Mazda CX-5

danangme

I started buying Mazda's because I noticed how good the finish was on old protégé's and 626's.I have a CX-5 with the extra cost white and after 12,000 miles don't have a issue with the paint and I live in a State (PA) that decided to tar and chip roads instead of laying down blacktop.That being said,I've read a couple of other comments like yours in the past and I don't have the answer.

hondalova

I think you've hit the nail on the head. We bought 2014 CX-5 Touring in the extra-charge Soul Red (my hot wife in her hot red car!) and have had no paint problems whatsoever thus far. I wonder if the difference isn't whatever the upcharge paint gives you that is not in the regular "free" paint color choices. My bet is the upcharge is an additional or thicker coat of clearcoat or a baked enamel type of paint or some similar combination. But our paint is still looking fine.

gillb

The general tone of the reviews here on Edmunds are that this car is everything from fun to beautiful to extremely reliable. Yet when I read other Mazda Forums I'm overwhelmed by the number of people finding that the car, especially the 2.5L Touring is finicky at best in terms of gas grades that it will run smoothly on, has an A/T transmission that seems to give a lot of people heartache, idles strangely, revs by itself when its not supposed to and has a number electrical warning light issues that Mazda seems not to want to acknowledge.

So, just in general, seems to have a lot of issues that someone used to Honda CRV reliability and driveability without some kind of steep learning curve would not be used to dealing with.

Any thoughts or experiences from those more knowledgable then I on the subject?

tenfour

I agree with you. As a former audio engineer, the Bose audio in the CX-5 is a disappointment. If you listen to AM talk radio, it actually sounds like speakers are out-of-phase which is VERY annoying. High quality CD audio is acceptable but highs sound grainy and artificial--decrease treble by "-1." And they have the bass EQ set too high--probably to "wow" the uninformed. Decrease the bass by "-2" to make it listenable. I was never a fan of Bose (nor were any audiophiles); this system only reinforces my opinion. Mazda would have done better working with Infinity/Harmon, Levinson, or any audio company that knows how and uses good loudspeaker drivers and engineering techniques instead of silly artificial sounding digital processing. (Audio DSP is good when used properly but not to correct for cheap parts.) I would have preferred to get the stock audio and modify but I wanted the sunroof and had to take the option package. Next time I'll know better.

tenfour

I only own mine (2.5, AWD) for 3 weeks but so far, so good. I haven't read many forums yet. I'm picky about my cars, I also have an '03 RAV4 (super reliable) which provides a benchmark. I like the way the transmission in the CX5 shifts, idle has been very smooth. My Mazda3 and RAV4 always ran better on plus grade fuel, so I'm continuing using plus in my CX5; I'll experiment some more with fuel grades later. (Hondas that I've owned did not run better on plus grade; regular was fine. Just to mention, my last two Accords were junk--so much so that Honda lost me as a customer.)

boutselis

Your statement is not very true.
I'm guessing you didn't go to forums about other car models. When we were shopping for a sport cross over I looked up the customer reviews on the cx5 and went to the cx5 forum. I saw some complaints. I then noticed I couldn't find a car without complaints about it.

The honda crv has many problems and complaints. Consumer affairs has customer reviews with 49 serious complaints about the crv (consumer affairs problems) They do not have a file on the mazda cx5. When you look at the crv forum there are many more complaints there then when you go to the mazda cx5 forum. I just looked at both out of curiosity again after reading your post.

I remember all the sport utility crossovers had various issues but after looking again I would say the crv has more reliability concerns than the cx5 if you are going by the reviews.

