A couple of weeks ago we started a series of family car analyzes, with the intention of seeing them a little inside and knowing what are the benefits at the family level.
By this I mean seeing the cars inside, from a somewhat unusual perspective, focusing especially on the rear seats and forgetting everything that can go from the steering wheel onwards (i.e. the engine and mechanical performance).
Today we are going to analyze one of the cars best known by fathers and mothers, because it usually goes out in almost every pool (in mine it came out), the Mazda 5, of which we will see the new version, which appeared on the market a little less than a year ago.
Modularity of the Mazda 5
The Mazda 5 has 3 rows of seats (2-3-2), which make up a total of 7 seats. However, the middle seat of the second row, as with previous versions of the car, is more testimonial than anything else, leaving the car in a 2-2-2, which would be 6 seats. Let's say that, to be fair, it is a seat that can be used on short journeys, but not recommended if you are going to make a long trip.
The two rear seats are at the floor level of the trunk, which is the solution that is being used in most minivans and that we consider the best, because hidden pass unnoticed, leaving a very spacious trunk. To unfold the seats just pull the handles until you notice the lace.
Maybe it was my feeling or I did not give too much with the gesture, but to do so I had to move the central seats a tilt forward, as if in their usual position the headrests of the rear seats collided with the middle seats.
The rear seats are designed to go two children or two adults of short stature, I would say that up to approximately 1.70, since from that height you will have to go with your legs wide open, or throwing the seats of the second row forward.
Focusing now on the central row, the side seats are independent, being able to move separately. The central seat, as we have said, is more to fulfill than anything else. In fact, you can almost hide by folding the chair in a space that is under one of the sides (you will see it more graphically in the video that we will publish in a while).
If we do not have that seat we have a 6-seater car that would be for 2 adults and 4 children. If we think about it coldly, almost no one today has 4 children, so It is a valid car for almost all families. However, this way you have to have the back row and you lose luggage (in addition the rear seats do not have Isofix for the seats).
Sliding side doors
Mazda 5? What is it, that of the sliding doors? Surely more than once you have heard this conversation. Someone talks about Mazda 5, the other does not know very well which car he refers to, but when he explains that he has the sliding side doors he falls immediately into the model.
He Mazda 5 It has always been characterized by having the sliding doors in what is one of the (for me) best ideas an engineer could have when designing a car for families. It is a real pain (so, with all the letters), having to put the children in their seats with the door touching your ass and even closing and pulling away because some car needs more space to pass (well, the same I have spent, no It is for so much, but hey, if it can be solved, better ...), so when you see a car like this with the sliding doors you think: finally someone has thought about the parents.
But this is not all, for this model Mazda has considered that the sliding doors are very good, but that it would be even better if they open themselves. So they have done it: the doors open and close by themselves. You just have to pull the handlebars, as if you were going to open it, and the door opens fully until the end of the tour. To close it, then the same, you pull the handlebars and it closes completely.
Safety in the Mazda 5
In the analysis of the previous car we could offer the EuroNcap test figures. In the case of Mazda 5 It is not possible because the data are from the Mazda 5 of 2005 and are not reliable because the model we are analyzing today is from 2010.
Focusing then on what the car carries at the safety level, comment that it has 6 airbags: two front, two lateral ones for the front seats and two more curtain that protect the head, in case of side impact, ranging from the first to The third row
At the level of restraint of children and babies, the two side seats in the middle row carry Isofix, so we can fix two seats for two children.
Space
As for space, to say what we all know about when we talk about minivans. If the rear seats are stored the trunk is in 426 liters of space, correct size (although pulling small if we talk about this type of cars), being 857 liters if the seats in the second row are also lowered.
Regarding the typical corners, glove boxes and recesses, say that the Mazda 5 does not stand out precisely in this aspect. In the front doors we find the typical glove compartment, although quite small for what is usually offered and in the rear doors there is nothing, logical if we take into account that they are sliding doors.
Yes, there is a large hole to store things under the seat of one of the sides of the second row, but to access it you have to lift the seat out, being an impossible maneuver if someone is sitting.
Comfort
At the comfort level the Mazda 5 We found it a fairly correct car. The seats, being movable and foldable, are somewhat thinner than those of the usual cars, although when it comes to sitting there is not much difference.
The space for all passengers is also correct, except for those who go in the third row, which will depend on their height and for those who go in the central seat of the second row, which will be raised with respect to their companions next door .
The driver has all the controls at hand. In fact, Sitting down to drive is a delight because it gives the feeling that you have the power in your hands (I say, many buttons). The "power" is such that you can even open and close the sliding doors sitting in your seat. The position behind the wheel, being a minivan, is high. Something that usually thank those who want to have all traffic controlled.
Conclusion
Coming from the Peugeot 5008, which is the car I analyzed last month, the Mazda 5 leaves a bittersweet taste. It has details such as the sliding door that is a real wonder and that parents are very grateful for (all cars should have sliding doors, he could) and the driving position that is a joy both at the level of control and at the level of aesthetics (Michael Knight , tremble). Even the sixth and seventh place, being foldable and being hidden is a detail to be appreciated.
However, there are things that make it seem more "Spartan" than the previous model tested. It has hardly any gaps to put things in, it does not have a rearview mirror to control children and, most importantly, the middle seat of the second row is useful in the city, but not recommended on the road. In fact, knowing that the model I was going to try was the new one, I thought that the “problem” of that seat would have been solved. I got a nasty surprise to see that such a change had not happened and the one who hoped it would be an incredible minivan with sliding doors and seven seats as God commands stayed in a promise (at least for me… ).
Photos | Motorpasión More information | Mazda In Babies and more | Peugeot 5008. Family cars to analysis, Peugeot 5008, video analysis, Being a dad: when you start looking at the MPV comparison, Being a dad: MPV comparison
