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?
Mazda5 all day. I can’t stand how big the other “mini” vans are. The MZR is an excellent engine and will likely reach the same mileage as the Honda currently has as long as the rust underneath isn’t bad. I knew I’d probably vote for it, but I was really hoping this was a rare manual version when I clicked on the article.
I love my Mazda5, and am sad to see it go to a friend of ours as the new owner.
A friend of mine is considering upgrading her Corolla for something bigger. One kid, one decent size dog, and maybe another kid in the future. She said she would like something with more seats and space, that sat lower to the ground, that still felt nimble around town, and wasn’t massive. She described the Mazda5, which is my vote here. Although I don’t think she’s going to get one, they’re getting up there in years and she’d want something newer.
Bingo – Having lived that exact experience (2 kids and a dog) in our Mazda5 for the last 6 years, that’s exactly the use case for the 5. As it turns out, that’s also seeming to be the “typical” American family these days – 1 or 2 kids and a dog.
Unfortunately, you’re also right about the age. I’ve been keeping an eye out for something newer and couldn’t find a good fit, so I was going to trust the reliability just run it forever. Then we had a friend in need of a decent used car (single mom – also two kids and a dog) and we went ahead and found a good deal on a Highlander Hybrid.
I still miss the 5, though…
I like those little Mazdas, but I’m in the mood for comfort. It’s still way smaller than my pickup truck.
Mazda today. Manual would be better, but oh well…
Last year my wife and I passed an Odyssey down to our daughter for her to use for her family, still going strong at 100K miles, but definitely starting to have some issues – enough that I get texts. My kids only tend to text when there’s car trouble, which I kind of like, because I get to talk to my kids. But yeah, I will be the odd-man-out here and say I’m not trusting one with 250K miles. Besides, the Mazda 5 looks really fun. I actually wouldn’t mind having one as a beater for the kids I still have at home and something to carry some of my band’s gear in.
I looked at getting an Odyssey in this gen for a little while as a replacement to our Mazda5 to get some more space and towing capacity, but I was always a bit skeptical of the reliability on these ones. I don’t remember the specifics (which years, etc), but this gen definitely has an issue with the cylinder deactivation system that can dramatically shorten the engine life.
We had zero engine issues with ours, but we did start to get some electrical and charging problems, which was a pain because the battery is not in the best location under the hood. Also had some intermittent issues with the sliding doors not working. And of course one of those stupid tire air pressure sensors crapped out. The transmission did seem to make some bad decisions, but we kept on top of the maintenance and it never failed.
“No dealership is going to stay in business for long with that kind of bait-and-switch.”
are you familiar with used car dealers?
Mazda5 is the easy choice here.
I like the Mazda; cheap and cheerful. Plus, in my current city-living condition the size just makes more sense for me. Maybe if I was a suburban dweller, or even a bit further out, I’d opt for the Honda (that interior space could be useful), but not today.
I’m in the suburbs near a city, and love driving my Mazda5 vs my brother’s odyssey. Visibility is excellent and it’s just the right size.
I needed just a bit more room since we regularly use the 3rd row for our dog and there’s basically no space behind the 5’s for stuff, but it’s far exceeded typical expectations for how practical it is.
Odyssey just because looks nicer inside and they tend to stay around trouble free sans some transmission issues.
The Mazda fits my life better. I definitely do not need something as large as an Odyssey. Plus the Mazda is a little weird, and weird cars are depressingly uncommon today.
I voted Mazda, but that interior will need a serious clean and then some covers.
First of all, why is The Autopian so slow?!?!
When I clicked on this article, I got “504 Gateway Time-out”
As for the showdown, I couldn’t choose either today. I’ll just save my $4K of Internet money to put towards tomorrow’s choice.
Always choose the Odessey, even with the milage and tranny.
I had a decade of trouble-free use from a similar vintage Odyssey and have nothing but praise for it, so naturally I’m going with the Mazda so I can have something different.
I’ll get the one with actual space for kids and stuff, thanks.
Don’t understand the idea of buying something for utilitarian purposes, but then also shrinking it down.
If the 5 fits your life, great, but you can almost certainly buy something else better to drive that’s just as useful. If you haul enough that a minivan makes sense, get a real one.
The real minivans really only make sense if you need that much space regularly or need the third row all the time for full-sized people. I have two kids in grade school and have spent the last few years trying to find something that matches my Mazda5 in practicality while still being inexpensive and relatively compact, and there’s nothing out there that touches it.
