Mazda CX-7

astegman

I guess I'm getting too worked up about the Autolock - I'm still not completely clear on how it works and doesn't work (never had a car with such a feature). I'm sort of a literal person, so I will make sure it's explained and demonstrated clearly to me when I actually get the car!

Since discovering the CX-7 about a week ago, I have yet to see any in the course of my travels. I live in Connecticut (Fairfield County) and commute down to Westchester County every day, and have not yet seen one, which is extremely pleasing. And trust me, I'm looking! :P

vbbuilt

Guess you have an excuse to test drive one, huh? Be sure to have them thoroughly explain the security features.

Vince.

russ_49

Actually, I know that it works on my GT, I don't know if this function exists on the lower trim levels, but from the outside of the car, if you push and hold the black button on the door handle, after exiting the car, it will close the windows, and moon roof!!

atlantabenny

Hi folks, first time here although I'm on the Accord board every now and then.

Looking at options for my wife's 2003 Accord EX-L, and the CX-7 is a consideration.

Sat in one yesterday at a dealership here in Atlanta, and noted that there are no A/C vents for the rear passengers. Is it cool enough back there these summer days ?

Appreciate any observation/comment.

zoom49

Bought our CX-7 on 5/30/06 and really enjoying it. For rear A/C we set the center round louver pointing up and back to get air to the rear seat. I've never sat back there while driving myself but our daughter (21) says she feels the airflow and it is comfortable. We were also hoping for rear air outlets. I suggest taking a test drive
and checking this out. Some have complained about the A/C on the CX-7 in general. Ours seems to work fine here in So Cal with temps in the high 90's. BTW we switched from a 98 Accord LX to the CX-7

cruzdreamer

I drove the CX7 on two different occasions and I am very impressed. I currently own a 2004 Mazda RX8(rotary engine) and the CX7 really is faster and better than my car. I was looking at the Mazda 5 for my next car figuring I did not want to spend another $30,000 and gas prices being what they are, but when I saw I can get into a sport for $25,000-$26,000 and 19mpg for a car like this, I decided this was the vehicle for me! The fit and finish on this car is very nice...classy and sporty. The handling and braking is superb! Acceleration was more than adequate...in fact it gets off the line failrly quickly, whereas, my car it takes a few seconds to respond. If you have never driven a Mazda, definitely do so!! You will understand the true meaning of Zoom, Zoom! My RX8 is going up for sale in one month...I will miss her but the CX7 will help with that....what a car!!!! Enjoy your ides new CX7 owners and I hope to join the ranks soon! Any pics of the white CX7....dying to see one in that color!! Thx

vbbuilt

Any pics of the white CX7....dying to see one in that color!!

Go to www.mazdausa.com link title. Interactive website will display all the colors.

Vince.

astegman

I posted a similiar query in the "Price Paid Buying Experiences" thread, but haven't received any replies, so I'll try here - this thread seems to be more active!

I just purchased my CX-7 this past Saturday (7/8/06). I'm not taking delivery til August because (1) the car's still en route from Japan; and (2) the lease on my current car - Lexus RX300 - is not done til next month.

My final price was $31,785. I am getting the Grand Touring trim with sand leather interior; Technology package; moonroof deflector; and auto-dim/compass/Homelink rear mirror. The color is copper red.

My questions are: does anyone have any thoughts about paint sealant? They were pushing it VERY hard and it just seems like a gimmick - cost quoated was $379.

Second: warranty - 6 yrs/100K miles - virtually everything is covered - cost is $1694. Thoughts? My husband did some research online and feels this is a pretty good deal.

Finally - for those of you considering the black cherry mica color, which was my first choice - it looks NOTHING in person like it does online or in the brochure. It is actually a black car with a vague suggestion of a dark cherry-cola undertone, if the sun is hitting it directly. The manager said that of the colors available for the CX-7, the black cherry in person looks the least like it does in the brochure; the other colors are truer. He said that one customer bought the car in black cherry sight unseen (which probably was not the smartest move), and was in shock the day she picked it up - and proceeded to select another color. So be careful!

Anyway, any input that anyone has regarding paint sealant and the warranty would be greatly appreciated. Can't wait to get the car!

stever

Paint sealant is known as "mop and glow" in the trade and is a huge profit center for the dealer. It's just wax. Waxing cars isn't even necessary anymore. :-) link

Check out the Extended Warranties discussion for those pros and cons.

Steve, Host

vbbuilt

6 yrs/100K miles - virtually everything is covered - cost is $1694. Thoughts? My husband did some research online and feels this is a pretty good deal

Check with your insurance policy. With GEICO, they offer extended warranties and cover everything with a deductable of $250, for a very nominal monthly charge. Maybe a comparison with Mazda's plan would be useful?

