New Member & I Come Bearing a Gift!

[SomeGuyFromNYC]

Hi all!

Long time lurker, first time poster!

First I would like to mention I purchased my 2014 AWD CX5 GT with tech package at the end of January...Just before the nonstop snow we had in the north east. I am from Brooklyn NY and we got hit hard. I actually am intrigued to see so many fellow New Yorkers and Brooklynites on this forum!

I bought my CX5 at Sansone Mazda in NJ. Looking back, I don't think I got a great deal, but it was already very well optioned with "dealer accessories" which I wanted. It came with remote start (best technology to have especially during this past winter!), side roof rails, back up sensors, all weather mats, cargo cover and cargo net.

I probably would not buy again from Sansone, but their service department seems friendly. I went for the first of their 2 free oil changes, and they checked my alignment for free.

Here she was when I brought her home;

Since then I have added the mud flaps, door scuff plates, dead pedal, rear bumper scuff plate, and bought the CoverCraft windshield sun protector.

Now for the GIFT!

The accessory I know most people have wanted and cannot find;

I just installed this last night. After scouring the internet for this product, I found it on amazon.

Link: https://www.amazon.com (commissions earned)

They do not have the picture of it, but you can see from my photos it is the correct one. I will be reviewing it and attaching photos to the amazon page shortly.

I have had hood deflectors on my previous cars and this one I think is the most smartly designed. It does not curl under the hood which traps rain water in between the protector and the hood. Instead it is "suspended" over the hood by the 4 clips, which allows rain water to drain out of the small gap in the front. I can not attest to durability or sound/vibration yet.

I am happy to be a member and I have enjoyed reading the threads here!

 

[undergrad.]

So who wants to ship one to Canada for me?
It's 120 to have it shipped to Canada plus the cost of the product. Thanks for the info. I know a lot of users on here have been looking for an alternative to the stock hood deflector.

 

[SomeGuyFromNYC]

So who wants to ship one to Canada for me?
It's 120 to have it shipped to Canada plus the cost of the product. Thanks for the info. I know a lot of users on here have been looking for an alternative to the stock hood deflector.

I see you have been commenting and asking questions in the other threads I posted in, so hello! (hi)

It really is leaps and bounds better better than the Mazda hood deflector. It sucks that shipping costs so much for you, but it does come in a very large box.

 

[undergrad.]

I decided to email EGR to inquire about the CX-5 hood deflector and they said they don't current make one, but they said to check back in mid July.
How weird is that!?

 

[SomeGuyFromNYC]

I too emailed them and they said the same thing. On the hood deflector itself it says "product of Australia". It seems like each EGR division may be independent to some degree.

 

[SteelReign]

Very cool deflector...I've never had one but my old sedan had quite a few rock chips and paint tears in the hood so I'm interested now! Please post a review when you can!

 

[Skorpio]

Welcome! How did your CX-5 do in the winter? I'm sure you have a lot of positive things to say about her, but any negatives? Enjoy!

 

[SayNoToPistons]

Good to see another Brooklynite on this forum. Looks like that picture was taken near the D or F train. Also, thanks for the link to Amazon for the hood deflector. I've been looking for months for that damn thing.

 

[trucx]

Hey undergrad, do you visit the states often, and have you heard of services like this http://www.cbiusa.com/ ? You can ship to their address with basically a suite number which is your code once you register with them and they will receive it and hold it for you for 6$. There's a bunch all over, but these are on the other side of niagara falls, so I think the closest. Might not be worth the trip just for that since the gas will probably be 60$ but if you already plan on going it's convenient.

 

[meteorgrey]

Welcome! Thanks for the link, just might have to pick one of these up. Also, great color choice on your CX5, love the way that grey looks!

Cheers.

 

[SomeGuyFromNYC]

Good to see another Brooklynite on this forum. Looks like that picture was taken near the D or F train. Also, thanks for the link to Amazon for the hood deflector. I've been looking for months for that damn thing.

