I'm planning on getting a new CX-5 in the Dark Blue Mica and while I love the color of the car, I'm not a fan of the tan and black interior cloth seats. My question is would it be worth it (or even possible) to get the cloth color changed or am I better off just buying some neoprene/neosupreme seat covers in the color I want?

I like the idea of seat covers because they'll provide, even just minimal, coverage against the inevitable wear and tear of daily driving, but I also have an aversion to paying $25,000+ for a new car and walking away from the dealership saying "I love it, except..."

Thoughts, comments and further questions are welcome!

 

Have you considered having the interior redone in leather? Usually runs $1000-$1200 and can be done in a day by an upholstery shop. Go to Katzkin's website for more details. Welcome | Car Leather Upholstery | Custom Auto Leather Interiors by Katzkin

 

That makes sense but I've never really been a leather seat person. I know so many people (including many of my family members) love it, but it's just never been for me. I appreciate the information though.

 

The wife hates leather seats, but we went with the GT because of all the added features. We are probably going to go with Coverking's light grey Cordura seat covers (waiting for swatch for final approval). I had toyed with the idea of ColorBonding them, but then realized that I would have to do the door panel and then the pillars and headliner would look out of place.

I guess it comes down to what your budget is. Coverking total for us would be about $500 and I can't say that it is worth at the moment as we don't have them for fit and finish. What color are you thinking of? From what I saw of the Touring's interior, the pillars and headline are fairly light and anything too far from stock might look a bit funky. I would of loved to do the seats in a saddle leather brown, but I know it wouldn't look right without ripping out the whole interior.

My $.02

 

Somewhat related issue:
Wife wants heated seats, but they're not on the 2013 Touring model I'm considering.
Just so happens I know a guy parting-out a wrecked 2014 GT with same-color heated seats he will sell me (side air bags were not deployed).
Will they fit? Is the 2013 Touring's wiring compatible? Will I need a different switch than the one in the 2014?

 

Might have to search a bit more on that, but I remember coming across a thread where someone wanted to add the memory buttons to their seat. They are available in Europe, but someone said that even if you went through the expense of getting them shipped over, you might have to re-flash the computer to get it to accept the new feature. That's the thing with these modern jalopies; it's not as simple as plug-n-play. The current draw might freak some sensor out.

A quick search seems to say that you would have no problem with adding them in. The fuse block might even have the open space for it. If you can get the piece of dash off where the buttons should go, you might even find the end wiring if you poke around.

Then again, I'm still learning CX-5, so don't listen to me.....

 

To the seat cover question-I just put Cover King seat covers on the front to protect it from wear (30K miles the first year) and spills. I am very pleased with them.

 

I'm a big fan of Cover King, and I think that's what I'm going to go with. Does anyone know/think there is another company I should consider before I buy?

 

Thanks, Brucifer.
I've got a guy who can do the install, but he's not confident about the electrical.
Was curious about the fuse - do you know which spot - or know where I can find out?

 

Fuses should be listed in your owners manual. Or a simple Google search.

I can't say for certain with Mazda, but sometimes manufactures use just one wiring harness for every model, but don't use all the connections. My suggestion would be to take a look at the donor passenger seat heating connections and see if you can find the corresponding connector under your car's passenger seat. This might be easier with the seat removed, but you might be able to fish around with your hand. I would imagine that there would be a split in the carpet for the airbag wiring, so that's where I would start.

Same thing goes for the dash buttons. There is a spot on the dash where they were supposed to go if so equipped; access the rear of those panels and see if there are two matching plugs. If you can remove the buttons from the donor car, all the better. The donor car is a great place to learn about the guts of your car if you have access to it.

I always say Google is your friend when it comes to car info. Don't forget to use the Images section of your results, too. If someone posts a diagram of what you need, you can sometimes spot that faster than trying different thread links.

p.s. I turned our seat heaters on high while running errands. After 22 minutes of driving, I forgot that it was even on. I am not impressed with the capabilities of the seat warmer.