3 downers...in an otherwise vast sea of happy anticipation

So....I have wanted a CX-5 for a few years now, and for once I'd like to buy a brand new vehicle. So, I'm looking at the 2020 CX-5 Grand Touring Reserve.
Everything looks perfect for me and I'm really looking forward to pulling the trigger on this, but there are so far 3 downers, (nothing major) that I am hoping I'm wrong about, or wondering if anyone knows any workarounds.

1. No wireless charging for phones? No even as an option?

2. Apple carplay...does this work wirelessly?

3. No remote start on the 2020 GT Reserve? I know it's available as an extra option but wondering if they were standard in the 2020 model. Also wondering if the 'mazda mobile startt app works, if you didn't pay for the extra remote start feature.

Thanks for your time and please pardon the stupid questions.
 
You can look at the Build and Price section of Mazda's website for the standard features and available Accessories.

I don't believe that factory Remote Start is available at all (even an extra cost Accessory) on 2020 models. I don't recall seeing it when I bought my 2019 Reserve last year and others have mentioned its lack of availability in the current model years. It's not offered as an Accessory on Mazda's website...I just looked.

Nor have I seen or heard anything regarding wireless charging, and I've been immersed in features & options for 2019 and 2020.

My only caveat to the above is that Mazda's website is far from perfect.

I cannot comment on Apple Play...I don't use it. Others might be along...
 
1) No, wireless charging is not an option on these. You could always put your own wireless charger in the forward cubby or in the center console in the sliding tray. But carplay will require you to be plugged in and that will charge anyways.
2) Wireless Carplay is only available on a few luxury vehicles. Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Lamborghini. And even then it's only on a few models.
3) Your dealer CAN add Mazda Mobile Start but it costs $500 plus a yearly fee and it's not even very good. Even my salesman recommended I go aftermarket. It's mostly issues with the app that you use on the smartphone rather than hardware issues. I got a Compustar installed for $300 and it works great. Can even upgrade it to smartphone control later on if I want, though I'm not sure how much extra that will cost.
 
As NathanH said, with the modification that the MazdaAIO hacks (if you're technically competent) can, in theory, add wireless CarPlay/AndroidAuto. I have installed the hacks on our car and there are some wonderful additions, but I haven't enabled the wireless function (not really interested - and prefer to have less EMF in the car), so cannot comment on that. See: https://mazdatweaks.com/

UPDATE: I just looked again at the site - I think it implies only AndroidAuto gets the wireless tweak, so I may have misled you there. But you can research more yourself if interested.
 
1. No wireless charging pad. On the 3 and CX-30 but not the CX-5.
2. No. Still need cable.
3. Don't see it even on the option list. I have it on my CX-5 but now never use it.
 
Understood. Ok, again these things are small downers but of course not close to being deal breakers. One question I have (bear with me, I have bout a car in 7 years, have NEVER bought a brand new car before) when I see friends get in their cars, they wirelessly connect to their phones, so they can take calls, listen to music from their phones, etc. I assume this is just a Bluetooth connection. Is this possible? Can I listen (and control) music located in my phone, through the Mazda screen and take calls through the Mazda sound system? Again, sorry for sounding stupid.
 
Understood. Ok, again these things are small downers but of course not close to being deal breakers. One question I have (bear with me, I have bout a car in 7 years, have NEVER bought a brand new car before) when I see friends get in their cars, they wirelessly connect to their phones, so they can take calls, listen to music from their phones, etc. I assume this is just a Bluetooth connection. Is this possible? Can I listen (and control) music located in my phone, through the Mazda screen and take calls through the Mazda sound system? Again, sorry for sounding stupid.
Yes, once you pair your phone it will do all that.
 
Understood. Ok, again these things are small downers but of course not close to being deal breakers. One question I have (bear with me, I have bout a car in 7 years, have NEVER bought a brand new car before) when I see friends get in their cars, they wirelessly connect to their phones, so they can take calls, listen to music from their phones, etc. I assume this is just a Bluetooth connection. Is this possible? Can I listen (and control) music located in my phone, through the Mazda screen and take calls through the Mazda sound system? Again, sorry for sounding stupid.

