Easy entry seat option?
- Thread starter hal2
- Start date
7eregrine,
I'll assume from the smiley that was a good natured comment, but like a lot of people, my schedule is often in the hands of others…
Taken to it's logical conclusion, one could easily say we don't need power windows, power door locks, power seats and all the other convenience features which are now pretty much standard on most cars and were once only available on the most expensive luxury cars (I'm old enough to have hand-cranked my share of windows and strained to reach across the car to unlock doors for passengers).
Having had a (less expensive) car which folded the headrests and released both rear seat backs automatically, I can tell you it is *much* quicker than going from one side of the car to the other and fiddling with the headrests. That's important when you need to load something large in the back and you're in a hurry or traffic is whizzing past you.
As an engineer, I find the design of the CX-5 rear seating sub-optimal. Not only do I have to remove the headrests to fold the seats, but the rear seat heater controls and the charging port are hidden inside the rear console, which passengers don't realize and which can be difficult to access even after I tell them where they are depending on who/what are on the seats. The car I replaced with the CX-5 had neither of those issues (charger ports on the back of the console and seat heater switches on the door armrests by the window switches) and I would have bought the latest model of that brand if they hadn't been charging a premium over MSRP at this time.
I've had around 20 different cars in my life from many different brands--US, German, Japanese, Swedish, Italian, Korean. The CX-5 is my first Mazda and I would say it not only has more features I really like than any car I've previously owned, while also having more questionable design choices than any car I've previously owned--things which appear to be done differently just for the sake of being different, not because it's a better way to do things.
As far as putting the headrests on the floor--uh, no. There are many members of my family who would not want to lay their hair against something which had been on the floor of the car and I would never hear the end of it…
I'll assume from the smiley that was a good natured comment, but like a lot of people, my schedule is often in the hands of others…
Taken to it's logical conclusion, one could easily say we don't need power windows, power door locks, power seats and all the other convenience features which are now pretty much standard on most cars and were once only available on the most expensive luxury cars (I'm old enough to have hand-cranked my share of windows and strained to reach across the car to unlock doors for passengers).
Having had a (less expensive) car which folded the headrests and released both rear seat backs automatically, I can tell you it is *much* quicker than going from one side of the car to the other and fiddling with the headrests. That's important when you need to load something large in the back and you're in a hurry or traffic is whizzing past you.
As an engineer, I find the design of the CX-5 rear seating sub-optimal. Not only do I have to remove the headrests to fold the seats, but the rear seat heater controls and the charging port are hidden inside the rear console, which passengers don't realize and which can be difficult to access even after I tell them where they are depending on who/what are on the seats. The car I replaced with the CX-5 had neither of those issues (charger ports on the back of the console and seat heater switches on the door armrests by the window switches) and I would have bought the latest model of that brand if they hadn't been charging a premium over MSRP at this time.
I've had around 20 different cars in my life from many different brands--US, German, Japanese, Swedish, Italian, Korean. The CX-5 is my first Mazda and I would say it not only has more features I really like than any car I've previously owned, while also having more questionable design choices than any car I've previously owned--things which appear to be done differently just for the sake of being different, not because it's a better way to do things.
As far as putting the headrests on the floor--uh, no. There are many members of my family who would not want to lay their hair against something which had been on the floor of the car and I would never hear the end of it…
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- Plano, Texas, USA
Until Mazda uses electrical steering wheel position adjustment instead mechenical, this automatic easy entry feature won’t be available for the customers.
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- Plano, Texas, USA
Yes, I got a pair too! No regrets!
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- Plano, Texas, USA
Caturra Brown leather found in gen-2 CX-5 Signature is "Exclusive Mode", "KF2 RED" leather in CX-5 KF for Japanese Domestic Market. The part number for low profile JDM rear headrest with this color is K331-88-240 13. You can get this from some Japanese online sellers.
