Mazda 2.5L Turbo aftermarket exhaust sound?

[teddymac]

I haven't found very many decent videos or recordings of any exhaust let alone Racing Beat, CS, Borla Touring with the 2.5T.

The turbo acts as a muffler itself. I'm intrigued by all of the above mentioned mufflers. But don't want to buy anything, let alone a $600+ thing without knowing what I'm getting into.

CS - I like the fit and finish (currently have the heat shield and intake), the recordings I've heard are meh. To me, it looks a bit too 'blingy'. CS website advertising video is edited, and doesn't seem to be reality.

Racing Beat - The sound seems decent from this. But I don't know if it was a 2.5T from the recordings as most are KE or older Mazda 6's (neither of which - I think - have the turbo). The fit and finish is excellent. Love the brand and the fact its pseudo mazda approved... and I seem to remember the brand being in granturismo which is a cool factor for me.

Borla - Touring - finding sound clips of their touring line on anything is really tough let alone a cx5 or anything 4cyl. I like the sound clips posted elsewhere on this site (cold starts seem to sound like a rattling garbage can lol). But there are zero exterior driving videos. The fit and finish is 'meh'. For something designed and built specifically for the car, there shouldn't be clamps (fail points). This also leads to potential fitment issues, as I've seen in a couple photos/videos.

I don't really care about cold start, idling, stand still revving, interior noise (for the most part). I want to hear drive by at different rates of accelerations and deceleration's; real world stuff.

As with the CS intake, I dont care about added horsepower... Its more about the sound(s)

All the people that own these exhausts here... I know you love your purchase... Please, please share some videos. Beyond cold start, idling, stand still revving.

In my search, I've heard a lot of these cars (turbo or not I don't know) that sound awful... Like crappy fart Can buzzing raspy bee's from the early 2000's. Something I think we all want to avoid.

If there isn't anything that makes the car sound good (to me), I'm contemplating having Racing Beat tips welded on and calling it good.

p.s. thedadcar on Instagram has a cx9 (I assume 2.5T) with 'full straight pipe', and it really doesn't sound too bad. ONE OF THE ONLY MODIFIED CX-9 BUILDS IN THE STATES | 2019 Mazda CX-9 Build @thedadcar

 

[teddymac]

Due to lack of response here, reddit, and other forums, I decided to be my own test mule and went ahead and ordered a muffler.

Decided against CS due to a couple forum statements about loudness/drone.

Decided against Borla as there are 2 4 cyl videos of the borla touring (1 cx5 and 1 Focus/fiesta ST), and the fact that it comes in too many pieces for what it is.

Went with Racing Beat. - everyone commends them for fit, finish, and quality. It sounds decent on most videos online regardless of model. What sold me on it was a really good review on their fb page from a cx-5 turbo owner:

Very pleasant experience ordering on the phone the Power Pulse cat-back exhaust for my 2019 CX5 GTR. Very friendly and able to answer all my questions. Shipped quickly and very well packed too.
This exhaust is what Mazda should have shipped the CX5 from the factory with. The tips fill the lower valance cutouts really nicely and really change the back view in a positive way (in my opinion). For sound change, I am first going to say I have only been able to put about 125 miles on it with everything going on right now and I still get manufacturing oil smell out of it. With that though I can tell it is a little deeper and I can hear it more than stock sounded as the revs get higher. I do also have a SRI installed too and takes a bit to overcome the sound coming from it. The exhaust note seems to complement the engine note to me. At idle I can tell it is a little deeper too. I do have to say with having the turbo and SRI, and with the extra sound deadening that Mazda did with the 2019+, I am not expecting a massive change of sound on the inside. I did let it run for a few seconds with the exhaust off and was very surprised how it sounds as the turbo dampens the exhaust a lot it seems. I don’t have anything other than what I think I feel, but I do think the turbo does spool faster now too. Which if the exhaust is freer flowing it would make sense.
To sum it up – To me this is what I was exactly looking for. Able to get rid of what I think are terrible exhaust tips from the factory and replace with something that Mazda made the cutouts for. Aslo to get a refined exhaust note to match what Mazda is aiming for with trying to match the luxury SUV market.

