Do any gearheads have an opinion here?

[Vevilaughs]

I have started to look for a new car. I have pretty much narrowed down my choices to a Toyota RAV 4 or a Mazda5.

I have also looked at:
Hyundai Tucson
Honda Element
Honda CRV
Ford Escape
Ford Taurus X.


Besides looks or styling, does anyone have an opinion on the better choice? besides the fact that he Mazda will probably run $5K less than the RAV 4.

Right now, I really only do heavy driving on the weekends (I take public transport to work M-F).

I am looking for a vehicle that is somewhat basic and can handle me, my partner, luggage and 2 labs for weekend trips.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I have already done research at Consumer Reports and Motor Trend.

[CrusaderC]

I have a 2002 Protoge5 and like it a lot. Holds lots of stuff, drives well, seats fold down for larger loads, etc. Don't know about new ones though, but I've always had good experiences with mazdas.