I agree the CX5 is what it is a great comfortable everyday transportation vehicle that gets reasonable fuel economy at a price point most can afford. FWIW , my 2023 CX5 carbon edition that is NA runs the same power wise no matter what grade of fuel I put in winter or summer blend.

 

E85 has been a topic on conversations on forums for decades. Bottom line if your vehicle is not design , required to use or set by the auto manufacture as safe to use you should not use it. The slight advantages are really geared more to those that are sport or completive driving or are just gearheads wanting evey once of power possible from your engine. Most factory ECU are NOT calibrated for that type of fuel and although in small mixes can be used and the ECU CAN CORRECT OR ADJUST FOR ITS USE MANY TIMES YOU EXCEED THE oem PROGRAMING.
So really this thread is much the same different day and different platform as most all conversation and speculation of it use or abuse.
If you feel froggy then go ahead and jump on the band wagon and go try it out. Just be careful to monitor all your vital operating temperatures and perimeters and pull a spark plug and have a look after about 500 miles of using/trying it.

I no longer offer Calibration to any customers regarding their ECU with proprietary programs that allow full access of the ECU to adjust any perimeter. It takes to long and many data logged runs to do minor changes to test and then re adjust. A royal PIA. And frankly the gains are not so much that I have ever yet seen needed for a street driven car and only a few off highway uses. This brings me also that while the Mazda ECU does not directly know when you are using E85 what the ECU did should you damage your engine can indicate a strong argument that alternative fuels outside the recommended octane and type were used that could void your WARRANTY.

 

Toluene for the WIN!

 

Most people dont understand HP vs Torque in the first place. If they did we would see more conversation about torque instead of HP. Also very few auto manufactures post verified and "CERTIDE" real power information.

About SAE J1349® Certified Power

If you don't see the certification then an auto manufacture can legally post any numbers they want.

Power and torque certification provide a means for a manufacturer to assure a customer that the engine they purchase delivers the advertised performance. This SAE Standard has been written to provide manufacturers with a method of certifying the power of engines to SAE J1349® or SAE J1995®.

 

The torque is what keeps me coming back to E85, I am addicted to it! The low end daily driving torque. Not having to roll into the throttle until the car downshifts two gears to keep up with people taking off from a stop light.

The high end horsepower gains are fun too, but i have calmed down now, and drive normal now. It's the daily driver torque that's got me hooked.

I tried mixing few gallons of E85 with a 3.6 liter pentastar motor. It didn't really do anything. But it was port injection and fixed compression.

Callisto is correct in that i have no idea the long term effects of 85. So it is not recommended to mix E85 in a car that is not designed for it.

 

For torque & HP then why not just purchase a Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat?
710 hp and 645 lb-ft of torque.

 

If you enjoy low end grunt and like your CX-5 - I highly recommend getting one with a 2.5T motor. It is night and day from your NA 2.5. It is almost diesel like in its feel off the line. 320ft/lbs of torque is quite a jump from the NA motor's 186 - it comes on at 2500rpm vs the 4000 of the NA motor...

 

I can confirm that this is a perfect description lol. When I drive my girlfriend's 2.5NA it feels nowhere near what my 2.5 Turbo does. It's still a great engine and I could be happy with it, but going with the Turbo was exactly what I wanted.

 

The comparison is not fair, get your GF a Versa Tune and use their canned tuned and not one Turbo Mazda will come close to her Mazda.
I might also say that if you or her drives the car normally and for highway use the adaptive in the ECU need to readjust for sport driving which takes about at least 2 drive cycles. If you simply drive spiritedly for a few drives cycles you will feel a big difference in acceleration and the engine does come on very quickly.

And to swat the hornets nest, the claims of power for the TURBO models are much lower ITRW LOL

 

Where in the world did you get this information ROLMAO..
To much time reading instead of doing. ROLMAO
With oyu if it is posted on the internet it much be a empirical fact! LOL


But I understand if you own one naturally all that extra money you spent on the Turbo model Mazda you need to defend it. hahahahahaha!