10 Reasons to Buy a 2015 Mazda5 Minivan in Its Final Year

Despite the 2015 Mazda5 being one of the country’s most versatile vehicles, with relatively sharp driving dynamics and a dramatic design, it hasn’t been renewed for the U.S. for the next selling season. Now, that probably makes sense from the brand’s point of view, because sales of the mini-minivan have never been its strong suit. For customers, it’s a bit more of a bad-news, good-news situation.

On the one hand, time is running out on what’s truly a unique proposition in today’s marketplace, and on the other, dealers are likely to help shorten the Mazda5’s time on their lots even further by eagerly negotiating on its MSRP of about $21K.

It’s Fun to Drive

Driving dynamics aren’t usually a “thing” for minivans, but they are for the Zoom-zoom brand, and that does indeed extend to the 2015 Mazda5. Of course, it certainly helps that the Mazda5 is roughly the same length as the compact Mazda3—and 20 inches shorter than a typical minivan—so that owners enjoy the nimble proportions of a smaller footprint. But the Mazda5 also rides on a suspension that earns “high acclaim for delivering superior handling stability,” according to the automaker, and while its standard four-cylinder engine furnishes less output than traditional minivans’ V6s, the Mazda itself weighs significantly less than the bigger rivals. The automaker’s powertrain engineers further have deployed sequential valve timing, variable induction and a five-speed automatic transmission with adaptive shifting logic, so drivers can make the most of the Mazda5’s 157 horsepower and 163 lb.-ft. of torque.

Cargo Space

As mentioned, the 2015 Mazda5 is approximately the same size as a mainstream compact sedan, with a length of 180.5 inches, yet its minivan-esque shape, and highly flexible interior allow it to supply more cargo space than a similarly sized crossover.

The Mazda5 touts a trunk-sized storage area behind the third row of seating, an official 44.4 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, and a third-party-reported maximum of near 90 cubic feet behind the front row. That compares to a Honda CR-V with a length of 179.4 inches, 37.2 cubic feet of cargo room with both rows in use, and a total of 70.9 with its second row folded. Beyond the cargo space in the back, the Mazda5 additionally supplies an assortment of in-cabin storage resources, from a large, illuminated glovebox to easy-to-access under-seat bins beneath the second row.

Seating for Six

The ingenious interior packaging of the 2015 Mazda5 is the key to its seating capacity, too. Fully loaded, the Mazda5 can make room for six occupants, in three rows, thanks to a total passenger volume of much more than 100 cubic feet. Again, Mazda is rather stingy in regards to interior specs in this measure, but the automaker claims 99.7 cubic feet for the first two rows alone, and that third-row, 50/50 split bench actually serves up almost as much room as the second row in some mainstream compacts. For instance, the Mazda5’s third row has the exact same 37.1 inches of headroom as in the rear row of the Ford Fiesta, and nearly as much leg room. Getting to that third row also happens to be simple, since the second row slides forward and out of the way during egress/ingress.

Fuel Efficiency

As you might guess based on size alone, the 2015 Mazda5 is noticeably more fuel-efficient than the bigger best-sellers in the minivan segment. Thus, the EPA pegs the Mazda5 at 21 mpg city/28 mpg highway/24 mpg combined, which compares to a line of 19/28/22 for the leader of the traditional set, the Honda Odyssey. Meanwhile, the Toyota Sienna tops out at 18/25/21, and the duo of the Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Caravan come in at 17/25/20. For the Mazda5, the advantages are both obvious and especially prominent in urban driving, where it owns a 23.5 percent advantage ver the latter pair of competitors. It’s also worth noting that those differences add up to $750 to $1,250 in fuel-cost savings during the first five years of ownership according to the EPA.

Photo by Mazda USA

Design and Style

Mainstream minivans are much maligned for their styling—or, more accurately, for a conspicuous lack in that department, but the 2015 Mazda5 is clearly distinguished from the crowd with a striking design language that the automaker terms “Nagare,” which means “flow” in Japanese. The Mazda5’s sheet metal brings that spirit to life with wave-like creases on its flanks, and those subtle lines also help camouflage the door rails for the vehicle’s sliding side doors.