The full size minivans are a full 2 feet longer and a decent amount wider. Two row crossovers like the RAV4 or CRV don’t have as much cargo space, headroom, or the third row for my dog to ride in. There are some off the wall small 3rd row options like the Outlander and the old Journey, but they can’t match the reliability of the Mazda. There really is nothing like it out there.
I ended up getting a really good deal on a used Highlander Hybrid which expands our capability (AWD and increased towing) without feeling outrageously large, but even though it is more comfortable and capable there are still regularly things I miss about my 5, like the low roof height and sliding doors for accessing the roof rack, far better visibility, and a taller rear hatch opening. As a minivan fan I sometimes tell myself we would have liked a Sienna, but it’s just too big for me to have wanted one.
I promise I’m not discounting your experience when I write this reply, but it did trigger a question – namely, where are people living/driving that the size of a minivan is ever a burden? Because you aren’t the only one who is voting based on size.
I’ve owned a Sienna for almost a decade and find it easy to drive, easy to maneuver, and sized fine for every garage I’ve owned, every urban center parking ramp, every street parking space or parking lot, and so on. I don’t ever remember wishing it was smaller so I could fit somewhere else.
I get the argument that it’s too big and heavy to be a performance vehicle, but that was my initial point – it’s not as if the smaller vans or crossovers are appreciably more fun to drive. It seems to me that going to the bigger van gives a lot more useful space, for a negligible penalty in driving character and exterior dimensions. But what am I missing?
For me (and my wife who’s the primary driver) it’s more about how it feels to drive in a lot of tight/small areas. The visibility, tight turning circle, and size make it much less stressful overall to drive through the city, but even out in the suburbs where we live it makes a difference. It also comes into play on narrow country roads and tight dirt roads or small campsite parking spots.
The larger vans (and now our Highlander) “fit” just fine in all the places we’re going, but there’s a lot more consideration for where the right edge of the car is in traffic, or taking wider right turns to miss curbs, or having to take multiple shots at parking spots even in suburban shopping areas. Then getting in and out of the front doors is more of a hassle since the width puts you closer to neighboring cars. It’s all stuff that we’ll adjust to, I’m sure, but it never really goes away.
We’re in the suburbs of Charlotte, if that helps visualize the conditions. Fairly tight streets in the suburbs, regular city driving, a decent amount of time spent in traffic on multi-lane interstates, but also plenty of weekends out on winding country roads in the mountains.
I love the Mazda5, easy choice.
So easy.
Three or more kids? Odyssey easily. Two or less kids? I dunno.
Mazda5. Easy choice. Had one once and would gladly have another.
Being a Honda Stan I was all set to come in there and vote for the proper Japanese OEM. Unfortunately even thought he Odyssey wins on price per lbs.those miles are just too much even for me. Plus it won’t fit into my parking situation as easily as the 5.
Leased a 3 of this era when we started growing small humans, and it was a reliable and reasonable daily driver so I don’t think I’ll hate the 5.
I prefer smaller cars, and theoretically this would replace my Crosstrek I guess.
I don’t need a lot of room, just enough for my costume bins and 60ish pound dog. I’d probably never have the back seats upright. So Mazda today.
Mazda, even though the body style is from that unfortunate smiley face period that they went through the engine is a reliable workhorse and the smaller size appeals to me. Plus, I’ve had 7 Miatas, so MAZDA please.
I’m starting to find the smiley era Mazdas refreshing with so many new cars going for the slab of rage front end.
Agreed. I was initially a smiley Mazda hater and bought my 5 out of sheer practicality, but damn that little thing has won my heart and I love the way it looks in today’s sea of angry gray crossovers (mine is light blue).
In my area, it seems like the Odyssey is the runner-up vehicle choice for kamikaze drivers, right behind a battle-scarred Altima. I can’t live up to that rep, so I’ll take 5.
I need smaller cars to fit my life, in the most literal sense. My garage is height and length limited, (a ’00s Trailblazer’s hatch will hit the garage door with it open) and I don’t have much outdoor storage space. The Mazda is smaller, so it gets the nod.
Mazda. The Honda Oddity is simply too large — and, let’s face it, too unattractive — to fit in my driveway. The extra miles on it don’t help, either.
I’d trade either for yesterday’s Pontiac Vibe. Living in a small town, you want a small car.
Mazda. I ain’t afraid of no rust. Who ya gonna call? Rust busters.
If you look in the mirror and say Ferric Oxide three times at exactly midnight, David Tracy will appear.
Oh noooo … (in Mr Bill voice).