23,000 miles in one year and still love it. averaging over 30mpg by tank to tank milage check

stevedebi

" The honda crv has many problems and complaints. Consumer affairs has customer reviews with 49 serious complaints about the crv (consumer affairs problems) They do not have a file on the mazda cx5. When you look at the crv forum there are many more complaints there then when you go to the mazda cx5 forum. I just looked at both out of curiosity again after reading your post. "

I have to agree. I owned a 2003 CR-V for three years and it was great, yet there were lots of issues then, including engine fires and A/C compressors blowing up - but I had no problems (got a good one, I guess). One also has to remember that Honda sells a lot more CR-Vs than Mazda does CX-5... so there are more Honda's to report on

2012 sales (US Only)
CX-5 43,219
CR-V 281,652

gillb

Its funny you tend have a perception based on your own experience even if that might be unique. I had two CRVs, both were near perfect.
I spoke to a Mazda dealer about these issues I saw on another blog of dedicated Mazda owners. And what he said was, that they did have some problems on the 2013s and a firmware update corrected those. And that the the new 2014s have the software update already installed at the factory. Its a plausible explanation given that all the Edmund's reviews of the 2014 are positive where as these slightly older blog entries I was reading were probably 2013s.
Its undeniable I think that at least as far as their CUVs Mazda has definitely taken the lead in terms of technology, especially transmission and the 2.5L engine. So there is a part of me that hates to buy into old technology especially if I have to live with it for 3 years e.g. Honda.....and yet there is the comfort going with something familiar. It looks like you took the leap and are satisfied with your choice.

boutselis

Now that you mention it we were slated for a software or firmware (or something like that) up date. I think it happened a few oil changes ago.
But what ever the problems were never occurred in our car so the update was a mute point

johnpt

We just completed a few thousand mile round trip between San Antonio and a couple of state and national parks in Utah in our 2013 CX-5 AWD with automatic transmission. It continued to perform flawlessly on whatever gas we found along the way. And trust me, at one point as we drove through a remote area of New Mexico on the way back, we went through one town on the highway that looked like a ghost town with no operating gas stations, and the next town was only a little better -- two gas stations (in a 200-mile stretch of highway) were open and selling gas, but neither one had running water so their restrooms were closed. Doesn't sound like the kind of place where the gasoline for sale would be considered "extra fine quality". But the lowest grade of gas which was what we bought at one of them caused nary a hiccup in our CX-5. In fact, our gas mileage on this trip was the best we've seen since we've owned it. We routinely got over 30 MPG on the highway, even though I seem to have topped out at about 28 MPG when driving long distances in Texas (say between San Antonio and Austin or my trek from San Antonio to Ardmore Oklahoma last January, and back).

I will say that the best way to lower your gas mileage in this vehicle is to take advantage of the 75 and 80 MPH speed limits on the roads we travelled between Texas and Utah and back. At 70 MPH or less the MPG stayed above 30 MPG, and even sufficiently high that some segments of 75 and 80 MPH speed limits brought the MPG down, but often not below 28 MPG before it was time to refill the gas tank. I guess there were enough small town slowdowns, road construction slowdowns, and idiots blocking the 2-lane segments of our drive at 15 or 20 MPH below the speed limit that we seldom drove at 75 or 80 long enough to cause the MPG to plummet. The engine purred like a kitten all the way. No idling problems, no rough running, etc., no matter what gas we used. And our dealer has never offered to do any kind of firmware upgrade, nor did we know (at the last service visit) to ask about one. Maybe they can make my baby perform even better!

My only complaint about the drivetrain is that the transmission seems to downshift kind of roughly sometimes if I am on the highway at a high speed limit (like 75 or 80) with the cruise control engaged, when I come to a hill or something that causes the car to need to make some more horsepower. I don't doubt that the circumstances call for a downshift, just that it seems to slam into gear (downshifting two gears at once) kind of harshly and rev up the RPM's a lot.

But during the whole trip, or for that matter, for the entire year plus that I've owned the vehicle, I have had only a single highway encounter where I was on the edge of trouble due to a lack of horsepower. I have to take the blame for that close call and not fault the vehicle. I am very pleased with the performance of the vehicle and at this point would NOT trade lower MPG for more MPH or more acceleration. Sensible driving habits, and particular care when entering a highway where the traffic is busy, the openings are small, and the speed limit is 80 (with lots of cars and trucks going at least that fast) should be sufficient. Just my $0.02, anyway.

stevedebi

A couple of points:

For whatever reason, I have found that traveling at higher altitudes brings better MPG.