Up front, designers relied on crisply sculpted shapes to emphasize the athletic nature of the Mazda5, while 16-inch aluminum-alloy wheels provide an aggressive finishing touch—for the standard model. The Mazda5 Touring trim touts bigger, 17-inch wheels, along with side-sill extensions and a rear spoiler for an aero-style upgrade. Nor did Mazda forget about the cabin of the Mazda5; there, drivers enjoy a clean, operator-focused setup that’s available with leather trim for a hint of luxury.

Standard Features

A low starting price, combined with the fact it’s so late in its life-cycle, are crucial to the value proposition for the 2015 Mazda5. Yet so is the vehicle’s robust range of standard equipment. Needless to say, that includes all the modern-day must-haves, with Mazda actually going above and beyond the compact-car norm in any cases.

Not only does the Mazda5 furnish standard air conditioning, it also adds a standard pollen filter as well as second-row ducts and fan controls. And Mazda naturally furnish power doors, mirrors and windows, along with a full audio system, but with the Mazda5, those outside mirrors are accented by LED turn-signal indicators and that sound setup boasts six speakers and a USB port, and it’s supported by a multi-function steering wheel—that additionally has a switch for the also-standard cruise control. Mazda even ups the ante with two standard 12-volt power outlets.

Complimentary Roadside Assistance

Saying that owners of the 2015 Mazda5 will enjoy the confidence that comes with complimentary roadside assistance is no knock on the vehicle’s reliability. It’s merely a recognition that, out in the real world, you never know what the road may throw your way. Mazda5 drivers, however, know they can count on 24/7 towing help under both their 36-month/36,000-mile new vehicle limited warranty and their 60-month/60,000-mile powertrain limited warranty. Mazda warranty coverage—additionally offered on genuine parts and accessories, including limited lifetime coverage for brakes—is also fully transferrable.

Just remember, as with all vehicle warranties from all automakers, those from Mazda are subject to certain exceptions and requirements.

Premium Options

An ideal way to complement the highly capable 2015 Mazda5 is by bolstering its functional features with a premium option to two—or more. Heated front seats front seats and outside mirrors, for example, are just the ticket for winter weather, and Bluetooth technology brings the convenience of hands-free calling and audio streaming, backed by users’ own smartphones. Dealers also can install a portable synav stem and rear-seat DVD entertainment system for longer drives, backed by SiriusXM Satellite Radio.

Also on the Mazda upgrade menu: a powered moonroof, xenon high-intensity discharge headlamps, fog lamps, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, rear backup sensors, rain-sensing wipers, and leather-trimmed upholstery in either black or sand. Moreover, Mazda has greatly simplified the ordering process for the 2015 Mazda5 to ensure wider availability for many of these enhancements. As a result, customers can choose from three different trims, each with its own mix of content and value.

Exclusivity

Minivans may not be as popular as they used to be, but each of the four top-selling entries in the segment will once again exceed 100,000 sales for the year, just as they have for nearly every one of the past 10. That’s some 4 million Dodge, Chrysler, Honda and Toyota minivans, none of which exactly showcases standout styling.

As for the 2015 Mazda5, its swan song has seen sales plummet to just a few hundred deliveries per month this year. All told, the nameplate is on track to finish its decade-long run of U.S. availability with close to 160,000 total sales. In other words, the numbers indicate a minivan-to-Mazda5 sales ratio of at least 25:1, all but ensuring Mazda owners won’t be meeting up with similar rides on an everyday basis.

Price and Value

Although we touched on pricing for the 2015 Mazda5 above, it’s finally time to get down to the bottom line: Autobytel dealers are currently reporting an MSRP of $21,240 for the entry-level Sport edition, $22,370 for the mid-range Touring model, and $24,770 for the Mazda5 Grand Touring. Which stacks up against the latest prices from the rest of the minivan mob as follows:

• Dodge Grand Caravan—$21,795; Mazda5 advantage—$555
• Kia Sedona—$26,400; Mazda5 advantage—$5,160
• Nissan Quest—$26,530; Mazda5 advantage—$5,290
• Toyota Sienna, $28,700; Mazda5 advantage—$7,280
• Honda Odyssey—$29,275; Mazda5 advantage—$8,035
• Chrysler Town & Country—$29,995; Mazda advantage—$8,755

Given the current high customer demand for crossovers, some customers may want to consider the 2015 Mazda5 as an alternative to that segment, too, and in that comparison, the Mazda entry can undercut many of its similarly sized CUV rivals by thousands of dollars as well.