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  1. M

    Nokian Encompass AW02 all-weather compound tire

    That was my posting from June of 2025. I continued to drive on the Encompass AW02 tires from June 2025 to early February 2025. Changing climate conditions have made Denver, Colorado, USA a rather warm and dry place this year and we really haven't had much rain or snow in this driving window...
  2. M

    2014 CX-5 100k service

    My 2014 AWD CX-5 has 111,000 miles and over the last 8 months I've started proactively investing in it, so I figured for others finding this thread, I'd compare yours to mine: 1) Cabin air filter - you can get these at Amazon for $15 or less and change them yourself as much as you like. It's...
  3. M

    DIY Polishing plastic headlights to remove haze

    Wanted to share something that really helped my aging 2014 Mazda CX-5 look and feel much better. As modern headlights with clear plastic covers age, micro-abrasions and ultraviolet rays cause wear which makes them to go from crystal clear to hazy, foggy and much more opaque. This obviously...
  4. M

    Nokian Encompass AW02 all-weather compound tire

    I put a set of Nokian Encompass AW02 on my 2014 CX-5 about three weeks ago. First, I think they look great. I love the directional style of Nokian Hakkapeliitta tires so I wanted something for non-winter use that had the same look. Second, the driving experience has been very good. So far I've...
  5. M

    CX-5 Roof Rails/Rack

    Sorry for the very late reply. I sold my Skybox in 2020 and I have no photos to proove that the CX-5 hatch opens with the Skybox attached. I *think* it does.. IF you adjust the skybox to be far forward. The Skybox's internal clamps allow some adjustment that might have been just enough to...
  6. M

    CX-5 Roof Rails/Rack

    Can't tell you yet.. Last year I bought the crossbars late in the season and expected to go camping a lot but didn't make it out. The only thing that concerns me is how the skybox angles up a bit due to the slope of the CX-5 roof towards the back. So it may act like more of a wing and cause...
  7. M

    Recommendations for CX-5 skid plate and other off-road mods?

    0) Don't try to turn the CX-5 into a Jeep. It's not a Jeep. It never will be. And if you raise it and put monster tires on it and all sorts of stuff, a lot of the highway/crossover traditional benefits of a CX-5 go away. If you really need that, get a used Jeep. Having said that.. 1) All...
  8. M

    CX-5 Roof Rails/Rack

    When I bought my CX-5 in 2013, I had my dealer install the side-rails because I didn't want to do that. In 2015, preparing for camping season, I installed the Mazda cross-bars myself. I'm really thrilled that I have never noticed any wind noise associated with them. When I added Yakima...
  9. M

    CX-5: How's the AWD do in winter? Is it fun to drive?

    I'm completely satisfied with how my CX-5 handled in the snow this last winter. I drove in a variety of conditions including two nights of 8-11" drifts and it was capable and thrilling and I never got stuck. There is no way anyone can arguing anything otherwise to change my real world...
  10. M

    CX-5: How's the AWD do in winter? Is it fun to drive?

    You should read all my other threads. They're long but I've been writing them to answer these kinds of open ended questions to satisfy poster like you. I drive up and down windy mountain roads almost every day and I know I do it a lot more confidently and have much more fun than when I started...
  11. M

    Loved My CX-5 in the Winter Snow! AWD Success! [LONG READ]

    Anything can slide into the snow.. Point here being it didn't get out despite all that supposedly superior AWD talent.. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
  12. M

    Loved My CX-5 in the Winter Snow! AWD Success! [LONG READ]

    I think you clearly realize why I put a picture of me passing a stuck Subaru in the snow. All those commercials, YouTube videos etc market their cars and their AWD system as if this never happens. Never happens to them because their superior AWD. They are good but so is my CX-5 and I liked this...
  13. M

    Loved My CX-5 in the Winter Snow! AWD Success! [LONG READ]

    Not one penny.. [emoji1] I like to write and I'm trying to share the kind of real world, real owner experiences that I was seeking before I bought my CX-5. I used this forum for a lot of my research so I'm trying to pay some folks who wrote in 2013-2014 as well as support the folks who are...
  14. M

    Loved My CX-5 in the Winter Snow! AWD Success! [LONG READ]

    > Thanks for the write up. I'd wager that your snow tires had a bigger role to play than awd. And you proved another point by passing or helping other awd motorists, it's all about your tires. I agree. If I had worn down OEM all season tires my winter experience would have been vastly...
  15. M

    Loved My CX-5 in the Winter Snow! AWD Success! [LONG READ]

    > If you read your manual, when that light comes on the AWD system is basically screaming for you to ease up. Not something you actually want to replicate. Yep. I read the manual that night because I thought maybe I'd unlocked a bonus features :-) If I recall correctly, it listed three...
  16. M

    Loved My CX-5 in the Winter Snow! AWD Success! [LONG READ]

    I've had Nokian Hakkapeliita R2 SUVs on my CX-5 for two winter's now. They're at 9 32nds of tread left and I hope to get one more, maybe two winters out of them. Reviews for these tires are consistently good, praising them for their features and performance. I'm a big fan of Bridgestone...
  17. M

    Loved My CX-5 in the Winter Snow! AWD Success! [LONG READ]

    This is sometimes my commute to work. Hey everybody! February 2015 brought 54.6 inches of snow to the Boulder, CO area and probably a bit more high up in the mountains where I'm currently living. My 2014 AWD CX-5 Touring (2.5L) did EVERYTHING I ASKED IT TO and made me really proud to have...
  18. M

    CX-5 Photos - Share your shots with us!

    Last Thursday: drove through nine inches of fresh Colorado powder snow.. On the ride back down this remote gravel road I could see the snow flattened by the underside of the CX-5. Driving alone and scared of getting stuck by it did GREAT. Tires are Nokian Hakkapellitas. Sent from my iPad...
  19. M

    Think iv decided on nokian winters. What model ??

    +1 Hakka R2 SUV Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
  20. M

    Introducing the New Mazda CX-3

    An SUV driver would probably wonder why anyone would want a Subaru AWD wagon, and a Ford F150 driver would probably wonder why anyone would want an SUV. It's all relative and there are a lot or car and small-car drivers who want something like an SUV without getting an SUV. This segment of...
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