Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Mazda5 Owners Care & Maintenance

2

Comments

  • nissmazlovernissmazlover Member Posts: 162
    OK, so, regarding the hateful dashboard rattling/tapping, the service dealer explained that my dashboard is warped. I always noticed that on the top of my dashboard, near the windshield, there was a wave on the top portion of the shelf. Didn't think nothing much of it. Well, they looked at it and it seems as though, while they were poking and prodding, they made it a bit worse (the wave is larger and the tapping/rattling is now just a rattling since it's gotten more pronounced). Well, they said the rattle and tapping was coming from there and they have ordered a WHOLE NEW DASHBOARD for me and are installing it this week.

    This sounds good and dandy, BUT the thing is that I am nervous that they won't do a proper job. I mean, it's a WHOLE DASHBOARD!!! Isn't this something that is built at the factory? Will they get all the cables connected right? Will all the lights on the gauges and various controls work properly like before? Will they make the dash fit properly and perfectly alligned? I'm very anal, and I worry about this. So, I'd like any advice I could receive from you guys. Should I let them do it? Or, should I live with this rattle for the rest of the car's life? :confuse:
  • nissmazlovernissmazlover Member Posts: 162
    So, are you saying that the 3 has also experienced the same crunching sound coming from the suspension when cold? And that they have to replace the whole control arm and not just the bushings and sway bar?
  • riproyriproy Member Posts: 57
    When the cold weather returned here a couple of weeks ago, the squeaking returned as well but it is only a chirp compared to what it was before. Mind you, it hasn't been as cold as when the first incidence occurred. I am waiting for a chance to take it in again. I hope that the proper repair can be done this time. I will have to read this service bulletin - thanks for the heads up about this.
  • athenasiusathenasius Member Posts: 118
    This would appear to be the case. They are on the same platform. When I was talking to one dealership when this was first brought to their attention he said ‘ya’ we figured it would happen to the 5 as well. Head office told them to the do the cheap fix first to see if it would appease the owner. It seems as though they were hoping the extra weight would make a difference to the bushing – guess it didn’t. I personally was not impressed with the job and have found that dealerships do not really care when they do repairs as they are paid the same if they do a proper job with due diligence or if they do it as fast as they can. So I have just decided to live with the squeak it only lasts until the suspension is warmed up(for me I just use it to remind me to take it easy as things are not warmed up).
  • nissmazlovernissmazlover Member Posts: 162
    and, overall, I guess, they did an OK job in putting it back together. Mind you, though, the annoying "tapping/popping" sound is still there. They put the dash back together, but now there is a seem that wasn't there before. Right on top of the dashboard, behind the hump in the middle that houses the radio and everything else, towards the right side, there is a perfectly straight line/seem that runs vertically from the part of the dash that houses the defroster to the back of the hump that houses the radio. Do any of you out there have that line, perhaps in your '07's? Please advise.

    Also, something that has me annoyed, is the fact that the glove box door no longer goes down smoothly. Before, it was dampened and when you opened it, it went down semi-smoothly and definitely not with a clunk. It was smooth. Now, though, it just PLOPS down with no resistance whatsoever. I hate that. The fact that it was dampened before, crazily enough, was one of the reasons why I bought the car since I hate glove boxes that just PLOP down. Dempening it gives it a quality feel.

    Also, I had an iPod Integration thing put in. I love the fact that I can hear my iPod in the car now. They put the cable that connects the iPod inside the glove box. When you connect it, the Mazda emblem appears on the iPod screen. You control it thoroughly through the stereo and NOT the iPod itself, which is convenient but has its cons, too. Anyway, they left two GAPING holes in the back of the glove compartment. I feel, now, that I can't put stuff in the back of the huge glove compartment for fear that things will fall through the dash and into that inaccessible space in the dashboard. SO frustrating! Also, though they put the dash back together ok, they scratched my steering wheel in the process (the hub? the place where the airbag comes out and where you press to honk the horn) and the seem on the driver's side that connects the dash to the A Pillars seems semi uneven, whereas the passenger's side is perfect. UGH!

