Mazda CX5 Cargo Storage Shelf (2018-2021)

There always a more value option approach.

People nowadays buy paint buckets and trays at home Depot for $$$. We still use coffee cans and peanut butter jars. People buy all kinda plastic storage bins...to store their nails and screws in.... We still use pickle gherkins jars.

Over $200 for a thin piece of plastic???

Go to Ollie's, get yourself a good heavy duty black plastic shelf unit for $ 30 and slap it in there ... Make sure you get a small/slim one. If you get the right size, it should fit snug and not move around much . then, use bungee cords or think up some other way to hold it in place.

And if you need more of a tray, just turn the storage unit upside down.

If more people used no nonsense options instead of paying outrageous $$$, maybe manufacturers would start selling these things for a reasonable price.
"Over $200 for a thin piece of plastic???"

I think that it's a bit more than just a thin piece of plastic, don't you?

Some people are also concerned about how things look and not just functionality.

"People nowadays buy paint buckets and trays at home Depot for $$$. We still use coffee cans and peanut butter jars."

I'd like to see you paint with a roller or a pad while using your coffee can or peanut butter jar...

Ollie's? The only Ollie's around here sells frozen custard, delicious frozen custard!

I recommend the Snickers Artic Blast with chocolate custard. Oh yeah!

 
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"Over $200 for a thin piece of plastic???"

I think that it's a bit more than just a thin piece of plastic, don't you?

Some people are also concerned about how things look and not just functionality.

"People nowadays buy paint buckets and trays at home Depot for $$$. We still use coffee cans and peanut butter jars."

I'd like to see you paint with a roller or a pad while using your coffee can or peanut butter jar...

Ollie's? The only Ollie's around here sells frozen custard, delicious frozen custard!

I recommend the Snickers Artic Blast with chocolate custard. Oh yeah!
Understood, some people want the look... but I'd rather spend it on wheels then a trunk that only myself and a few rare passer-bys ever see. really, who ever sees your trunk...this isn't a truck with a grill in the bed that your having a tailgate party with,

For rollers...
That's what's disposable aluminum baking pans are for...way cheaper than paint trays and plastic liners. They sell plastic liners for $1 piece when can get aluminum for 50 cents. or use the baking dish your wife's throwing out and wrap it in aluminum foil. better yet in old days, we used old cardboard boxes with sheet of aluminum foil. But hey its your $$.

Just giving some other options... To each their own.
 
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It appears to be more than just a flat tray but rather a storage compartment with a lid to keep stuff organized while not taking up any floor space. We'll know more after we hear back from the member who ordered one.

And, for added value, I'll bet it has a Mazda logo in it - priceless 😄
 
Understood, some people want the look... but I'd rather spend it on wheels then a trunk that only myself and a few rare passer-bys ever see. really, who ever sees your trunk...this isn't a truck with a grill in the bed that your having a tailgate party with,

For rollers...
That's what's disposable aluminum baking pans are for...way cheaper than paint trays and plastic liners. They sell plastic liners for $1 piece when can get aluminum for 50 cents. or use the baking dish your wife's throwing out and wrap it in aluminum foil. better yet in old days, we used old cardboard boxes with sheet of aluminum foil. But hey its your $$.

Just giving some other options... To each their own.
Yes, some of us have attention to detail. It's not about impressing passers by, it's about having something that fits properly, and is fully functional vs something that performs worse for less money.

Maybe you should have bought an old Yugo. It has an engine, wheels, doors, seats and a hatch area I'm sure you could mount your cheap plastic shelf in....
 
Yes, some of us have attention to detail. It's not about impressing passers by, it's about having something that fits properly, and is fully functional vs something that performs worse for less money.

Maybe you should have bought an old Yugo. It has an engine, wheels, doors, seats and a hatch area I'm sure you could mount your cheap plastic shelf in....
Lmao... That is 🤣.

I did buy something fully functional... a Mazda SUV that corners well for it's class.

Not everyone has the $$ like you and others have.
Which if most had that kinda cash to blow, most would get alot more expensive vehicle instead of a $250 shelf.

Like me said, to each their own sir.

and me never said it wasn't a nice looking form fitting functional shelf, indeed it seems like a nice accessory, its just way overpriced and overvalued.
I mean, people on here complain about spending $250 on roof rails which are of way more value than a plastic shelf.

Rather spend me $$ cash on wheels and upgrades( trailer hitch, extra bottle Jack's, hood lift)

Yugo?
If I was gonna get a weekend beater, I'd get an ole jeep for offroad.
 
