Cylinder Deactivation Update

I just joined the forum. I don't have a Mazda, but have been looking at them.

My current 2015 Ford Fusion is being bought back as a lemon, so I would like to replace it. This CD sounds like something to avoid, so buying a used 2017 is not out of the question. My 2017 Camaro has CD, but you can over-ride it by doing some manual shifting of the automatic trans. I find CD very annoying as it does not come back on smoothly, switching from v-4 to v-6. The difference in MPG is no very noticeable.

I was initially thinking of getting a 6, then a 3, now the CX-5. I still need to drive all of them, and decide if we need a sedan or suv.

The 6 or the CX-5 with a turbo are fantastic and don’t have cylinder deactivation if it’s really a deal breaker. I test drove a 6 GT Reserve just to see what I was missing and wow, that was nice. For what it’s worth I can’t tell when the cylinders are on or off on my mother in laws 2018 CX-5. I could definitely feel it on my old ‘15 Odyssey V6 though.
 
I expect to get back about $20k from Ford. I was not planning on buying new because I can't afford it, and this car will be relegated to being parked in the street all the time, and my girlfriend will be using at as a daily commuter when they say she doesn't have to work from home anymore. Stop and go on the freeway in L.A. ...she sees lots of accidents and was rear ended once last year!

Yes, the Fusion was a great car out on the open highway at speed; very quiet, comfortable, handled well, although slow with the n/a 2.5L. I had a 2002 WRX for 12 years, so the turbo is a nice option, just too pricey for me. I'm retired and don't commute anywhere on a daily basis.
 
I expect to get back about $20k from Ford. I was not planning on buying new because I can't afford it, and this car will be relegated to being parked in the street all the time, and my girlfriend will be using at as a daily commuter when they say she doesn't have to work from home anymore. Stop and go on the freeway in L.A. ...she sees lots of accidents and was rear ended once last year!

Yes, the Fusion was a great car out on the open highway at speed; very quiet, comfortable, handled well, although slow with the n/a 2.5L. I had a 2002 WRX for 12 years, so the turbo is a nice option, just too pricey for me. I'm retired and don't commute anywhere on a daily basis.

I’d be shooting for a beater Prius in that case ; )
 
I expect to get back about $20k from Ford. I was not planning on buying new because I can't afford it, and this car will be relegated to being parked in the street all the time, and my girlfriend will be using at as a daily commuter when they say she doesn't have to work from home anymore. Stop and go on the freeway in L.A. ...she sees lots of accidents and was rear ended once last year!

Yes, the Fusion was a great car out on the open highway at speed; very quiet, comfortable, handled well, although slow with the n/a 2.5L. I had a 2002 WRX for 12 years, so the turbo is a nice option, just too pricey for me. I'm retired and don't commute anywhere on a daily basis.
If you’re considering a Mazda3, I’d suggest to check into CX-30, even a new one, which doesn’t have cylinder deactivation as long as it doesn’t have optional Premium Package.

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I just joined the forum. I don't have a Mazda, but have been looking at them.

My current 2015 Ford Fusion is being bought back as a lemon, so I would like to replace it. This CD sounds like something to avoid, so buying a used 2017 is not out of the question. My 2017 Camaro has CD, but you can over-ride it by doing some manual shifting of the automatic trans. I find CD very annoying as it does not come back on smoothly, switching from v-4 to v-6. The difference in MPG is not very noticeable.

I was initially thinking of getting a 6, then a 3, now the CX-5. I still need to drive all of them, and decide if we need a sedan or suv.
I think you're confusing engine auto stop/start (engine cuts off when you pull to a stop, then starts again when you take your foot off the brake) with cylinder deactivation. CD on GM and Mazda vehicles is pretty much unnoticeable (I have worked for both brands). Auto stop/start though is very noticeable on GM vehicles
 
I think you're confusing engine auto stop/start (engine cuts off when you pull to a stop, then starts again when you take your foot off the brake) with cylinder deactivation. CD on GM and Mazda vehicles is pretty much unnoticeable (I have worked for both brands). Auto stop/start though is very noticeable on GM vehicles

My Camaro does not have auto stop/start. It does have AFM (Active Fuel Management).
 
