You also pay one hell of a premium for these cars (if you can afford that might as well go crazy and get an MP-12C or a LaFerrari). I'm not sure why so many people in this forum seem to be opposed to tuning a vehicle for one's specific tastes? What's wrong with buying something you can afford, and modifying it for a bit more get up and go? I don't think anyone believes a CX-5 will be the ultimate anything (not without many many $$$$ thrown in...) but it's a damn fun car to start with, and (I think) could be so much more with just a bit more power.
Are there compelling performance mods for the 2.5??
- Thread starter davefr
- Start date
You also pay one hell of a premium for these cars (if you can afford that might as well go crazy and get an MP-12C or a LaFerrari). I'm not sure why so many people in this forum seem to be opposed to tuning a vehicle for one's specific tastes? What's wrong with buying something you can afford, and modifying it for a bit more get up and go? I don't think anyone believes a CX-5 will be the ultimate anything (not without many many $$$$ thrown in...) but it's a damn fun car to start with, and (I think) could be so much more with just a bit more power.
Because it's a much better value to buy the car that has the performance you want from the get-go. You can put $5K into a CX-5 trying to make it faster and not only will it still not be fast but you won't get any additional resale value out of the mods when you sell/trade-in. Plus you will be risking the warranty. If you want a more powerful car but can't afford the purchase price, well, you're probably in position to be risking warranty coverage.
Plus, there simply aren't any mods that increase the power more than 5 HP or so (regardless of the dyno charts that are a dime/dozen) that would not come with disadvantages that would be unacceptable to almost anyone. It's pretty much hype to sell products and software.
The 2.5 is 13:1, all others are 14:1 (petrol and diesel). I am test driving a 2.5 soon so will see how it feels compared to the 150ps diesel.
Value, I understand that.
Cost per HP, yep I get that too.
Potential warranty loss, check.
All that being said, if the person modifying their car goes into it with their eyes open while fully understanding these issues (or potential issues), then I go right back to my initial point. Why all the fuss by people who don't want to modify their cars? I would wager that the majority of people who seriously modify their vehicles are well aware of the risks, but just don't care. They want that added 10hp, that added grip, the added cool factor...whatever, and those risks play a very minute role in the decision making.
A bike example, I bought a brand new KTM990Adventure in '12 with 1 mile on the clock (I almost never buy new bikes). At 500 miles, I dropped the oil/filter performed a valve clearance adjustment and then modded the hell out of that bike (intake/exhaust/ecu tuning, suspension, lighting, seating, controls, you name it). Did any of that void my warranty, nope(yeah, surprised me too). Could it have, yep. I just didn't care, I wanted the full 105Hp, I wanted LED lighting, blah blah blah.
Personally, I think vehicle modification is about passion! Not warranties and resale values. (nana)
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- 2019 CX-5 Sig
I hope this isn't too OT, but what about VW engine mods? Weren't (aren't?) there some models that share the same mechanical engine components but the chips were different to reduce hp in the "lower" model? E.g., can't you chip a Golf and boost its engine performance to GTI levels?
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- RDX Aspec Adv.
110% agreed with everything you've stated. I never understood this, either. It's a cheap compact SUV with a bent for economy. It's almost worse than the "ricer" scene. Why not just buy a Honda mini-van if you want a sports car? ROFLMAO!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnGCdcr6bgg
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- RDX Aspec Adv.
Well, we finally found something we agree on 100%. I played the whole "heavy mods game" on a 1988 Mustang 5.0 GT. Motor and transmission swap, blah blah blah. I liked the 2001 Trans Am I replaced it with MUCH better. Ever since that mustang, I've not modded another vehicle except for very minor things, like Bilstein shocks/struts on my Jeep, and a CBE on my 370Z because the stock CBE sounds like the Nissan Altima that that car turned out to behave more like than a real sports car, lol
I haven't seen anybody making a lot of fuss. What I see is people who have "been there, done that" sharing their wisdom and friendly advice. Not becoming upset or telling them they can't go down that path.
Nothing wrong with that if that's what you want. I have two identical 2002 Ducati ST4s's (with the 996cc 90 degree V's). Well they were identical until I replaced the ECU on one of them with a Ducati Performance ECU, replaced the pipes with carbon fiber, replaced the OEM air filter with a pleated oiled cotton gauze filter, installed lighter forged wheels, titanium axle, carbon fiber fenders front and rear, replaced the OEM single headlight with a double projector unit that is wired directly to the battery through two dedicated relays, added heated grips and a 12V outlet for heated jacket, sculpted a new seat with better foam, rewired the headlight so it would not illuminate when the starter was cranking, added a special circuit so the engine could be started while the bike was resting on the sidestand with the clutch out (but only if the bike was in neutral), installed adjustable brake and clutch levers, bent the fairing mounts so I could adjust the steering stop to get a tighter turning radius for slow speed maneuvers, installed a hard-anodized clutch basket with tighter clearances to the tangs on the friction plates which required custom filing of the tangs to fit (this provides more longevity and better clutch feel) and a bunch of other stuff I can't remember. I also finely tuned the desmodromic valve clearances for longer valve service intervals and smoother running.
