When we said goodbye to Valborg, or trusty ’86 745 GLE, in 2013, we needed another daily driver. Ever on the alert for another stick-shift to replace the Volvo, one day I found a Craigslist used-car ad posted by Hemborg Ford, a dealer not too far away from us in Norco, California.
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Pairing a minivan with Mazda’s “Zoom-zoom” tagline, such as on the cover of this 2010 brochure, seemed incongruous. Time would prove that to be correct for most customers.
The ad’s subject was a 2010 Mazda5 minivan, claimed to be a one-owner trade with less than 22,000 miles. As I perused the description, I was amazed to read that it also had a five-speed manual gearbox. Sure enough, the photos included a dashboard shot of the actual stick shift. This was getting interesting…
I suspected that a manual-transmission minivan, especially from a low-volume make and model that had been basically invisible from a new-car marketing point of view, would probably be sitting on the used-car lot for some time. I mentally filed the ad away for future reference, checking back every couple of weeks to make sure the van was still available. A couple of months later, the four-year-old van’s $15,995 asking price had been reduced twice without success, confirming my assumption regarding potential buyers’ lack of interest.
About ten weeks later, though, the original ad was gone. Selecting “Mazda5” in the Craigslist search box, I scrolled through the posted SoCal choices, finally confirming to my relief that the same van was still available. The Ford dealer had swapped it with Rydell Chrysler Dodge Jeep, a San Fernando new-car dealer about ninety miles away.
Convincing the always-practical Mrs. H. that a small minivan could be a useful daily driver, perhaps even necessary to transport our furry menagerie, we first ensured that the Mazda was still available and then drove to the dealer on a sunny Sunday afternoon to check it out. A thorough inspection and test drive raised no red flags, nor did the supplied Carfax report, which confirmed the van’s single-owner, accident-free history.
The rest of the process was surprisingly painless. Our no-pressure salesperson was respectful and helpful throughout, and we escaped the clutches of the dealer’s F&I department by presenting them with a check for the van’s full $13,500 purchase price.
For those who might not be familiar with the Mazda5, it replaced the Hiroshima automaker’s previous MPV minivan for model year 2006 in North America. Based on the compact C-platform shared with Ford and Volvo, it offered front wheel drive, three-row seating for up to six passengers, and perhaps not surprisingly for Mazda, sportier handling than typical for the category. In terms of size, it was close to the original standard-wheelbase Dodge Caravan, differing one-half inch or less in overall width and height. While its wheelbase, at 108.3,” gave away nearly four inches to the Dodge, it boasted a longer length overall, at 181.5” (vs. 175.9” for the Caravan).
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The Mazda5 essentially duplicated the interior packaging of the ’84 Dodge Caravan, twenty-two years later. To my mind, the concept still resonated.
Under the hood, while the Caravan’s base 2.2-liter four-cylinder and the Mazda5’s 2.3-liter I4 might also sound quite competitive, the Dodge only developed 98-HP, compared to a resounding 157-HP for the Mazda. Peak torque, at 119 lbs./ft. and 148 lbs./ft., respectively, was closer but still a win for the Mazda.
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The Mazda5’s 2.3-liter four-cylinder was surprisingly stout, not to mention reliable and durable. (Source: www.ttac/Michael Karesh)
Of course, we’re comparing apples and oranges here, as the ’84 Dodge Caravan tipped the scales at 2934 pounds in its base form, while the 2006 Mazda5 (burdened by Federal bumpers, airbags, and all the additional niceties deemed essential by a new generation of buyers) weighed almost exactly 400 pounds more. Still, a revealing comparison.
As is frequently the case, by the mid-aughts the minivan had evolved in “Grand” form, with extended wheelbases, additional passenger capacity, and more cargo room behind the seats (though perhaps not all at the same time). There might still have been a tiny sub-segment of the minivan market for whom smaller models sufficed, but you couldn’t tell that from sales of the Mazda5, which peaked at just over 22,000 units in 2008, declining to just over 8,600 in its final 2015 model year.
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A facelift for the ’08 model year and the “Nagare”-inspired redo in 2011 briefly improved sales, but it was mostly downhill.
Could it be that Mazda’s virtual lack of marketing for their sole minivan offering presaged its slow demise? Did the mere fact that a manual transmission was offered at all suggest a complete misreading of its target market? Or was it just lost in the sea of 3s, 6s, and CX-whatever’s which made up the bulk of the brand’s stateside sales?
