My short list also included the Matrix/Vibe along with the Mazda5. I ultimately didn't go with any of them because they couldn't hold up to seven like the Rondo can. 99% of the time, I don't need room for seven (which is why I didn't consider buying a bigger vehicle), but I wanted that capability because I have a lot of family who like to congregate on the West Coast at least once a year. The seven seats really proved its worth on their most recent visit.
As I recounted in another forum, I probably would have bought the Mazda5 if it had seating for seven. In fact, initially, I didn't have much pride of ownership when I first got my Rondo and I really wished that the Mazda5 had seven seats. I hate to admit this since it just shows how shallow I really am
, but this mostly had to do with "brand caché." Mazda has this cool "zoom zoom" image and their vehicles generally look the part, while Kia has this bland image and, IMHO, their vehicles don't do anything to disprove it. Kia is also saddled with a reputation for poor reliability due to "past sins."
So there I was, secretly yearning for the Mazda5--but what the heck was I thinking? Was I really willing to sacrifice my requirement for seven seats, solely because Mazda has a cooler image? That would have been a pretty stupid reason for buying the Mazda5.
People don't buy vehicles like this for coolness or hipness, for blazing performance and handling--the primary reason people look at these vehicles is for functionality and configurability in a small package. If it happens to look cool or have exceptional performance, that's an extra bonus rather than a must. When I was enamoured with the Mazda5 (and, quite frankly, I still like the Mazda5), I had it all backwards and was overlooking what I really needed.
When it comes down to it, the Rondo had everything that I was looking for. You can't beat its configurability and capacity for its size. I've read that the Mazda5 has more cargo space behind the third-row seats, but that's somewhat misleading. If the third-row seats are deployed in the Mazda5, that means you're needing room for six people. If you seat six in the Rondo, you need to deploy only half of the third-row seats--the other seat can be stored away and you end up with more cargo space when seating six in the Rondo compared to the Mazda5.
I've also read that the Mazda5 has pretty good performance and handling, and I've read some reviews that suggested that the Rondo is mediocre in the same areas. I don't know what those reviewers were expecting. Am I going to be racing a small people hauler around the city with wife and baby in tow and noticing how great it corners and what great acceleration it has? In my experience, the Rondo performs and handles perfectly well for the job it has to do. If you want to marvel at your vehicle's performance and handling while you're stuck in stop-and-go city traffic, I suppose you can buy a Mazda5 for that.
None of this matters, of course, if Kia's vehicles are still haunted by its past demons. From my own research, I was quite satisfied that Kia was overcoming its past problems. It ranked above mid-pack in the Consumer Reports reliability study. It ranked 24th in the JD Powers initial quality study and has recently jumped to 12th. It ranked near the bottom in the JD Powers 2006 long-term dependability study--hardly that impressive, but the same study also noted that Kia had improved twice as much as any other brand in the past three years. It also ranked 5th in the Warranty Direct survey. Plus, Hyundai has been impressing everyone in the last few years with its continually improving product lineup and we all know that Hyundai owns Kia. To top it all off, "Little Ronnie" was getting good reviews and the vast majority of reviews have been toward the positive side of the ledger.
Whatever the case, I've grown quite fond of my Rondo. I even have some affection for its oddball looks. I especially like the chrome accents and the "urban grey" colour. Sure, the Rondo doesn't have that "high beltline, tiny windows" look that seems to be the flavour of the day at the moment, but must every vehicle look the same? Think different, man.
