Part of me wonders if the Mazda Premacy is the perfect car. It’s a respectable cargo hauler. When you trade in that cargo capacity for seats, it’s a reasonably good people mover. For being that shape, you know the one, that minivan shape, it’s quite the looker with its big, sexy headlights and fast lines leading back to the bespoilered tail. Oh, and when you turn the key and put it in drive to head down the road, preferably one of those twisty, turny mountain roads you often hear about, it is every bit as fun to drive as its smaller relatives.
As our children increased in size, the Impreza began to feel snug. Not small, mind you, but snug. The kids in the back found the close front seats easily kickable, although whether by accident or by design is up for debate. The stroller fit in the back, but when we traveled up to my wife’s hometown, fitting it along with our luggage took some Tetris skills I thought I had long since lost. As such, we decided into our third summer in Ito to shop around for the dreaded family-hauling minivan.
BUT we were in Japan. Everything is different in Japan. In Japan, the minivan is king. The minivan is the kind of car people aspire to. There are luxury minivans like the Toyota Alphard/Vellfire and the Nissan Elgrande, off-road minivans like the jacked-up Mitsubishi Delica 4×4, minivans whose front fascias look like a Storm Trooper’s helmet like the Toyota Estima, and even Chrysler enjoys a following there for its very good vans. Vans always have limo-tinted windows, fancy rims, body kits, Italian-y sounding trim level names, and decorations of all kinds. It rather reminds me of how we treat our pickup trucks and SUVs here in the States. So anyways, I did my research and decided that the sporty Premacy would be the van for us.
Our dealer found us a Premacy for somewhere in the neighborhood of US$7000 (including tax/mandatory insurance/sha-ken inspection, etc) with less than 60,000 km on it. It was well-equipped, with aftermarket navi and 15″ five-spoke rims (which probably came with a set of snow tires since they were not decorative low-profile 17-inchers), ABS for the four-wheel discs, a smart key, and the not-available-in-America power sliding doors.
The smart key was a very cool feature (although check out how thick that A pillar is, holy crap it blotted out the sun and oncoming cars). You simply had to have the fob in your pocket, and there were rubber buttons in the door handles and back hatch that you could press to lock and unlock it. It also had buttons for the sliding doors, allowing you to open them from a distance. It wasn’t perfect. If I had my cell phone in the same pocket, it would interfere with the smart key’s signal and prevent it from working, and that was annoying but did not detract from its coolness.
The power doors proved annoying but without the cool upside. The driver’s side rear door would occasionally not lock open or shut properly. It would slide open and then just kind of die at the end of the track without clicking open, leaving the system in a powerless limbo. No amount of angry slamming would make it click open. Why was I angrily slamming it open? Because long before it started doing that, it began to fail latching shut properly. Somewhere in the electric doors’ system was a gremlin- nay, a demon that did not allow it to sense that the door was completely shut, beeping at us as we drove down the road.
It worsened to the point where the stupid doors would not latch shut at all, they’d get to the end of their journey closed and go “KACHUNK!” and then just hang there infuriatingly half-open, taunting me, daring me to lose my temper. Turning the system off and closing the doors manually was still possible, but with the resistance of the zombie motors slowing it down it was not easy to do. I have a feeling that the rear doors’ other problem, the locks failing to unlock when asked to do so, was related.
Anyways, electric power sliding doors are now a deal-breaker for me. Just one more set of parts that will fail. Even reading reviews of Honda Odysseys and Toyota Siennas with their stellar reputations (self-flagellating transmissions nontwithstanding) have owner complaints centered on that very issue. So power doors are an overrated and unnecessary “feature” destined to fail on you.
That’s about as negative as I can get about this car. Yeah, I could whine about the lack of space like an idiot, as if I went into it unaware that it was only marginally larger than our Impreza on the outside, or I could bitch about the clunking noise from the front suspension and the buzzy rearview mirror (okay, the mirror thing serious pissed me off, but whatever), but the Premacy was a great car. When we made our Costco trips with our two kids, it swallowed everything into the cargo area behind them with room to spare. When we added our third baby into the mix, the car provided an extra seat. The rear seats were split in the middle, so one could be folded up while the other stayed down to allow for additional cargo capacity. Versatility, yes!
