Autoblog

The Tutors have been waiting months to get a Mazda5 in the Autoblog Garage. The car-like minivan has been on the our family shopping list since we knew we were adding an extra person to the house. Based on the Mazda3 platform, the 5 promised a sedan ride with family-size space for parents on a budget. That, in my mind, is the perfect vehicle.

Our strato blue tester was a Touring model with 17" wheels, cloth seats, automatic climate control, and moonroof. The only optional equipment was satellite radio. The sticker on the window listed a base price of $19,780 with a $430 charge for the Sirius receiver and a delivery charge of $595, for a grand total of $20,375.

Continue reading about the Mazda5 Touring after the jump.

Gallery: In the Autoblog Garage: 2007 Mazda5 Touring

All photos Copyright ©2007 Chris Tutor / Weblogs, Inc.

Click above for high-res images of the 2008 US Mazda5

While we just showed you the revised 2008 Euro Mazda5 that will make its debut in Bologna, we wanted to let U.S. 5 fans know that it will be more than a year before most, if any, of those changes find their way to our shores. We say this based on the fact that we've already seen the 2008 Mazda5. Quietly sitting in one corner of Mazda's display area at the L.A. Auto Show was the 2008 version of this fun and practical microvan. Besides some minor exterior tweaks to the front and rear fascias, different wheels and arguably better looking taillights, all of the changes appeared to be to the interior. Some of the complaints about the current 5 had related to the lack of dual armrests for all seats, the lack of rear vents for the HVAC system, no rear window tint, and a very limited interior color palette. Well, those concerns have been addressed. The show model was painted in a new darker red that has essentially replaced the salmon-like "Cardinal Red" that disappeared in '07. The interior, however was a light gray over dark gray leather, which will supplement the tan and black leather that first appeared with the Grand Touring model this year.

Although the photos are a bit dark, you can see the light side and rear window tinting Mazda is now using, as well as the new dual armrests and the revised dash and center console, which is a huge improvement over the previous edition. The pop-up navigation screen has been replaced by an in-dash unit with new controls. The center console loses its deep storage bin and cover in exchange for revised cupholders, heated seat switches, an open storage area and those all-important rear vents. You'll also notice that the hidden power outlet has been relocated a little higher up and has been given some company via a second port. While we didn't get a look under the hood, the transmission appeared to be the same 4-speed auto from the current lineup and this unit didn't sport any power sliding doors or rear view cam either. Whether or not they will be available is unknown, but it would make sense that if Mazda had planned to offer them they would probably use the show to flaunt those features. Anyway, these are some nice changes to an already very desirable nanovan.

Check out the full gallery below.

click above image to view more pics of the redesigned Mazda5

The Mazda5 seems to be a few quarts short of Zoom-Zoom juice compared to the rest of Mazda's lineup. It just has never seemed able to generate the same excitement from customers as the brand's other cars. Perhaps that's because it's fundamentally a little minivan, a type of vehicle that by its very nature defies the Zoom-Zoom culture. Nevertheless, Mazda will be introducing a redesigned Mazda5 at the Bologna Motor Show this week with a fresh face and new features that the automaker hopes will attract new customers in Europe and likely the U.S., as well.

New features include power sliding rear doors that open and close in less than five seconds, a new DVD-based nav system with a 7-inch touchscreen and a rear-view camera. Additional insulation and a resonator have also been added to the air intake to reduce engine noise seeping into the cabin. The 5's MZR 2.0L gets an electronic throttle and sequential valve timing, and at least in Europe you can order one with a 5-speed automatic or 6-speed manual. We'll likely find out at the Detroit Auto Show in January what new features will carryover across the pond, but we'll let you know what the new Mazda5 has in store for U.S. customers as soon as we find out.

[Source: Mazda]

Click the image above for more high-res pics.

Like many of the models that find their way to our shores, over the course of the journey they lose their domestic nameplate and are rebadged to fit in with the automaker's local nomenclature. Say "hello" to the Premacy, or here in the U.S., the Mazda5.

Mazda has restyled its diminutive people mover and we can expect the same sheetmetal that graces the JDM version to make its way Stateside soon enough. Sporting a revised front fascia and new LED indicators embedded into the mirrors and taillights, the Mazda5 fits in better with its recently redesigned stablemates. The interior gets a few changes in color and fabric, while the revised suspension boasts both a smoother ride and more road-holding ability. Buyers abroad can opt for a standard two-liter four, a DISI four pot of the same displacement or a 2.3-liter four, mated to an electronically controlled five speed auto 'box driving the front wheels.

You can look over Mazda's full press release after the jump and gander at the restyled 5 in the gallery below.

[Source: Mazda]

After three years of wearing the same clothes, Mazda's anti-minivan minivan, the Mazda5, has been spotted trying out a new look.

