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Good morning, everyone! I have a 2004 Ford Freestar and am thinking of trading it in for either a Kia Rondo or a Mazda5.

I realize they are fairly new, so have you done a review? I would like to downsize, but need extra space to carry my RC model airplanes.

Hoping to hear from you.

Yours truly, John (retired person)

Vaughan: John, your letter reminds me of how much I enjoyed flying.

I sold my Cessna 172 when I went back to the poverty of journalism. But, by my quick calculation, I'll be able to buy a 50-year-old 172 if Cato and I write 200 more of these columns. I think that flying one of your RC — radio-controlled — planes is the next best thing.

Cato: Up in the clouds again, eh, Vaughan?

We need to pay attention to the fact that John is nuts for RC airplanes and he needs space to haul around his collection. And these planes are big. Very big.

MC: They are generally one-fifth or one-sixth scale.

JC: So about the size of your typical hotel television set.

MV: RC planes are far more interesting than anything you'll find on television. The best are detailed and capable of doing air acrobatics. A scale version of a Beechcraft Bonanza will do 160 km/h and the scaled DeHavilland Chipmunks do aerobatics just like the real thing.

JC: Now we know how you'll fill your days in retirement.

Not so very far away, is it?

MV: Not if these columns don't improve.

Anyway, Cato, the Kia Rondo, Mazda5, or what for John?

JC: That's the question.

The Kia Rondo and Mazda5 are the least-expensive wagons with three-row seating sold in Canada — the six-passenger Mazda starts at less than $20,000 and the Kia seats seven at under $24,000.

MV: Because John is moving from a fairly well-equipped Ford Freestar minivan, we're going to suggest the higher-end Mazda5 GT ($22,895) and the Ronda EX Premium ($23,995).

JC: Now for a third choice, John, you have some options. Obviously fuel economy is on your mind, so we'll stick with other four-cylinder models, wagony-type vehicles. I like the 1949 Suburban styling of the Chevrolet HHR.

MV: Remember, though, it doesn't come with a third row.

JC: Nobody but Kia and Mazda sell a small wagon with a third row. So our third option in every case will be some sort of four-cylinder wagon with flip-and-fold back seats with enough room for, oh, a Ryan STA at exactly one-fifth scale.

MV: That's a good one, the Ryan I mean.

As for a vehicle, John might also want to test the new Jeep Patriot, or the Dodge Caliber or Toyota Matrix (or the Matrix's twin, the Pontiac Vibe). The Matrix is Canada's best-selling small wagon, by the way.

JC: Okay, but let's put the Chevy HHR on the list because it looks so cool.

MV: Not to everyone, Cato. But I'll indulge you.

JC: Okay, the Rondo. New to Canada last fall, it is a four-door hatchback/wagony type of vehicle that starts for less than $20,000 with standard cloth seating for five.

The pricier ones have leather and seating for up to seven.

All the seats, front to back, fold flat and the rear-most ones virtually tuck into the floor to make room for cargo.

MV: I like all that, but I don't like Kia's reputation for reliability. This brand has yet to earn the respect of the big quality arbiters such as Consumer Reports and J.D. Power and Associates.

The Kia Sportage, for instance, is rated by Consumer Reports as the least-reliable small sport-utility vehicle. Period.

In Power's latest Vehicle Dependability Study, the one measuring owner-reported problems after three years, Kia ranks fourth from the bottom — just ahead of Suzuki, Saab and Land Rover.

JC: Not good.

MV: You are a master of the obvious.

JC: I'll ignore that.

But in fairness to Kia, the five-year/100,000-km bumper-to-bumper warranty is outstanding. If your car breaks, Kia will fix it long after you've stopped making payments.

MV: That should keep owners loyal.

JC: It certainly does. Kia is No. 2 in owner loyalty in Canada, ahead of Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Kia buyers tend to come back and buy again.

MV: There is a lot to like about the Rondo — from the stylish red instruments to the red backlighting of many controls.

JC: The use of light grey, soft-touch plastics in the cabin is a welcome change from the usual black, which is all too standard in the industry. Did I mention the thick foam padding in the seats? Well done.

MV: I'll agree there is nothing cheap about the look of this interior. I also found the four-cylinder engine — 162 horsepower — powerful enough for in-town sprints and highway merging.

JC: The four-cylinder comes standard with a four-speed automatic transmission and it's fine. Ride quality and styling are both okay for a wagon.

MV: So, John, the issue is reliability and it is offset by that good warranty.

JC: Which brings us to the Mazda5. It is the closest thing to a minivan in Mazda's lineup now.

MV: Indeed. Mazda replaced the old MPV with the Mazda5 on the low end and the CX-7 crossover wagon on the higher end.

JC: The Mazda5 really is a mini-minivan and it might be just right for these fuel-frugal and cost-conscious times.

MV: The 5 has room for six, is flush with standard features and safety equipment, delivers decent fuel economy and, in the best minivan tradition, it has cleverly designed storage areas, such as under the cushion of the second-row seats. The sliding side doors provide good access.

JC: As with the Rondo, the 5's seats fold and flop easily to expand cargo space. Storage is seemingly everywhere. And the trim size allows a tight turning radius that makes parking a cinch. It is a very nice van-ette.

MV: It is a clever design — and this holds true for the Rondo too. But the fact is, there is only so much space in these small wagons; the third-row seats are pretty much unusable, even if you manage to squeeze in.

JC: I'd throw out a caution, too, about the four-cylinder engines. In both instances the four-bangers are lively enough when you're alone; load up with people and planes, however, and it is another matter.

Kia does offer a V-6 for those who want more juice in their Rondo; not so with Mazda5.

And we should mention Mazda's quality hovers around the industry average.

MV: Now let's deal with the Chevy HHR. Cato is a sap for the retro design.

JC: Look, the HHR is a nifty, stylish, comfortable package.

For the record, HHR stands for heritage high-roof.

Heritage refers to the 1949 Chevy Suburban utility vehicle — the HHR's inspiration, as least as far as the front end and bulging fenders.

The HR piece refers to the tall roofline and is meant to suggest a roomy vehicle despite the compact outside dimensions.

MV: There is enough room here to stow a scale airplane, but no third-row seating is available.

JC: John, the HHR is reasonably fuel-efficient, holds a decent amount of people and cargo, slides nicely into tight parking spots and there is even an iPod plug-in jack.

MV: Cato, you and your gadgets.

JC: John, you being a retiree, we should mention that all HHRs can be flat-towed behind, say, a big RV.

A lot of retirees enjoy the RV life, so the HHR gives you something to drive when you get there instead of lurching through the drive-up window in the Winnebago.

No need to jack up front wheels or put HHR onto a trailer to pull it.

Plus, let me say that the HHR rear-seat is adult-sized, if you keep it to two back there and rear cargo space is good.

MV: But for me, there's more to like in the Rondo, plus it has a V-6 available, unlike the others.

Kia quality is a factor, although the long warranty mitigates some of that. I like the pricing, too. I'd be willing to give the Rondo a shot.

JC: The Mazda5 is a bit too minivanish for me, so my first choice, if you can live with just five seats, is the Chevy HHR. It's very practical and I like the looks.

What Car? features are archived on globeauto.com

Jeremy Cato and Michael Vaughan are co-hosts of Car/Business, which appears Fridays at 8 p.m. on Business News Network and Saturdays at 2 p.m. on CTV.