None of that is the best part about this car, though. The best part about this car was how it goes. This JDM version was equipped with the cheaper-on-road-tax 2.0L inline 4, which made something like 100 and whatever horsepower. While it was not fast, it was fun, making the snaking road through the hills to work or the store more fun than it should have been in a minivan. Really, that’s what makes this such a great car. It has more capabilities in a single package than almost anything else.
We went on many adventures in that car. Rather like our old Subaru did in Michigan’s beautiful Upper Peninsula, it hunted down waterfalls and other natural wonders around Izu and eastern Shizuoka. We piled into it and went to Tokyo Disney Land one summer, and drove through the heart of Tokyo for a day watching sumo at Ryogoku Kokugikan. Like pretty much all my other cars, there were no mechanical problems with it. It started and ran every time I asked it to, probably the most joyful car we had.
That car made such a good impression on us that we decided to go out and buy another one upon returning to Michigan last month. This one is a bit more of a cheery shade of silver than the gray one we had in Japan, but with the same black interior and no annoying electric doors that are destined to disappoint. The 2.0L was not offered in America, making the 153 horsepower 2.3L inline 4 your only option. I suppose it’s more robust than the 2.0 (and certainly smoother), but driving it in American traffic it feels a lot slower than the JDM 2.0 did on its home turf. I still occasionally find myself doing 40 in a 45 zone because guys, those are highway speeds in Japan.
It’s taking me a little while to readjust. It just feels a bit out of place on the roads in and around Toledo. The wide, straight, flat stretches of pothole-y asphalt contrast poorly with the winding roller-coaster roads around Japan, but hey, at least now I can see around the corners when I come to an intersection, which is nice.
This brings us up to our current car, and thus the end of my COAL series. They’ve all been pretty slow vehicles, but I’ve had my fun with them regardless. I think that, given the context, the blue Impreza we had after the Minica nightmare was my favorite, although my wife loves the gray Premacy and our current Mazda5. I think eventually we will own something with more than 200 horsepower. When we do, I’ll be sure to share the experience again. Thank you, everyone, for reading my articles and sharing your comments. It’s been a blast!
All pictures mine (for once).
Related reading:
CsOAL 2 and 3: 1991 Jeep Cherokee and 1998 Nissan 200SX SE
Plenty of these Premacy in NZ they arrive as used exJDM imports mostly a friend had one the electric doors never worked properly so you werent alone with that issue, hers died rather dramatically in a cloud of steam/smoke so she went to ex JDM Mazda 6 wagon which after a replacement engine was fitted due to rattling bearings is going fine.
Good article!
Europe´s streets are full of crap-looking “compact” minivans, like the Renault Scenic, Volkswagen Touran, Toyota Verso and so, and it´s a relieve when I see parked a Mazda 5/Premacy. Easily the best looking minivan, and as you say, a couple of owners have told me it´s rather fun to drive, a very elusive attribute in this segment.
The perfect size when others have been lost to bloat and are no longer “mini”.
Much better looking than the one with the silly fluted side sculpting
Yes, the perfect size unless you happen to be above average height or have more than two young kids.
There are good reasons minivans are the size they are.
Although, to be fair, these aren’t much more cramped than most 3-row CUVs.
Welcome back to the U.S. and thanks for a great little series! I remember test driving one of these when they came out and thought it was great – zippy, attractive, and well built. It obviously made a good impression on you, replacing one with another on a different continent! Thank you.
These were one of the first vehicles I looked at after deciding to divorce my Beetle convertible. Unfortunately, someone of 5′-16″ stature simply won’t fit behind the wheel even with the the seat all the way back – not enough leg/knee room. It was a disappointment, as I really like the M5.
5′-16″, that is amusing.
Thanks for a great post, Matthew.