JDM rear low profile headrests
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- Plano, Texas, USA
Yes, certainly we’re living in a unforeseen era right now.Never had a Mazda before, but couldn’t find anyone selling a car with the features I wanted who wasn’t charging above MSRP at this time. I got a good deal on a Signature (well, probably because the MSRP is over-priced to start with) and am happy with my choice.
Yes, my 2016 CX-5 is my first Mazda too and I have similar feelings like you. All complaints you have are mine too when the re-designed gen-2 CX-5 just came out. It seems Mazda is trying too hard to be different from everybody else.
And they call the “Caturra Brown” leather color “Exclusive Mode"、“KF2 Red” in Japan.
It's brown enough to clash with the black. I don't know how they decided that to be the premium color combination.
We had a 2005 Mercedes C-series wagon which had easy entry with steering wheel memory. The easy entry mode not only moved the seat rearward, it also raised the steering wheel out of the way. It’s a nice additional feature, but I’d be happy with just having the seat move back.
That would be trivially easy for Mazda to implement, all the hardware is there, it just a firmware modification—open the door, seat moves rearward, close the door (or start the car), seat moves back to original position.
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I just ordered a pair from JapanParts, but I probably won’t see them for months. I’m not the slightest bit concerned about the “safety issues”. I’m sure the Japanese version is *far* more dangerous than the US spec car
. Our US safety standards come to us courtesy of the same bureaucrats who chose a standard bumper height in their infinite wisdom (after a few minutes of research where they sent flunkies out to measure several bumper heights in the parking lot) which then led to far more severe knee and leg injuries of pedestrians hit by cars.
“Red” is an amazing name choice... With the sun beating down on the interior it barely looks brown. In typical light, my wife and I (and everyone who has seen my car) think it looks black, but to be diplomatic I call it “warm black”. The cool white interior LED lighting certainly doesn’t do it any favors.
The wood is perhaps a bigger disappointment. I’d hate to do this to real wood, but I’m contemplating a visibly brown wood dash/door kit whenever someone comes out with one for a 2021 CX-5.
7eregrine
The man, the myth, the legend
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- Land of Cleve
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- 2016.5 CX5
Uh... yea bro. I've been obsessed with telling people to loosen their schedule if a few minutes is detrimental ever since I heard a Brain Regan bit about people who are so pressed for time they need to microwave pop tarts instead of toast them.
But let's chat!
This is nowhere near the logical conclusion I would go to re: ways to save time. These are convenience features, not time savers.
I swear to god there is one word I can just never freaking spell. Embarrassing how long it took me to get spell check to figure out what I was spelling (convienence)
As an engineer? As a human being, I couldn't agree more.
5 passenger vehicle my foot. If your passengers are children only.Curious what that was?
OK, that's just weird, sorry. How gross is your car? My floor is clean enough that the head rests don't get dirty putting them there?!?!
(Or what kind of prima donna's do you live with? hahaha)
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- Plano, Texas, USA
Yep, Caturra Brown leather is Nappa Leather Deep Red in Japan with color code KF2 which is only available in CX-5’s highest trim “Exclusive Mode” similar to CX-5 Signature in the US.
Uh... yea bro. I've been obsessed with telling people to loosen their schedule if a few minutes is detrimental ever since I heard a Brain Regan bit about people who are so pressed for time they need to microwave pop tarts instead of toast them.
Ehh, I don’t like Pop Tarts anyway—but sometimes I microwave my bagel instead of toasting it
In this case I’m not talking about being over-scheduled, I’m talking about, say, having to load a prototype piece of equipment, which you just got working moments before, into your car to drive to an investor show in the city or take to the airport, when you’re two hours away and don’t have a minute to spare or you’ll be late and blow the show or miss the plane, all because somebody important was promised something that was only barely possible.
But let's chat!
This is nowhere near the logical conclusion I would go to re: ways to save time. These are convenience features, not time savers.
I swear to god there is one word I can just never freaking spell. Embarrassing how long it took me to get spell check to figure out what I was spelling (convienence)
I can tell you from experience, it takes quite a while to roll down all the windows on a car by hand when you’re the only person in the car (and certainly not something you can do while driving, so you have to pull over and waste even more time). When it’s bitter cold or raining out, the quicker you can unlock the doors for everyone, the better. Certainly electronic controls are a convenience feature, but most are time savers as well.