By then, Mazda has chosen to forsake the minivan market for the higher-volume (and more profitable) world of the sport-utility vehicle. It had tentatively entered that market earlier, first with the Navajo, a badge-engineered version of the two-door Ford Explorer, and later with its take on the first-generation Ford Escape, ironically badged “Tribute.”
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Mazda first dipped its toe into the SUV waters with the Explorer-based Navajo and the later Tribute, a slightly tweaked Ford Escape.
But I digress. I’m here to celebrate the unappreciated Mazda5. Especially in manual-transmission form, it’s fun to drive for a vehicle of its type, and its taut suspension and low-profile 17-inch tires help it get around corners quite satisfactorily. Speaking of those tires, we found that they were directional Continentals when our first dealer services included a tire rotation. They weren’t factory; the OE tires were Toyos. Who puts directional tires on a minivan? We could only conclude that our van may have had an interesting life for its first 22K miles. (I’ll ignore the fact that it took two “be-backs” for the Mazda dealer’s tire jockey to properly rotate those Contis.)
At any rate, our Mazda5 is now most definitely a COAL, still going strong with nearly 150K on the odometer. After all, at just fourteen years of age, it’s only slightly older than the average vehicle now roaming U.S. roads, so I’m hoping there’s lots more life left in it.
Especially because I have no idea what I’d replace it with…
A Mazda5 made my “almost” list a couple of times. I remember considering one before we bought our Honda Fit in the summer of 2006. We never got close on it, and I am trying to remember why. I think I probably decided that if I was going to get a small economy vehicle, the Fit was more on top of that task, where the Mazda was a family vehicle that compromised too much on size (for people coming to the end of life with a Ford Club Wagon).
The second time was when we bought our Sedona in 2011. By then, Mazda had gotten into its oddball styling phase, and the strange ripples (intentionally) pressed into the side sheet metal were a big turn-off for me.
I knew these came with a stick and have secretly harbored a little desire for one. I am currently experiencing that 2.3L four in my Mazda3 hatch, and am really enjoying it. Yours has to work harder in that larger vehicle, but I imagine it still has plenty of grunt for the job, especially with the stick shift.
The 5 was on my list as well when I was shopping a replacement for my ’13 Beetle TDi convertible, at least until I tried to sit in one. At 5′-17″ in height, I simply did not fit – the driver’s seat would not go back far enough to get my knees off the dash.
Yeah, 5′-17″ is pretty tall. I am curious as in my field I sometimes have to convert numbers from one form to another. So does this convert to 6′ 5″?
The front seat area was none too roomy. I had a 2008, and at an even 6′ I barely fit. Optimally I would have moved the seat back another notch or two, if another notch or two had existed on the seat tracks.
Friend of mine has a exJDM Mazda that model seems to be an ok car, The Mazda Tribute is what the Ford Escape was based on we have both new out of Japan. My friends car is axiomatic it rarely leaves the city
Nice car. When we were shopping back in 2017, I looked at both the Mazda 5 (on CL) and Toyota Matrix (CL and one on a lot) as well as driving a Fit, before getting our Golf. The stick shift availability coupled with hatchback roominess was the common thread. When I showed my wife a photo of the Mazda she wasn’t keen on the idea of a minivan; we’ve never owned one. But my perusal of CL shows that the manuals had a decent take rate. I think smaller cars that place practicality above style often appeal to 3-legged drivers. In my frequent walks I often peer inside cars to see if they’re stick shift and I see a lot of manual shift levers in Honda Elements and Yaris hatchbacks as well.
Well bought. These were on the top of my list to replace my Aztec. Perfect size, airy green house and with infinitely configurable interior made these a winner for me. Finding one here in NJ that wasn’t ultra high miles, plagued with rust or beat to crap was impossible, never mind a stick.
I owned (and COAL’d) a stick shift 1992 Plymouth Voyager. The reactions from people were fun.
Last year during my car search, I found a 2013(?) Mazda5 with a manual transmission and only 17k miles, but it was in Georgia. I asked a buddy in Georgia to go check it out for me, but he got busy and then it got sold. I wound up with a different Mazda. Mazda is in a weird spot right now (which serves to the benefit of buyers). They’re as good as Honda or Toyota, maybe in some ways better. But they’re still under the radar for most mainstream buyers. I wound up with a CX-5 that had depreciated more than a RAV4 or CR-V would have. I’m pleased.