Vince.

wjbushsr

Avoid any aftermarket sealer on this or other vehicle.

I opted for the extended coverage through GEICO, {Mechanical Breakdown Insurance} why? Because I've never owned a turbo before, and this being a fairly new setup for this engine and tranny, I want to be on the safe side.

The only thing I would even remotely think about adding as far as sealants go would have been undercoating, but since I live in the South, where there is no road salt during winter months, I said naah, espcially since this is one of the quietest rides I've ever had!

You're gonna love your CX-7! Enjoy!!! :shades:

cruzdreamer

Thanks vbbuilt but I have a brochure, been to the site long ago....it's just that it's not a good indication of the true color like you can get from a personal photo. Wendy

honaker

Thanks vbbuilt but I have a brochure, been to the site long ago....it's just that it's not a good indication of the true color like you can get from a personal photo.

Very true. The Black Cherry Mica is a great example, it's a lot darker than on the website. I think it rocks, though.

vbbuilt

Here's a bit more info about the Mechanical Breakdown Insurance (MBI): for me, $35 every six months, good for 7 years/100,000 miles, $250 deductable for any item not covered by manufacturers warranty (bumper to bumper). Break a wind shield? $50 deductible. Now, compare that with Mazda's policy. For a seven year period, total cost with GEICO for the MBI at $490. The only way you can justify purchasing Mazda's policy is if they have a substantially less deductible than GEICO AND you're making an assumption that Mazda CX-7 is NOT going to be reliable.

Vince.

1stmazda

Placed my order four weeks ago and am looking at delivery sometime this week....Black AWD GT with Nav....I was hoping to have it middle of last week - but it's still up in Markham....Anyone in Toronto taken delivery yet?

atlantabenny

Thanks Craig. I tend to agree it's not a deal-breaker; I suppose dedicated rear vents just cool the area faster. Otherwise, I think the car's styling and proportions are a homerun. Mazda seems to have mastered styling better than most if not all Japanese carmakers.

maximafan

Hey guys! I just received a brochure in the
mail on the CX-7. But it looks as though
there's no memory seats or auto-headlights
offered even on the Grand Touring. Am I
incorrect on this? I guess I could live
without the auto-headlights, but I was looking
forward to upgrading to a car with the
memory settings for the driver's seat.

vbbuilt

GT has 3 settings: off, on, and auto. Light sensor in dash turns on headlights in low-light/night-time conditions. Keep in mind though, that during daytime, if you drive under a wide overpass (as you pass through the shadow), such as on a freeway, the lights do flash on briefly. Not a bad thing though, just may confuse oncoming drivers, who may think you're flashing them.

Unfortunately, no memory seats

maximafan

Thanks for the info. My Maxima does the
same thing when I go under a large underpass
or a tunnel or even in the parking garage at
my work. It is a nice function to have
because I just set it on auto and just forget
about it and I don't have to worry about
turning the lights on when needed.

The lack of memory seats is pretty
disappointing to me. I had that function
on my previous car and I've missed that.
Darn it! All Mazda needs is a few little
extra doo-dads, such as the memory seats
and the rear AC vents! Unfortunately, this
may move the car down the list of cars I'm
interested in. I still would like to take a
test drive though.

vbbuilt

Well, recommend you DON'T test drive the CX-7....you might experience unintended consequences. One lady on this forum (won't mention any names or pseudos) who owns a Lexus, made the mistake of test driving a CX-7 and has now placed one on order!

Same thing could happen to you!

astegman

That would be me!!! The soon-to-be former Lexus driver!! I almost choked on my gum when I saw your post - totally hysterical, made my day. Yes, I am anxiously awaiting my car, due to arrive from Japan 2nd week of August. Counting the days. Meanwhile, I continue to receive calls from Lexus regarding the end of my lease. They still don't seem to think it's possible that I'm returning the car and not getting another one...

As for the auto lights, it's a great feature. I've found that on the few occasions when I've valet parked my car, the attendents always turn it back to "off." Then, when I retrieve the car, I forget to put it back to auto and have been known to drive w/o the lights - oops!!

I don't mind much that the CX-7 doesn't have the memory seating; I'm the primary driver of my car, I'd say my husband drives it 5% of the time or less.

vbbuilt

Well gee, wasn't trying to point fingers, but since you stepped to the front of the line.... LOL

Vince.

maximafan

My Maxima doesn't have the memory seats, and
every time I take it to the car wash they
completely change the position of my seat!