2017 Hyundai Tucson Limited. Great car. The CX-5 drivetrain is smoother, more powerful and more responsive for sure, but the Tucson AWD system works great with the right tires and nobody gives you more car for the money. In terms of space efficiency, the Tucson not only has more rear seat room, but also more trunk space than the CX-5.
In my area, for a 2022 Tucson, dealers were not only charging premiums above MSRP, with little to no stock or choice of colors, but I thought Hyundai got a little too gadgety with the Limited (like the push button transmission, for example).
OK, that's just weird, sorry. How gross is your car? My floor is clean enough that the head rests don't get dirty putting them there?!?!
(Or what kind of prima donna's do you live with? hahaha)
From my experience, my floors are no dirtier than most people’s cars I’ve been a passenger in—some dirt, small bits of leaf debris and some pebbles, err, maybe a few peanuts and small change under the seats...
But consider: How many times have you stopped in a public restroom (restaurant, highway rest stop, shopping mall, etc.) and looked at the floor you are standing on beneath the urinal? Then you go back in your car and put the bottom of those shoes on the carpeted floor of your car.
As far as the prima donnas, they’re called “Females”
I don’t think they’d mind if I put the headrests in the trunk, as nobody walks back there, but it just makes loading the car more of a hassle to arrange and, in a thoughtfully designed car, simply shouldn’t be necessary (as I mentioned, this is first out of around 20 cars I’ve had in my life where I needed to remove the headrests to fold the rear seats).
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I just discovered that there are cooking instructions on the package of frozen cookie dough - I got no idea why.Ehh, I don’t like Pop Tarts anyway—but sometimes I microwave my bagel instead of toasting it
7eregrine
The man, the myth, the legend
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- Land of Cleve
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- 2016.5 CX5
Oh, I knew what you meant.As far as the prima donnas, they’re called “Females”
Sorry to dredge this up again, but two new things:
1) I got my Japanese market rear headrests from JapanParts today (so less than a month from order to receipt). They are perfect! I didn’t realize that the stitching/trim on the US market rear headrests doesn’t match the US front headrests, but the Japanese market rear headrests DO match the US front headrests. They slide down over the front of the seats, giving you much better rear visibility and don’t require you to remove them to fold the rear seats down.
2) I was wrong in my re-analysis—there is unquestionably an easy-entry function which moves the driver’s seat back. A few days ago, after a specific sequence of events, the next time I opened the driver’s door, the seat moved all the way back. To verify this, I pressed the memory button for my seat setting and the seat moved forward to the correct position without any of the other settings for the seat and mirrors changing. Just to be sure, I repeated the sequence of events and once again the seat moved all the way back when I opened the door.
I’m not at the point where I can tell what the essential parts of the sequence are, but it involved turning off the car with the doors locked, exiting the driver’s door by opening it (without first unlocking the car), then after closing the driver’s door, unlocking the rest of the doors with the key fob, opening and closing a rear door, then, the next time I opened the driver’s door, the driver’s seat moved back. I repeated the sequence to be sure and the results were the same.
Unfortunately I tried what I thought was the same sequence today and it didn’t work, so I probably forgot exactly what I did. Functionally, it works too much like an easy-entry feature to believe it’s a glitch or software bug, but at this point, it’s inscrutable how to make it work, but I’ll keep trying!
1) I got my Japanese market rear headrests from JapanParts today (so less than a month from order to receipt). They are perfect! I didn’t realize that the stitching/trim on the US market rear headrests doesn’t match the US front headrests, but the Japanese market rear headrests DO match the US front headrests. They slide down over the front of the seats, giving you much better rear visibility and don’t require you to remove them to fold the rear seats down.