My 2006 Mazda5 was just “retired”, due to a woman who decided to make a left turn in front of my wife, who was already in the intersection on a green light. City speeds, no airbag deployment, but still totaled (@ 93,000 miles).
The car was definitely fun to drive, but was not standing up to age and mileage very well. Suspension parts wore out early, including the rear shocks at less than 50,000 miles, and all the sway bar links were shot (the “clunk” you mentioned). The interior fabrics were worn, and the rear wheel arches were showing signs of rust perforation (Wisconsin, ya know). However, it ran great, shifted smoothly, and never stranded her.
My wife is now driving a 2009 Mercury Mariner, and so far she loves it. Knock on wood.
Teak, I presume.
M5 is a great looking car. I enjoyed reading your articles! Thanks!
Thanks for sharing your automotive adventures with us. I really enjoyed reading them. Please come back with updates on future purchases.
Mazda has a good niche in the US with that. Funny how differently the Japanese often see things; the minivan is aspirational there, but unfashionable Soccer Mom transportation here.
So far we’ve been spared power door headaches on our 2004 Sienna, but we only accepted the feature under protest; no model w/o it was on the lot. The rear-seat audio system was also unwanted.
That’s where things are going, you get luxuries whether you want them or not.
Thanks for sharing your automotive history with us, Matt. It’s a shame that the M5 will no longer be offered in the US, it’s the right size and an attractive, true minivan. For the life of me don’t understand why it didn’t sell in greater numbers. Apparently, Mazda offered what the customer needed, not so much what they wanted.
I enjoyed this series, and particularly this one. I have very mixed feelings on these. I really like them in theory, but as one who had to accommodate a family of 5, they were just too small. The original Honda Odyssey (1995-98) always struck me as the perfect size for a small minivan, but these were a touch undersized.
When we looked at a new car in 2012, Mazda had put those goofy waves into the side sheetmetal that I just did not get. The odd styling pretty much took the car out of consideration, especially after the Mrs. was decidedly “meh” on the rest of it.
The Sedona turned out to be a better fit for us. Older kids means the need for more payload and more room. The ‘Dona swallows plenty of stuff for move-in/move-out days at college, and is roomy enough for adults. But for a family with two small kids, I can see the attraction of the Mazda5.
One more thing – power minivan doors are the work of the Devil. They have become almost universal. My dealer had to go nearly 2 states away to find one without, and this was a base level Kia Sedona, ferkryinoutloud.
They are too slow to open, too slow to close, will not let you move the car while they are opening or closing, and then after all that, they malfunction and cost you money. What the hell, people, when did we get too lazy to open and close car doors?
My favorite part is that everyone used to minivans now gets out of mine and walks off without closing the doors, assuming that I will be hitting the button that is actually not on my remote. Grrrr. Power doors make my life miserable even when you DON’T have them!
We Americans insist on every labor-saving, automated gadget under the sun, then we get fat, need exercise, & buy organic hippy grub at Whole Foods. Is this insane or what?
Oh, and I gotta have the latest software upgrades too, so I can spend hours learning how to use reorganized menus & new automation features (or turn off the ones which bug me like AutoCorrect).
I mostly agree. Our two (almost three) year old can open our manual doors on our Grand Caravan…well on level ground anyway. Any kid who can buckle and unbuckle themselves can almost certainly operate a door on their own.
However, having had the van through 3 babies I have to admit there are many occasions when I would have liked to have had power doors. When you have a car seat in one hand and shopping bag in the other it can be a pain at times. A foot operated door, like Ford’s foot operated tailgates, would be a great idea.
The problem of course is that powered doors are not just unreliable and expensive to fix, they are also slow, heavy and clunky and the mechanism can’t be fully disengaged, at least as far as I know. So all in all, I’d still prefer manual doors, even with babies.
