I am seriously thinking of buying Mazda 5 2008 2.0 petrol and gass it as I just love how it looks and how practical is.
Can you please advise should I get it despite problem with tires eating? Is this problem solved entirely in this year? If not what should I expect?
Thanks for help!

 

From what I have researched, the problem is with the inherent camber that Mazda applied to the wheels. From factory, it can be from -1 degree to -1.5 degrees. If you dont keep up on tire pressure and tire rotations, you can have poor wear. I have found that if I keep too much weight in my vehicle or over a specific side/corner of the car then those tires will wear more. For example, I used to keep my jack and some tools behind the driver side middle seat (rear most seats are folded down) and that tire (rear driver side) wore more than the opposite side (rear passenger side). I have since switched sides and the wear is more even now. I wouldn't say that my Mazda 5 (2014) is eating tires, but it looks like my current set will only last me around 2 years to 2.5 years. I do drive spiritedly, so you can take that into account. I purchased a warranty on the tires, so hopefully I'll be able to claim that when the tires wear down to the wear strips. I really like the tires, if interested they are https://www.discounttire.com/buy-tir...-s-uhp/p/41014 (not sure if your local tire shop can order those or if you can order them online). They are wider than stock and handle very well. Wet kinda sucks, though.

As far as solving the issue, you can install some camber adjustable rear control arms (for example, https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo...441857&jsn=403) and should be able to get camber kits for the front end (im having a hard time finding anything that isn't quite pricey like https://www.powerflexusa.com/shop/pr...ngs-14-mm-1371). Ensuring your rubber suspension bushing are in good order will help prevent uneven/odd wear. Shocks in good working order help as well. Being a heavy body on a chassis for a smaller vehicle and 10+ years old (how many miles on your car?) could mean it is time for suspension freshening up. Poor suspension will only make the uneven/poor wear more noticeable.

 

Oh wow, this is one most amazing reply I even didn't dream to receive. That is a lot of info and definitely helps with decision on buying this car.


Thanks again and stay safe!

 

Ah you haven't bought it yet. I would say that I see more complaints about tire wear from the 2004-2010 mazda5 than from the 2010+ mazda5. If you are still in the market for a Mazda5, maybe try to find a 2010+ mazda5.

 

Cheers. 2010+ is out of my budget, but I will definitely consider this next time. Thank you all for info - I hope this will be also helpful for every other prospective buyers.

 

The 2nd gen still eats the tires. Just commit to tire rotations with a cross pattern (rears go to the front on the opposite side, fronts go to the back). Make sure when buying tires to buy asymmetrical tires vs. directional ones so that they’re okay with flipping rotational direction. I had my Mazda 3 for 14 years and committed to that rotational pattern almost always around 5k miles. Generally got 30-50k out of each set of tires...... initially Pirelli P7, later went consistently Michelin MXMV4 which later changed to the Premier. Do the same with my Mazda 5.