2) I was wrong in my re-analysis—there is unquestionably an easy-entry function which moves the driver’s seat back. A few days ago, after a specific sequence of events, the next time I opened the driver’s door, the seat moved all the way back. To verify this, I pressed the memory button for my seat setting and the seat moved forward to the correct position without any of the other settings for the seat and mirrors changing. Just to be sure, I repeated the sequence of events and once again the seat moved all the way back when I opened the door.
I’m not at the point where I can tell what the essential parts of the sequence are, but it involved turning off the car with the doors locked, exiting the driver’s door by opening it (without first unlocking the car), then after closing the driver’s door, unlocking the rest of the doors with the key fob, opening and closing a rear door, then, the next time I opened the driver’s door, the driver’s seat moved back. I repeated the sequence to be sure and the results were the same.
Unfortunately I tried what I thought was the same sequence today and it didn’t work, so I probably forgot exactly what I did. Functionally, it works too much like an easy-entry feature to believe it’s a glitch or software bug, but at this point, it’s inscrutable how to make it work, but I’ll keep trying!
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- Plano, Texas, USA
1) This’s really a surprise to me. I know on gen-2 CX-5, the JDM rear seat headrest has different stitch design (or hidden) than the US version. But didn’t know the front and rear stitches are different for US version. I’d believe if Mazda has changed the stitch design when they redesigned the rear headrest for US CX-5, they woukd make the stitch design consistent between front and rear.
2) I do believe CX-5 simply doesn’t have easy access feature, as there’s no way you need a series of “preset” actions to activate the “easy access” feature moving the driver seat all the way back. Besides, “easy access” feature includes not only the seat moving back, but also steering wheel moving up. This requires Mazda to put electrical adjustment on steering wheel, and this hasn’t been happening in the near future in any of Mazda vehicles.
IMO, Your encounter of the seat moving all the way back, is simply a coincident that your series of actions happens to trigger a “default” position of the driver seat which moves the seat all the way back.
1) The *front* headrests which my US spec. 2021 CX-5 Signature came with, have two rows of stitching around the middle of the headrest (i.e. stitching along the middle of the top and sides and no stitching on the front or rear) . The three rear headrests the car came with had two rows of stitching around the front face and one row of stitching around the rear face of the headrest and nothing on the top or sides. These JDM rear headrests I just got have two rows of stitching on the top and sides and no stitching on the front or rear, so they match the front headrests my car came with.
That leaves the rear middle seat headrest as the odd man out, but that headrest is a different size and shape than the outboard headrests anyway, so it doesn't really matter to me. I'd be curious if the JDM rear middle headrest is the same as mine, or stitched like the others, but not curious enough to spend any money to find out ...
2) I'm willing to consider you're right about the easy-entry, but...
I've had 5 cars which had seat memory with easy-entry, but only one also moved the steering wheel up, so my experience is it is far more common that cars with easy-entry only move the seat back and don't move anything else (which is how my Wife's current Jeep Cherokee works).
Also, I'm not saying my sequence of events is important in it's entirety, I just haven't figured out which steps are the key ones which cause the seat to move back. I stumbled upon the sequence by accident and the behavior was repeatable. I wish I had written down exactly what I did instead of hoping to remember it several days later... I'm thinking it has something to do with unlocking all of the doors with the fob (something I rarely do, as I'm the only one in the car most of the time and if I do need to unlock the other doors, I usually use the button on the driver's door, not the fob).
Just FYI, it took me forever to understand what was going on with my Volvo's "hidden" seat memory function, but once I figured it out it was totally repeatable and made sense in a way (basically it provided a third seat memory position for "guest" drivers who didn't have a memory button and which only got set when a driver altered the programmed settings). It memorized whatever changes had been made and would return the seat to that setting anytime the door was unlocked either without a fob or with a fob which wasn't associated with one of the two seat memory buttons.
Volvo had nothing in the owner's manual whatsoever about this feature and the US Volvo dealers also knew nothing about it (although once I showed the service manager what was going on, he admitted they had a lot of customers who were confused by the situation--he subsequently contacted Volvo in Sweden and they confirmed this function).