I expect to get back about $20k from Ford. I was not planning on buying new because I can't afford it, and this car will be relegated to being parked in the street all the time, and my girlfriend will be using at as a daily commuter when they say she doesn't have to work from home anymore. Stop and go on the freeway in L.A. ...she sees lots of accidents and was rear ended once last year!

Yes, the Fusion was a great car out on the open highway at speed; very quiet, comfortable, handled well, although slow with the n/a 2.5L. I had a 2002 WRX for 12 years, so the turbo is a nice option, just too pricey for me. I'm retired and don't commute anywhere on a daily basis.
If it will be prone to fender benders and your girlfriend will be driving it, you may as well get a much older reliable car like Toyota. Then you won't care about seeing new door dinks and dents.
 
An old Camry with the big bulky bumpers for hitting deers and half a million miles lasting engine :)
 
I see. If I were you I may do the same if I could meet the requirement of the lemon law in my state (Texas). I don’t think it’s that easy though.

Not sure if you want to get a Honda Passport. Its 3.5L V6 has Variable Cylinder Management™ (VCM®) which is similar to Mazda’s cylinder deactivation. It has history of long-term problems and a class action lawsuit. Newer version of VCM May have improved but I wouldn’t want any vehicles with cylinder deactivation.

There have been three generations of Honda VCM. The first version (2003) operated on six or three cylinders. The second version (2007?) operated on six, four, or three cylinders. The third and current version (2012) operates on six or three cylinders and has proven reliable.

Inconsistent assembly quality, reluctant downshifts due to the unusual use of dog clutches in the ZF 9-speed transmission, and audio system issues related to Honda's use of MOST bus technology seem to be the trouble spots for the Passport. Mechanically, I don't see any concerns. VCM and idle stop are very smooth in the Passport.
 
There have been three generations of Honda VCM. The first version (2003) operated on six or three cylinders. The second version (2007?) operated on six, four, or three cylinders. The third and current version (2012) operates on six or three cylinders and has proven reliable.

Inconsistent assembly quality, reluctant downshifts due to the unusual use of dog clutches in the ZF 9-speed transmission, and audio system issues related to Honda's use of MOST bus technology seem to be the trouble spots for the Passport. Mechanically, I don't see any concerns. VCM and idle stop are very smooth in the Passport.

a few folks over at OdyClub were reporting misfires due to fouled spark plugs for 3rd Gen VCM. The fix still required engine tear down and new piston rings for the affected cylinders. Much much less than the 2nd gen VCM but still some nonetheless. I had a VCMTuner to disable it on my 2018 Odyssey and didn’t see an appreciable drop in mpg for our driving situation (YMMV). I was glad the 18 had the 6 speed transmission for the reasons you mention too. The 9 speed would have been a deal breaker, and sure enough a lot of folks preferred the new 10 speed to it on the latest Odyssey Gen.

My Odyssey must have been worse than others though because I could definitely hear and feel a difference when the cylinders shut off. Folks riding along didn’t notice it until I pointed out what it was when it came on and off. They thought it was slightly tougher patches of road until I said something and said we were on fresh black top. I wouldn’t hesitate to purchase again due to the availability of cheat devices for Honda VCM. The Mazda doesn’t worry me as much as it’s disabling a line 4 vs a V6 (the line being much more stable with deactivated cylinders). But! With gimmicks like auto start/stop and cylinder deactivation becoming more prevalent it’s really pushing me to just get a hybrid or a full blown EV on the next go around. I prefer that over half measures personally.
 
a few folks over at OdyClub were reporting misfires due to fouled spark plugs for 3rd Gen VCM. The fix still required engine tear down and new piston rings for the affected cylinders. Much much less than the 2nd gen VCM but still some nonetheless. I had a VCMTuner to disable it on my 2018 Odyssey and didn’t see an appreciable drop in mpg for our driving situation (YMMV). I was glad the 18 had the 6 speed transmission for the reasons you mention too. The 9 speed would have been a deal breaker, and sure enough a lot of folks preferred the new 10 speed to it on the latest Odyssey Gen.

