We LOVE our Mazda 5 and regularly use it with 4 kids (our 3 and our nanny’s son). I just lean over the front seats and help the kids with their car seat belts. It isn’t totally simple, but it is easy enough to love, love, love it. It is speedy, easy to maneuver and park, gets good gas mileage, fits a bunch of kids comfortably, and it just so practical in DC. There is unquestionably little cargo space, but honestly, it has never been a problem at all. If you only have 3 in the back, you can fold one of the back seats flat too…and that really gives you a lot of space. We do have a bigger car as well that we use if we need lots more space. By the way, I also found a stroller that actually fits in the back cargo area. I can even fit two of them on top of eachother! (it’s an Inglesina umbrella stroller…I think the Swift. I can look at it if you’re interested; we got them on sale at Buy Buy Baby and they are terrific). By the way, once the kids can use booster seats which just use the seatbelt, the back seats are really, really nice because they can do everything themselves, particularly because there is an aisle between the seats so access to the seat belt buckle is so much better than in regular car seats where they are squashed down into the seat.
Mazda 5
We just bought a Mazda 5 in September, so I hope I can help. We have two children - ages 2 and 4 and carpool to preschool infrequently. We wanted what you want from a car - room for the occasional visiting grandparents, room for an extra kid or two. It is our only car so I am very familiar with the ins and outs of it.
I have been happy with it overall and the price is great for a car that is close to a minivan. When we have taken additional adults, we have put my son (4 yr. old) in his high back booster in the third row with one of the adults. The third row has tethers, but no LATCH system so car seats other than boosters are more of a challenge to install. My daughter (2 yr old) sits in the second row in front of the adult (as she needs little leg room and can be moved up). The second adult sits in the second row and two adults sit in the front. You either need to do it this way or put both kids in the third row. You can't leave both kid's car seats in the second row because then the people getting into the car have to climb over and between them which is close to impossible for an adult, let alone the average grandparent.
When I take additional kids, I put them in the back row in boosters or a car seat I install with the seat belt. They can climb over and between the second row if there are two car seats in the third row. If there is just one child in the third row, it is easiest to have them get in and out through the back with one seat folded down. Which then makes your kids want to climb out the back too because it seems like fun...
To answer your last question, I haven't found a stroller that will fit in the back, even the Kolcraft. There is a "golf bag" panel you can remove to make longer things fit, but it doesn't help that much.
We have opted to get a roof rack and a top carrier to add to the storage space for longer trips. These are both removeable.
I would be happy to help with other questions about the car. Overall, we are happy with it. It is most ideal for smaller children. Once our kids and their friends are bigger, we will likely need the leg room of a minivan, but by then we will probably want a new car anyway.
Mazda 5
When we put a child in the third row who needs help getting in a carseat, we come in through the back. Even with a stroller there it's doable. It's more awkward to try and help from the middle, in my opinion.
The back storage area doesn't hold much but you can totally fit a smaller Maclaren (Volo, Quest) in it with all seats up. A Techno will not fit. A supercheap umbrella stroller will even fit between the middle two seats.
The M5 is perfect for us. We are able to do just what you want and fit the grandparents in with us when they are in town. We took a road trip to NYC with another couple (they have no kids yet) and the 5 of us were snug but enjoyed being in one car and only having to deal with one vehicle in Manhattan. We went pumpkin picking with another couple and their child, and again it was nice having everyone in one car, even with two huge Britaxes!
I love having the van style sliding doors but a car I can parallel park easily. When the back two seats are down there is a lot of room for groceries, etc., but the gas mileage is way better than an SUV or a minivan.
All in all we are thrilled with our purchase.
Mazda 5
We love our Mazda 5. We were "early adopters" of it having bought it the month they came out -- July 2005 -- so we've had it over two years. We love that it feels zippy and it's small enough to parallel park easily in the city, but we've also driven very comfortably to Chicago, Boston, and even Colorado a couple of times in it. We have two kids, ages 5 and 2.5 and it's perfect for us. (OK, now I realize I sound like I'm a car salesman. I assure you I'm not!) We also carpool/shuttle other kids around and it really isn't that bad getting back to the third row if a child needs help. You just need to do it before the kids in the middle row get in. We're expecting our third baby in March so the 5 year old is going to be in the third row permanently. I think it's going to work just fine.
As for storage with the seats all up...it's small but you can still fit stuff back there. I'm pretty sure our Maclaren fits when you put it in on angle kind of standing up. Take your stroller to the dealer and check it out.
Mazda 5
I looked at the Mazda 5 but couldn't fit my double umbrella in the back which is pretty small but I think you could fit a single umbrella in there.
Mazda 5
The MacClaren Volo fits very easily with the back seat in use--with room for other stuff as well. We've even been able to get the sit and stand stroller in the back with all three rows occupied. However, doing that doesn't leave room for anything else. I recommend taking your strollers with you if/when you look at the car. We were plesantly surprised when we did.
Mazda 5
We often have my older child's friends riding in the back seat in high-back boosters. One of the easiest ways to buckle them in is over the top of the back
seat so there is no climbing or reaching in. Alternatively, reaching in through the side door with one of the middle seats pushed forward and tilted is
also fairly easy.
Mazda 5
We have the Mazda 5 and love it. We've had both the Subaru Forester and the Honda Odyssey before. We have a 2 year old and a 5 year old (both turned those ages
within the month). And, for our current family configuration the Mazda 5 is perfect.