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Snip...

For rollers...
That's what's disposable aluminum baking pans are for...way cheaper than paint trays and plastic liners. They sell plastic liners for $1 piece when can get aluminum for 50 cents. or use the baking dish your wife's throwing out and wrap it in aluminum foil. better yet in old days, we used old cardboard boxes with sheet of aluminum foil. But hey its your $$.

Just giving some other options... To each their own.
I have two plastic roller trays that I bought 15 years ago, 5 bux for the pair. I clean and reuse them. Better for me, better for the environment.

Thanks for worrying about how I spend MY money though...
 
I am enjoying the back and forth here ;) You can afford $30k+ for a CX-5 but a $200 shelf is a point of contention...

I looked at that shelf months ago as it looked very useful. However I decided to go with a Plano Sportman's Tote at Bass Pro Shop to store everything I needed for the vehicle. Kinda like an EDC bag on steroids. I can fit everything in there from another jack, to a large fire extinguisher, wheel chocks, change of clothes, tools, etc.

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/plano-sportsmans-tote

It fits perfectly and allows me to bungee it to the hooks on the backs of the seats and it still allows the cargo cover to function without any interference and still leaves plenty of room for grocery bags and what not.
 
I am enjoying the back and forth here ;) You can afford $30k+ for a CX-5 but a $200 shelf is a point of contention...

I looked at that shelf months ago as it looked very useful. However I decided to go with a Plano Sportman's Tote at Bass Pro Shop to store everything I needed for the vehicle. Kinda like an EDC bag on steroids. I can fit everything in there from another jack, to a large fire extinguisher, wheel chocks, change of clothes, tools, etc.

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/plano-sportsmans-tote

It fits perfectly and allows me to bungee it to the hooks on the backs of the seats and it still allows the cargo cover to function without any interference and still leaves plenty of room for grocery bags and what not.
Now that's a value... great idea! Gonna pick one a those up. Did you get the small black or the larger od green?

Yep. Rather spend $$$ on upgraded wheels, suspension, brakes, hitch, siderails, crossbars, cargo rack, running boards, etc., anything 'cept for an overpriced shelf. Shelf $$ can buy lots of 🍕 and beer.
 
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I don't normally write these things, so apologies if it's too long or I'm missing anything.

TLDR
Overall, I think it's a nice concealed compartment for those interested in having such feature if you can afford it and don't mind paying the price. Thanks for everyone sharing their opinions and hacks in place of this accessory, it's always interesting to see how other people fulfill their needs.

Context
I live in an urban environment where an enclosed garage is not available for my car. I was looking for a clean, concealed storage accessory to hold things such as emergency kits, blanket, etc for some additional security. There are just some things that I prefer to just keep in the car rather than taking them every time I get in and out of the car.

Is it worth it?
Depends... This product is indeed expensive. I'd say $150 or so would be a more fair price. However, I am fortunate enough to be able to afford this as I don't have the desire to take my time to look for alternatives or hacks... plus I don't spend money on things like wheels or racks. I just wanted to find something that is simple to install and looks clean (not to show off to others but just for myself). If this fits your use case, this is a good solution in my opinion.
(I purchased this item at MazdaPartsConnect.com for total of $224.22 w/tax and shipping with a discount coupon I was able to find online).

Potential issues
It's not a big deal for me, but someone mentioned that they move a lot of stuff around and this tray might get in the way. Yes, this tray will definitely hinder that particular use case. The screws that hold this tray in place, while easy to screw and unscrew, is not the most efficient process to take the tray in and out really fast. So if you move a lot of big stuff around frequently, this is not a good solution. The tray does take a lot of space and constrains the height quite a bit, so if you move a lot of larger stuff with your cargo space, this is not ideal.

Am I keeping it
While it's not perfect, it does fulfill what I was hoping for it to do and I think it looks pretty nice. I personally don't lug a lot of large stuff around so the tray works for my day to day use. Could I have gotten a more expensive car with hidden luggage compartments? Sure, but I just really like this car as a whole package (my second 2017+ CX5 after the first lease).

