« previous next »
Pages: 1 2 [3]   Go Down

Author Topic: We Need a Minivan Revolution!  (Read 6860 times)

Offline Sir Osis of Liver

  • Car Crazy
  • *****
  • Posts: 28596
  • Carma: +1376/-1726
  • Gender: Male
  • Ramblin' man
    • View Profile
  • Cars: 2017 KTM DUKE 390, 2019 VW Jetta GLI 35th Anniversary
Re: We Need a Minivan Revolution!
« Reply #40 on: June 20, 2008, 07:03:36 pm »
Aside from the fuel economy numbers, the Mazda5 is a winner because it does hold a lot of stuff for the footprint it occupies. It's also a hoot to drive and is available with a manual transmission, something the Caravan and Rav have given up on.
Logged
On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.

H. L. Mencken

Offline Rupert

  • Car Crazy
  • *****
  • Posts: 3346
  • Carma: +49/-160
  • member
    • View Profile
Re: We Need a Minivan Revolution!
« Reply #41 on: June 20, 2008, 07:14:06 pm »
Yes...distance times resistance. Rolling resistance is directly related to the weight when all of the other things are neglected. A correct assumption when considering the same vehicle with a different engine in it, or close for similar competing vehicles of the same type, I would suggest.
Inclines are of no consquence overall I think. What you lose in energy gaining height is returned equally on the way down some time, assuming the same vehicle weight. Maybe you should fill up with gas at the top.
I thought that the thread was about having a smaller 4 cylinder instead of a six in the same van. Maybe I misunderstood the lead.
Of course you will get lower gas consumption with a smaller lighter vehicle. Was there any doubt about that?


Logged

Offline tpl

  • Car Crazy
  • *****
  • Posts: 23909
  • Carma: +298/-675
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Cars: 2022 Taos
Re: We Need a Minivan Revolution!
« Reply #42 on: June 20, 2008, 07:38:54 pm »
No 'cos there is a remarkable amount of accel/decel in an average trip and thats where the weight really matters.

Adding power makes you faster on the straights. Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere.  Colin Chapman
Logged
The most radical revolutionary will become a conservative the day after the revolution.

Offline safristi

  • Car Crazy
  • *****
  • Posts: 46229
  • Carma: +471/-416
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Cars: since the beginning of Saf timeLOTUS ELAN,STANDARD... 10, MG midget, MGB (2),Mazda Millennia,Hyundai Veloster and 1997 Ford Ranger 2014 Subaru Forester XT
Re: We Need a Minivan Revolution!
« Reply #43 on: June 20, 2008, 08:30:30 pm »
Turbo BOB used ta
BE a "MEMBER till he lost  his "ROOT"...see his olde avatar......i still AM.... ;D :P ::)...I've lost self respect and 12 "MILLIE" GRams  since JOINING..... :rofl:
« Last Edit: June 20, 2008, 08:32:05 pm by safristi »
Logged
Time is to stop everything happening at once

Offline Thinking Out Loud

  • Drunk on Fuel
  • ****
  • Posts: 1394
  • Carma: +19/-16
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Cars: '16 Suzuki M50 Boulevard + '19 Frontier Pro4X + 2015 Mustang EcoBoost 'vert + '09 Altima SL Coupe
Re: We Need a Minivan Revolution!
« Reply #44 on: June 23, 2008, 07:58:39 am »
Quote from: Big_Thumb on June 20, 2008, 07:03:36 pm
Aside from the fuel economy numbers, the Mazda5 is a winner because it does hold a lot of stuff for the footprint it occupies. It's also a hoot to drive and is available with a manual transmission, something the Caravan and Rav have given up on.

 :iagree:

I consider my 5 a multi-purpose wagon rather than a minivan.  With the 3rd row up, there is room for a light grocery run only - not proper storage.  The third row seating is a convenience factor, not a common seating area.

Perhaps going back to the term 'garagable van' makes more sense than the term 'minivan', which is now an oxymoron.  I can just get my MPV into the garage and then walk around it. 

It's funny when people ask why I have 'two' minivans....people equate sliding doors with vans, not utility, which I guess is understandable.

Anyone attempting to cross shop a minivan and a microvan/tall wagon quickly realizes there are limitations to either.  As Mitlov pointed out, N/A and Europe are very different markets - and footprint in a densely populated city is huge in Europe.

But, then again, they also get diesels....   :-\


« Last Edit: June 23, 2008, 08:01:06 am by Thinking Out Loud »
Logged
Fortune favours the bold!

Offline kard00d

  • Enthusiast
  • **
  • Posts: 472
  • Carma: +3/-0
    • View Profile
Re: We Need a Minivan Revolution!
« Reply #45 on: June 26, 2008, 10:39:08 pm »
When I needed a "baby car", I figured Mazda5 would do it.  Good price, pretty cool, and figured would be better on gas.  This was in '06 and I passed on it in part since I was surprised it's posted L/100 km wasn't too far off bigger mini-vans...

