Won't get into the reasons why I'm looking at the Mazda5 because if one is seriously looking at a Mazda5, one knows there's nothing else remotely like it on the market. So with that said, these are my concerns:
1. How comfortably does it haul 6 adults, assuming two of those adults are women shorter than 5'6"? this might be medium to long (4-10hr) road trips potentially. Obviously with stops in between, but would the people in the 2nd and 3rd rows be straight up suffering after 1hr?
2. For the longer trips with a luggage carrier on the roof and with 6 passengers, how badly overpowered is the engine? Especially for trips to a hilly region like the Great Smoky Mountains? I'm not going to bother with mods.
3. Any known reliability issues that one should watch out for with the engine and trans?
4. While it would be a people-hauler and I'd be keeping the S, I still would want to go with the 6 speed manual, but I do like the optional features found on the up-level trims. Is the auto a real soul-killer? Will I miss the manual? I don't mind driving a manual one bit, even in severe traffic so I'm not worried about sacrificing convenience.

Thanks.

 

I'm a fan of the 1st gen... The MPG is kinda decent.