    And, like I said, I have all these changes now on my car, but that DARNED noise is STILL THERE! What do I do?!? I mean, I don't want to seem like an anal, annoying customer since the service team has seen me MORE than enough times and have been very nice to me. But, these things really bug me. Should I calm down, or do you think I should go ahead and bring it back and tell them to address these issues? And does anyone out there know where the heck this tapping/popping/rattle thing is coming from and how to get rid of it? The crunching noise in the suspension that doesn't go away is bad enough!! :cry:
  • virago83virago83 Member Posts: 6
    I live up near Ottawa, Ontario Canada and have had our Mazda5 GT (Touring in USA?) since last July and have loved its performance so far - until it got really cold and yes we have the squeaking/clunking noise also. It's been bad enough that the 1st couple times I heard the racket I got down on my hands and knees to peek underneath because I thought I had lost a muffler bracket or something. I now realize it's temperature related because on mild days it seems O.K. but soon as the temp. drops the noise returns - mostly in the rear but also at times up front also. I 1st figured that water had got into the bushings during the mild days and then frozen up hard later but I've let it sit in a heated garage overnight and soon as everything gets cold again the noise is back. We don;'t even have 9000 Kms. on it yet so I am quite ticked. It makes more nose than my old '94 Olds Achieva that we still have on the road. Will definitely go see Dealer about this bushing issue and glad that I'm not alone.
    P.S. - We had just traded in a 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe after its 4 year lease to pick up the Mazda. In 4 years I never, ever had a problem with it. Not a squeak, rattle or even a loose screw under the dash!
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    did you open a case with the Mazda customer hotline? Seems like a good place to start.
  • mopaulmopaul Member Posts: 3
    nissmazlover;
    I don't know if the annoying tapping sound you are hearing is the same as what I had, so I will describe what mine was like. The tapping sound came from what sounded like behind the dash in the area of the firewall. It was most evident at startup, when it would rattle like mad when the engine first turned over and fired. Other times it would happen are when I would let the clutch out to take off or at times when shifting gears (I would suspect that with an auto trans it would make the noise when putting it into gear, perhaps). It would also make the noise when hitting bumps on occasion and when letting off the throttle abruptly while cruising.

    I drove with a technician at my local dealer and he was able to hear the noise (as well as the huge suspension noise, but that's another story). I told him that I thought it seemed to be coming from something that connected from the engine to the firewall, because it seemed to occur at times when the engine would either shake or rock on its mounts. The next day, when I picked up my vehicle, the tech said that he had tightened some apparently loose item/items under the windshield header area. This did not get rid of the noise, so I decided to take a look for myself.

    When I started poking and prodding and tugging on various items that connected from the engine to the firewall, I suddenly heard what I thought might be the source of the noise; it was a braided black hose that is routed from the right side (as you face the front of the car)of the engine and takes a curve to the left right near the firewall, where it passes through a grey plastic clamp/grommet thing that snaps into a heat shield mounted on the firewall. This grommet thing moved a little and made a noise much like what I was hearing from inside the car. I tried to pry it out, but couldn't get it out without prying harder than I wanted to. So I instead slightly pried out the top edge of this grommet thing were it meets the firewall/heat shield and wedged in a folded up piece of index card between the top edge of the grommet and the mounting surface. I got in the car and started it: no noise. I moved the car around a bit using the clutch: no noise. Bottom line, the noise is gone after 8 months of tolerating it, and all it took was a kitchen knife and a piece of paper! Sweet relief!

    You know, I can't imagine why the guys at the dealership would miss that; they seemed not only to know what they were doing, but also to care a little. Maybe they are too busy.

    By the way, that seam on your dashboard is also on mine, yet I NEVER NOTICED IT until I read your post. I am very in tune with my car, yet I never knew it was there, despite having cleaned the dashboard on more than one occasion.

    Best of luck with your problems!
  • deirdrefdeirdref Member Posts: 9
    I'm considering buying a Mazda 5. My husband is a technician at a GM dealership and we have a fully equipped garage at home. He is concerned about being able to do maintenance / non-warranty repairs himself, is there a problem with this? He heard Mazda is very strict with their warranty. It just wouldn't make sense for us to drive 45 minutes to the dealership and / or pay someone else to do things he can do at home.
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    As long as you perform routine maintenance per the schedule, they cannot deny your warranty. Basically, they have to prove that your neglect or improper service are the cause of the issue being denied.