Details

How the tray looks without cargo cover.
IMG_0605.jpeg


The 'tray' sits on these brackets that are installed via strong adhesive strips and some kind of glue application. (Install time should be about 30-45 min)
IMG_0604.jpeg


The tray itself is fastened by these bolts that are easy to screw on and off. by hand, but of course, you'd need to move things out of the way if you have stuff in your tray. The brackets hold the tray in place so no need to keep the tray up while you fasten.
IMG_0609.jpeg


The cover is accessed via zippers and the cover is a rubberized material with felt on the inside. This allows for any objects that's a bit taller to fit.
IMG_0608.jpeg


For those wondering if this would replace the cargo cover, it does not. There is a substantial gap beyond the tray.
IMG_0615.jpeg


My purchase of the car came with cargo cover so I reattach it to ensure that the visibility remains blocked.
IMG_0618.jpeg
IMG_0621.jpeg


Hope this helps!
 
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Wow that thing has a lot more depth than I realized. Bad design work on Mazda's part that it makes a bulge in the cargo cover.
 
Very nice report! It does look nice installed. Does it really push up into the cargo cover or do you have something in the storage unit tnst is causing this? Do you have the inside dimensions, length, depth, width? It does look pretty large. What is the clearance below the box to the floor?

With it bolted in, that would keep it from shifting around and creating a hazzard.
 
I don't normally write these things, so apologies if it's too long or I'm missing anything.

TLDR
Overall, I think it's a nice concealed compartment for those interested in having such feature if you can afford it and don't mind paying the price. Thanks for everyone sharing their opinions and hacks in place of this accessory, it's always interesting to see how other people fulfill their needs.

Context
I live in an urban environment where an enclosed garage is not available for my car. I was looking for a clean, concealed storage accessory to hold things such as emergency kits, blanket, etc for some additional security. There are just some things that I prefer to just keep in the car rather than taking them every time I get in and out of the car.

Is it worth it?
Depends... This product is indeed expensive. I'd say $150 or so would be a more fair price. However, I am fortunate enough to be able to afford this as I don't really have the desire take my time for alternatives or hacks... and I don't spend money on things like wheels or racks. I just wanted to find something that is simple to install and looks clean (not to show off to others but just for myself). If this fits your use case, this is a good solution in my opinion.

Potential issues
It's not a big deal for me, but someone mentioned that they move a lot of stuff around and this tray might get in the way. Yes, this tray will definitely hinder that particular use case. The screws that hold this tray in place, while easy to screw and unscrew, is not the most efficient process to take the tray in and out really fast. So if you move a lot of big stuff around frequently, this is not a good solution. The tray does take a lot of space and constraints quite a bit of height clearance, so again, if you move a lot of larger stuff with your cargo space, this is not ideal.

Am I keeping it
While it's not perfect, it does fulfill what I was hoping for it to do and I think it looks pretty nice. I personally don't lug a lot of large stuff around so the tray works for my day to day use. Could I have gotten a more expensive car with hidden luggage compartments? Sure, but I just really like this car as a whole package (my second 2017+ CX5 after the first lease).

Details

How the tray looks without cargo cover.
View attachment 304467

The 'tray' sits on these brackets that are installed via strong adhesive strips and some kind of glue application. (Install time should be about 30-45 min)
View attachment 304468

The tray itself is fastened by these bolts that are easy to screw on and off. by hand, but of course, you'd need to move things out of the way if you have stuff in your tray. The brackets hold the tray in place so no need to keep the tray up while you fasten.
View attachment 304469

The cover is accessed via zippers and the cover is a rubberized material with felt on the inside. This allows for any objects that's a bit taller to fit.
View attachment 304470

For those wondering if this would replace the cargo cover, it does not. There is a substantial gap beyond the tray.
View attachment 304471

My purchase of the car came with cargo cover so I reattach it to ensure that the visibility remains blocked.
View attachment 304472 View attachment 304473

Hope this helps!
Great report. It does look nice. Thanks for trying it out and posting for us to see.👍

Just a suggestion for yourself and others.
If you or someone you know is handy, the brackets appear to be a possible weak point, depending on what/ how heavy you're going to stuff/load it with.

Since you'vealready installed it, this would be suggestion for if the brackets break, you can reattach new ones with extra support.

Get some cheap aluminum sheeting from your Home Depot or hardware store.
There are various thickness, get thick enough to be sturdy but thin enough to bend. If you can get a sheet that's skinnier than the bracket, get that. You want this to be behind the bracket without showing.
Bend curve in it(similar to the curve in plastic bracket) to hook into the body interior. Using the plastic bracket as a guide, drill a comparable hole in metal sheet. Just hook and slide it behind the plastic bracket then screw/bolt the shelf to the metal & plastic bracket at same time.

