Mazda 5 test drive since 2010 minivan

"Five" for seven

All people are largely selfish and when it is time to choose a car for the family, we immediately think about it, and what will we get in such a car for ourselves? Someone is waiting for comfort, someone chooses a spacious salon so as not to hear the mother-in-law replicas from the very rear seat, and some hope to get their portion of drive and adrenaline into the blood. Recently, the segment of family compactwenes has been growing both on yeast and this is at that time as Russia and Europe suffer from a demographic crisis and are still inexpressing to increase the birth rate. Almost all of the world car manufacturers now have their compactwics, starting with Hyundai and ending with Mercedes-Benz.
I wonder what place Mazda5 will take among them, will she find her own niche in the market?
From afar, Mazda5 seems incredibly stretched in length, but the impression is deceptive. Although the wheelbase of the five is 2,750 mm or 75 mm more than that of the Mazda6, the total overall length of the compactwane is quite modest 4 505 mm, which is only 15 mm more than that of the mazda3 sedan and significantly shorter than the six. Therefore, do not be surprised that from the point of view of city parking, the 5th series turned out to be even more convenient than many hatchbacks and sedans.
 
Assessing the Mazda5 from an aesthetic point of view, compactwhen can be recognized as a solid middle peasant with a dumb nose and slanting headlights, of course, cause associations with more spectacular masts, but they are far from a direct analogy. But the five has its own bright feature, which none of the direct competitors have this shifting rear doors, as a rule, which are the prerogative of larger minivans. By the way, the unusual doors of the Mazda were successfully beaten in one of the commercials that are published on the website mazda.ru. During the chase, the five drove into a narrow Italian street and was able to let all her passengers through the shift doors, while the pursuers could not even get out of the car of their doors simply did not open.
The front panel of the five is almost the same as in MAZDA3, only the backlight in the compactwane is green instead of red, and there are no wells on the instrument panel. Thanks to the large area of \u200b\u200bglazing, the five pleased with good visibility. Moreover, this applies not only to the driver, who can clearly see what is happening around the machine, both in motion and in the parking lot, but also passengers of all seats - the abundance of light in the cabin creates a pleasant atmosphere, despite the dark tones that the interior is finished. Even the children sitting on the third row of seats, their own large windows were awarded through which it is convenient to survey the surroundings. Also specially for the service of the driver, large rear -view mirrors are provided.
Oddly enough, but even in a 7-seater version, the luggage volume allows you to place several road bags in it or a full trolley from the supermarket according to factory data, its volume is only 112 liters, but using this space is quite convenient. At the same time, two adult passengers may well fit on the rear seats themselves (provided that the average sofa is installed in an intermediate position, and not shifted until it stops back). Needless to say, with a light movement of the hand, the rear seats can be folded on the floor and then the trunk volume will increase to 538 liters. The middle row of seats was made very unusually in fact two separate chairs, but on the back of one of them a folding armrest is fixed, which part -time can serve as a back for a medium passenger. The pillow of the middle sled is also not static - it can be easily replaced by a small trough for little things with cup holders. It is unlikely to be correctly supposed to operate often with full load, because it is a family, not a commercial car, and the ability to adapt the salon to its needs is always pleasant and in demand. But what seemed not convenient is the inability to completely fold the flush with the floor of the middle row. The dark salon first seemed gloomy at first, but it is diluted with silver inserts on the chairs, but, in addition, dark upholstery promises not to get so fast as bright, which is important for a family in which several young children grow. And adults are also not always clean.
The engine, despite the small volume and modest power, turned out to be very elastic and convenient in motion. Even on the rise, a 1.8 -liter engine allows you to start with minimum revolutions without setting together a clutch, and in the city already at 50 km/h you can safely turn on the fifth gear - the thrust is enough for confident overclocking. The board for good traction is a sluggish promotion at high speeds after 4000 rpm the motor adds speed without much enthusiasm, although if you wish, it is quite possible to catch up with the tachometer arrow to the red zone, but it is unlikely to affect the acceleration positively. But from a family car you do not expect the agility of a sports car. If you are patient, then on the highway the five easily accelerates even to the mark of 160 km/h, which for a high car weighing more than two tons can be considered an excellent result.
