Overview & Reviews

The Mazda 5 mini minivan gets mildly freshened front and rear styling, and a revised center control panel for 2008. Electroluminescent gauges have been added, along with rear seat air vents and controls, additional passenger flip-down armrests and an auxiliary audio jack. A five-speed automatic replaces the old four-speed, and is now standard equipment on the Touring and Grand Touring trims. The five-speed manual remains standard on the base-trim Sport. The Grand Touring trim also gains additional features, while the optional navigation system benefits from a more user-friendly touchscreen design.

• Low price, ample features list, nimble handling, just-right space for small families.

• Performance suffers when loaded up with people and stuff, cramped third row, stability control not available.

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 102.00

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  A great vehicle - 2008 Mazda Mazda5
  By ajl - October 6 - 7:33 pm

  We looked at everything in this price class,new and used. CR-V, RAV 4, Subaru Forester, Kia Rondo,Suzuki Grand Vitara. Nothing offered the combination of fun and function like the Mazda. This is not meant as a replacement for the minivan from Honda, Toyota,etc. You must drive this "microvan" before passing judgment on it. If you appreciate sharp steering and handling over a softer ride, you will not be disappointed. Bottom line: If you need to haul a small family around or just some stuff AND have fun doing it, the Mazda 5 is for you! It was for us! For those complaining about snow traction. Get four snow tires. 205/50/17 all season tires were never meant for snow!

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  ONLY 3 row US vehicle w/ manual tranny! - 2008 Mazda Mazda5
  By Dave - June 12 - 10:26 pm

  Perfect for a small family. If youre worried it wont do for the family vacation, dont fear! With the cash you save in purchase and fuel over a minivan you can rent a minivan if ever you need to!

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  Its Okay but I would not buy another - 2008 Mazda Mazda5
  By crankychick - May 2 - 6:20 pm

  Have had our vehicle for over a year. Power steering keeps cutting out, brakes squeak like mad in the rain, dealer seems unable to fix either problem. We drive 34,000 km per year, are a family of 5 with 3 smaller sized teens, this is our only car. No where in the middle seats to put a drink down (our vehicle does not have the under seat fold out holder - which is annoying in itself). The back window never seems to stay clean, no matter how often we wash it, car washes seem to never get the whole back of the car. It is fun to drive, and looks great, gets excellent mileage BUT it is uncomfortable, and the person in the back row is either hot or cold. Needs AWD for North American snow

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  Almost got it - 2008 Mazda Mazda5
  By JH - March 18 - 11:23 pm

  Mazda5 is very good overall. Mileage is about what the EPA says it should be; we do a bit better on the highway than their rating. Performance is good. We had the power steering defect for which Mazda has a technical service bulletin and are hoping they will recall it (there is a recall in Canada) because the tab was $600+ for the repair. Uneven tire wear is a problem. They wore unevenly early generating a wowwowwow sound. Wheel alignment must be on the outer fringes of possible to correct this. There is not enough travel for the drivers seat. Another inch or two of driver leg room is badly needed. Overall, it is a very good package and I would buy again esp. if driver position is improved

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  Still love the little guy but - 2008 Mazda Mazda5
  By ajl - October 25 - 2:00 am

  An update to the previous review. Id still buy this vehicle again. But I will echo previous reviewers comments. Still the original Toyos, but I have 4 snow tires for the winter,which I highly recommend (Low profile all seasons are not good for snow). The original Toyos might have 9000 miles on them and are half worn out.We have a suspension noise in the back that keeps coming back. Dealer has been great,even though we didnt buy it there. No steering issues, but there is a recall. A great little vehicle, but it does have its flaws (all cars do, they are complex machines) There is no such thing as a perfect car.

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  6 month review - 2008 Mazda Mazda5
  By Mark - April 6 - 8:53 pm

  Well we have had our 2008 mazda5 sport for over 6 mos now and figured it was time to give our thoughts. First living in a snowy, hilly area the winter handling and hill climbing power are both average at best. It lags at hill climbing, especially at highway speeds. Fuel efficiency has been pretty good maybe even a little better than rated. The interior design is very accommodating &comfortable. The rear seats are easy to fold/unfold and the design of the controls is very intuitive. Cargo space with the third row up is minimal but with it down we can easily fit our two week groceries and more in the back. Reliability has been perfect so far. Black interior impossible to keep clean.

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  Just What I Needed - 2008 Mazda Mazda5
  By Dnice35 - February 10 - 6:16 am

  I have a newborn and before purchasing the Mazda 5 we had a mid-size sedan. It was a hassle to put the baby in and out of the car. We bought this car for the following reasons: 1. good gas millage 2. comfortable for the baby 3. design, So far it has met our expectations. We are more than pleased with our purchase.

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  Some problems to note, great interior - 2008 Mazda Mazda5
  By Chris1031 - December 9 - 9:30 am

  Great interior layout and having the various seating options. The seating work well with our children. Another pro has been the dual sliding doors, no need to worry about the children opening their doors and hitting another car. great gas mileage too! The cons of ownership of this car is that at 18,000 we needed to replace all 4 tires. Also, the bushings needed to be replaced as every time we went over a bump the car would squeak like it was 20 years old. The worst problem of all just happened last night. After 2 years of owning this car, I lost power steering suddenly while driving down the street - scary! Check out the TSB regarding steering.

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  Perfect Size - 2008 Mazda Mazda5
  By kb - October 23 - 6:40 pm

  My wife and I bought a Copper Red Touring model just two weeks ago, after I spent almost a full year researching the 5. We have two young boys and only occasionally need to carry extra passengers, so this vehicle will be perfect for us. We leave the third-row seats folded flat, and it provides more cargo area (and more versatile use of that area) than a typical sedan. I find the ride rather comfortable -- a little stiff on pavement seams, but I think thats a deliberate trade-off Mazda made to achieve the sportier handling in line with its corporate image. And it does handle very nicely. This is our first Mazda, so were hoping it will be as reliable as the Hondas weve had. So far so good.

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  very good car for small family - 2008 Mazda Mazda5
  By dandepriest - June 18 - 7:35 am

  To be honest, at my age, I kind of miss the roominess and lush comfort of the Chrysler Town and Country we once had. But for value, fuel economy, utility, and reliability I cant say Ive ever owned or even known of a better car than our Mazda 5 Grand Touring van. Weve put 50K miles on it over two years. A lot of long trips. Its a bit compact for a van but it does seat six comfortably, although two adults in the rear-most bench seat would eventually feel a bit cramped on a long trip. And with six people on an over-night trip there wont be much room for luggage so pack light. The manual indicates that the Mazda 5 is not designed for towing and that it should never be used for that. Howeve