My Odyssey must have been worse than others though because I could definitely hear and feel a difference when the cylinders shut off. Folks riding along didn’t notice it until I pointed out what it was when it came on and off. They thought it was slightly tougher patches of road until I said something and said we were on fresh black top. I wouldn’t hesitate to purchase again due to the availability of cheat devices for Honda VCM. The Mazda doesn’t worry me as much as it’s disabling a line 4 vs a V6 (the line being much more stable with deactivated cylinders). But! With gimmicks like auto start/stop and cylinder deactivation becoming more prevalent it’s really pushing me to just get a hybrid or a full blown EV on the next go around. I prefer that over half measures personally.

There were extremely subtle sounds, vibrations, and indications I could occasionally pick up on in my 2017 and 2019 Ridgelines when the engine was running in 3-cylinder mode. I only noticed if I was specifically being aware of the feature. When I was "just driving", the system was completely unobtrusive and virtually undetectable to passengers. However, some owners have reported clearly audible and tactile vibrations that are sometimes related to faulty active engine mounts.

My latest Hondas and the company's response was such an exercise in frustration and disappointment that I left the brand, but I never had a problem with VCM. While I don't mind (and can even appreciate) idle stop, I hate that it stops the engine immediately rather than after at least a short delay of 2-3 second in most applications. I like my engine to shut off while I'm sitting in drive-through, at a long traffic light, or while waiting for a train to cross. I don't like my engine to shut off and restart twice while pulling into my driveway and backing into my garage or when I'm stopping for a few seconds at a stop sign.
 
MAZDA initially made a software update to address the issue of a valve rocker arm dislodging. The coment was that the software change made changes to raise the oil pressure, which caused the problem. The change in raising the oil pressure caused some to question the long term fix because oil pressure lowers as the engines ages. Did MAZDA do a more permanent fix like Toyota did by having a clip to capture the rocker arm to the pivot? Ed
 
MAZDA initially made a software update to address the issue of a valve rocker arm dislodging. The coment was that the software change made changes to raise the oil pressure, which caused the problem. The change in raising the oil pressure caused some to question the long term fix because oil pressure lowers as the engines ages. Did MAZDA do a more permanent fix like Toyota did by having a clip to capture the rocker arm to the pivot? Ed
Apparently not, at least not yet.
 
I like CD now. I notice that CD must not kick in when the AC is on. I get 25/26mpg with the AC on when I usually get 32/33mpg. People with the CD display, do you see what I observe in regards to CD with the AC on? Or does the compressor load itself make the mpg that much lower?

What "CD display" are you referring to. I am not aware of any display, and in fact asked my dealer over a year ago if there was a display I hadn't yet discovered. At least on my '18 model there is no display to indicate when the CD kicks in.
 
2018 doesnt have it.
2020 has it. a menu in the infotainment.

I think this was an opportunity lost...not putting something on the cluster, in the first year the CD came out, instead of burying it in the infotainment system in 2020.
 
The general opinion I think is that the whole CD idea is kind of pointless experiment.
Mazda may even remove it in the next generation.
 
I think they get 1-2 mpg out of it so if that is important to sales it is likely to continue...
 
I think they get 1-2 mpg out of it so if that is important to sales it is likely to continue...
Actually it’s 0~1 EPA MPG “improvement” with cylinder deactivation on SkyActiv-G 2.5L.
 
My experience is I get as good or better with my 2020 GT than I did with my lighter 2016 GT.
 
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