Oddly enough at speed, despite the high body, the side wind practically does not affect the compactwhen - the long wheelbase guarantees high terminal stability of the five completely eliminates the driver from the need to steal enough to hold the steering wheel in a straightforward position. But the greatest pleasure was the adjustment of the suspension. Energy -intensive and very comfortable she will make a car with pleasant controllability. Despite the solid rolls - a high body is simply doomed to them, the driver always feels well and controls the car, even when the limit of the adltional properties of the tires surpasses.
It seems that the developers have paid no less attention to setting up the chassis than to study the possibilities of transforming the salon. In the maximum turn, the five holds well for the asphalt with all the wheels, until the last keeping the car from the demolition. Even if the front axle swam a little out of the turn, the driver always has a chance to press the gas pedal and drag the car into the turn. In this case, if necessary, the stabilization system can always be deactivated. Follow the chassis settings and a convenient gear shift mechanism, submitted to a high attack of the central console. He would have more strokes, and there would be a real sports lever.
But what the developers saved significantly on is noise insulation. Trips on different Mazda models are forced to doubt, but is there a position of engineer on acoustic comfort in the staffing of the Japanese concern’s development department? Compactwane shod in winter studded tires fills the salon with a tangible rumble already at a speed of 80 km/h. At the same time, the sounds of the engine are heard only when approaching the 3,000-thousand-high mark, but the road noise is almost always noticeable. On the highway, when the speed exceeds 120 km/h, it is better to postpone all the conversations to the stop, otherwise you have to go to the scream.
To admit honestly, returning compactwane to the car dealership, I could not fully understand and solve it. The five are woven from contradictions. The modest engine in it is combined with excellent handling, and the large and light salon is filled with a road roying more significantly stronger than you expect. In addition, many drivers, especially female, will probably upset the lack of a version with an automatic transmission. The mechanical gearbox works perfectly, but in the conditions of constant metropolitan traffic jams, and still relatively cheap fuel, more and more motorists choose an automatic machine, even if it is not a particularly quick robotic checkpoint, if only there was no excess adhesion pedal.
For reference, the most affordable Mazda5 1.8 Family with a 5-seater salon, 6th airbags and without air conditioning are estimated at $ 2,400. Our machine in the Touring configuration was already originally equipped with a 7-seater salon, a stabilization of the course stability, its basic price is 24,400 dollars, and if you order a route computer, climate control, radio with a CD-player and alloy wheels as an option. Immediately jumps up to $ 27,850.
2-liter five with a capacity of 145 hp Initially equipped with climate control and therefore costs from $ 26,900. The top version of Active with xenon headlights and alloy wheels will cost at least $ 29,200. And this despite the fact that all Mazda5 is supplied exclusively with a mechanical checkpoint.
Actually, the lack of choice of transmission is very much limits the buying audience of the top five. If the machine was on it, the car could be forgiven for a modest motor and safely recommend it to housewives who will probably be delighted with good visibility and comfortable swing doors - it is convenient to sew children through them both in the second and the third row of seats. In the meantime, the five can be recommended mainly by middle -aged men with a big family who are still not alien to driver excitement and drive. It was just that it remains to convince them to give their blood almost 28 thousand dollars (exactly so much was worth the tested copy) for a machine with a 1.8 -liter engine with a capacity of 115 l/c. And there is a choice in this segment: for $ 24,900, Ford offers a modestly equipped (but already with air conditioning) and a more spacious S-MAX with a 145-horsepower engine, and for 33 thousand you can buy a similar minivan, but with a 220 engine with a power of 220 L.S.
 
Leonid Pavlov
 

 
 

Source: Carclub.ru