I get so p.o.'d, because you get that
perfect setting and it's hard to replicate
it! :mad:

maximafan

You might be right, vbbuilt. One never knows!

cruzdreamer

Take a test drive and you won't care that it does not have the couple extra doo dads!!! :shades: I guess no car is perfect but Mazda has the market share on Zoom, Zoom for sure!!The driving experience of the CX7 is a blast!!! Post your thoughts once you take your test drive, you may find it will be the ONLY car on your list! Two Mazda's under my belt hope to have the 3rd(CX7) in the fall.

vbbuilt

Aviboy, you're the Mazda expert: someone mentioned that the CX-7 transmission has "adaptive logic".

I don't know what that is or what it does?

Can you explain?

Thanks, Vince.

Sylvia

Heads up! The CX-7 is quite popular so rather than having 1 single discussion with a mish-mash of topics we have broken out and moved a number of posts into discussions within the Mazda CX-7 board.

So that you don't miss any of the conversation - be sure and go to the Mazda CX-7 board (not discussion) and click the "TRACK THIS GROUP" link. On return visits - click into My Tracked Items or Read New posts to see what is new for you. Of course you can bookmark the Mazda CX-7 in your browser if you wish http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/WebX/.f0b4218/

Some of the new discussions:

Mazda CX-7 Tires, Wheels
Mazda CX-7 Test Drives - what did you think?
Mazda CX-7 Transmission Problems
New CX-7 Owners - Give us your report
Audio, Stereo questions on the Mazda CX-7 (iPod, Speakers, AUX, etc.)

More were added - so be sure to check the board level.

And remember - you can Add a Discussion to the Mazda CX-7 board too!

vbbuilt

Good idea, but I think you need to change the title of one of the forums: Mazda CX-7 Transmission Problems.

People who are exploring the CX-7 and trying to gain useful information will immediately get the wrong idea that the CX-7 has major problems with the transmission, which is not the case.

Perhaps retitle that forum to "Mazda CX-7 Transmission - General Discussions"?

Regards, Vince.

ateixeira

I would suggest just calling it "Mazda CX-7 Problems" as a catch-all for those.

-juice

honaker

Maybe just transmission. So far it's been someone disappointed that there's noticeable turbo lag, and someone else saying let the transmission get broken in and used to your driving style.

Maybe there should be another catch-all category for problems.

On another board two people have reported their check engine light coming on. It turned out to be a faulty sensor in the exhaust system.

stever

It's sort of nice having a new car on the block and not many problems yet.

Let's try a Problems & Solutions one too and keep a separate one for tranny questions.

Carry on!

Steve, Host

kinggoop

It looks like a space shuttle in person. LOL

Of all the colors.. I only really liked the Red, Dark Silver and the Black Cherry Mica.

LOVE the car. All it took was one test drive and I knew it was the best for my wife and I.

wjbushsr

Sylvia;
How about a "What would you improve section?"?

I can think of a few items I would add for the next generation CX-7!

Sylvia

Great topic! Anyone can create a discussion but I'll get that one started if you like.

1stmazda

picked up my GT AWD with Nav on Thursday.... lovin' it! I'm pretty good at figuring things out - but the autolock feature still has my head spinning.
Autolock is on...

so I get out....close the door....the car goes beep (one beep). Then I walk away and two or three seconds later - there's a second beep with light flash(one beep)...
What is the difference in the beeps?

And in some cases - the vehicle has not auto locked.... In those cases I've exited the driver door - closed it and opened the rear door to get the baby out.... after closing the rear door - sometimes the doors will lock - a few times they didn't...

I'm amazed at the pickup.... my first mazda..... now I get the Zoom Zoom thing.

neil

wjbushsr

The first beep is to let you know that the auto-lock is setting, also giving you about seven seconds to open the other doors for passengers or hatch items; the second is after the door locks and lets you know it is engaged as well as the alarm system is on. {light flashing}
I've noticed a few times when I had to close the door twice to set the a-l, no biggie for me...

One heads up, if you should leave your wallet in the vehicle, the a-l won't engage, and if the second keyfob is in the hatch area, {wife's purse} the car will beep a series of long beeps to warn you that it won't set until the extra fob is removed!

Congrats on your new CX-7!

damon34

nycdragon

Ya, so far. but except for the two issues I had last weekend, the mpg of my 1st gas tank is disappointing (15.5 mpg with 80% local and 20% highway). Anyhow, fun car to drive but need to wait and see for its reliability and improving MPG.

wwxman

Folks, the check engine light has been coming on in many new cx-7's, mine included. First check the gas cap, but if tightening doesn't work, its probably the leak detection pump sensor. It's a known problem that's been reported to Mazda. My service tech said he had two other fixes yesterday, mine was the third. Although the fix is straightforward (putting in a new sensor) it takes 1 1/2 hours. And, they are forced to do a 1/2 hour inspection to make sure the leak isn't real. I can live with this since the car is so great, but I'll be really pissed if it ends up being a design issue -- that is, not a bad sensor but a good sensor being triggered by something inherent.

screaminmimi

:P Well, well. I just joined this forum. However, yesterday, July 21, I bought the white/black leather Grand Touring w/ Technology package and other extra stuff...

