Recent content by markjenn

I can’t see much in the picture, but my 2021 CE gave off odd engine smells for a long time after, delivery, perhaps six months during very light use. If you’re near the dealer just take it in, but otherwise I’d wipe up the fluid and see if it returns. The smells are normal ( to a point). - Mark

Dealers have you over the barrel here. If you are buying a new car they can do all sorts of things, but they’re not going to hand you the difference in cash between lease payoff and actual car value just because you ask nicely. They want your car cheap so they can sell it into this hot market...

A picture would help, but most curb damage is cosmetic so it’s all a matter of what you want to pay vs how bad it looks. A little masking and a rattle can will probably improve things quite a bit at low cost. Even a black sharpie will help. Keep in mind that keeping low-profile wheels in...

Thanks for help guys, off to the dealer. If they say “they all do that”, then it will out to the lot to see what other 2021s do. I honestly couldn’t care less about Auto CC (give me a simple three-dial analog control - mode, temp, and fan speed), but I do want features of my car to work as...

Hi, before I take my new CX-5 into the dealer, I thought I should get a read on whether something is "normal". This is on a 2021 CX-5 CE AWD Turbo. Anytime I have the climate control in "Auto" mode with a temp set, the fan speed is always fixed on 2-bars - it doesn't increase or decrease...

TireRack surveys show the LX25s are reasonably quiet. The CC2’s have been reported to be quiet too, but have a low-pitched “growl” that some find annoying in character if not volume. I don’t think you’d notice any fuel economy differences in the tires we’re discussing. I’d be cautious about...

For good price and service, hard to go wrong with either Costco or Discount Tire. They’ll give you an all-up price including mounting, balancing, tire disposal fees, etc. They’ll often match (or come close to) mail-order prices (like TireRack) after you add in the cost of mounting and...

That’s what I paid six years ago at Costco during a tire change (a Honda with wheel sensors), but I’m not totally sure what was done (the car is 16-yo and I’ve had zero issues with the sensors). But it appears the previous posters are correct.... $60 is more like it insofar as list price...

Requiring constant, small, steering corrections to travel in a straight line, typically noticed on the freeway. A car with good stability feels like it is “on rails” while one with poor will feel nervous/jittery and require more attention from the driver, increasing fatigue. Engineers try to...

Just to clarify a few things.... TPMS sensors in the wheel are typically on the inside of the wheel but integral with the valve stem. They have non-replaceable lithium batteries which should last 5-10 years. For most, they should last between tire changes and tire shops will always recommend...

Pretty hard to answer this without knowing mileage on engine. And maybe just me, but I don’t have the slightest idea what a “disi” engine is. - Mark

Lack of straight-ahead stability in the CX-30 is a common complaint although the reviewers characterization seems a little drama queen to me. The LKA in all Mazdas is pretty lame and I’ve also had issues where the radar cruise is slow to react to fast-changing situations like someone changing...

Mostly you can get away with it, but it can cause problems with the vapor recovery system. How big a problem varies by how often you do it, how aggressive you are, and how susceptible your particular vehicle is. You’re probably fine, but I’d avoid it, or at least only do it once. There are...

Just to be clear, there are ethanol-free fuels, but garden variety premium is e10 just like regular. Whether the additive package is better with premium is debated but most think not. Net, net, premium doesn’t buy you no-ethanol and probably doesn’t buy any increase in cleaning additives. It...

The dealer lobbying groups keep this tax advantage in place at tremendous lobbying expense. Effectively, it is a conduit of money from car buyers to politician election campaigns. It’s been constitutionally challenged in a few state courts and I recall one that got the law changed to allow car...