14th Jan 2005, 23:34
I've owned my P5 for 2 years, and am looking to trade in because I put lots of miles on cars. I agree that the tires are a problem. I live in Virginia, so we get some snow, but not enough to use snow tires. This car does not handle ice, snow - not even the thought of it. I ran off the road during the first time it snowed, but was able to get out the ditch quite easily. It slides easily, so allow extra stopping/sliding room.
I've had to replace tires once, and they are expensive. Gas mileage is great. Get up and go is great. The seats are hard to position to get the comfort I desire for trips.
Its greatest feature is what you can pack into it. I've had many comments from people when they see what I can fit in it. Due to a bad experience with my last Mazda (a 626), I'm not sure if the P5 can do the 200,000 + miles that my old B2000 did. Enjoy - put money aside for the tire bill.
31st Dec 2009, 07:46
My P5 is now 177,000 miles, I drive 100 miles round trip to work every day!!! It's in great condition; better than other cars with less mileage...
4th Aug 2010, 09:54
I still have my P5, and low profile tires suck; yeah they're sportier and give better handling, but they wear way faster, so I took them off and tossed them in the basement and fitted larger tires.
I still find the ride comfort isn't like a Jag, but it helps.
I DO have the wind deflector and I think it's fine. Yeah the car is a little loud, but it helps. I find those things don't bother me though, I find the car more fun to drive when I can feel every crevice in the road, and when I hear the wind hitting my windshield.
If you are somebody who dislikes driving, then put on your apron, and go get an automatic Honda; Mazda's are drivers cars and aren't for the faint-hearted. :)
17th Mar 2011, 09:59
Wow. Eerything said in the comments are so true.
I always wondered why when you put the window defrosters on it wouldn't circulate through the car. Anyway I crashed it twice, hit 2 curbs once in rain, once in snow. The tires are terrible. I needed a new axle and had a lot of problems with my brakes. I feel like I can't control the car in bad weather, it is like it does what it wants, but it's reliable.
1st Apr 2004, 00:11
"I didn't realize how bad the tires were until I got caught in small "incident" during a snow storm. I lost control at a very slow speed and ended up hitting the curb. Front axle broke, 600 bucks to fix."
Tires that wear badly are one thing, but any owner of a vehicle in snowy climates should know that just because you have a new car, doesn't mean you are immune to the powers of mother nature. Snow tires, my friend. Snow tires are what you use in snow, not just any kind of tires. 600 dollars would have been more than sufficient to supply yourself with a set of snow tires.
SNOW TIRES!