 

[CarpeDiem]

So how does it sound? Does it meet your expectations? Any drone? Would you recommend it?

 

[teddymac]

So how does it sound? Does it meet your expectations? Any drone? Would you recommend it?

Don't have it yet. I think they're back ordered like everything else.

 

[r1080]

Subbed

 

[r1080]

So just for fun, I just disconnected the muffler behind the axle and I don’t think it’s bad. I would need to remove the muffler for the car and have a shop make a flange with pipes to the bumper and put tips on it. I did a cold
Start and drove around for a few minutes. Regular driving is a bit louder than stock obviously but not annoying. And with ac and radio on it was barely noticeable on the inside.

What’s the factory piping size?

I want to search for some 4” tips and I guess keep the same size pipe from the flange to tips so need the tip with whatever the factory pipe size inlet and 4” out

 

[teddymac]

So just for fun, I just disconnected the muffler behind the axle and I don’t think it’s bad. I would need to remove the muffler for the car and have a shop make a flange with pipes to the bumper and put tips on it. I did a cold
Start and drove around for a few minutes. Regular driving is a bit louder than stock obviously but not annoying. And with ac and radio on it was barely noticeable on the inside.

What’s the factory piping size?

I want to search for some 4” tips and I guess keep the same size pipe from the flange to tips so need the tip with whatever the factory pipe size inlet and 4” out View attachment 306095View attachment 306096

See the link above for a cx9 with a full straight pipe thedadcar on Instagram. He's super friendly, and will answer any questions you have about his setup.

 

[r1080]

See the link above for a cx9 with a full straight pipe thedadcar on Instagram. He's super friendly, and will answer any questions you have about his setup.

Thanks. I reached out to him somewhere else. Not sure if it was IG or YouTube. No response yet. But I think I found it on a CX9 forum thread. 2.5” seems to be good from the stock flange to a “Y” and then out to the tips

 

[teddymac]

I received the muffler. Now a decision to install in the middle of salty winter.... or wait until spring.

hmm...

 

[dougal]

So just for fun, I just disconnected the muffler behind the axle and I don’t think it’s bad. I would need to remove the muffler for the car and have a shop make a flange with pipes to the bumper and put tips on it. I did a cold
Start and drove around for a few minutes. Regular driving is a bit louder than stock obviously but not annoying. And with ac and radio on it was barely noticeable on the inside.

What’s the factory piping size?

I want to search for some 4” tips and I guess keep the same size pipe from the flange to tips so need the tip with whatever the factory pipe size inlet and 4” out View attachment 306095View attachment 306096

If that is a video with the exhaust disconnected, call me shocked. It sounds no different!

 

[r1080]

It’s definitely is a difference. Not like a v8 with just headers… but there is a difference. To me it sounds sporty. A little louder than stock. No raspiness and definitely more turbo sounds when full throttle. I just ordered some tips and got a few quotes on straight pipes for the factory flange to the bumper. Should be done in the next couple of weeks.

 

[ScriptJunkie]

Just installed a Borla Touring on my '21 Mazda CX-5 Turbo.

This is a cold start. I'm pretty happy with the results, no droning, and not obnoxiously loud when warmed up.

 

[teddymac]

Installed the racing beat muffler today, and it's great!

Took about 45 min, didn't have to raise the car.

While installing, I did run the car without a muffler for a couple minutes. It was pretty loud, and droned throughout the car pretty bad. Maybe it would be better if the outlet was beyond the bumper. Still wasn't my preference though.

I would liken the sound of the racing beat in the cabin to a short ram intake. It baffles my mind, but it only gets 'loud' under load. 6th gear down the highway it disappears entirely. Cold start sounds similar to stock. Sound at idle is a bit louder than stock and a much deeper tone than I expected.

I don't know how it really sounds outside the car yet, but under load, it does reverberate under bridges and in parking ramps. So its doing something.

You can definitely hear a different tone inside the car, but again it's subtle.

Fit and finish is excellent, as to be expected. As others have said, bigger tips definitely fill out the bumper much better than stock.

