Why does the brake pedal stick out so much?

I have owned a lot of cars in my life. In all of my past cars the brake pedal, clutch (if the car is a manual) and the gas pedal are very close to being lined up.

Meaning; that when you take your foot off of the gas you don't have to pull your foot back three inches before you move it over to the pedal on the left.

I have to do that, it is very odd. Is the brake pedal adjustable? My brake pedal is three inches closer to me (the driver) than the gas pedal is.

Is this normal?
 
Wife has a 2019 CX5 and I drive it, also. Never noticed the pedal height as an issue. It maybe an issue for you based on the height of the seat. Play around with the seat controls.

I also have a 2005 Ford F150 and it has an adjustable brake pedal. I adjusted it 15 years ago and since my legs stopped growing many years ago, I have not touched the adjustment a second time.
 
@Ceej007 you might find it worthwhile to go through the procedure in the Owners Manual to properly position the drivers seat. I was skeptical but I tried it and was happy with the results which were different than what I would have done myself. One step in the setup process involves getting your foot properly positioned so that it can pivot on the heel to move between accelerator and brake pedal.
 
Thanks for the comments guys, I am a 57 year old man, this isn't my first rodeo. I messed around with the seat quite a bit. There is no possibility of an easy pivot from the gas to the brake, I have to pull my foot back to get to the brake. I was asking wondering if this is normal. It sounds like it isn't.

That is odd.
 
Maybe so people don't mistake the brake for the gas pedal and plow through some store front.
I never noticed any problem and I have two Mazdas.
 
I think it's the same for my CX-9, brake pedal is a little closer to me than the accelerator. I think wlong01 is on to something - maybe they did it this way to help differentiate the two pedals.

I would go through the seat adjustment procedure in the Owner's Manual as stickerbush suggested. It's a specific procedure that is separate from the section that teaches you what each button does. Here's a link.

I never went through the adjustment procedure on my CX-9 as I was able to find a comfortable position on my own. I don't have to pull my foot back to press the brake, I just pivot on my heel.
 
I 100% agree. For some reason starting around the 2014 redesigns, Mazda positioned the brake pedal higher, and also closer to the gas pedal. My main complaint with the CX5 and M6 is that my feet feel very cramped in the footwell area. It needs to be at least 2" wider on the left side
 
I have gotten used to it, I started this thread to see if.

a) Anyone else has noticed it.
b) If the pedals were adjustable.

The reason why I bought this car is because article after article magazine writers call it more of a "drivers car". Well, drivers cars have pedals that are even so that a transition from one pedal to another is easy.

Still love it though, great car.
 
Its called articles marketing. People get paid one way or another to write whatever is needed nowadays.

Yes some of us have noticed it and no - unfortunately Mazda is not at that level yet to have adjustable pedals.

Enjoy your car. Probably after a while you would get used to it and it wont bother so much.
 

I don't have to pull my foot back to press the brake, I just pivot on my heel.
Same here and I don’t feel too much difference to the position of brake pedal on CX-5 from vehicles I have owned, VW’s、BMW’s、Honda’s. The only time I felt big difference on the brake pedal and / or clutch pedal was driving my VW Vanagon GL Syncro AWD with 5-speed manual, and a friend’s Porsche 911 with 6-speed manual. I really need to pull my foot up and move over for both pedals.
 
I think it was just a big change from my previous car. On the Impreza the pedals were very close to being even across.

images


Geez after I posted this photo I went looking for photos of CX-5s pedals and most of them line up very well.

Mine don't, at all.

Went to go take a photo to illustrate my point but they are lined up. Then I realized that my parking brake is on and the brake pedal goes down when that happens.
 
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Went to go take a photo to illustrate my point but they are lined up. Then I realized that my parking brake is on and the brake pedal goes down when that happens.
Never know this’d be the case. Not normal to me.
 
20201018-170127.jpg


This is on mine with parking brake on. Gas pedal probably around half an inch difference vs the brake pedal.

The floor gas pedal always bugs me but thats another topic.
 
Thanks for the comments guys, I am a 57 year old man, this isn't my first rodeo. I messed around with the seat quite a bit. There is no possibility of an easy pivot from the gas to the brake, I have to pull my foot back to get to the brake. I was asking wondering if this is normal. It sounds like it isn't.