Now some of these mods/procedures I've done to both bikes but one bike has no mods that increased HP or sound levels. It's civilized and quiet at idle and when riding normally in traffic but makes beautiful noises when opened up all the way to just above 10,000 rpm. The other one has an exhaust note that is loud, deep and throaty, even while idling, when opened up it sounds like nothing else. I call it my wildebeest:
Here's the thing - the stock bike makes 121 HP and the opened up bike makes about 5 more HP, just enough to feel with my butt dyno (or is it an illusion caused by the loud, badass roar of the open airbox and pipes)? Both bikes are deadly fast by automotive standards, neither are fast compared to fast but porky and ill handling bikes like a Hayabusa. At least not in a drag race (but either Ducati would leave the Hayabusa in the dust if there were enough curves to be worth the ride). And I actually prefer the quieter bike, even for sporty riding. Of course the loud bike make one feel like a hooligan which is occasionally a good thing. On a track the loud bike would have marginally faster lap times but it's not a big enough of a difference to add or subtract significantly from the sport of it all. It's still about rider skill, not a small gain in HP. Oh, and the first time I serviced the loud bike after returning from a 5,000 mile ride of a mostly twisty, sporting nature, the "clean" side of the airbox was full of road grit, fine, gritty sand that felt like what might be affixed to 280 grit sandpaper. Now I smear a thin film of dielectric grease on the clean side of the airbox to check for filtering problems. I put the paper filter back in. No loss of power and no sand in my airbox. Thinking I didn't have a good seal with the filter, I greased up the seal of the cotton gauze filter, oiled the gauze up real good and took a 4,500 mile sporting ride. On my return, my airbox was full of grit again. You see, the engine is moving a lot of air to make all that HP at full honk and the dirt gets sucked right through the oiled cotton gauze. Needless to say, I've given up on the gauze filters. Plenty of my riding buddies have confirmed the same thing - they just don't filter well enough to be practical and I've seen dyno results from one of the more experienced (and objective) bike dyno operators in the world that confirmed there is no power gained on a Ducati 996 engine by switching to a gauze filter (even though he used an exhaust gas analyzer to insure the FI was at the sweet spot for each setup). Of course that doesn't stop advertisers from claiming it does add significant power. I know I can switch back and forth and not feel a thing.
My point about the warranty was simply, if someone can't afford a more powerful engine off the lot, it doesn't make much sense to try to build a less powerful one into that engine. It's gonna cost you one way or the other. And there is no practical way to get much extra out of a CX-5 engine to begin with. How much passion should one have about spending a bunch of money to get little or nothing back?
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I replaced the OEM dampers on my 2000 Volvo S80 T-6 with Bilstein dampers. I had a choice of the Bilstein OEM replacements (which they claim are better than OEM) or the stiffer, "sport model". I opted for the OEM replacements. I was surprised with how much harsher the ride was (I like a firm ride but this was too much). Although the change out of the dampers was the only change made, I immediately noticed less corner grip on the roads I normally drive. And come winter time the difference was magnified. The Volvo dampers did not change much from cold/warm. But the Bilstein's did. I call up the Bilstein rep thinking I had purchased Chinese knock-offs but after asking me a few questions about where I purchased them, how much I paid and some details about the printing on the box, he determined I had the real deal.
The 2000 Volvo S80 T-6 was not a high volume car and Volvo knew more about what the suspension needed than Bilstein did. And Bilstein didn't spend the R&D dollars to figure it out. They probably substituted the closest thing they had without even tuning the damping specifically for the S80.
The point here is just because it's billed as a performance "upgrade" and costs a lot of money doesn't mean it's going to provide an upgrade in performance.
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There are some modifications that in my opinion do make sense for the rather fun to drive Mazda CX5 that increase both acceleration and handling and are also easy for anyone to do.
Tires are one of the most important single component on a vehicle and mod for mod tires make the single largest difference in the way the vehicle drives. Instead of all season tires you can purchase more performance oriented tires for summer use and winter tires for colder climates in the winter. Having a more season specific tire will increase the performance of your CX5 above and beyond the typical all season tires on average.