So far, I would say that this is how the car should've come from the factory. I now realize the magic of racing beat and why they've been nestled in with Mazda in the past.

More to come, when I experience it.

 

[FrozenApple]

Installed the racing beat muffler today, and it's great!

Took about 45 min, didn't have to raise the car.

While installing, I did run the car without a muffler for a couple minutes. It was pretty loud, and droned throughout the car pretty bad. Maybe it would be better if the outlet was beyond the bumper. Still wasn't my preference though.

I would liken the sound of the racing beat in the cabin to a short ram intake. It baffles my mind, but it only gets 'loud' under load. 6th gear down the highway it disappears entirely. Cold start sounds similar to stock. Sound at idle is a bit louder than stock and a much deeper tone than I expected.

I don't know how it really sounds outside the car yet, but under load, it does reverberate under bridges and in parking ramps. So its doing something.

You can definitely hear a different tone inside the car, but again it's subtle.

Fit and finish is excellent, as to be expected. As others have said, bigger tips definitely fill out the bumper much better than stock.

So far, I would say that this is how the car should've come from the factory. I now realize the magic of racing beat and why they've been nestled in with Mazda in the past.

More to come, when I experience it.

quick question, do you happen to have hitch installed on ur car? i have someone locally that's selling a brand new racingbeat exhaust for half price, and I'm interested in getting it but not sure if my aftermarket hitch will get in the way

 

[teddymac]

quick question, do you happen to have hitch installed on ur car? i have someone locally that's selling a brand new racingbeat exhaust for half price, and I'm interested in getting it but not sure if my aftermarket hitch will get in the way

Buy it.

The RB muffler is smaller than stock. I don't have a hitch, but I'm sure you'll be fine based on visual size comparison.

 

[cheyerdahl]

Installed the racing beat muffler today, and it's great!

Took about 45 min, didn't have to raise the car.

While installing, I did run the car without a muffler for a couple minutes. It was pretty loud, and droned throughout the car pretty bad. Maybe it would be better if the outlet was beyond the bumper. Still wasn't my preference though.

I would liken the sound of the racing beat in the cabin to a short ram intake. It baffles my mind, but it only gets 'loud' under load. 6th gear down the highway it disappears entirely. Cold start sounds similar to stock. Sound at idle is a bit louder than stock and a much deeper tone than I expected.

I don't know how it really sounds outside the car yet, but under load, it does reverberate under bridges and in parking ramps. So its doing something.

You can definitely hear a different tone inside the car, but again it's subtle.

Fit and finish is excellent, as to be expected. As others have said, bigger tips definitely fill out the bumper much better than stock.

So far, I would say that this is how the car should've come from the factory. I now realize the magic of racing beat and why they've been nestled in with Mazda in the past.

More to come, when I experience it.

Glad to hear you like the RB! I'm on the hunt for an exhaust but am wary of drone while using cruise control on the highway. I had the Corksport axleback for my CE Turbo and it droned right in the 2-2.5 RPM range which made me sell it. Do you find there is any drone in the 2k - 3k range while on the highway with the RB?

 

[r1080]

I just finished up with the CX-9 muffler delete. Have only been able to drive highway for a short period and unable to maintain speed up and cruising at 80 mph. For the little bit that I was able to. No drone. Ac on and radio at a decent volume.

 

[sm1ke]

I just finished up with the CX-9 muffler delete. Have only been able to drive highway for a short period and unable to maintain speed up and cruising at 80 mph. For the little bit that I was able to. No drone. Ac on and radio at a decent volume. View attachment 307337View attachment 307338

Looks really good! Wish I could hear it in person.

 

[r1080]

Looks really good! Wish I could hear it in person.

Come on down. Weather is nice!

 

[teddymac]

Glad to hear you like the RB! I'm on the hunt for an exhaust but am wary of drone while using cruise control on the highway. I had the Corksport axleback for my CE Turbo and it droned right in the 2-2.5 RPM range which made me sell it. Do you find there is any drone in the 2k - 3k range while on the highway with the RB?

No drone whatsoever. Only gets 'sporty', when you get on it.