A 2006 Mazda5 was our primary family hauler for 7 years, and we sold it to a family member, so we still get to visit it. The suspension bits wore out like 1964bler mentioned, but it held up pretty well otherwise, and considering it cost us $17K new, it was a screaming deal. We had the 5MT and it was a hoot to drive, proving that family vehicles can be thoroughly entertaining. The sliding doors and the versatility are hard to beat, and we hauled many kids and cargo over the years. There’s nothing else like it available, and shame Mazda never really marketed it in the U.S.
We did find the wind noise a little taxing at warp speed, and the kids (now teenagers) find the back seat of our current family hauler – an Outback – more comfortable. Otherwise, we got great service from our 5 and we’d still have it had this family member not approached us about buying it.
Matthew, thanks for sharing your COALs. Best to you and your family and may you enjoy your 5 as much as we did ours.
My wife and I had a Mazda5 as a rental a few years ago, and we really liked it. I’m always happy to get a Mazda – fun to drive, great on gas, and just different from everything else. For our annual camping trip, it was great – fold down the seats (we don’t have kids) slide everything in, and off we go. We drove a lot of back roads on Manitoulin Island, had a lot of fun, and gave it a good wash before we took it back. My only gripe was no cruise control. That, and a stereo that, while it sounded fine, didn’t have the nice touch-screen features (like a Toyota) that work well with an iPod. Oh well, still a fun car. I’ll take one with an upgraded stereo and a stick.
I’ve had two – a 2007 with a stick, and a 2008 with the 5-speed auto. For us it was a step up when the second child made the Focus wagon just THAT much too small. We’ve loved them for the convenient sliding doors, versatile interior, and decent handling.
Now the version not yet mentioned, and the one I always wish was sold here: the 2.0L turbo-diesel with the 6-speed stick. From all the UK road tests this was the real hotrod setup, with all of 265 lbs-ft torque way down low. Shame they couldn’t justify bringing it to North America!
With car shopping recently, I had considered checking out Mazda5s. Pity I didn’t, they seem nice.
I hear you on the power doors. The 2003 Honda Odyssey I drive at work has those. They fortunately work fine, though I fear them breaking someday. The annoying thing about them is that you can’t just manually open them with ease; you have to fight the motors for that. The nice thing about them is that I can give a quick tug on the handles and walk away, and they close right up, no need to delay work for doors.
A co-worker bought a used 5 (a 2011, I think) last year to replace his Chrysler Pacifica which fell victim to subframe rust-through. So far he loves it–he had a 3 hatchback previous to the Pacifica and seems happy to be back in the Mazda fold. He and his wile have 3 kids and it still works for them, albeit as around-town transport. The other family vehicle is a Grand Caravan which works better for long-trip duty since it does offer more space with whole family is aboard.
I’m not really keen on minivans (who is, other than those with a large family) but once kids are in the picture I could see the utility of one of these. Not gargantuan like most “mini”vans these days but with the bonuses of sliding doors and upright seating position. Right now I’d much rather have a wagon, but I assume that could change once the reality of car seats sets in!
A friend owns one of these, ex-JDM so has the smart key and nifty remote-control ‘lectric doors. Reminds me of my old Mazda6 wagon to ride in – albeit the plastics seem of inferior quality.
We replaced our 2000 Chrysler Town & Country with a 2007 Mazda 5 Touring, a huge change from our heavy, gadgetmobile. That was our first gripe, although we gained climate control and a sunroof, we lost a lot of power things, leather seating etc.
The other change was a respectable MPG, a decent driving experience, finally good brakes, airbags, and sporty styling.
It has been a good minivan, problems with sensors, rear door locks, flimsy keyfobs, low ground clearance (i live in Mexico), and most of all, a really fragile suspension. After all this the Mazda seems reliable comparing it to the Chrysler which was a little bit of a nightmare.
I wish they kept updating the platform, they have made their upgrades, to the Mazda 5 but i have the feeling that all the manofacturers are leaving the miniMinivans to die in a quiet retirement. Its a shame, most people dont need so much bulk and space, this size of van is really perfect for a daily basis use.
Very encouraging to read about someone who bought two when currently considering one. Thanks for the write-up!