I can post a picture of it (took them this morning), but I don't know how... I have never been on this type of forum before. If you tell me, I'll be glad to post a pic or two.

One thing I can't understand is -- the Autolock feature -- in the book, it says you must have it turned on or off by an Authorized Mazda Dealer. Does anyone know how to do it yourself?

Oh -- just for the record, I have a '91 B2200 pickup truck and a 2005 Mazdaspeed MX-5. Traded the '03 Maxima GLE for the CX-7 -- so far, better car.">

vbbuilt

Congrats on your new CX-7! I've had mine for nearly a month now and still love it! Similar to yours, but Copper.

Autolock is strictly a dealer function - you can't do it yourself. I'm surprised the dealership didn't tell you about that.

How to upload an image:

Down below the text box, you'll notice button for format, bold, italics, etc. One is called Img. Click on that. That will embed code into your message. Next, locate the image file on your hard drive. You'll need to copy the complete path to your file, including the file name of the image. For example: I pressed the Img button, inserted the following "F:\DCIM\100DC280\DCP_0673.JPG", then press the Img button again, to close the statement.

You'll have to experiment to get it right, but you can continue to re-edit your posting until you get the syntax correct.

So, you see a pic of my new CX-7!

Vince.

zoom49

So, you see a pic of my new CX-7!

Vince.

Sorry Vince, but I cant see it.

vbbuilt

You're right! Ooops, now I see the problem. Somehow, we have to be able to get pics uploaded to the Edmunds website. What I was doing, the link was simply reaching out to my hard drive, so when I view my own posts, the pic is there. Not much good though for anyone else reading these forums.

Ok, Forum Hosts, how do we put pics in our posts?

Vince.

stever

This has gotten easier since you can now host your photos at CarSpace.com.

So log in to CarSpace with your Edmunds user name and password, and then go to your Albums. It's easy to browse your hard disk and upload photos to your albums.

Then you can send people to your albums or link to the URL there.

To post pics in the discussion itself, please see the Help file - it explains it better than I can. Please keep discussion pics on the small size.

Drive on over and see me!

vbbuilt

Just figured it out.



Vince.

stever

You must be editing. Whatever you did, it worked, because I can see the pic.

To see someone's CarSpace and find their photo albums, click on their member name - their Profile will pop up with a link to their CarSpace page.

Or just type the user name after www.carspace.com/.

inave

Hi All
I'm trying to buy some accessories such as cargo tray for my CX-7 and would like to buy at less price than MSRP
I found only one place, but the prices are few bucks discounted. (mazdastuff.com)

There are many online stores for other brand's cars like Honda or Toyota and they sell accessories at much cheaper prices than MSRP.
Some Mazda online stores are selling Mazda's but they aren't listed CX-7 accessories yet.

screaminmimi

Actually, I don't see a pic of your 7.... Must be a setting in IE6...

I realize the Autolock setting function is a "dealer setting only", but figured someone may have hacked it by now. Oh, well -- no biggie. I am on my third Miata, and really think (still breakin' it in) the CX-7 will outperform my 2005 Mazdaspeed MX-5 -- Sweet tranny!!! Have only 200 miles on it, and haven't gotten into the turbo, yet, but the MX-5 comes home at around 4k. I haven't had the 7 to 4k yet. Brakes feel very good, though.

Anyway, if anyone reads this that knows of a hack for the Autolock feature, please let me know.

vbbuilt

No, it's not your IE6. I didn't upload the pic to the edmunds web site. Check further down in that same forum (post #1032) and you should see my pic.

Vince

tinycadon

I tried posting this earlier and for some reason it didn't post? Anyway, if anyone belongs to some business or organization that's affiliated with the United Buyers Service you should look into them for the CX-7. I went down to my credit union and looked up the pricing from their book. These prices include the destination charge of $560.

The only restriction is that you have to use the dealership they select for you. If the car you want isn't at their dealership, they still can do a exchange with another dealership to get that car for you, still with the same pricing structure.

Sport FWD = 23,464 AWD = 25,087.
Touring FWD = 25,134 AWD = 26,756.
Grand Touring FWD = 25,898 AWD = 27,520.

All options are invoice. To get your total price add the model base price + option invoice price. "UBS W'Sale price already includes dest/freight, factory invoiced advertising, handling charges, pre-negotiated profit structure and fuel."

Comes out to about $700 above invoice, no haggle pricing. Can't really see doing better than that right now, Edmunds is saying about $300 under MSRP, this comes to about $1,300 under MSRP.