Yes, once you plug your phone in. Everything is basically hands free. You can make and receive calls, make and receive texts , play music and ask for directions to things all with voice commands. And honestly, it is very easy to just plug in the phone when you sit in and just forgot about it.
 
In Canada, remote start is dealer option. Not sure your location.

Not the greatest set up on my 19 cx9 but it works. Seats and wheel will not warm.
 
Yes you can do that wirelessly. After buying the car the salesman showed me how to pair my phone to the car using bluetooth.
 
I do not understand want for remote start with this skyactiv motor that does not warm up unless it is being driven.
 
I do not understand want for remote start with this skyactiv motor that does not warm up unless it is being driven.

Well, I used to live in the NE and when it was -15c, being able to warm the car up for 10 minutes would at least give the seat heaters time to turn on and the air coming out of the vents to be semi-warm. Believe me, it helped. Totally destroys gas mileage as these engines just gulp fuel till warm.
 
Alright, so I'm getting a handle on this whole infotainment/connectivity/Carplay thing.
Sounds like it's a choice with pros and cons, between using Mazda Connect, vs Carplay. Generally, plugging in my phone to the car is probably the way to go.
With Connect, I can listen to music, if I want to stream music (I have Amazon Music Unlimited) I probably have to browse for music on my phone and let it play through the car's speakers via bluetooth. Not too safe. I can use the navigation option but not my trusty google maps with it's stellar/accurate traffic display and arrival times. etc etc. Only downer is I have to plug it in. (only in the center console's USB for Carplay?)
OK, now I'm gonna sound REALLY Canadian. When I drive through Tim's every morning for a bagel and a coffee, I use my phone to tap-pay. Just means I have to unplug phone and plug it in again. Oh well, nothing's perfect.

I'm curious to know folk's opinion of the nav system. Is it accurate? does it get arrival times/routes right? Is it free to use?
 
OK, now I'm gonna sound REALLY Canadian. When I drive through Tim's every morning for a bagel and a coffee, I use my phone to tap-pay. Just means I have to unplug phone and plug it in again. Oh well, nothing's perfect.

I'm curious to know folk's opinion of the nav system. Is it accurate? does it get arrival times/routes right? Is it free to use?
Get yourself an Apple watch for tap pay if you really do that every morning in your car. It would be kind of a hassle to unplug the phone just to tap pay.

Mazda nav system sucks compared to either Google Maps or the native Apple navigation app on iPhone.
 
Well, I used to live in the NE and when it was -15c, being able to warm the car up for 10 minutes would at least give the seat heaters time to turn on and the air coming out of the vents to be semi-warm. Believe me, it helped. Totally destroys gas mileage as these engines just gulp fuel till warm.
Yup.

I live in the middle of Virginia where the climate is relatively moderate and am retired, so I'm not driving in the real cold part of the mornings. I have my Fuel Monitor set to display each trip when the ignition is turned off.

Even when temps are in the 40s and 50s (or higher), my initial 8 miles trip to the store yields 19MPG. Once the car is warmed up, all subsequent trips are 25MPG-29MPG or so. It wasn't until I set the Fuel Monitor to display at the conclusion of every trip that I realized my unimpressive mileage was due to the warm up period not getting averaged out over longer trips...I rarely drive beyond the 8-10 mile trips to the store.

What's frightening is that when you think about Honda's oil dilution issue being blamed on "short trips in cold weather," you realize that some amount of this "cold engine" fuel is not being consumed...it's going into the crankcase and [hopefully] being burned off later.

I've often thought that Mazda's taking the Remote Start feature off of their offered accessories was to (a) mitigate oil dilution and (b) be "environmentally responsible."
 
I'm curious to know folk's opinion of the nav system. Is it accurate? does it get arrival times/routes right? Is it free to use?
I love Mazda's NAV system, but (a) I've no experience with any other, and (b) I'm in a very rural area so don't run into situations where I need "alternate route" options or any other higher-level feature (assuming the Mazda app lacks these. I don't know one way or the other.)