Or maybe get the "Black Plano tote' that swcx5r recommended... it might fit underneath there very nicely while possible supporting the shelf's weight.

Alternatively, if you can get the right size of a black plastic bucket, you could fill bucket with any other items you have to store and place it under the shelf to support, hopefully being just tall enough. Being black, the bucket could blend in nicely.

Hope it holds up for you.
 
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I don't normally write these things, so apologies if it's too long or I'm missing anything.

TLDR
Overall, I think it's a nice concealed compartment for those interested in having such feature if you can afford it and don't mind paying the price. Thanks for everyone sharing their opinions and hacks in place of this accessory, it's always interesting to see how other people fulfill their needs.

Context
I live in an urban environment where an enclosed garage is not available for my car. I was looking for a clean, concealed storage accessory to hold things such as emergency kits, blanket, etc for some additional security. There are just some things that I prefer to just keep in the car rather than taking them every time I get in and out of the car.

Is it worth it?
Depends... This product is indeed expensive. I'd say $150 or so would be a more fair price. However, I am fortunate enough to be able to afford this as I don't have the desire to take my time to look for alternatives or hacks... plus I don't spend money on things like wheels or racks. I just wanted to find something that is simple to install and looks clean (not to show off to others but just for myself). If this fits your use case, this is a good solution in my opinion.

Potential issues
It's not a big deal for me, but someone mentioned that they move a lot of stuff around and this tray might get in the way. Yes, this tray will definitely hinder that particular use case. The screws that hold this tray in place, while easy to screw and unscrew, is not the most efficient process to take the tray in and out really fast. So if you move a lot of big stuff around frequently, this is not a good solution. The tray does take a lot of space and constrains the height quite a bit, so if you move a lot of larger stuff with your cargo space, this is not ideal.

Am I keeping it
While it's not perfect, it does fulfill what I was hoping for it to do and I think it looks pretty nice. I personally don't lug a lot of large stuff around so the tray works for my day to day use. Could I have gotten a more expensive car with hidden luggage compartments? Sure, but I just really like this car as a whole package (my second 2017+ CX5 after the first lease).

Details

How the tray looks without cargo cover.
View attachment 304467

The 'tray' sits on these brackets that are installed via strong adhesive strips and some kind of glue application. (Install time should be about 30-45 min)
View attachment 304468

The tray itself is fastened by these bolts that are easy to screw on and off. by hand, but of course, you'd need to move things out of the way if you have stuff in your tray. The brackets hold the tray in place so no need to keep the tray up while you fasten.
View attachment 304469

The cover is accessed via zippers and the cover is a rubberized material with felt on the inside. This allows for any objects that's a bit taller to fit.
View attachment 304470

For those wondering if this would replace the cargo cover, it does not. There is a substantial gap beyond the tray.
View attachment 304471

My purchase of the car came with cargo cover so I reattach it to ensure that the visibility remains blocked.
View attachment 304472 View attachment 304473

Hope this helps!
You fitted this to a 2017 CX-5 correct? So there shouldn't be any issues fitting it to a 2016.5 right? Maybe?
 
Very nice report! It does look nice installed. Does it really push up into the cargo cover or do you have something in the storage unit tnst is causing this? Do you have the inside dimensions, length, depth, width? It does look pretty large. What is the clearance below the box to the floor?

With it bolted in, that would keep it from shifting around and creating a hazzard.
I have something in the storage in the pictures, hence the bulge. If you have stuff fitting under the limit, it should look flat and clean.

The height clearance from the bottom of the tray to the floor is no more than 15".

The interior dimensions for the tray is about: (FYI - it has a rounded corner and narrower towards the hatch)
Width: ~39" max and 32" min (it's mostly 39)
Depth: ~10"
Height: ~4.5" (can stretch out another inch maybe, but then it'll bulge out a bit)

Yes, the bolts keeps it really secure and I believe there's a mark on the unit states that the max capacity is 22 pounds. Again, this is for lighter materials you would stow away, not for heavy duty usage. If you respect its limitations, there shouldn't be any concern for its integrity over its lifetime.
 
Curious. You've had this for a couple of weeks now. Have you found it useful? Would you buy it again? I like the concept and, since my wife likes her cars neatly organized, have Ben considering one.
 
Yes, I find it very useful for my case. As I have mentioned, I store away stuff that I don’t take out often and it does a nice job storing the items hidden very well!
 
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