As to the firmware update, most dealers do it automatically when a car is brought in for service.

yuma5

I experienced a very violent surge at a stop light. The car lurched forward as if it had been struck hard from the rear. Our heads hit the head rest very hard. The car surged forward about 3 to 5 feet. If I had been bumper to the crosswalk and someone was walking in front of the car, they would have been struck. This has happened 6 times now. Two of them, the first and last, were severe. The first one happened the day we bought the car new.

The dealer has no explanation other than it is a break-over-gas computer problem that can not be corrected.. This is turning out to be a dangerous car to drive with a lot of attendant anxiety and even though it is a fun car to drive (with 31+mpg so far) I wouldn't buy it again. It has about 10000 miles.

gillb

I'd like to thank everyone for their input. Cars, computers, cell phones, hotel reviews whatever. I agree there is always going to be a mix of the good, the bad and the ugly. I guess what you always try to discern is if there are clear patterns or experiences that indicate a risk that you may not want to take. Clearly that CX-5 has an overwhelming number of positive reviews behind it and a small but perhaps disconcerting number of negative reviews especially concerning the transmission, firmware or other electronics. Post 474 is one of a number of examples of the vehicle acting in an unexpected way.
The CRV is my benchmark because I was lucky enough to get two excellent vehicles in a row. But I note that others were not as lucky and have suffered through their ownership of BMWs, Audis, VW, Toyotas, Buicks and whole host of other vehicle models.

tenfour

Absolutely. Every now and then, a glitch happens involving any product from any manufacturer. Even something simple like a bad connector can cause strange intermittent problems and much pain to the buyer. Possibly a most important consideration is how the manufacturer addresses such cases. I once, in the 90's, had an issue with my second new Toyota truck. The dealership took the vehicle back and, working with Toyota, performed several thousand dollars worth of work and gave me a loaner car for the duration--great service. I had an engine issue with my new Honda Accord. While I could write a short essay, Honda's response was the opposite of Toyota's and a source of pain for a year. It took the involvement of two state attorney generals to get a response! Thankfully the majority of my vehicles from several manufacturers have been very good. In fact I'm finding it difficult to part with two of them (VW and Toyota) that have been running well for over 140k miles.

gillb

I totally agree. I don't have any first or second hand experience with Toyota. But it seems that Honda, Acura, BMW can either be very positive or negative experiences depending on the dealership and mood of the manufacturers Regional Service Manager.

So does it even pay to ask the question how good is Mazda in responding to technical problems that rise above the dealership level or are there too many local variables to even make it a meaningful question?

It seems if you have a serious problem your state's Lemon Law might be a more important factor in getting a problem taken care of then the quality of Customer Service and support your going to receive from the seller of the vehicle. Maybe Edmund's should have a 50 state guide to using the Lemon Law to resolve unresolvable problems.

stever

There's some "quick links" at Autopedia

Getting Some Lemon-Aid From Your Lemon Maker

And yeah, a good dealer can make living with a lemon tolerable. But lemon laws are so weak, why should the manufacturer or dealer bother? Just look at the limits and exclusions in that Autopedia link.

gillb

Thanks for that link

robinlewes

I bought my 2014 CX-5 Touring Pkg AWD back in June. I currently have less than 4K miles on it. I am liking the car very much but I'm not getting very good gas mileage. Around town, only around 22 mpg. On a trip a little under 25 mpg. I spoke to my dealership and they assure me that I should be getting what the estimates are for this vehicle. They say that Mazda is 104% on their mileage estimates. They don't know why mine is so low and tell me that they will do some diagnostics the next time I bring it in for service. Is anyone else out there experiencing this on their new CX-5?? Any thoughts?

fantamas

I wish I could buy customized headrests for my new Mazda CX5. The ones I have are ugly uncomfortable, and I get back ache after driving it. Headrest pushing my head down and there is no neck support!!! I did not notice it when I was taken into a driving test. Does anyone have the same problem. I wish to hear from manufacturer that they can give me a fix for this problem!!!!!!

kathyma

I happen to come across your comment about the paint and I couldn't believe someone else is complaining about the same topic I was mentioning to the dealer a few months ago. I bought my 2014 CX-5 Touring in June 2013 with the upgrade white paint and then a few months later, I notice two small dot-like areas on the driver's side that resembled more like missing paint rather than something that hit it. It was literally a tiny circle of no paint, in two spots. I mentioned it to them and they said it was a pebble or rock that probably hit it. I said it doesn't seem like that to me but then second guessed myself because I figured anything is possible. Now I can believe that I am reading others with the same issue. I may show these comments to the dealer to see what they will say about it.

kathyma

I purchased the 2014 CX-5 Touring in June 2013 and I immediately was not impressed by three things:

The BOSE sound. I thought it would be much better. I was a Bose fan but I am not so sure anymore.