I have never had a problem with it. It always gets me to where I'm going, and then back home again...and it always displays your next turn/move on the HUD and on the top banner of the infotainment screen (even when not in the NAV screen) regardless of how far ahead your next move is. There are those who dislike the Mazda NAV, but I've never really understood what I'm missing by not using a different one. The NAV has 4 route-type settings (Fastest, Fewest Miles, Easiest, Least Fuel Consumed) in addition to 7 road-type settings. These affect the route taken and may make you wonder what the heck the system is doing to you if not set right (happened to me once, but still got me where I was going.) There was another member here who complained that a years-old address for his company was still showing up in this NAV system, so one legitimate complaint is the timeliness of such updates with Mazda's NAV provider (HERE Map Creator.)

The other problem that Mazda NAV has is with the audio reminders ("Turn right onto I-95 1 mile ahead.") The reminders play at a set volume, so if your stereo is up too high, it drowns them out (you still hear the muffled voice in the background, you just don't understand what it's saying, so in a sense you still get a reminder that your turn's coming up.) To me it's annoyingly poor design, but the audio is generally a "don't fly past your next move" reminder (although in some instances it will say helpful things like "Turn right, then take an immediate left") while the main directions are always on the HUD and the infotainment screen banner. The audio gives you a 1 mile "your next move is coming up" heads-up at highway speeds (I believe 45mph/72kph is the threshold) and a 1/2 mile heads-up at slower speeds.

I believe you get 3 free map updates within a given time frame (3 years?) and then you are charged for all subsequent updates. The maps reside on an SD card in the car. There is no usage fee.

One other point: Traffic Sign Recognition (Speed Limits, Do Not Enter and Stop Signs here in the states) requires a NAV card. The TSR system uses a combination of the camera and a location-specific set of speed limits that are in the NAV database. The traffic sign icons that display on the HUD reside on the NAV SD card.
 
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I did aftermarket install by myself using Fortin and DroneMobile (I can start car and even open trunk while running from my watch).

$250 for all the hardware and I had it installed in less than an hour.

I prepaid 5 years of the basic plan for $3/month ($179).
 
Definitely do not get the Mazda factory remote start. go with this product.

Not only can you remote start using just your oem keyfob (press lock 3x to start) your engine doesn’t shut down as soon as you open the door. I find it useless that the Mazda remote turns off the engine as soon as you open the door. It’s not a security feature. Good remote start systems like compustar, the doors are locked and can only be unlocked with a key when the engine is running. And Incase someone does get inside your car while the engine is running, the moment they press the brakes to change gears, the engine will shut off if the key is not detected.
 
Definitely do not get the Mazda factory remote start. go with this product.

Not only can you remote start using just your oem keyfob (press lock 3x to start) your engine doesn’t shut down as soon as you open the door. I find it useless that the Mazda remote turns off the engine as soon as you open the door. It’s not a security feature. Good remote start systems like compustar, the doors are locked and can only be unlocked with a key when the engine is running. And Incase someone does get inside your car while the engine is running, the moment they press the brakes to change gears, the engine will shut off if the key is not detected.

Ya I think that if I decide to get a remote starter, I will go with this. If for nothing else, I'm sure the Mazda version is ridiculously marked up in price. Thanks.

One thing I found as a solution for the wireless Carplay thing is Carplay2air and Carlinkit dongles.
I'm sure most folks on here are aware of them. I'm reading pretty varied results. I might give one of them a shot at some point. I think their tech is in it's infancy so make after a few good firmware updates they'll be more dependable.
 
UPDATE: I just looked again at the site - I think it implies only AndroidAuto gets the wireless tweak, so I may have misled you there. But you can research more yourself if interested.

AIO only work for Android. There's no 'Apple hack'.

Re: Remote Start. Mazda knows the product is bad to the point that my local dealers all offer to have a 3rd party install Remote Start before you pick up the vehicle. Seriously. Check with yours.
 
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