The stock OEM aluminum wheels are great but they can be changed for lighter wheels pretty easily. If you buy light weight wheels and keep the diameter closer to stock than you will reduce unsprung weight and also polar moment of inertia. This means the engine will have to do less work accelerating to get them up to speed (increased acceleration is result) and the vehicle will be able to change directions easier (increase handling response).
Vehicle weight is something every manufacturer struggles to keep down as costs go up and government crash regulations get tighter. Still there are ways that you can reduce vehicle weight very easily and this modification often doesn't cost hardly anything at all. Everyone I think agrees that the lighter the vehicle is the better acceleration and handling will be. One area that this is easy to obtain is to replace the spare tire and jack with a 12 volt air pump and tire flat repair kit or something similar that will give you a level of comfort when your out on the road. Typically doing this alone saves around 60 lbs. You can also replace the heavy lead acid battery with a lighter solid cell type 12 volt battery specifically made for cars. These can get expensive though sometimes costing 4 times the cost of a lead acid battery.
Replace the stock air filter more often than what is recommended by Mazda with the same factory Mazda air filter. With modern direct fuel or port fuel injected vehicles the engine will not use more fuel as the filter gets clogged up. It will however reduce engine power and if it gets bad enough it will greatly reduce engine power. The computer will cut back on fuel as the air flow of the engine is reduce. Its interesting that Mike pointed out his experience with the gauze type filters because I had similar experiences with them. In dyno testing I found out that power was actually very slightly reduced compared to a new stock Toyota air filter. I found out that even though the oil gauze filter flowed more per a sq. in. of filter media the stock Toyota filter had literally twice the surface area as the gauze filter with many more pleat's within the filter. I figured this out by taking out the media in each and flattening them out on the ground. It was eye opening to say the least! As Mike had experienced those gauze type filters compromise filtering ability for flow or so they claim.
I'm kind of hoping that Mazda does bring to production the AWD Speed 3 with a turbocharged Skyactiv engine as they have claimed. If this does happen withing a few years I might be looking at one myself for the fun of it. (first)
Tires are one of the most important single component on a vehicle and mod for mod tires make the single largest difference in the way the vehicle drives. Instead of all season tires you can purchase more performance oriented tires for summer use and winter tires for colder climates in the winter. Having a more season specific tire will increase the performance of your CX5 above and beyond the typical all season tires on average.
The stock OEM aluminum wheels are great but they can be changed for lighter wheels pretty easily. If you buy light weight wheels and keep the diameter closer to stock than you will reduce unsprung weight and also polar moment of inertia. This means the engine will have to do less work accelerating to get them up to speed (increased acceleration is result) and the vehicle will be able to change directions easier (increase handling response).
Vehicle weight is something every manufacturer struggles to keep down as costs go up and government crash regulations get tighter. Still there are ways that you can reduce vehicle weight very easily and this modification often doesn't cost hardly anything at all. Everyone I think agrees that the lighter the vehicle is the better acceleration and handling will be. One area that this is easy to obtain is to replace the spare tire and jack with a 12 volt air pump and tire flat repair kit or something similar that will give you a level of comfort when your out on the road. Typically doing this alone saves around 60 lbs. You can also replace the heavy lead acid battery with a lighter solid cell type 12 volt battery specifically made for cars. These can get expensive though sometimes costing 4 times the cost of a lead acid battery.
Replace the stock air filter more often than what is recommended by Mazda with the same factory Mazda air filter. With modern direct fuel or port fuel injected vehicles the engine will not use more fuel as the filter gets clogged up. It will however reduce engine power and if it gets bad enough it will greatly reduce engine power. The computer will cut back on fuel as the air flow of the engine is reduce. Its interesting that Mike pointed out his experience with the gauze type filters because I had similar experiences with them. In dyno testing I found out that power was actually very slightly reduced compared to a new stock Toyota air filter. I found out that even though the oil gauze filter flowed more per a sq. in. of filter media the stock Toyota filter had literally twice the surface area as the gauze filter with many more pleat's within the filter. I figured this out by taking out the media in each and flattening them out on the ground. It was eye opening to say the least! As Mike had experienced those gauze type filters compromise filtering ability for flow or so they claim.
I'm kind of hoping that Mazda does bring to production the AWD Speed 3 with a turbocharged Skyactiv engine as they have claimed. If this does happen withing a few years I might be looking at one myself for the fun of it. (first)
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- San Antonio, Texas
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- '15 CX-5 Miata AWD
Have you read about the AWD Focus RS?