I don't like how the volume knob turns. It takes to many turns just to increase the volume a bit. It is not smooth turning. I also don't like the volume function on the steering wheel. It is not smooth also. After a bit of time pressing it, you get an annoying beep.

Depending on what you are listening to on the radio (it's hard to pinpoint), the tunes seem to go freakish and sound like they're coming from different speakers and then switch back. It is hard to describe but it is not consistent.

danangme

You can go to setup and get rid of that beeping when you increase or decrease the sound.
That last part,does it switch speakers while your using the navigation? That just happen to me the other day and I had to turn up the volume on the Nav equal to the radio.First time that ever happen to me but I don't use the nav very often.

stevedebi

"I wish I could buy customized headrests for my new Mazda CX5. The ones I have are ugly uncomfortable, and I get back ache after driving it. Headrest pushing my head down and there is no neck support!!! I did not notice it when I was taken into a driving test. Does anyone have the same problem. I wish to hear from manufacturer that they can give me a fix for this problem!!!!!! "

My wife has issues with her neck, and for our Civic, I turned the headrests around backwards and put them back in. Then I purchased a soft headrest wedge to install. I don't know if the ones in your vehicle will work that way, but it might be worth a try.

audia8q

Do you have HD radio on your CX-5? If so, I bet that's the "freakish" sound your hearing. Depending on your location HD radio reception isn't as good as regular radio. This often causes fluctuations in the sound that can be dramatic. It's not just a CX-5 problem but a similar problem with lots of cars. (search HD radio problems)

Push the button that turns off the HD radio and listen to regular radio and see if the same problems continue...good luck.

bluzone

I now have about 10,000 miles on my 2013 CX-5, mostly interstate and throughway miles.
"25.7 average." That's using cruise control and driving like a bluehair. Mazda's sales hustle is a load of crap.

bluzone

I first noticed hundreds of white pinpoint to 1 mm divits in the clearcoat at 6000 miles. Some are down to base coat and a few are to bare metal. Mazda: "that's not covered because it was caused by outside influences." My [non-permissible content removed]. Can anybody out there comment on a showroom bought new $30k vehicle that has all the paint coming off the front of the car - at 6000 miles? Mazda Corporate is downright crooked. They fabricated on my complaint and closed the file without telling me. The dealer doesn't care - he sent me to Mazda Corporate.
Shame on Mazda!
ps I am a devoted carhead, using Mother's and Maguire's products especially their yellow carnauba wax to protect the finish.

jslujan

I just got my cx5 and am having the same issue with the same phone. have you found a fix?

tenfour

I have my AWD CX-5 for one month and less than 2k miles. No paint issues; need to mention that the paint appears to be no different that of Honda or other Japanese manufacturers, none of which are in the same league for durability as VW or the German manufacturers. Phone: system worked perfectly with my Samsung SIII. Got a little more used to the Bose audio system. Using the EQ settings I mentioned earlier helped--not so annoying (except on mono sources like news or talk radio) but still not thrilled with anything Bose; hope that Mazda considers a knowledgeable company to do their future audio systems. MPG: 27-28. My '08 Mazda3 took several thousand miles to break in but now regularly does better than it's ratings. Note that winter decreases MPG. Transmission and engine work well together: one of the best automatics I've ever driven and enough to make me re-think my long time preference for a manual. Now for the big issue I'm experiencing: from the day I after driving it off the lot, I have a vibration problem. Dealer re-balanced tires; next time back, replaced two wheels and tires. Went on a long trip and still experienced vibration that's strong after 60 to 80 mph (did not exceed 80). I had winter tires/wheels on order from Tire Rack which they shipped precision balanced as a set. Recently installed them--STILL having vibration from the rear as before. (Wife says it feels like a massage chair!) I have an appointment with the dealer who seems to wonder what to do next as it now looks like a drive train problem. I'm not a happy camper because of this major issue with what appears to be an otherwise excellent vehicle. Need to have resolution soon... or?

