2013 Mazda MAZDA5 vs. Its Competition

Meta Rating 7.2 out of 10

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Our expert editors build comparisons like this one to make it easy for you to understand the small handful of cars you should compare to whatever car you are already looking at. You get general thoughts on each car you should consider plus an easy way to compare basic information for yourself.

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Dec 20, 2012

Because of its size and handling, the Mazda 5 has few natural competitors.

We'd shop it against the least-expensive minivan on the market, the Dodge Grand Caravan, trading nimble handling for more seats and more interior volume, not to mention a richer feature selection.

There's the Ford Transit Connect, for those who want all the utility and don't care so much about looking like the delivery guy or taxi driver--it's a pretty bare-bones piece down to its vintage-1990 interior.

The Toyota Prius V and Ford C-Max are people carriers in a less strict sense, fuel misers in a big way; of the two, the C-Max does the better job of imitating the Mazda's friendly road manners.

2013 Mazda MAZDA5 Get FREE Price Quote	2013 Dodge Grand Caravan Get FREE Price Quote	2013 Ford Transit Connect Wagon Get FREE Price Quote	2013 Ford C-Max	2013 Toyota Prius V Get FREE Price Quote
Quick Specs
Meta Rating
7.2 If you don't mind being seen in a minivan--but don't want to feel like you're driving one--the 2013 Mazda 5 fits the bill, though it's short on some features.	8.2 Function reigns supreme in the Dodge Grand Caravan: it has the best seating system and infotainment features of any minivan, and gas mileage and safety scores are excellent.	6.8 Plumbers and pet-sitters will be well-suited to the Ford Transit Connect, but a traditional minivan's a better choice for family hauling.	7.8 The 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid is the first head-to-head challenger for the Toyota Prius since that car grabbed the green mantle a decade ago--and in many ways, the Ford's a better daily driver.	7.4 The 2013 Toyota Prius V is by far the roomiest Prius in the lineup, and its 42-mpg combined mileage is hard to beat. It's far from the fastest or most powerful family wagon, and it faces a new competitor, the Ford C-Max Hybrid--but it's still a capacious, comfortable, and highly fuel-efficient family wagon.
MSRP From
$19,940	$19,995	$24,050	N/A	$26,650
Gas Mileage
21 MPG City / 28 MPG Hwy	17 MPG City / 25 MPG Hwy	22 MPG City / 27 MPG Hwy		44 MPG City / 40 MPG Hwy
Engine
Gas I4	Gas/Ethanol V6	Gas I4	N/A	Gas/Electric I4
EPA Class
2WD Minivan	2WD Minivan	2WD Special Purpose Vehicle	N/A	Midsize Station Wagon
Style Name
4-Door Wagon Man Sport	4-Door Wagon American Value Pkg	4-Door Wagon XLT	N/A	5-Door Wagon Two (Natl)
Drivetrain
Front Wheel Drive	Front Wheel Drive	Front Wheel Drive	N/A	Front Wheel Drive
Passenger Capacity
6	7	5	N/A	5
Passenger Doors
N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Body Style
Minivan	Passenger Van	Passenger Van	N/A	Wagon
Transmission
Manual	Automatic	Automatic w/OD	N/A	Continuously Variable Ratio