Any tips for servicing a 2016 Grand Touring with 34,000 miles? Anything to look out for in particular? Last service was supposed to be 27,000 but I missed that one.

Should I avoid a Mazda service center in Los Angeles at all cost and find something cheaper?
For example, Mazda Culver City are charging:
Air filter replaced - $69.95
Cabin air filter replaced - $99.95
Brake fluid exchange - $189.95
Coolant fluid exchange - $189.95

Are Pep Boys just as good/cheaper?

Also, are the Continental Cross Contact LX 25 tires still a good option to replace the OEM Toyo A23 225/55R19s ? This car has had the harshest / worst ride of any car I have owned or driven in 40 years.

 

I've been having the oil changed at my dealer as they rotate the tires and it gets onto Carfax if and when I sell my car. (2016CX-5) The engine and cabin air filters are easy to change so I'd change them myself if I were you. They don't need changing as often as the manual says if you DON'T live in dusty areas. The engine filter, you undo a couple of clips and lift the top up. Pull the old filter put and drop the new one back in, facing the same direction. The cabin filter is a little more involved. Empty the glove box. With it open, press in on the sides of the box so the stops clear the opening sides. Let it hang down and the filter is straight in. Pull it out and slide the new one in the same way. Reassemble everything and you're done.

I'm running Michelin tires and they've been on there for 50,000 miles and still have good tread, handle good and ride decent. The CX-5 is never going to ride as my old '77 Chrysler New Yorker Brougham due to sporty suspension and short wheel base. It does ride decent though. On the coolant, I changed mine myself but any decent independent shop can do it for you. Just be sure they use the Mazda specific green coolant. This is different than the regular green coolant. Don't ask me why. That good shop can also flush your brakes if you don't want to do it yourself.

I do most of my own work. Right now I'm in the process of replacing front wheel bearings. They are stuck in there HARD. Considering the roads I drive, the car has held up well, the original owner was in upstate New York and the tin worms but in the bearing races. They just don't want to let go.

The dealer will usually be the most expensive place to work on your car. On the other hand, they know (usually) what they are doing. On my last oil change the dealer gave me a list of recommended services totaling just under $2000. Most of it I have already done and the rest I'll take care of when needed. As for Pep Boys, I've never been impressed with them. See if there is a shop that specializes in Japanese cars. Design philosophy varies between manufacturers but overall Japanese design is much different than German or American.

 

There is no reason to skip the dealership and they will likely give you a complete inspection for free?

You can also check with other shops that may offer a free service advisement with you getting that oil and filter service.
No one on a forum like this or other MAZDA forums can really assess what you should need unless they ask a few dozen Q&A and are in the automotive service having at least a few years of experience in general service maintenance. One example is the advise about Cabin filters, you live in CA and specifically southern CA so the need for more frequent servicing is not required but for your health should be. Likewise the air filter . For some reason people like to go the extreme miles not realizing that an air filter is inexpensive n most cases only takes a few minutes to change and can drastically effect many engine operation performance aspects.

Pepe boys actually has one of the nation top 20 reputation for service. Contrary to reviews which most anyone that's has intelligence realize that in this world more people will beeecth and complin vs those that give praise on the WWW and media sites.

Tires and asking for advice are so questionable because their are way to many variables and personalities. Unless you meet your twin in every aspect the best advise on tire selection should be between you and the Professional Tire Center.

 

You can DIY the air filters from a couple of youtube videos but once you learn that then you can do that on basically any car. Been doing it since the late 90s and it hasn't really changed other than my cars now have a cabin air filter.

Brake fluid and coolant I wouldn't worry too much unless you're having issues but I've done it myself and had it done at several chains and no issues. Price seems about normal for North Texas area as well.

 

Price of an air filter or cabin air filter is about $25 each. Easily swapped DIY.

https://www.mcx5.org/air_cleaner-1516.html

https://www.mcx5.org/air_filter_remo...tion-1519.html

Coolant fluid swap is easily done DIY. It's simply a matter of opening the radiator cap and drain plug, letting it drain completely, flushing with water, then refilling (~8qts). Can get jugs of the proper coolant at Mazda.

https://www.mcx5.org/engine_coolant_...ment-1368.html

Those three tasks, alone, should reduce your cash outlay by ~$225, after you acquire the parts/fluids yourself. Assuming you've got a little bit of time to accomplish them.

If wanting a shop to do it, instead, pretty much any shop that can get hold of the correct air filters and coolant should be capable of doing these three simple tasks.

The brake fluid is a bit more involved, in the sense that the CX5 involves a specific procedure on the calipers. But if the shop is aware of that part then they should be able to easily accomplish the task. IMO, a brake fluid swap+bleed shouldn't be a $200 charge. (Not with Mazdas, but in the past I've had a couple instances of getting brakes+fluid done at a Firestone shop. Was fine, even through they're a generic service shop, and quite a bit less expensive than the dealership.)

 

Please explain how you ever considered or found information that Firestone is a generic service shop. ROLMAO! Are you kidding... right? Better look into that a bit more whom they hire to do what and what the requirements are for certain positions. You might be surprised to find that some of the requirements in some positions to do specialized service work require greater experience levels and certifications then many dealership service department's.

 

A general average shop. Indeed they are.

They're not top-notch. Never claimed it. They're not qualified to shine the shoes of the staff at top shops. Never claimed it. But they're a typical average, general-purpose shop. Irrespective of the quality some might ascribe to them.

If your point's about quality of shops, that's a different discussion.

 

Maybe that is your personal opinion which is fine but your information is not accurate by any means.
Firestone for brakes ,chassis and suspension and alignment, the equipment they have is top in the industry and they only hire certified Technicians for alignment and qualified experienced mechanic for all other service with the exception of tire and wheel balancing and installation. Most of that part of Firestone business is taught on site. But you can train a APE to breakdown a tire and wheel and re-install it. As for balancing the calibration process of the balancer shows the exact position for weight placement and its hard to muck up that part . Sure there is always going to be some tire and wheel combinations that need a little more experience to balance them out but most of the managers of the shop area have that experience or the store manager does. Firestone usually promotes within the company based on time served and experience.
This my friend is not my opinion but actual facts that you can find for yourself. For a change retail and service business nation wide they are actually rated top level in that type of business..

 

Not all Firestone stores are equal. The one I go to is very good. They wouldn't touch my equipment if they weren't. I bought a truck a while back that a different one worked on. When I went to remove a wheel to replace a tie rod, The nuts had been hammered on. I had to use a 4 foot cheater pipe to remove 19 of the lug nuts. This was after I broke several sockets and ended up using a cut off wheel and chisel to remove one. The threads on the nuts were all warped and I had to replace all of them. Later, I wanted to replace a wheel bearing. I couldn't get the nut off the end of the axle. That one I went to a place that works on heavy equipment. The mechanic finally got it off. He had to use a 1 inch impact wrench and broke an impact socket.

 

Grouch first you sorta IMHO implied that Firestone worked on your truck? Sometimes how people word things has hidden meanings or can be misinterpreted. Often happens with my posting style.

I will add that I never said they were perfect, but I also have said so often that on the internet and other reporting service like reviews (which are never agenda based or biased LOL) there is more negativity towards automotive service reported then the overwhelming and majority of satisfied customers.
Thank you for supporting my response.

In my shop I once had a custom that wrote a review and said that we left a plastic protection floor mat that was greasy on the passenger side that he had to remove and dispose of. Think about that for a second!!!! WTF! I thiink that customer was just grouchy about life in general ROLMAO




Now someone might interpret with these pictures that you were that customer that complained ... LOL