    Some people have been told crazy things by service managers but if you know your rights and aren't afraid to exercise them, you'll be fine.
  • whobodymwhobodym Member Posts: 190
    This is just a well-educated guess, but I believe the 5W-20 requirement is mostly based on the EPA gas mileage compliance calculations that Mazda used to certify the 5 for the US market. The numbers probably came out 0.1 mpg better, or something like that. If they didn't say 5w-20 was required, that would have been cheating on their certification testing. That said, I've found 5w-20 is easily available at the auto parts store, and I do buy it for my DIY oil changes. It's worked perfectly in our 5 for the first year, zero detectable oil consumption (but I live in a much cooler climate than S Florida).
  • whobodymwhobodym Member Posts: 190
    Our 2006 5 Touring (MT) has annoyingly non-linear throttle response at throttle tip-in (shifting 1st to 2nd, especially). Usually it is subtle, but once every month or two, it is a severe stumble like a complete shut-down of the engine for a split second. Most typically these worst instances occur at about 1/2 throttle and about 2000 rpm. It recovers and runs normally after the split second, but not before the passengers heads have all lurched forward and back, and they have all grumbled about the driver's lousy clutch skills. Inexperience with manual transmissions is not the problem -- both my wife and I have decades of experience in other MT cars, conintuously since we were in our 20s in the 1970s-80s. Our other car, an Integra GS-R, has much smoother more predictable throttle response (and more of it too, of course, but I know I can't expect that out of the 5). We have tried only one dealer service visit on this issue so far, to a dealer with a good service manager, but they weren't able to duplicate the problem.
  • whobodymwhobodym Member Posts: 190
    to subscribe. sorry to fill up space.
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    Make sure the dealer gives you the latest PCM update. Mine did the same thing and the upgrade didn't fix it 100% but it was harder for me to duplicate it after that. Yes, I was at the point where I could duplicate it very easily.
  • whobodymwhobodym Member Posts: 190
    A big success! I got PCM update yesterday for our 2006 5 Touring 5MT (built Aug 2005 if I recall correctly). To my surprise and delight, the change in throttle response is noticeable all the time; when you crack open the throttle the first 25%, it now provides noticeably more torque. It feels distinctly peppier in ordinary driving. Both during warm-up, and warmed-up. (it was about 60deg F yesterday here.) It's hard to prove yet that it won't ever do the ~once-a-month severe hiccup now, but I am very happy with the update regardless.
  • evpedevped Member Posts: 39
    Can anyone tell me how to replace the cabin filter. My Honda has it behind the glove box and is an easy change. Many thanks.
  • lmossmdlmossmd Member Posts: 1
    Oddly enough, there's no Mazda dealer in West Los Angeles who does repairs or maintenance. Can anyone recommend an alternative in the area?

    thanks
  • athenasiusathenasius Member Posts: 118
    the manual says (page 07-11-13)
    1. romove the battery cover
    2. disconnect the negative battery cable
    now inside the car
    it is on the left( drivers side i think)
    3. remove the under cover
    4. disconnect the evaporator temperature sensor connector
    5. disconnect the power MOS FET connector (Full-auto air conditioner)
    6. remove in order a) cover(in the pic it looks like it is on the side b) air filter (1)-bottom one) c) air filter (2)top one

    Hope that helps. let me know
  • evpedevped Member Posts: 39
    Thanks athenasius, but I want to know how to change the cabin pollen filter, not the air filter.
  • athenasiusathenasius Member Posts: 118
    no problem 'evped'. but i guess you missed the comment 'now the inside car' the battery disconnect is always for precaution. the lower cover in the lower cover where you gas peddle foot would touch. let me know. the cover in '6.' is the cover that is holding in the pollen filter. there seems to be one screw. the cover seems to be up and down(vert).
  • evpedevped Member Posts: 39
    I still can't find the filter. I took off the panel next to the gas pedal and ran into a dead end. Any other help would be appreciated. I also cannot find anything in the owner's amnual about it.
  • whobodymwhobodym Member Posts: 190
    I have the factory shop manual, but have never done it myself. It says on page 07-11-13 to 1) remove battery cover 2) disconnect neg cable 3) remove under cover 4) disconnect evaporator temp sensor connector 5) remover MOS FET connector (if climate control version) 6) remove filter cover 7) remove lower half of filter 8) remove upper half of filter 9) install in reverse order. Good luck!
  • castg1castg1 Member Posts: 34
    Hi, presently we are having the following done at the dealership.

    1. change oil as per maintenance schedule
    2. yearly inspection/checkup of brakes
    3. and other maintenance listed in the book.. supposedly we needed to do to satisfy warranty conditions.

