Originally Posted by Mellonhead3013

Mazdaman007: That's very good news that your replacement clutch is better than the stock new one. I might have my local mechanic do mine with an aftermarket clutch as well.

I've recently picked up a used 2007 Mazda5, with 90,00km on it. It's off-lease so I assume it's still got the stock clutch. It works fine, but it has all the signs of wear - lack of feel, sudden engagement point, engagement point at the top of the pedal travel, though I have read that some owners experienced this from the get go. But obviously with this mileage I do not have a 'defective' clutch.

One observation I have... the Mazda 5 seems inordinately low-geared. It revs too high at highway speeds. I can get the car moving with barely any gas, just a gentle nudge of the clutch, and the first shift comes just off the line - like I'm driving a big rig. I can see how this can be hard on the clutch if the driver is not very careful; with the low gearing it's all too easy to over-rev the engine while slipping the clutch.

I've been driving for over 30 years and spent most of them with manual tramsmissions, and have never had to be as careful with a clutch as with my Mazda. Yes, it's got a boatload of kilometers on it, but my old dad's Subaru has way more on the original clutch and it's way easier to drive.

I'm saving up my pennies...