UPDATE Thoughts on this used car and on VW in general

[TwinsenTacquito]

If you buy a VW, throw out the widowmaker jack it comes with and put a normal crappy scissor jack in the trunk. You know, so you don't rip a fender off and kill yourself just because they decided to give you the ABSOLUTE WORST ENGINEERED JACK OF ALL TIME THAT DEFIES ALL UNDERSTANDING AND REASON. Seriously, buy a jack and put it in the car.

 

[TruePaige]

Good job on the Mazda5.

 

[StageLeft]

Sounds like you did well, agree that money for the avalanche sounds very good and you didn't get gouged on the purchases to make up for it.

 

[Sid59]

congrats! another mazda5 owner, enjoy!

 

[desy]

xtended warranty for civic is a must
google transmission problems for the hybrid, I don't know if they fixed it or not by 07

Seriously considering the 5 for my next van

 

[CPA]

the 5 is okay, however we noticed a wind sheer sound around the front windshield at about 25 or more mph. Luckily it's still under warranty and we have the extended warranty to get it looked at and corrected

 

[StageLeft]

xtended warranty for civic is a must
google transmission problems for the hybrid, I don't know if they fixed it or not by 07

Seriously considering the 5 for my next van

I looked up 5 again today because they really are not bad vehicles. Their mileage is a disappointment, though. However, they are available with a manual transmission, which is not bad at all. Sliding doors are the best thing since sliced bread and you've got a back row, albeit it a tight one, for when you really need to move some extra people.

 

[PricklyPete]

I looked up 5 again today because they really are not bad vehicles. Their mileage is a disappointment, though. However, they are available with a manual transmission, which is not bad at all. Sliding doors are the best thing since sliced bread and you've got a back row, albeit it a tight one, for when you really need to move some extra people.

From a packaging standpoint I love the 5. I really hope they catch on a bit more. Something like the Opel Zafira with the GM 2.0L DI turbo would be a great little car to have for the family, get reasonable gas mileage, and very practical.

 

[desy]

Compared to the windstar its a Prius however Mazda has some more fuel efficient engines in the pipeline and I'll be looking in a couple yrs
My kids will be 9 an 11 so still minivan territory for a while

 

[vi edit]

I looked up 5 again today because they really are not bad vehicles. Their mileage is a disappointment, though. However, they are available with a manual transmission, which is not bad at all. Sliding doors are the best thing since sliced bread and you've got a back row, albeit it a tight one, for when you really need to move some extra people.

The milage is better than the sticker states. I routinely averaged 26mpg in a 40/60 city/highway split. I almost always got 320 miles out of 12 gallons. On all highway it's not uncommon to get 360 out of 12 gallons which is 30MPG.

It really was a very economic little family hauler.

 

[CPA]

We'll find out how our mpg is on the Mazda5, wife just filled it up yesterday. The sliding doors and the third row is what put it over the top against the Toyota Matrix. I personally liked the Matrix but the kids and wife really liked the 5.

Oh and I just found out the issue with the wind sheer noise. The windshield top molding popped out. I'll be fixing that today.

 

[amdhunter]

Damn. I went 440 miles in my Civic LX and still had about 1/5th of the tank left. I couldn't imagine how much you'd get out of a tank with a Hybrid Civic.

 

[CPA]

Oh, boy, the 5 issues are worse than I thought. As I looked at the windshield molding, I come to notice this wasn't an ordinary case of the molding popping off. It looked like it was a new molding and windshield. I popped the hood, and lo and behold there is an oily substance on the top of the engine and on the hood. I don't think it's engine oil because it seems to clear, but the other canisters (coolant, brake fluid, etc) are all the proper levels, so I don't know what is leaking. I also noticed that the battery cover has broken clips and some plastic molding around the wipers and washer sprayers isn't sitting properly due to broken clips. I'm hedging the vehicle was in an accident, although the Carfax is clean. Looks like I'll be taking it in Monday to have them look for the oil leak.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

So you went from a Charger RT and a Avalanche to Civic & Mazda 5.....

Why the significant downsizing in vehicles?

Mazda 5 is a well packaged vehicle and be thankful you live nowhere there is a hill. They are dogs on hilly/mountainous roads especially with a passenger load.

 

[CPA]

So you went from a Charger RT and a Avalanche to Civic & Mazda 5.....

Why the significant downsizing in vehicles?

Mazda 5 is a well packaged vehicle and be thankful you live nowhere there is a hill. They are dogs on hilly/mountainous roads especially with a passenger load.

Money. Charger was a lease, Avalanche was paid off. However, it was costing me over $500 in gas/month on the Avalanche and we had a lot of repairs that needed to be done.

 

[PricklyPete]

Money. Charger was a lease, Avalanche was paid off. However, it was costing me over $500 in gas/month on the Avalanche and we had a lot of repairs that needed to be done.

Yeah...an Avalanche is definitely not a commuter vehicle

 

[Stefan Payne]

ignoring the fact that VW quality DOES suck,

Can't say that.

It's more that they're build for the show room and/or car tests, not for long term 'quality'...

Or in other words: they tend to use materials that looks good in the show room but wear off...

 

[Excelsior]

Can't say that.

It's more that they're build for the show room and/or car tests, not for long term 'quality'...

Or in other words: they tend to use materials that looks good in the show room but wear off...

Not true. The fit and finish is good, even many miles down the road.

 

[Stefan Payne]

Not true. The fit and finish is good, even many miles down the road.

My cousin has a 2006 (or 7) Passat 3C Variant, last time I've seen some of the material used on switches and handles on the inside came off...

 

[endlessmike]

My cousin has a 2006 (or 7) Passat 3C Variant, last time I've seen some of the material used on switches and handles on the inside came off...

Same here, things like the finish on the radio and window control buttons were starting to chip and flake off on my 2007. After only 3 years of light use it seemed a little premature, although that was really the only cosmetic issue it had.