Hello fellow Brooklynite! You have a sharp eye with my location! (drinks)

I have a question for you! How does your CX5 track on Ocean Parkway, if you do drive on it? Ocean Parkway is brutal with its potholes...and the repairs are just as worse! MY CX5 really does not like to track very straight with so many bumps and holes. It isn't horrible, but I would think it would track better than it does. I had my alignment checked 3 weeks ago, and all was fine. Also had my tires balanced (see below for details on that). On moderately good pavement/good pavement though, it drives straight and true with little effort. I am assuming this tracking issue on rough roads may have something to do with the 19inch wheels.

And you are very welcome for the hood protector link (see below for important details when installing)

I bought my CX5 at exactly the right time...Right before the never ending snow we got in the northeast. I work for the power company and when the news reports "Only emergency personnel should be out on the roads", well that includes me! When I need to get into work, I HAVE TO get in! The CX5 performed flawlessly going through deep snow drifts, mounts of slush and ice with no problem. The remote start was a god send! I had it on my previous car and I knew that it was one of those options I couldn't live without.

The only "problem" I have had though, was my tires were balanced incorrectly. A few weeks ago, I started driving on the highway more often since the weather was nicer, and I noticed a vibration in my steering wheel. I figured some weights may have fallen off due to the giant potholes everywhere. I took it to a local, highly rated tire shop in my area, Major Tire, where the tire guy lets you watch as he RoadForce balances your tire. Welp, all 4 of my tires were not balanced correctly..but because they had TOO MUCH weight on them! They had OVER DOUBLE the amount of weight needed ON EACH TIRE. This came this way from the factory or dealer. The tire guy, Floyd, correctly balanced them and put them through the Road Force balancer in front of me and remounted them. No more vibration at highway speeds! (yippy)

For those of you who are going to purchase the hood protector, I posted this in the accessory thread but I will place it here also;

It mounts to the hood with 4 clips; 2 replace the under the hood push pins, the outer 2 clips are just pressed onto the hood lip and are very tight. The actual deflector snaps into these clips and does not wrap underneath the hood. 3m protective film is provided to be placed under the clips so the clips do not actually touch the paint. It is very well thought out. The only suggestion I have when installing is to NOT install the 2 outer clips until you install the 2 middle ones first and then install the deflector. After the deflector is installed THEN install the outer clips. There is enough play in the deflector to do this.

Just trust me when I say DO NOT install the outer clips or protective film for them until AFTER you install the 2 inner clips AND attach the deflector. After you do that then you will know exactly where the outer clips go, instead of trying to eye ball there location and being about an inch off...ask me how I know..


^^this will make more sense when you see the instructions^^

 

[SayNoToPistons]

Hello fellow Brooklynite! You have a sharp eye with my location! (drinks)

I have a question for you! How does your CX5 track on Ocean Parkway, if you do drive on it? Ocean Parkway is brutal with its potholes...and the repairs are just as worse! MY CX5 really does not like to track very straight with so many bumps and holes. It isn't horrible, but I would think it would track better than it does. I had my alignment checked 3 weeks ago, and all was fine. Also had my tires balanced (see below for details on that). On moderately good pavement/good pavement though, it drives straight and true with little effort. I am assuming this tracking issue on rough roads may have something to do with the 19inch wheels.

I do drive on Ocean Parkway every now and then. My commute mostly consist of Belt Parkway (which is much worse in my opinion), SSP, NSP, and CIP. I have no problem with keeping a straight line. There is little to no tramlining even with the lower profile tires on the 19" GT wheels. Bump steer is very minimal as well. I try my best to avoid potholes and bumps, even when my defensive maneuvers scare drivers around me (thumb). With strong side drafts on overpasses and bridges traveling at highway speeds, I do have to correct the car's orientation often.

If your alignment is on spec with no aggressive toe out, there should be no significant amounts of correction needed when driving on uneven surfaces. That is assuming all suspension components (including bushings) are undamaged. Keep driving it as intended, rotate the tires when you hit 5,000 miles and see if it improves.

Out of curiosity. How much did it cost for you to get your wheels rebalanced via Road Force by Major Tire? I've been looking for Road Force balancing in NYC for quite a while.

