First time mazda buyer 2018 cx-5 gt. Not that impressed. No glove box lock or light. Very small cargo space.
Good fit and finish. Poor gas mileage. Gps adequate but complicated as is the radio system. Nice sound system.
I miss the voice directions on the gps. Ridiculous prices for accessories.

 

noelfawc,

It appears that you bought a vehicle that wasn't right for you and you are having buyer's remorse. That's unfortunate. If it was the right vehicle for you, you would be saying: I love the way my new Mazda drives but I have a few frustrations.

I understand your frustration with the complexity of the GPS and infotainment system. The systems that manufacturers install have become more complex with each new generation and Mazda is no exception. Last week I rented a Volvo S60 for the week and never did figure out how to use the vast majority of the features beyond the basics necessary to drive. I spent 10 minutes in a parking lot trying to figure out how to turn on the radio. The first non-basic thing I got working was the rear window shade. It appeared to me that many of the safety systems went from inactive to not available during the week, I never had the feeling they ever were actually active.

What accessories do you feel are overpriced and what manufacturer's have cheaper accessories available?

I find the process of giving the GPS voice commands extremely difficult and I gave up trying. The system generated voice directions should be working better. If you miss a given direction, you should be able to hit the navigation button and the direction should be repeated. If the volume is too low, the radio volume dial should control the GPS direction volume when receiving directions. The volume can also be changed in the menu system.

As for the mileage, the initial mileage may not be representative of what you will get in the future (if you are on your first few tanks). Are you getting close to the mileage advertised for the CX-5?

It would be interesting to know what vehicle you were coming from, your thoughts about the Mazda driving experience in comparison?

 

I am coming from a 2012 VW Tiguan and compared to that vehicle the 2018 CX-5 is indeed a good bargain for the price/benefit ratio you get. Also, despite being AWD, my CX-5 gets much better MPG than the Tiguan and I am hitting the advertised MPG value of 27MPG with mixed driving which is pretty descent.

Coming to the GPS, I do not find it complex but it is really very very slow to load. That's my only complaint. I am now waiting for the Apple Carplay / Android Auto update which will hopefully roll out shortly and I will just use my phone's Google Maps or Apple Maps through the Mazda Connect System. Though timing is not certain yet and it looks like it will cost us an additional $450 or so whereas I thought when we bought the 2018 model year that it will be a free upgrade.

 

Hey gang! New to Mazda and just bought a 2015 CX-5, CS, AWD yesterday. It replaces my 2006 Chev HHR, 2.4L, 5-speed. I'm a Veteran and also have a Red Seal AST. I grew up on farm so growing comes easy to me. I've seen the issues over the years working on people's vehicles and most passenger cars are unimpressive after you've worked on them for 10 years. But this car impresses me. Even with it's little cargo area, smaller than my HHR, our golf and two large dogs are cozy but mobile. The moon roof is a first also...a little light is nice. The SUV is nimble and responsive with a seamless shift. It drives like a car not a heavy tank like we expected. With only 63,000 kms and barely worn tires we bought as much extended warranty as possible and had them put a set of winters on rims too. So wiffy and I are all set for winter driving here in PEI. Glad to meet you all!

 

GrowGreen: Welcome to the forum and Mazda ownership. The Mazda CX-5 may be the perfect vehicle for someone with some stuff to cary (but not too much) who enjoys driving and wants dependable transportation.

I suspect you have some great stories to tell with your military experience (thank you for your service to our Nation), farming background and automotive repair training.

I hope you become an active member of the forum. We often have technical questions (many that are not Mazda specific) that would benefit from a response from an expert such as yourself.

 

 

I am sorry to hear that you are not happy with your new Mazda 5. While I have never owned a Mazda 5, (I seem to have owned everything else (MPV, B2000, 6 and now a 3 and a 2)), I have always been intrigued by the concept of a small 3 row mini-minivan. It's a unique vehicle that is perfect for some but not for many others.

Post your questions in the Mazda 5 section where those who have faced the same challenges may be able to help.

Good luck. I hope you find solutions to your challenges.

 

Came from a CRV, but also had multiple Highlanders. Right now have 107k on my 2016 CX-5 Sport and have only changed the oil and filter, air & cabin filters, tires and wiper blades. Everything else is original including battery and brakes. Never in my life have owned such a low maintenance and reliable vehicle.

 

New to this Forum, and need to vent. I bought a brand new 2018 Mazda 3 Touring 2.5L on Friday November 16, 2018. It had about 10 miles on the odometer as I drove it home (about 17 miles). Sat there comfortably garaged until Sunday Nov 18 and was set to go out to visit family about 7 miles away. Started it up and instantly noticed check engine light (engine system malfunction) stayed on, but drove off to my destination with no noticeable performance issues. Reached destination, and after 1 hour, was time to depart and started the car and now 4 lights were illuminated with the engine running. Looking up the symbols, there were actually 5 warning guidances: the engine system malfunction, DSC malfunction, TPMS system malfunction, and 2 SCBS malfunction warnings. I turned the engine off and on, but all these lights remained on. I looked under the hood and almost burned my finger as the engine was super-hot. I let it rest for another ½ hour, turned engine on but all lights remained on. Tried to see how the car would run and realized the engine was not firing properly, and the car was not drivable. As it was a Sunday, I decided to leave the car where it was until the following day and call Mazda to arrange a tow to the nearest Mazda dealer.

On Monday morning, I called Mazda telling them this brand new Mazda 3 with 34 miles on it was currently undriveable. After waiting over 2 hours, the tow truck finally came and brought me to the nearest dealership (not the one I purchased the car from) at 12:30pm. They told me they would need to perform a diagnostic and not to expect it completed that day. To add salt to the wound, they said there were no available loaners, and no shuttle service to leave the dealer. So I had to taxi my way out of there. The rest of Monday and Tuesday my calls returned the information that they have examined the vehicle, and all the wiring and they still have not figured out the problem and solution. On Wednesday morning, I went to pick up a loaner car and they indicated they have ordered a new control unit (ecm / pcm ?) that should arrive next Monday, and that they hoped that would solve the problem.

So today it’s Friday, November 23rd, now and I am wondering, should I be stuck with this lemon?

Some questions for you all:

Assuming they are ultimately able to fix this new car, what experience do you have to share about negotiating strategies for receiving compensation: lifetime free oil change? Significant extension of warranty? Other?

This has been extremely frustrating as you can imagine, and my Mazda customer experience may have been permanently tarnished.

Do I have any options to ask for a new vehicle to replace this one even if they are able to fix? I bought this car as a brand new one, but I can’t even consider it a new car anymore as I had it for only a few days and it’s spent more time in the shop and with the mechanic/technician who has been picking and poking at it inside and out.

 

If you install android auto... I am able to use my voice for all navigation through google maps.