There was a time in my life when spending four grand on a car seemed like an impossibility. Sometimes even four hundred was a stretch. These days, it’s about what I would pay for a “good” car. Once you hit the $3-4000 range, it seems to me that a car should be presentable, and shouldn’t need anything besides an oil change and maybe a wash. Big numbers on the odometer are still to be expected, but so is an absence of warning lights on the dash.
Yesterday’s price cap was half that, so we looked at Toyota-designed cars that avoid much of the “Toyota tax” by being badged as GM cars. As I could have guessed, the Pontiac Vibe took an easy win. Its hatchback body style and two-generations-newer platform sealed the deal for a lot of you, it sounds like.
But I’m going to swim against the stream here, and cast my vote for the Chevy Prizm. Between these two particular cars, it just feels like the better deal. It has fewer miles, and the ad feels more honest. Besides, the instrument panel in the Vibe bugs me. I never did warm to that “2000s Soundesign dorm room stereo” style that so many dashboards had around that time.
If you’re looking for a practical and reliable car for about four grand, I think you’d be doing yourself a disservice not checking out some minivans. They’re roomy, practical, and tend to depreciate a lot quicker than SUVs and crossovers. They’re not cool, and uncool cars tend to be bargains. Today we’re going to look at a big comfy Honda van, and a smaller, sportier Mazda.
2012 Mazda 5 Sport – $3,999
Engine/drivetrain: 2.5 -iter DOHC inline 4, five-speed automatic, FWD
Location: Waukegan, IL
Odometer reading: 143,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
Mazda has always done the minivan thing on its own terms. The original MPV was a rear-wheel-drive vehicle with conventional doors, when every other van on the market had sliding doors. The second-generation MPV was closer to what most manufacturers were doing, but with a distinct Mazda flair. It was discontinued after 2006, supposedly replaced by the CX-9 crossover, but Mazda also offered this little charmer. Most minivans haven’t been exactly “mini” for a long time, but the Mazda 5 is within a few inches of the original Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager in all dimensions. It’s the perfect antidote to the bloat that so many vehicles have suffered from in recent years.
The Mazda 5 is based closely on the Mazda 3, only taller and with sliding rear doors. It’s powered by a 2.5 liter MZR four cylinder that makes 157 horsepower, and a five-speed automatic transmission. This one has 143,000 miles on it. It’s being sold by a dealer, so of course we get more information about its features and options than its condition. I have to assume it runs all right, or they wouldn’t be offering it for sale. No dealership is going to stay in business for long with that kind of bait-and-switch.
Despite its small size, the 5 is a six-passenger vehicle with three rows of seats. If you don’t need all that seating, you can fold down the back seats and use it for cargo room. It’s in good shape inside; the ad includes photos of all three rows, and I don’t see anything beyond minor wear.
It looks nice and clean outside, but Mazdas have an unfortunate propensity for rust, and this car is in the Chicago suburbs. Take a good look underneath and make sure it looks solid.
2013 Honda Odyssey EX-L – $3,895
Engine/drivetrain: 3.5-liter OHC V6, five-speed automatic, FWD
Location: Fridley, MN
Odometer reading: 254,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
If you’re looking for a van in a more conventional size, here we have a fourth-generation Honda Odyssey. It’s two feet longer and several inches wider than the Mazda. That extra size means extra comfort, and more room to spread out. Minivans are good road trip machines, and this one has definitely seen some roads: it’s just north of a quarter-million miles.
It’s powered by Honda’s 3.5-liter V6, which drives the front wheels through a five-speed automatic. Earlier Odysseys had trouble with their transmissions, but as far as I know that problem was sorted out by the time this one was built. With as many miles as it has, if the transmission was an issue, it would already have been rebuilt or replaced by now. The seller says it runs and drives well, and that it has new brakes, and just had an oil change.
This EX-L model is two rungs from the top of the ladder, but I can’t imagine wanting anything fancier than this. It has leather seats, power everything, and some cool gadgets like a built-in cooler that’s chilled by the air conditioner. It has two rows of captain’s chairs and a third row three-seat bench, for a total capacity of seven. It’s all in good shape, especially for the mileage. Minivans seem to fall into two categories: they either haul kids and kid stuff around and end up trashed inside, or they get used for business, and only the driver’s seat sees any use. This one appears to be the latter.
This generation of Odyssey isn’t the prettiest thing on the road; I never have understood that rear side window shape. But it’s in good condition. I don’t see any rust or serious damage. The panel gap between the front bumper and front fender doesn’t look quite right, though; did it get bumped on the nose at some point, I wonder?
These might not be as cool as an SUV would be, but they’re at least as practical. And at least one of them gets a whole lot better mileage. For four grand, you could do a lot worse. Which one appeals to you?
That’s a great price for a non-rusty 5. I would take that, even though it’s unfortunately a sad gray color. That 5 probably has plenty of life left in it where the Odyssey either has another 100k in it or 2k in it and nothing in between.
Mazda5 for me. Not that I think the Honda is a bad choice. However I don’t generally need a vehicle as large as the Honda, and the few times a year I do need one I can just borrow a pickup and trailer or a small flatbed from work to grab building supplies or furniture or whatever.
I’d just learn to live with the rear end clunk that these are prone to.
Voted Mazda today. Seems like a useful little van. I usually like Hondas a lot but that era of Honda V6’s had some issues with oil consumption. Unfortunately, I had experience with a couple of them and one ended badly with a lost engine. So today I’ll vote for the happy Mazda.