In the end I got a short Montana SV6, since they were also dirt cheap, had a v6 with more power and similar mileage to the Mazda's 4 cyl, plus it could maybe tow some shite if needed.   The SV6 had way more useable room, and more ground clearance.. when I tested the Mazda5 in April, it's plastic "ground effects" scraped on some crusty parking lot snow..

I was disappointed since I figured the 5 would be a no-brainer, but in the end, it didn't work for me.

The SV6 has served me well so far.   7 seats at that price point is pretty good.  I kind of wonder why someone would buy a cute-FWD-soft-roader 'SUV' that really is just a mini-van, without the convenient sliding door and maybe $5K more.

It's funny that an SV6 and a Torrent looks pretty similar, but why can't the Torrent have a sliding door, or the SV6 have the sheet metal of a Torrent?
Logged

Offline DockMan

  • Drunk on Fuel
  • ****
  • Posts: 1788
  • Carma: +1/-3
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: We Need a Minivan Revolution!
« Reply #46 on: June 27, 2008, 09:29:58 am »
Quote from: kardood69 on June 26, 2008, 10:39:08 pm
I kind of wonder why someone would buy a cute-FWD-soft-roader 'SUV' that really is just a mini-van, without the convenient sliding door and maybe $5K more.

Mrs.D and I feel that it comes down to the sliding doors and the load floor level. I have a 2007 8 passenger Acadia (Loaded, Nav everything) and a 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan (not even remotely loaded). When we go anywhere with the kids, we prefer the mini-van hands down. I have three kids that are too young to buckle themselves and the Acadia is a huge pain to get into.....then to boot once everyone is in, there is no (little) room left for all our travel stuff....which the Mini-van handles substantially better. We thought that we could look a little "cooler" with all the kids in the big SUV, but in reality we only use it when we have only one or two of our three children for a short trip. A shame really....don't get me wrong the Acadia is a very nice vehicle but not nearly as useful to our family as our minivan.
Logged
Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all. - John W. Gardner

Offline kard00d

  • Enthusiast
  • **
  • Posts: 472
  • Carma: +3/-0
    • View Profile
Re: We Need a Minivan Revolution!
« Reply #47 on: June 27, 2008, 06:33:56 pm »
Yeah, it's too bad they can't put a sliding door on the Acadia...

I'm sure there's no technical reason.  I'm sure the focus groups and research tell them people won't pay a premium for a vehicle with a sliding door.
Logged

Offline chrischasescars

  • Drunk on Fuel
  • ****
  • Posts: 1135
  • Carma: +19/-31
  • Gender: Male
  • The Voice of Reason
    • View Profile
Re: We Need a Minivan Revolution!
« Reply #48 on: June 28, 2008, 12:29:58 am »
I'm driving a four-cyl Dodge Journey at the moment. Editor Greg Wilson will be in a V6/AWD version soon. Will be interesting to see how different our fuel consumption results are (although we live different cities and likely have much different driving routines). I'm shooting to match the 11 L/100 km city EnerGuide rating. Will know in a couple days, when I fill up, how that goes.
Logged
I used to work here.

Offline Ice

  • Drunk on Fuel
  • ****
  • Posts: 1824
  • Carma: +15/-25
  • 2009 Corolla XRS
    • View Profile
Re: We Need a Minivan Revolution!
« Reply #49 on: June 28, 2008, 01:49:51 pm »
Fuel economy wise I think the Mazda5's biggest problem is probably the 2.3L MZR engine.  The MZR seems to not be as fuel efficient as other similar displacement/HP engines.  The MZR from the sounds of it is a really fun engine having a relatively flat torque curve but just doesn't get the fuel economy.

I wonder if the Mazda5 will be getting the new 2.5L and if that upgrade of the MZR is better on the gas or not.

If Honda or Toyota were to do a similarly sized vehicle I think the fuel economy numbers would be better but its likely the engine wouldn't be quite so "fun". I think that Honda would do well to bring the Stream or something like it to North America and put in the new 2.4L i-VTEC that the Accord has.
Logged

Offline quadzilla

  • Car Crazy
  • *****
  • Posts: 23565
  • Carma: +391/-634
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Cars: 2022 Rock'n Rolla Nightstalker
Re: We Need a Minivan Revolution!
« Reply #50 on: June 29, 2008, 08:03:42 am »
RE: Mazda 2.3 vs 2.5

The numbers for the USA version of the Mz6 are as follows.

The old 2008 Mazda 6 with 2.3L
Manual:
21/29 mpg
3057-3187 (weight)

Auto:
21/28 mpg
3133-3263 (weight)

The new 2009 Mazda 6 with 2.5L
Manual:
20/29 mpg
3258 (weight)

Auto:
21/30 mpg
3309 (weight)

http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/pdf/specs_features/veh_specs_MZ6_09.pdf
Logged
Pages: 1 2 [3]   Go Up
« previous next »