lds1966

I have the same problem but I am using an iPhone 5. The dealership told me that it is apple that is blocking it. I somehow don't believe them. I also asked them what Pandora is because it doesn't work. I was informed that it is not available in Canada.

lds1966

I purchased my Mazda CX5 in June of this year. I am so disappointed with this vehicle.
The command start sucks. Won't start half the time. Comes back with ER on the screen which is supposed to mean "error". But when I look out the window the vehicle is running. Having to walk outside to get within 100 feet in order for it to work.
I hate the fact that you cannot lock the doors while the vehicle is running.
No running lights come on when you start it with the command start unless you leave them turned on when you turn the vehicle off.
Does not get the fuel mileage that they claim it does.
Next time I go to purchase a new vehicle I am going to rent the one that I am looking to buy so I can check it out thoroughly before I throw away $42,000.

boutselis

I do not know much about the blue tooth set up but I can believe that the problem is with apple. the reason is, I have tried to use some non apple products with my phone and the phone rejects them. the strangest one was an aftermarket charger. It worked for a few days then the phone would say unauthorized device when I plugged it in. So I bought another thinking the charger was just bad and I received the same message. I know some one else who had similar issues with an aftermarket card reader. The apple device seems to know when you are not using an apple product.

kathyma

Update on the volume and HD:

I was recommended to undo the HD option and I have to say that the system sounds much better at times without it. Apparently it is an HD issue in general and not related to Mazda components, according to what others are saying.

Also, I took someone else's instruction on this forum to remove the beeping sound in set-up for the steering wheel volume. I did that and oddly enough the steering volume works smoother to me without the annoying beeping sound.

kathyma

I purchased my 2014 CX-5 AWD Touring last June 2013. I will be purchasing a smartphone in the near future. I noticed various issues posted by others on their phone problems and compatibility with Pandora, etc. I am not using Pandora currently and don't have a newer phone to connect via Bluetooth. What do others suggest as a great phone to use overall with the 2014 Mazda CX-5? Eventually, I really want to use Pandora in my CX-5.

kathyma

I also purchased my 2014 CX-5 AWD Touring last June 2013 and within a few months I noticed two small dot-like areas of what appears to be missing paint. I have contacted the dealer and they said it was probably chips from rocks or something. I don't believe that is true. The dots do not resemble a chip, but more of missing paint. I am currently in contact with Mazda corporate about this issue and a few others. I just noticed a third spot of no paint right on the edge of the front of the door under the side mirror. I am not happy that this is happening to my new car. I am careful driving it and don't drive a lot with it. If indeed this happened from pebbles, I still can't believe the force of those pebbles to make this happen on such a high-quality paint finish on a 2014 vehicle. What is this car going to look like in the future if it already has these spots after about 6 months of driving it off the lot??

kathyma

Stalls when taking a quick u-turn: I purchased my 2014 CX-5 AWD Touring last June 2013. I am SHOCKED to say that this has happened three times so far and I cannot believe that it happened at all (and embarrassing that it happened to my brand new vehicle). Basically, when driving down a street and wanting to make a quick u-turn by quickly going into a drive-way or side-street, immediately putting the car into reverse to back up - it then just stalls right there in the middle of the street during the reverse process before it even lets me put it back into drive again. I consider this a dangerous situation to be in. I have never in all my years from driving vehicles has this ever happened to me. All older vehicles would perform this function without an issue and not stall out by making a quick u-turn. This is something that many people do on the occasion and in certain situations as an impulse to do. A car should never just stall out - especially a brand new 2014 vehicle. When this happened, it was a dangerous situation to be in "stuck in the middle of the street" while trying to quickly realize to restart the car again after moving the shifter back into "park".

