premature tear and wear due to frequent engine on-off.

 

I believe the 13.5km/L is achieved with i-stop. But I never confirm that.

 

What if a kid step on to accelerator accidentally? The car will start too? Isn't that dangerous?

[TVT]

Btw, what's this "Ticket" button on on the aircon control section:

 

 

Edited April 29, 2014 by TVT

[Heartlander]

 

What if a kid step on to accelerator accidentally? The car will start too? Isn't that dangerous?

I-stop works only after engine has started. It will stop engine only when the foot is on the brake for a short while, and start the engine only when the foot went over to the accelerator pedal. I think if a kid step on the accelerator at that moment will have no effect. The foot is still on the brake pedal? Do I understand your question correctly? Anyway, how can a kid stick his/her feet on the accelerator under this situation when the car is being driven?