So I'm still going to spend a little time to see if there is some repeatable, logical method of making this happen... After years of experience, I do understand Japanese engineers often approach things differently than US engineers and many things which are illogical to us are quite logical to them...
That leaves the rear middle seat headrest as the odd man out, but that headrest is a different size and shape than the outboard headrests anyway, so it doesn't really matter to me. I'd be curious if the JDM rear middle headrest is the same as mine, or stitched like the others, but not curious enough to spend any money to find out
...2) I'm willing to consider you're right about the easy-entry, but...
I've had 5 cars which had seat memory with easy-entry, but only one also moved the steering wheel up, so my experience is it is far more common that cars with easy-entry only move the seat back and don't move anything else (which is how my Wife's current Jeep Cherokee works).
Also, I'm not saying my sequence of events is important in it's entirety, I just haven't figured out which steps are the key ones which cause the seat to move back. I stumbled upon the sequence by accident and the behavior was repeatable. I wish I had written down exactly what I did instead of hoping to remember it several days later... I'm thinking it has something to do with unlocking all of the doors with the fob (something I rarely do, as I'm the only one in the car most of the time and if I do need to unlock the other doors, I usually use the button on the driver's door, not the fob).
Just FYI, it took me forever to understand what was going on with my Volvo's "hidden" seat memory function, but once I figured it out it was totally repeatable and made sense in a way (basically it provided a third seat memory position for "guest" drivers who didn't have a memory button and which only got set when a driver altered the programmed settings). It memorized whatever changes had been made and would return the seat to that setting anytime the door was unlocked either without a fob or with a fob which wasn't associated with one of the two seat memory buttons.
Volvo had nothing in the owner's manual whatsoever about this feature and the US Volvo dealers also knew nothing about it (although once I showed the service manager what was going on, he admitted they had a lot of customers who were confused by the situation--he subsequently contacted Volvo in Sweden and they confirmed this function).
So I'm still going to spend a little time to see if there is some repeatable, logical method of making this happen... After years of experience, I do understand Japanese engineers often approach things differently than US engineers and many things which are illogical to us are quite logical to them...
OK, so three times this week, when I unlocked my CX-5 and got in, all of my driver's seat memory settings were correct, except the drivers seat was way back towards the rear like an Easy Entry seat function.
For those of you who aren't bored of this discussion by now, I figured out the sequence. Here's the deal:
From a locked state, if I unlock all the doors of my car, either with a double press of the Unlock button on the key fob, or with a double press of the button on the Driver's door, then open the *rear* door first, when I open the Driver's door, the Driver's seat will move back without changing any other seat settings.
This is 100% repeatable on my car, as I tried it around 10 times, with various combinations of using the fob or door button to lock or unlock the car. I will further investigate if it happens regardless of which door other than the driver's door I open first.
Whether this is intentional and whether there is some inscrutable logic to it, I don't yet know. Maybe it is to insure your rear seat passenger is seated before the seat moves back? Maybe it is to insure any rear seat passenger gets their legs squished...
Its' origin and purpose still a total mystery (bonus points if you can identify what movie that phrase is from without Googling it).
Do other CX-5's with seat memory do this? I don't know--try it and see...
For those of you who aren't bored of this discussion by now, I figured out the sequence. Here's the deal:
From a locked state, if I unlock all the doors of my car, either with a double press of the Unlock button on the key fob, or with a double press of the button on the Driver's door, then open the *rear* door first, when I open the Driver's door, the Driver's seat will move back without changing any other seat settings.
This is 100% repeatable on my car, as I tried it around 10 times, with various combinations of using the fob or door button to lock or unlock the car. I will further investigate if it happens regardless of which door other than the driver's door I open first.
Whether this is intentional and whether there is some inscrutable logic to it, I don't yet know. Maybe it is to insure your rear seat passenger is seated before the seat moves back? Maybe it is to insure any rear seat passenger gets their legs squished...
Its' origin and purpose still a total mystery (bonus points if you can identify what movie that phrase is from without Googling it).
Do other CX-5's with seat memory do this? I don't know--try it and see...