kathyma

Interior Durability Issue with shiny trim: I purchased my 2014 CX-5 AWD Touring last June 2013. There is a shiny decorative strip on the dash that runs above the glove compartment. I am really careful in this car because it is my first "new" vehicle. Somehow several scratches appeared there that I notice recently. I have only brought the car in once for a tire patch service recently at the Mazda service department but other than that only rarely does someone else sits in the passenger side. I don't understand how something that I could not remember even being leaned up to it can even leave a scratch as it has and I could not remember it? I don't stuff anything upfront. Just by looking at this shiny strip of console earlier, I did wondered if it would be durable to the normal function of its occupants. Apparently, any small thing that could rub into it will leave a mark? That is unacceptable. The same thing goes with the plastic piece over the numbers on the shifter. There is a small scratch there as well. I notice this one in the early summer but decided to mention it now. Again, that is unacceptable. If Mazda wants to put in "shiny" trim it is expected to be durable to normal usage - which means if something was rubbed up against it. How can Mazda expect that nothing will touch these shiny trim to leave them scratch free when they are in prime locations of constant use? To a certain degree, they should remain scratch free because the material should be able to withstand it. Unless a heavy duty thing would jab into it like a screwdriver or something, then basically it shouldn't scratch. What is this car going to look like in the future if it already has these subtle scratches after about 6 months of driving it off the lot??

kathyma

Squeaking from the brakes: I purchased my 2014 CX-5 AWD Touring last June 2013. I have no idea why this would occur but it happened a second time (the first time it happened maybe weeks ago, I thought it was a fluke or a one-time thing). However, I went to the supermarket a few nights ago on Monday evening (Dec 2nd, 2013). It was a chilly evening in New England but not overly cold; after pulling out of the parking lot of the super market and driving away through the lot toward the street, there was stop and go just because there were many other cars trying to exit. My brakes made a clear squeaking sound every time I applied the brakes slightly (not heavy braking). After about 4 times braking on the way out, the squeaking sound stopped. Again, I am shocked that a 2014 vehicle or any brand new car would even have squeaking from the brakes, even for a short time. Why is this happening?
It happened again, two more times: Yesterday and this morning just after I started the car and inserted the brakes at the end of my street, it squeaked loudly. After that it didn't happen again for the remainder of the day on each day.
I have to say it is embarrassing that the brakes squeak on a brand new car?

brian125

Kathy, Your brake pad or Rotor may be grooved and not be lining up. If you had a very hard sudden stop it may have groved the Rotor. This noise will go away as you do more braking. If problem persists let dealership check the pads and rotor for a defect. This has happen to me on several vehicles. The noise will go away as the brakes wear.

stever

"Federal safety regulators are just beginning to post 2015 crash scores, so it's a little difficult to do a head-to-head comparison at this point. But it should be noted that the 2015 CX-5 already outpaces of several competitors in this area, including the 2014 Ford Escape and Toyota RAV4, which earned four-star overall ratings."

2015 Mazda CX-5 Earns Five-Star Safety Rating From Federal Government

audiostream3

My 2015 CX-5 grand touring has about 3500 miles on it. I have been very impressed by what mazda has done with this car. The styling is best in class and with the leather interior and tech package with upgraded sound system makes it a very comfortable, classy ride for the money. I owned a 2005 tribute before this and I wanted to stay with mazda because I like their engineering philosophy and the reliability of the Japanese brand.

I have seen some posts from earlier about using premium fuel. I have played around with this (using regular, mid grade, premium etc) and I have to say that premium fuel DOES make a big difference. The drive train is smoother, less hesitant on gear changes, less noise and vibration and overall it feels like a different car. The cheap stuff 87 octane will work, but I have decided to stick with premium because it's worth it to me. Say what you want about it being non-scientific and a mental illusion, but I can certainly tell the difference and $5 extra at the pump is worth it for the better driving characteristics. Generally cars with high compression ratios would need premium fuel so to me it makes sense even though technically it is not required.

I can't wait to see what the diesel model will be like when it finally makes it to the US! Lots of low end torque and amazing MPG....