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2009 Mazda 5 Grand Touring – and good food at La Fogata!
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We took the 2009 Mazda 5 to La Fogata Mexican restaurant for a feast. Get this: all 3 restaurants give a general discount pending on the stock market closing rate the day before (there’s a large chart near the bar telling you what your savings % will be). We fed an adult group of 5 and one child for about 60 bucks, with a few drinks! A tasty, filling meal like that would usually cost well over $80.
Nice.
What made the remainder of the evening delightful was our designated ride, a 2009 Mazda 5. All 6 of us filed into the economy sized Mazda 5 and got comfortable after pulling up the 3rd row seats. There is not much trunk space once the 3rd row is up, but at 181.5 inches in length, the Mazda 5 is only a few inches longer than the compact Mazda 3 (which a majority of the Mazda 5 mechanicals are sourced from).
This is one of the most comprehensibly designed people movers on the market for the (very reasonable) price. Front and 2nd row seats are comfortable, with the 3rd row useable for short people and children. Fantastic outward visibility coupled with one of the largest raked windscreens I’ve seen (it rivals the sharp angle of many sports cars).
Despite its small, sliding doors, this is no mini-van.
The Mazda 5’s only real competition is the equally utilitarian (though less sprightly) Kia Rondo. With the Mazda 5, you get front-wheel-drive with a perky, economical 153 horsepower 2.3 liter DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder engine with variable valve timing. Even fully laden with the automatic transmission (the base model manual 5-speed is more exciting/economical) we managed plenty of go while averaging 24 mpg combined.
Nice – considering that I drive like a Marx Brother…
The Mazda 5 handles like a slightly heavier Mazda 3 – which it is – and that’s a good thing. Cornering flat, responding quickly and inspiring confidence, the Mazda 5 is a joy to drive. All in all, we were pleasantly surprised by the ride and delighted by the cheap-as-chips price of the loaded Mazda 5. Starting at well less than 20K for a well optioned base model, our leather skinned, navigation equipped luxurious Mazda 5 Grand Touring came in less than $26,000.
Regardless of which level of Mazda 5 you get, you’ll be getting a bargain. Just like the chow at La Fogata - a tasty bargain.
http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/displayPage.action?pageParameter=modelsMain&vehicleCode=MZ5
Photos via: Mazda USA
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