2014 Mazda CX-5 Touchscreen Interface Isn't Good

Edmunds.com

2014 Mazda CX-5 Touchscreen Interface Isn't Good

You've hit a roadblock! Unfortunately, what you're looking for isn't here, but we can still help you find what you need. Use the links below to detour to some of our most popular destinations.

Read the full story here

legacygt

The profits on these things are just too high. Companies get to charge more for an option that is cheaper to engineer and produce than a dash full of real buttons. The industry is one huge class action lawsuit away from doing a better job. It is simply irresponsible to create a buggy, slow and awkward interface and then put it in front of someone driving a car at 60 mph. And it won't be long before the lawyers figure this one out and go after automakers. And not just Mazda. All of them. Even the best touchscreens are much less safe to use than even the worst conventional button layouts.

gloss

I've gotta agree with the criticisms. As much as I love our CX-5, the head unit is...not the easiest to use. The TomTom nav system, which is locked out when the car is moving, is honestly my biggest complaint. The rest of the system is usable, if kludgy.

It definitely feels as though it was designed to be used with the Multi-Interface Knob thing that comes on the international version of the car in lieu of our 'murrican cupholders.

zimtheinvader

and to add insult to injury, the playing the first song every time you restart the car is new for 2013. So take that people that get the 2.5 engine!! I do see that at least the 2014 gets next and previous folder buttons which the 2013 didn't have, it had 4 ways to go forward or back a song but no way to go to the next folder without listening to the last song in the current folder. Mazda really does (or did at least) think that everyone would just connect with bluetooth. On a survey I checked that a USB connector was important and I got a followup survey on just why I thought it was needed with bluetooth available.

zimtheinvader

I mean it is new for 2014.... (need an edit button)

barich1

The 2013 Mazda3 (the Grand Touring trim) actually does have this same system. I just bought one.

The nav system in mine works fine, but it acts like they cheaped out on the CPU - it responds MUCH slower than my years-old Garmin. I don't overly care for the TomTom interface, either. Garmin's is better looking and easier to use. The fact that the iPod starts playing the first song alphabetically every time is driving me crazy after having had the car for a whopping 3 days. I really hope that there's a software update to fix that. Keep us up to date if you hear about one, please!

Otherwise, having a USB input at all, and a touchscreen navigation system, are vast improvements over the 2012 (they had one on the lot that I passed on for primarily this reason as well as the lack of auto climate control).

tiki

‘gloss’ has it right. I have a 2013 CX-5 GT and my sentiments echo his. I’ll add the system at least sounds pretty decent. Ultimately I don’t have issues with the audio side of things, even if it’s a tad clunky to navigate. The mechanical nob for volume is nice.

The Nav system is cumbersome – it’s my one complaint of the car (and perhaps the 2.0 liter engine that feels overwhelmed at times). The rest of the car is brilliant.

zimtheinvader

I'm happy enough with my 2013 but that 2014 thing of starting at the first song every time you start the car would make me drive it to a carmax. I know technically it is a small thing but it is a problem that would remind you it was there a lot and should not have been overlooked by Mazda. Especially since the 2013 resumes from where it left off. And the 2013 loads the music much faster when you start.

tiki

It’s seems like there is a Riswick’s iPod/Mazda handshake problem, because my old 5G iPod works flawlessly with the CX-5 system. I can’t imagine ALL 2014 CS-5’s have this issue.

zimtheinvader

It's not an uncommon problem:
http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123826135-Resuming-Playback-with-2014-CX-5-GT-Tech-Stereo-and-other-issues

diondi

Maybe it's just because you have a dud unit? The tuning knob not being multi-functional does seem to be an interesting oversight.

eclogite

Interesting. Hope they address this issue. If the car is good enough over all, and I had the $$, I'd just have the stock unit replaced with something aftermarket that actually works well. Time will tell if the car is good enough overall. I'll be staying tuned in...

agentorange

Is there a 2.5 model without the nav and the audio gee-jaws? If so, buy that, bring CDs and learn to read a map. There, I fixed it.

fsunole

Make sure the little door covering the SD card (under the control panel on the left side of the dash) is closed and covering the SD card. When the door is open the navigation is disabled. Once you close it it might take a few minutes for the Nav to restart.

e90m57

I have the same experiences with my 2014 CX5. I find the "Safety Lock" to be infuriating. I cant use voice activation in stop and go traffic, because once you start moving again, it locks everything out. If you want to use Pandora on the screen, you have to Accept it on your iphone. If you want it to read your texts to you, you have to be stopped.

These features are supposed to help you be safer, not have to pull your phone out of your pocked to Accept, Stop to use voice activation to enter an address, and stop to have texts read to you.

I hope this is something that can be updated in the firmware of the system.