I'm in the Bensonhurst area. I seldom travel within Brooklyn itself, but be on the look out for a debadged black Grand Touring CX-5 with dark tints and black wheels (that is if I don't change the color of the wheels soon ).

 

[SomeGuyFromNYC]

I do drive on Ocean Parkway every now and then. My commute mostly consist of Belt Parkway (which is much worse in my opinion), SSP, NSP, and CIP. I have no problem with keeping a straight line. There is little to no tramlining even with the lower profile tires on the 19" GT wheels. Bump steer is very minimal as well. I try my best to avoid potholes and bumps, even when my defensive maneuvers scare drivers around me (thumb). With strong side drafts on overpasses and bridges traveling at highway speeds, I do have to correct the car's orientation often.

If your alignment is on spec with no aggressive toe out, there should be no significant amounts of correction needed when driving on uneven surfaces. That is assuming all suspension components (including bushings) are undamaged. Keep driving it as intended, rotate the tires when you hit 5,000 miles and see if it improves.

Out of curiosity. How much did it cost for you to get your wheels rebalanced via Road Force by Major Tire? I've been looking for Road Force balancing in NYC for quite a while.

I'm in the Bensonhurst area. I seldom travel within Brooklyn itself, but be on the look out for a debadged black Grand Touring CX-5 with dark tints and black wheels (that is if I don't change the color of the wheels soon ).

Hmmm...very interesting. My CX5 doesn't need constant correcting, just a little more than I like. That being said it is just extremely minor corrections...I may be over sensitive to steering feel/corrections due to my last car.

If you go to Major Tire, you MUST see Floyd. He is an older black gentleman- if he is not there, then DO NOT get your tires balanced. If you look up reviews for Major Tire, they will all say the same thing. Major Tire looks like a hole in the wall place..and it is, but Floyd is the man! Like I said, he will let you watch as he road force balances the tire. He is very professional, friendly and knowledgeable. He told me he is there 6 days a week, Mon-Sat. It cost $10 per tire for the balancing. Any questions, you can private message me!

 

[ALafya]

I wonder what is the MPG impact of using a deflector like that and did you prefer it over clear film and why (or maybe you have both)?

 

[SomeGuyFromNYC]

I wonder what is the MPG impact of using a deflector like that and did you prefer it over clear film and why (or maybe you have both)?

I personally like the look of it more than anything. I know that comes down to individual taste and some may hate them, but oh well. I have had these deflectors on 2 previous cars I have owned, a 2002 Ford Explorer and a 2006 Ford Escape...they never broke or cracked. I know one actually did save my hood from some damage, as one day I had heard a loud WHACK sound while driving on the highway, and upon inspection of the deflector I saw it had a scrape mark on it.

Can't comment on MPG, I never thought about that.

I don't have the clear film on either, It is very pricey. Too rich for my blood. (wiggle)

 

[bagger07]

thnx for the link SomeguyfromNY
Just order the hood deflector from Amazon .I,m from Montreal and the shipping cost was $120.00 to Canada so i give them my Kinek border mail address at Champlain NY. shipping cost is $13.99. Champlain NY is less than 1 hour from Montreal and gas is cheaper in US so i,m gone full up before coming back )
Bagger07

 

[SteelReign]

I like to wash frequently, so how long does it take to remove the deflector? Does it get in the way of washing all that much?

 

[SomeGuyFromNYC]

I like to wash frequently, so how long does it take to remove the deflector? Does it get in the way of washing all that much?

I do not think it would be very easy to take off. I'm not sure it was meant to be taken off that frequently, or if ever really. The 4 clips have small prongs which protrude out for the deflector to snap onto. It did not look easy to pop them out to remove the deflector.

I washed my cx5 today and there is room to get a wash mit in from the hood side of the deflector.

 

[SayNoToPistons]

Waited a bit too long to put my foot down and purchase the EGR bug deflector. It is no longer available on Amazon nor is it available anywhere for that matter .

 

[Chris_Top_Her]

Waited a bit too long to put my foot down and purchase the EGR bug deflector. It is no longer available on Amazon nor is it available anywhere for that matter .

that sucks.