Hi all.. just dropped off my 3rd CX-5 (2018) and picked up the 2021. Few questions...

1. Does anyone else hate the new FOBs as much as I do? The design seems ridiculous to me...
2. Why did they remove functionality from the windshield display? Lane assignments and speed limits are gone. Boo.
3. If you don't put a SD card in for navigation there is that "error message" about it with the Longitude/Latitude/Elevation.... why not have that drop off and replaced with outside temp and other things? I know they basically are having users swap it for Apple Carplay and Google Maps but why have one of the five choices be something you probably would never have on the main display?

New Audio Package is excellent as is the cooled seats however....

cheers,
Greg

 

FWIW,

1. The key fobs are a pain in the neck because the buttons are so small. It would have been nicer to move buttons onto the flat side of the remote where they would have been bigger, but I am sure they thought of that, and there was some reason they did not, such as thickness. Poor design choice, but the remote is very sleek, ergonomics aside. We did get the silicone jackets for the remotes, highly recommended.
2. We have 21 Signature, and I am not sure about lane assignments (you mean they tell you you are land 3 of a 5 lane road? Could be challenging where the 5 and 405 meet in LA, 20 lanes across). We do have speed limits, stop signs, in the windshield display, lane lines when applicable and MRCC distances, as well as Cruise control info and IF you use the Mazda navigation, next turn direction and distance information It is pretty good, but sure what the 2018 had because our last CX5 was a 2014. That IF you use Mazda navigation may be the key...ours came with the SD card. Suggest you look into the NavKings card for $75.
3. I have never seen the lat long error message, just the lat long info when you press the navigation button in the center control stack.

Upon delivery, our nav card did not work properly and the dealer had to replace it, but the only thing I noticed was the STOP sign info appearing in the windshield display. I do not recall whether speed limit was there or not.

 

Speed limit relies on having the navigation package. It sounds like you don't have the SD card. Pick one up online and that will show up.
Note that speed limit and stop sign recognition is a function of both the nav card and cameras. I was recently driving through a long construction section where the 65 mph limit was lowered to 55. The HUD kept switching from 65 (the limit recorded on the nav card) to 55 every time I passed a sign. After about a minute, it would switch back to 65 until the next posted sign.

I also live near Route 110 and the system will detect that as a speed limit. Unfortunately, it must know that 110 is not a valid speed limit value and display 10 mph instead.

 

Yeah, its the SD card missing I guess.. I see it on Amazon for 80.00 but let me guess, dealership has to install it for 100.00 or something like that?

Greg

 

Let me guess, you’re a glass-half-empty guy? The SD cards are plug-and-play.

 

dealership quoted 400 (!) so yeah, in that regard half-empty lol.. but yeah, I see I can do it myself.. thanks everyone for the answers!

 

And you can get a nav card for 50 or less on Ebay. I paid 50 and mine works perfectly. Then you have all the functionality in the HUD. I rarely use the Mazda nav but the 50 was worth it to have the speed limits display. I also noted they added the speed limit to the gauge cluster as well for '21(both as a red line on the speedometer and as a speed limit sign to the upper right of the speedometer). Our '19 only had it in the HUD. Pretty nice updates for a car getting ready to head to pasture. I am happy with my 21's updates.

 

Does anyone know if it's possible to install the infotainment software version on the 2018 version?

 

If the question is if you can install the 2018 firmware update on a 2021, at least in US spec models I would speculate not, because the hardware is different. The 2021 hardware, screen, etc is the “next gen” version compared to 2020 and before.

jusy my opinion if I interpreted the question correctly