    We find the above can be quite expensive. I can definetely do the above myself (have the necessary tools..skill set) etc..

    Is there anyone doing these maintenance themselves? and how do you 'prove' to mazda that you are doing the scheduled maintenance? Do you show receipts? etc..?

    Thanks.
  • evpedevped Member Posts: 39
    Thanks for the info, I'll give it another shot.
  • zbxzbx Member Posts: 30
    Does this make sense? I phoned the dealer to say I wanted the rain sensing wipers adjusted to be more sensitive, but they flatly answered that they can't do it. Aside from turning the sensitivity knob, is the only way to increase the sensitivity by keeping the windshield clean?
  • w00000tw00000t Member Posts: 23
    Can anyone recommend a decent product that can buff out or at least significantly diminish the appearance of small (about hair thin sized) scratches? I've only had my Mazda5 two weeks and some dork whacked into the rear bumper in a parking lot Friday night :(:(:(
  • zbxzbx Member Posts: 30
    I just went to my dealer yesterday & they also flatly told me the sensitivity can only by increased by the factory changing the glass. So your answer makes sense.

    BTW, do you find it strange that the recommended oil change interval is 8,000 km (= 5,000 miles) rather than 5,000 km (= 3,000 miles)? My 2002 Honda Accord is on 3,000 mile oil change frequency.
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    Most cars I've owned have had factory recommend oil changes at 5000 miles with 3000 miles only if drivign in severe conditions. My Honda Fit's first oil change was required at 9000 miles and the maintenance minder computer indicates that the next one won't be due until at least 16,000 miles.

    The 3000 miles/3 month cycle is recommended mostly by garages like Jiffy Lube who simply want the business.
  • coolmazda5coolmazda5 Member Posts: 525
    I don't have specific car details, but oils and engines are much better nowadays so finally automakers have been pushed to be more realistic on their interval recommendations (see link with an example). 5K should be fine, if it goes to the dealer, it is also good to do other car checks.

    And, apart from the business, think about the recycling factor, the more frequent oil recycling is needed, the more pollution. It adds up at the end.

    http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/22/ford-officially-extends-oil-change-interval-o- t-7-500-miles/
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    Exactly...plus have you ever known of someone with an engine problem that was caused by not doing enough oil changes??
  • eilroseilros Member Posts: 35
    FWIW, I always change the oil at 2,000 miles.
  • w00000tw00000t Member Posts: 23
    uuhhh... yeah
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    "FWIW, I always change the oil at 2,000 miles."

    You must drive in some pretty harsh conditions! I change mine every 5-7000 miles. On my Fit there's maintenance computer that identifies when service is needed. The first one was at 9000 miles and that was the only one I've had so far. But if people want to do more that's fine, even if there's really no need for it under normal driving conditions.

    Funny thing is that while I've never known anyone to have engine problems caused by infrequent oil changes, I have known people having problems with stripped oil plugs and filter threads. My brother had a Subaru with over 250,000 miles on the same engine (car finally rusted out) and he changed the oil about once a year, or about every 15,000 miles. Subaru's have great engines, but I wouldn't recommend that!
  • nissmazlovernissmazlover Member Posts: 162
    Hey, all:

    According to my Mazda Full Circle service report, my brake pads are at "yellow", which means about half or slightly more of my brake pads are worn. They do not, necessarily, need to be replaced until I reach "red" status. Anyway, I recently had my tired aligned, but at about 60 mph on the highway I hear, more than I feel, a slight shimmy. Before the alignment, I slightly FELT the shimmy through the steering wheel, but after the alignment, I just hear it - no feeling. So, I think I may need tire balancing, as well.

    In any case, my Full Circle Mazda dealer quoted me a price of $100 for a 4-wheel tire rotation and balancing. They also quoted me a price of $200 for replacing the brake pads in the front, and another $200 for replacing the rear ones. If I want my rotors "shaved", then they would add another $100 to the price of each set of brakes ($200 more for both front and rear). So, getting my tires rotated and balanced, and getting my brake pads change would cost me anywhere from at least $500 to $700 (should I choose to get my rotors shaved). What do you all think of this?

    I, most likely, WON'T get my rotors shaved, since I don't see a need for that. So, it would come out to about $500 plus tax for brake pad service and the tire rotation and balancing. Is that a fair price? Should I shop around? Please advise. Thanks.

