Mazda 5 Review

[Soya]

Itchy backide, so went to checkout the Mazda 5. My amateur FR on it: (if u disagree on any points, doesn't matter; juz refer to my 5-in-1 disclaimer below and you'll be fine )

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First impressions:

Walked into the showroom and noticed the nice clean taut lines immediately. Comes wif the aerokit (front deep chin bumper, sideskirt, rear spoiler, sports grille, semi-altezza lights) as std. Dual sliding door very practical and access is a piece of cake. Doesn't hv the very tall or van-like stance of some MPVs. So far, so good.

Interior design:

One word: cool. The black interior with the titanium silver centre panel reminds me of the new S40 design except it feels chunkier and more substantial wif plenty of nice curves. The black leather seats and door panels come wif red stiching - pretty sporty looking. A far cry from the typical ah pek biege interior and ghastly fake wooden panels that seem to curse most MPVs.

The integrated stereo and steering mounted controls are a nice touch. The auto headlights, rain sensing wipers and electric sunroof further adds to the upmarket feel. Dark JDM tint on the rears add to the overall chio factor.

The seat folding origami of the 6+1 concept is slightly mind boggling tho. Better to leave it as a 6 seater as the 6 individual seats will pamper the passengers nicely. Legroom is ok tho not class leading.

The lack of a rear a/c may seem like an oversight but my passengers at the back din seem to complain as the a/c was quite cool. Maybe the 12 built-in cupholders will help ensure no family will ever be thirsty.

On the road:

The Mz5 uses the same engine as the Mz6 2.0L. Having driven the Mz6 few times and came away disappointed wif the engine, i wasn't expecting much out of this mill. But surprisingly, throttle response was good and pretty linear. Maybe it's been slightly tweaked to better mate wif the 4spd Activematic tiptronic box which the Mz6 doesn't hv. Mazda's positioning of the tiptronic +/- has always been my favourite as I find the pulling back of lever to upshift (+) and pushing up to downshift (-) more intuitive than other tips which are of the opposite direction. Kinda similar to a manual when upshifting from 1st to 2nd gear, the motion is a straight pull back and downshift from 4th to 3rd is a straight thru push up. Overall, the power tho not great, seems adequate for the car and wouldn't say it's sluggish.

The Mz5 rides on the now ubiquitous new Ford Focus / S40 chassis so u can already imagine how fluid the handling is. Steering feel is sharp and body roll is well checked. Ride is smooth and firm on the stock 205/55/16 rims. In fact, the suspension setup is similar to the Focus C-Max which has received positive reviews in the UK. Thot i'd never say it of an MPV but i actually enjoyed driving it.

Conclusion:

The design and outlook is fresh & modern. Drives more like a sports sedan than a MPV. For $87,988 it's fully loaded and definitely worth considering for those looking for a bit more space and occasional use of an extra pair of seats but dun fancy lugging around a huge clumsy bathtub everyday. Heck, wif the clean lines and euro-style interior, I can even think of it a cut-price S40 MPV.

Edited May 12, 2005 by Soya

[RadX]

Pwah....u still not banned from the showrooms ah

 

I went to a private invite of the 407SW.....that is another story

[Wahlao]

wahlao (no pun intended ) that's a pretty well written review... heheh

 

really looking fwd to test drive the car this Sat... hoping to get a few frens to full load the car with me

[Mzrmazda3]

It's a very chio MPV One of my friend booked it during the pre launch period and should be taking delivery early to mid next month

[DarkLord]

Find Ah-Veo for test-drive lorz.

[Soya]

do go for a test drive and post yr FR here too.

[Wahlao]

eagerly waiting for weekend to come...

 

the SE also equally eager... keep calling me to go down to test drive

[Toalson]

Nice review

[Smiley]

looks nice hor.

 

and you write up is superb as well.

[Soya]

found more info on it:

 

the overall length is onli 10mm more than the Mz3 Sport but wheelbase is 75mm longer than the Mz6. that kinda explains the pliant ride.

[Smiley]

do you write car review fr mags?

[Soya]

as mentioned, i amateur kaypoh onli lah.

[Smiley]

you should try. part time also good mah. get to drive all sort of cars also.

[Soya]

hehe...thks for the encouragement. but not every car i interested to drive oso mah.

[Smiley]

you only like the expensive luxury ones.

[Magfocus]

Pwah....u still not banned from the showrooms ah

 

I went to a private invite of the 407SW.....that is another story

407SW not good enough for you?

[Magfocus]

Good writeup bro!!

 

Still looking eh...

[Soya]

heh heh....my eyes are forever roving.....