That is odd.
I hadn't thought about it until you mentioned it so I checked. Yes, the brake pedal does stick out, at least in my US 2020 CX-5 Touring AWD with the 2.5L normally aspirated gasoline version. I can't speak for other configurations or other markets. I must be used to it since our other vehicle, a 2014 Sienna V6 FWD, is the same way.

Yeah, I doubt that changing the seat position would help much. What I find myself doing by second nature now is having the heel back, working the bottom half of the gas pedal which provides more clearance to pivot to the brake. Maybe that's what you got used to after all. You might find working the gas this way more finely modulates the throttle. Of course wth the normally aspirated it took some getting used to because that motor wants gas to get to 3rd. gear and I felt initially like I was either dawdling or stomping on it. Then again, I've been driving V6s for the last 20 years so some adjustment is expected.

So, why would they do this? Just a guess, but I'm thinking they seek to avoid "sudden acceleration" issues that plagued other auto makers that turned out to be folks were mistaking the gas for the brake. This is their bread and butter vehicle they want in the mainstream, taking out the cabin noise, making it nicely appointed, putting in comfortable seats and making the safety, automation and convenience gagetry standard. Even Toyota makes you go up a trim level or two for blind spot detection or pay a tidy sum for it as option. In mainstream vehicles you can't have less than adept drivers stomping the wrong pedal. Trying to mainstream is why they dropped "zoom zoom" as the brand image.

Which raises the question of whether a compact CUV targetting a sweet spot in the market at this price point can truly be called a "driver's car"? Certainly not the normally aspirated version, the turbo would be a bit of a stretch. Relative to a sport sedan or sports car, we bought cargo capacity, a high view of the road, a high center of gravity, and for some of us a high step in. It just happens to be the closest you can get to a "drivers car" in this class at this price.
 
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What I find myself doing by second nature now is having the heel back, working the bottom half of the gas pedal which provides more clearance to pivot to the brake.
Now you said it, I believe this is what I’m doing while driving the CX-5.
 
I like the people who suggested adjusting the seat. I don't know about your car, but I don't think adjusting the seat will change how his brake pedal aligns to the same level as the others. 😂
 
I like the people who suggested adjusting the seat. I don't know about your car, but I don't think adjusting the seat will change how his brake pedal aligns to the same level as the others. 😂

Well actually, it does help. Getting your seat a little farther back and a little lower allows the leg to straighten out a bit and provides for more ankle flex to be able to lift your toe higher to pivot and clear the brake pedal easier.
 
Well actually, it does help. Getting your seat a little farther back and a little lower allows the leg to straighten out a bit and provides for more ankle flex to be able to lift your toe higher to pivot and clear the brake pedal easier.

Maybe, but it also means that the gas pedal will be farther away.
 
I like the people who suggested adjusting the seat. I don't know about your car, but I don't think adjusting the seat will change how his brake pedal aligns to the same level as the others. 😂

Why would you think that adjusting the seat would affect brake pedal alignment??


Referring to the seat adjustment procedure in the manual (see bolded text):

Adjusting the seatback angle (reclining)

Adjust the seatback to the angle providing a comfortable seated posture.
  1. With your posture slightly slouched, move the seatback forward to the angle where your waist feels slightly cramped.
    03010207-glusa04-002.png
  2. Move the seatback backward to a comfortable seated posture without any feeling of cramping in your waist.
    03010207-glusa05-002.png
Adjusting the seat position forward and back (sliding)

Adjust the seat to the position best for operating the accelerator and brake pedals.
  1. Place your left foot on the footrest, your right foot between the accelerator and brake pedals, and position your heel to the position allowing easy switching between the pedals.
  2. With your heel set on the floor, set your right foot on the brake pedal and move the seat forward as far as possible until you feel a slight cramping in your ankle.
    03010207-glusa06-001.png
  3. With your right foot set on the brake pedal, move the seat back until you no longer feel cramping in your ankle.
  4. With your heel set on the floor, make sure you can move your foot between the brake pedal and accelerator pedal smoothly.
  5. Depress the accelerator pedal completely with your heel set on the floor and make sure that your ankle does not feel over-stretched.

In this case, following the instructions (or using them as a reference) shows you how to find the right spot for your heel, so you can comfortably pivot between the brake and the accelerator.

Now, if you want to know why Mazda aligned the pedals the way that they did, you might be better off sending them an email or giving them a call so you can get the reasoning straight from the horse's mouth.
 
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