    BTW - I have almost 25K miles on my 2006 Mazda 5 (that I bought in July 2005) and my tires are just fine.
  • mdchachimdchachi Member Posts: 275
    Recently the nighttime lights (buttons) on the audio unit started flickering off and on constantly. It's only the audio portion, not climate or other console buttons. What is this likely to be? A loose connection into the head unit? Or something inside the unit itself?

    Anybody know the procedures for pulling it out to check? This is a 2006 Touring model.

    Thanks.
  • whobodymwhobodym Member Posts: 190
    remember not to monkey with it too much if you want it handled by warrantee claim at the dealership. it's got to be still be covered doesn't it? my own bias would be to implicate the audio unit box electronics but I have no good reason for saying that except a feeling that simple wiring harnesses for lighting systems should have an easy enough time staying put together soundly for 2 years. and for whatever it's worth, our '06 Touring (w/ std 6CD audio system, no satellite or mp3) has never done this. Good luck.
  • mdchachimdchachi Member Posts: 275
    Good point, I'm not used to having a car under warranty. What is the standard Mazda warranty? I bought the car used but that doesn't matter, right?
  • whobodymwhobodym Member Posts: 190
    3 years / 4 years ?? It's dark and cold right now and I don't want to go look at the owner's manual in the glove compartment. If you don't have your books to look it up in, write back again and I will go look when I'm feeling less lazy. You're right, the basic manufacturer's new car warrantee is always transferrable to new owners as far as I've ever heard.
  • b003001b003001 Member Posts: 2
  • b003001b003001 Member Posts: 2
    engine overhting,changed thermosta and radiator.thermostat is now disconnected runfine but no heat inside.can any body help
  • viper69viper69 Member Posts: 5
    mdchachi,

    have you gotten this fixed or had mazda take a look at it? I seem to be having the same problem. It only happened to me a couple of times, so don't know if I could get mazda to fix it if they can't see it. I just adjusted the dimmer and the problem went away. :confuse:
  • mrbwa1mrbwa1 Member Posts: 42
    b003001,

    Sounds like 1 of 2 things:

    #1. Bad thermostat. My old Mercury Sable seemed to eat thermostats, ans 1 time I bought the cheapest thermostat and it was bad out of the box. You can test by boiling it in a pot on the kitchen stove to make sure it opens properly. Also, the more expensive thermostats have a small hole to supposedly help with air lock or something to that effect.

    #2. Air in the cooling system. My old Sable also tended to have this problem. I would get no heat unless I drove for like 20 minutes. This can usually be fixed by letting the car idle and squeezing a radiator hose to burp water out with the radiator cap off. You have to be careful, because you won't get all air out until the thermostat opens. Also, when it opens, you tend to get a surge that can overflow out of the radiator cap.

    I ended up having a water pump going bad, letting aid into the system. But I learned that most any car should put out heat in just a few blocks, and it not, there is either a bad thermostat or air in the system.
  • nihao4587nihao4587 Member Posts: 43
    Hi,

    I am currently in the process of purchasing an '08 Mazda5 sport with MT. Since reading the previous threads about the complication in oil filter change, I am wondering if anybody here has sent their 5s to local shop for the services and any experiences on that.

    I have had luck doing that with my previous and current vehicles. So I only save the major maintenance for the dealer.

    By the way, I am located on the peninsula just south of San Francisco. If you happen to be in the same area, where will you go for your 5's autocare?