This spy shot shows the six-seater with a revised grille, redesigned headlights that extend a bit beyond the fenders, a more rounded front bumper, flashy chrome trim around the fog lights and LED taillights.

Possibly the most interesting thing on this lightly-camouflaged car are the 17-inch wheels. They are much sportier than what the 5 wore previously, and, dare we say it, hint at MazdaSpeed possibilities. (Actually, they're more typical Ford of Europe wheels.) World Car Fans says the 2008 version of the family hauler won't be getting an engine change, though, so maybe it's just wishful thinking on our part. WCF, however, does say the 2007's 4-speed automatic gets upgraded to a new 5-speed auto in 2008, and the 5-speed manual will still be an option.

[Source: World Car Fans]

The well-known zoom-zoom tag-line in every Mazda commercial is being tested by a flood of crossover vehicles that don't exactly fit the company's sporty persona. To complicate things further, all five vehicles are close in price, with the difference from bottom to top being a mere $11,400.

CX-9: Minivan replacement, seats seven

CX-7: Sporty and quick, seats five

Tribute: Seats five, SUV looks

Mazda5: Seats six, minivan-like

Mazda6 Sport Wagon: Not a crossover, but definitely a people and stuff-hauler

Of course Mazda tells anyone willing to listen that the vehicles all have specific demographic targets. The new CX-9, for example, replaces the slow-selling MPV minivan. The CX-7 has drawn rave reviews for its sporty styling and direct inject turbo engine. In addition, we've yet to come by anyone with bad things to say about the Mazda5. The point, though, is how many people movers in a single lineup constitutes too many?

[Source: AutoWeek]

Click for our gallery of 31 high-resolution photos

Mazda brought a ton of rides to the tuner-centric Tokyo Auto Salon this year. In addition to machinery like the CX-7 Bright Stylish Concept we brought you a few weeks ago and the Roadster (MX-5) Mazdaspeed M'z Tune Concept that Damon reported on earlier today, there are a host of other trick Mazdas prepared with a little help from folks like DAMD, Kenstyle, Pioneer (as Carrozzeria) and the aforementioned Mazdaspeed.

Nothing is off the table, so the range of models touches everything from the Mazda3 (Axela) to an ultra-lux MPV. The gallery shows all, and don't worry, each photo is labeled at the bottom so you'll know exactly what you're looking at. For a breakdown on each car (and a few we don't have shots of), follow the jump for the official skinny from Mazda. Enjoy.



[Source: Mazda]

Mazda Motor announced Thursday that it will recall more than 12,000 vehicles from the Japanese domestic market to replace faulty airbags. The recall covers the JDM Premacy, Atenza and Ixion models (branded as Fords in Japan) manufactured between March 1999 and July 2002.

Three accidents have apparently been attributed to the faulty airbags, which can abruptly open. Not a very fun surprise. About 19,000 of the affected vehicles were sold in export markets during the period, but the company has yet to issue a recall overseas.

The Premacy and Ixion are known in North America as the Mazda5, while the Atenza is marketed as the Mazda6.

[Source: Automotive News]

More details on Kia's new Carens have surfaced, now that the mini MPV has debuted in Madrid. The five-to-seven seater is widely expected to show up in U.S. dealers as the 'Rondo' where it will mix it up with everything from the Mazda 5 to Chevrolet HHR and Toyota Matrix.

A marked improvement in the visuals over the previous iteration will help the Carens case, as will the fact that it's bigger in virtually every dimension: length, width and height. For the Europeans, at least, a 142 brake horsepower 2.0-liter gasoline engine will be available paired with a five-speed manual, along with a turbodiesel of identical displacement latched to a six-speeder. A four-speed slushbox will be available with either transmission. U.S. consumers can dream, but if the Carens crosses the pond, we imagine expecting the derv-burner would be a stretch.

The Carens is expected to base at around £12,000 ($22,300 USD).

A U.S. on-sale date has not been announced, but the model is slated to hit UK dealers this August.

[Sources: Reuters; Kia]

Automotive curmudgeon critic Jerry Flint puts Mazda in his crosshairs for his latest column, Backstreet Driver. He addresses what is a well-known issue about the automaker: There has been no growth in Mazda sales for over a decade.

Mazda vehicles are “it” cars among many automotive enthusiasts, who gush over their handling, bang-for-buck value, and design. The MX-5 (formerly known as the Miata, is one of Flint’s favorite cars), and the Mazda3 is widely considered one of the best cars available among reviewers.

Mazda’s problem, Flint argues, is rooted in its past, when the company tried to compete directly against Toyota on their home turf in Japan. While the company's current "Zoom Zoom" campaign has separated it from the world’s second largest automaker’s shadow, Mazda's small size, still growing dealership network, and leadership shuffle have hampered its growth. Historically, Flint says, companies in similar situations have collapsed, but, he then reminds readers what Henry Ford thought of history.

[Source: Forbes]