# Mazda5??? Is this a safe choice?



## Momily (Feb 15, 2007)

I'm in the market for a new (or maybe gently used) car for me and DS9. I'm leaning towards the Mazda5, which is like a mini-minivan that seats 6 instead of 7 or 8, I love the idea of being able to fit 4 kids, or my one kid and a couple of bicycles, or 2 kids and all their hockey gear. I also love the fact that it comes with side curtain airbags, and ABS standard, but I had a couple of questions about safety.

1) There are no "middle" seats. The car has 2 buckets in the front row, 2 buckets in the middle row, and a narrow bench with 2 seatbelts in the back row. I've heard the middle seat is safest -- is it a big difference? Most of the time it will be just me and DS, am I compromising his safety by making him sit on the side?

2) The back row seems really really close to the back of the car, and the backs of the seat seem kind of flimsy. How safe are they? I'm figuring that most of the time I'll have 1 or 2 kids so we won't use the back seats, but I'd like to be able to chaperone field trips or take a bunch of kids hiking etc . . . Is the backseat safe?

3) The seat backs are really low in the back, well below my shoulder height, but the headrests go way up -- somehow this looks less safe to me, but is it really? I know I'd have to be careful about readjusting the headrests for each child.

4) What else should I be asking safetywise? I'm assuming that DS will learn to drive on this car. With that assumption, what do I need to be asking (e.g. this isn't only about the safety of the backseat).

5) In case I have a second child -- anyone had any experience with big carseats such as a Britax BLVD or Regent in the bucket seats? They seem smaller than the buckets in a regular minivan.


----------



## Killick (Apr 15, 2004)

Hello -

We have a 2006 Mazda 5 and I have to say that I love it. I hated (still do, no offense to anyone), the soccer mom van. I had a Mazda 3, and loved it so this was a good compromise. I have a full sized car seat in the middle bucket and a booster in the back. My 5 year old sits in the booster and it is the kind with seat belt positioner. I actually just make sure the head rest is there to support the back, but I don't actually move it, ever, not since the first time, anyway.

It is nice to be able to fold all the seats down and have a ton of storage. And Mazda's go forever. I don't think you will be disappointed if you do get it.


----------



## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

It's a great car, but I have heard that the 2 back buckets are horrible for boostered children, because the belts are held away from the seat.


----------



## Momily (Feb 15, 2007)

Honestly, boosters in the back isn't a big concern to me. DS9 and his best friend (they have been inseparable since PreK -- I can't imagine that I'd ever take a group of kids somewhere without him being one of them) are both really big kids for their age and would fit in that seat fine without a booster, so the chances of me having 3 kids in the car who need boosters is slight. I guess it's possible way down the road (say I adopt an infant in 2 years, and then 5 years later he's out of a 5 point seat) but that seems so far away that I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.


----------



## an_aurora (Jun 2, 2006)

It didn't sound like it would be a concern, but I thought I would mention it


----------



## robertandenith (Apr 1, 2008)

People complain about the 3rd row seat belts and carseats - a safety issue. Also the back is pretty hot. But some people still like it. There is a review on car-seat.org discussion boards about this. I lurk there because we got into a horrible accident Jan 08 and were looking for a new car.

It was my 2 kids, me pregnant and hubby driving a town & country. The girl that hits us was driving about 60 miles per hour and we were just at a stop waiting for a firetruck to pass into a hospital. She hit us pretty hard, I got 4 staples in my head and my kids where bruised all over, everyone was beat up pretty bad. My point is, that I was so blessed to be in that car and I honestly don't feel secure in any other than a Chrysler or dodge type of van. I worked in a car dealer and I have seen those mazdas and I just don't see them so safe like I am in a chrysler/dodge van. BTW our van was total and we then got a dodge grand caravan (same thing only cheaper). I just made my decision due to my own experience...

Good Luck in your search...

BTW great choice on your carseats Regent/Britax, we are getting a britax for our 5 and 3 yo. NO BOOSTER SEATS FOR US!

edited: I forgot to mention, in the review they posted pics of the kids inside the car, carseats and all. It talks also about the risk of rollover by putting weight on the rack since it has tiny cargo space. It's a great post! If you need a link lmk i'll pm it to u!


----------



## carmel23 (Jul 21, 2006)

We've looked at the mazda 5 (never driven it, though) because we are now sitting 5 in a crv. But it just doesn't seems safe with people driving huge suvs at 80 miles per hour. I guess if you only drove in a city that had regulated speed limits, but on the highway--I don't know.

I am starting to think it was just too good to be true (small and seats six)...


----------



## Ironica (Sep 11, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *robertandenith* 
My point is, that I was so blessed to be in that car and I honestly don't feel secure in any other than a Chrysler or dodge type of van. I worked in a car dealer and I have seen those mazdas and I just don't see them so safe like I am in a chrysler/dodge van.

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=876326

Check out the pics of this accident that an MDC mama was in. She, her husband, and her son (in his Britax in the center position) suffered some bruises and a concussion or two, but were amazingly undamaged when you look at how much of that car was destroyed.

The emblem on the steering wheel appears to be a Mazda logo. ;-) And it's a sedan, not even a Mazda 5.

So yeah, probably a pretty safe car, I'd say.


----------



## joensally (Jun 19, 2006)

I personally would not buy one. There's good info in this article:
http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/saf...4/article.html
scan down to the last part of the section titled 'small cars vs sport-utes.'

The third row is subject to the same forces, yet often has less airbag protection, flimsier seats, and is too close to the rear of the vehicle. I'm pretty sure that in the Mazda5 there's less than a foot between the head of a rear-seated passenger and the back of the vehicle - so, crumple zone







.


----------



## robertandenith (Apr 1, 2008)

Ironica I can't see the post?!?!?!?














A sedan is a better car that's for sure...

Quote:


Originally Posted by *joensally* 
I'm pretty sure that in the Mazda5 there's less than a foot between the head of a rear-seated passenger and the back of the vehicle - so, crumple zone







.

You are right. I would feel safer in a sedan than in the rear seat of a Mazda5 since the rear is just too tiny. I would just leave it for additional passengers on an occasion. If you only have 2 kids then just use the middle seats.

We decided to get a grand-caravan as opposed to the caravan because the back is wide enough. When we got into that accident, our rear was damage to more than a feet, it didn't touch the rear seats.

Also SUV tend to have a higher risk of rollovers









wow thank you for that article joensally, will forward to my friends!


----------



## bayberry*moon (Oct 3, 2005)

Safety is a big concern of mine too! I like the dodge journey which is also a cuv and it was just reviewed by Safercar.gov. I was very excited to see that it got five-star ratings in frontal crash, driver, and rear passenger for side-impact protection. I would take a look at that site to see what the Mazda rates.


----------