    thanks.
    min
  • whobodymwhobodym Member Posts: 190
    Ni Hao, nihao4587 (but that's about the limit of my Mandarin):
    I can't directly answer your question very well, but I have owned a 2006 5 since new, and I have done all the oil changes (7 so far) myself in the driveway. It isn't bad at all once you've seen it before. It helps a lot to remove the big plastic undershield. You are supposed to separately remove the little aluminum drain plug first, but I'm finding that this doesn't want to come out anymore and the whole filter wants to unscrew all at once. This is OK if you have a coffee can ready to catch all the filter oil that will come out. I believe that all current 2.3 Mazdas (6, 5, 3) have had this kind of cartridge filter for at least a few years, so you can be confident that experienced service shops have seen them many times before. Just maybe not the 17 year old they hired last week. It would be an easy question to check in advance, to ask and make sure they know. I am a picky customer, and I have other complaints about the 5, but I'm definitely not disappointed by the oil filter (note, I didn't say I'm not confused, just not disappointed).
  • whobodymwhobodym Member Posts: 190
    Consider this, if you live in a windy climate. Last winter in a windstorm, my wife had the driver's door yanked out of her hand by a gust of wind, because the door pull hand-hold is slippery and does not allow you to wrap your fingers around it. We did $500 damage to a Honda Civic, smashing its side mirror.
    The hand-hold on the door of the 5 is just a vertical slot you have to pinch between your fingers and thumb, not something you can really grab. I fretted about this all year, and finally decided to do a modification that was suprisingly easy. First, I roughed-up the plastic inside the finger slot with a bit of sandpaper. Then I glued in (epoxy) a 3 inch length of half-round wood, that I made by sawing a dowel in half lengthwise. I used a one-half-inch diameter dowel. Be sure to try out the feel of the dowel in advance before glueing, so you place it at the best depth inside the slot.
    The other half goes in the passenger door, of course. Now, your fingers have something to grab onto, and can hold onto the door better. Because the wood is down in the slot, it is practically invisible. (And fooey on silly Mazda interior designers who didn't think this thru better to begin with!)
  • whobodymwhobodym Member Posts: 190
    Our 5 is a manual transmission. I have been disappointed since day one (2 years, 26,000 miles ago) by the uneven, slightly delayed response I get from the first 1/8" of gas pedal travel, up above idle. Occasionally, there is an outright complete interruption of engine power for a split second, and it comes back with a lurch, snapping the passengers heads back and forth. I have been to the dealer (Everett WA) several times and on the last visit had a PCM reflash (new software for engine control computer I believe). This almost completely eliminated the big lurches, but there still is a squirrely feeling of uneven, delayed response to my right foot for the first little bit of throttle opening, for the first split second. It is especially noticeable in comparison to our other car, a 1997 Integra GS-R (also manual) which has a flawless, consistent and instantaneous engine response to all throttle openings, large and small. Note, I am talking about ordinary day-in day-out street driving, not wide open throttle. Is this something related to the throttle-by-wire system? The variable valve timing?? Any clues out there?
  • thugusthugus Member Posts: 3
    Howdy, I am first time poster and long time observer, and a new Mazda5 Grand Touring 2008 owner.

    What you described is exactly the difference between throttle-by-wire vs wire systems. Part of the solution to lower emission and fuel efficiency is to minimize sudden throttle change, and by golly, throttle-by-wire is a great place for manufacturer to do this. It happens in BMW, it happens in Mazda.

    There isn't much you can do other than adapt your driving style. Make sure your engine rpm dropes to the matching car speed before engaging your clutch should minimize upshift jerkiness. As for taking off, you can always try keeping a constant throttle and play with the clutch release to get a smooth start.

    Hope this helps.
  • nihao4587nihao4587 Member Posts: 43
    Hi, whobodym

    Thanks for your greeting in mandarin.

    Since you have an integra, may I ask how would you rate the MT in your 5 against your GSR besides the throttle response inconsistence?

    I drove my friend's prelude (type SH) before only to get the feel of manual trans. Therefore, Mazda5 will be my first manual car, and probably my last one since I cannot afford to buy anything other than minivan due to increasing family size.

    I would really want to enjoy the zoom-zoom provide the 5's manual trans can deliver that.

    thanks.
    min
  • whobodymwhobodym Member Posts: 190
    comparing all aspects of Mazda 5 vs Integra manual transmissions,
    the Mazda clutch is better. engagement is smoother and less abrupt, and not any heavier pedal effort even though 5 has a bigger torquey-er engine. the Integra has a nicer shift linkage, smoother lighter and more precise. the 5 shift lever feels rubbery and vague in comparison. But overall, both are just fine as MT vehicles, no way would I want an auto, and I say that living in Seattle, a bad traffic hilly city. I think the MT is a good deal in terms of getting good performance out of the 5. Ours climbed I-90 Vantage grade in mid-WA-state last summer at 85mph in 5th with 5 people and cargo box. That sounds better than Consumer Reports saying the auto version "lacks reserve for passing and hills".
  • dickthebutcherdickthebutcher Member Posts: 4
    Thugus:

    I am thinking about buying a 2008 or 2009 Mazda5 Grand Touring, also (depending on how long either my car or my wife's car wants to keep running smoothly). I would be interested to know how your first year goes. Do you think you could provide some periodic updates with things you like or don't like about it? Thanks.
This discussion has been closed.