(iagree) but it's kind of like (deadhorse because some people don't wanna
Right on, second best mod I ever made to my CX-5 (drive2)
No doubt, lighter is faster and more efficient but removing the spare and jack will likely make the car handle a bit worse because the car is designed to be perfectly balanced with some cargo/passenger weight. Mine handles best with the spare tire plus about 50 lb. extra in the back (yes, I can feel the 50 lb. back there). The good thing is I'm generally hauling about 50 lbs. of stuff to my destination so it's all good. The 2.5L Has more weight up front so it might like 100 lbs. in back, not sure about that though. Your idea about a lighter battery is great if money is no object because that's exactly where the car would love to lose a bit more weight. Not only is it forward weight but it has a higher center of gravity than the spare/jack.
(yippy)
The OEM thick paper pleated filter on my Ducati motorcycles is about the same size as the CX-5 air filter but the CX-5 filter has much deeper pleats and thus more surface area (as it should because the amount of air a filter flows without causing significant restriction should be directly proportional to the engines rated HP). But here's the rub: The air enters the filters on the Ducati from the top. The filters trap all kinds of dried bees, flies, dragonflies, twigs, leaves, sand, gravel, etc. I can feel a HP increase simply by lifting the filter off the airbox, inverting it and slapping it on a hard surface a number of times. I get a big pile of dried material, then I vacuum it and put it back in for another 5,000 miles. I have swapped a new filter with a freshly cleaned one and cannot feel a difference in power like I can with all that debris on top of the filter media.
On the other hand, the CX-5 has the best air intake design I've ever seen on a vehicle. First off, the air enters the filter from the bottom so any debris that gets sucked in falls to the bottom of the rather huge plenum on the dirty side of the airbox where it will not restrict air flow. There is plenty of volume inside that sucker which, at highway speeds, is pressurized by the intelligent location of the air box intake near the highest pressure point near the lip of the hood (also very resistant to sucking water in a flood). This provides a forced induction effect when it's most needed at higher speeds. Finally, the filter media is the best looking stuff I've seen. It's composed of thin synthetic fibers comprising a very thick filter media with plenty of thickness to trap lots of fine dust without restricting air flow. And that's in addition to the extra deep pleats. Yes, if it's getting clogged replacing it will improve power, my point is that it's quite resistant to becoming clogged. This system would fare very well relative to most filter systems in the worst possible scenario (which is driving through the ash cloud of a volcanic eruption). That stops most cars dead in their tracks in a surprisingly short distance as we learned here in Washington after Mount St. Helens erupted. But with a CX-5 you could just shut off the engine, slap the top of the air box with your palm a few times and continue on your way.
Hmmm... would it be (first) or a (five-0). No doubt you would get a performance award of one kind or the other.
Nah, I generally do not exceed the speed limit and even with just 155 horsepower in an SUV over 3200 lbs like yours you know its pretty easy to exceed the speed limit. I'm a very experience driver with a clean driving record and the chances I'll actually buy a vehicle like the Mazda speed 3 are very very low. Pretty much those days are long gone for me but I still like to dream. (lol2)
Sacrificing a spare is the silliest thing a person can do. (My G8 GT came std. with a silly "toy" air pump and a can of slime and never again will I be without a spare.)
What happens is that most tire failures are rather catastrophic from road hazards in which case the air pump and slime become totally ineffective. Road hazards also tend to puncture sidewalls that are not repairable. You'll end up having to call for roadside assistance.
You can be waiting for a couple hours for a tow truck to arrive and all they'll do is take you to the nearest repair facility. (ie tire store). The tire store will likely tell you they don't stock that exact tire.
You might have to wait for them to order one from the warehouse. If you're extremely lucky you might get one later that day. If not it can take several days.
The towing bill can cost you plenty unless your insurance policy covers it.
I can think of lots of ways to save weight but not having a backup tire is one I'll never do again.
The Great NY
Member
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- 2004 Mazda Atenza(6)
Wow, didn't get any alerts since the first post I made. But as stated anyone interested in performance tune to see for yourself the gains to be had. Feel free to hit me up.
www.facebook.com/twistedtuned
There is always a great amount of room for improvement on factory calibrations. Because they are not created with max performance and etc in mind.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
www.facebook.com/twistedtuned
There is always a great amount of room for improvement on factory calibrations. Because they are not created with max performance and etc in mind.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
True, the factory engineers tune more for long-term reliability (no carbon on valves, no detonation, etc.), low ownership costs and broad, versatile power-bands.
Hey! That happens to coincide with what I value in my primary vehicle.
OK, I'll bite. Do you have a performance tune for a 2.0L AWD CX-5? What are the 0-60 mph numbers?
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- RDX Aspec Adv.
I am not familiar with the Volvo, but the Jeep Grand Cherokee WK model is famous for junk factory shocks/struts. The Bilstein 4600HD's are a proven upgrade in that application, and all-around performance improved MASSIVELY once installed. That said, I get what you are saying and agree 100%. A name-brand and a chunk of change does not always an improvement make!