I’ve not had one of these, but in 2018 I had a very similarly sized (and purposed) diesel Renault Scenic in Ireland for a week during a family trip. Surprising amount of room for the 4 of us, and great economy. This class of vehicle is certainly underrepresented and underappreciated on our shores. Huge amount of utility. How cool it is that you found this unicorn and it’s given you such great service!
My wife STILL doesn’t forgive me for trading our 2010 (red, manual transmission, as above) in on a 2012 Focus hatchback. We used the Mazda a lot for rescue transport, usually several dogs at a time between Eau Claire, Wisconsin and the Twin Cities. The sliding doors were a genius feature and the car’s fuel economy was surprisingly good. (We actually achieved 39.9 mpg on one trip between the two cities, using a frugal throttle application and lots of downhill coasting.) However I was distrustful after a crank position sensor failure left us stranded in a suburban PetSmart parking lot with a car full of animals. Even so, Mazda shouldn’t have given up on the vehicle.
I’ve always liked the 6 passenger mini MPV as transport for a nuclear family of 4 with 2 extra seats for carpools or grandparents. If I could have bought one I would have been all over the Fiat Multipla. When the Mazda5 came out and was available in the US it was even better, unfortunately a shortage of cash kept us driving in small cars until 2016 when we finally bought a 2014 Mazda5. Like most 5s in the US it was automatic but still quick enough against our benchmark of a 95 Ford Escort. We loved it and crammed an extraordinary amount of stuff in it. With 4 it was almost luxurious with the rear captain’s chair and plenty of luggage space. We would have kept it indefinitely if it hadn’t been totaled by a twit in a crew cab running a stop sign in 2017. The Mazda CX-5 that replaced it is more powerful and has a camera and Bluetooth but it is badly packaged compared to the Mazda5.
It’s too bad the US market didn’t go for the Mazda5 and the similar Kia Rondo, a lot of SUV and Minivan buyers could have save money by going smaller. My dream would have been a Mazda5 with the 2.5 Skyactiv G and 6 speed of the CX-5 plus AWD. I would have gladly sacrificed ground clearance for space.
I like to get one too, Consumer Reports gave it a 89-rating for handling, that is very impressive. Plus its seven-seating configuration in a such small package is very attractive to my usage back then. I have seen this type of vehicle in Europe during that period. But what held me back was its crash rating, IIHS rated it as Poor, a very rare occurrence for vehicle in 2000s. So I can only admire how good it was bur do not dare to drive one. I was told the Ford CMax in Europe was somewhat related to this vehicle, just wondering if Ford crash rating was better in Europe crash test
I also considered this due to the format, manual transmission availability, and ease of stowing bicycles and skis. Some reviews mentioned relatively high levels of interior noise, and I eventually purchased a VW Golf Sportwagen. It’s not as easy to stow bicycles, but the VW is a great driving car, as dman and others here have reported.
I bought a new one in 2008 and enjoyed the golf car like steering and handling for nine years and 100k miles. The 5 speed automatic with lockup converter and manually selectable gears shifted very intelligently on its own and never let the engine bog under throttle. Even though it couldn’t be considered a fast car, it responded to the helm with the eagerness of your favorite labrador. Wheelspin could be induced with power braking and the resulting lunge in first gear was impressive. The interior was stylish and comfortable with interesting patterned cloth surfaces on the door panels of our base model Sport. Rear seats folded down and made a flat floor. I would have kept the car longer but after repeated severe winters in central Oregon decided to go with a Subaru. The most serious service need was a failed power steering unit that was warrenteed and the dealer provided a nice rental while it was down. Due to some excessive tire wear patterns from negative camber I installed adjustable links on the rear suspension. Couldn’t find specific adjustable turntables for the front spring mounts but it looked like the Focus aftermarket items would have fit.
I always wanted one of these and never got one. The sliding doors and the small size is what attracted me to them…and also the available manual transmission. Eventually i got a honda minivan to replace my old honda civic stickshift. The minivan isnt a stick but it has plenty of cargo capability with the seats removed…and rides like a king of the highway. I’m now on my second honda minivan. So now it looks like i will probably never own a mazda5.