CX-50 Rough Ride?

Re: Mazda CX 50. Several reviews state the CX 50, on regular pavement and around town, has a stiff suspension and a rough ride. They say its so stiff and bouncy, it would not be a car for a long drive. Any thoughts on this from current owners would be appreciated.
 
Also interested in this... Though I think all the reviewers were getting the top line model with 20" wheels and lower profile tires. I'm guessing that might have a lot to do with it.
 
Keep in mind, everything is relative. If they're comparing it to CX-5, RAV4, CR-V, maybe. But I'm sure it's not Jeep Wrangler rough
 
FWIW, it doesn't feel any worse than the 2021 CX-30 I traded. I mean, a Toyota's going to have a more gentle ride and the turning radius of an aircraft carrier, so it's all about what feels good to you.

It's rougher than the 2021 Mazda 6 I test-drove last year, and smoother than my 2015 "before Mazda decided to try to compete with luxury cars" Mazda 6.
 
Stiff and bouncy? Absolutely not--that seems hyperbolic to me. And most of the reviews I've seen have been the PPT, so apples:apples for me. And those review I've read have been more measured in the ride-related comments.

A bit less cushy and smooth than my 2019 CX-5? Yes, but no less connected and comfortable in general. And my CX-50 is definitely better than my 2016 CX-5 was.

Road noise is worse than my 2019, but I knew that going into it (no double-paned glass like the CX-5, from what I understand). But also the larger 20" tires I have and likely the type of tires contributes...I hear what I'm pretty sure is a lot of tire-based road noise. Not terrible, but definitely worse than my last CX-5. Something that can likely be addressed when I need to replace the OEM tires.

But, everyone has different tolerances so why not just take a test drive in one? If you find a dealer being cagey about a test drive, then find another.
 
I've driven my Mazda, my old mercury SUV, a Nissan and a rental Jeep Grand cherokee back and forth between the CX5. Something with the tight suspension and big rims make for a very rough ride compared to the others. I switched to 17" inch rims which softened it up a bit and am going down to 16 inch this summer.

Try ditching the 19" inch tires for a more comfortable ride.
 
I'm thinking that when they say stiff suspension, they're referring to the way the suspension dampens, like when you go over a speedbump or a dip in the road. When they say rough ride, they're referring to the way the car feels when you go over train tacks at speed, or when you're driving on a damaged road.

Stiff suspension lends to Mazda's "sporty" nature, as a stiffer suspension leaves you feeling more connected with the road by reducing the "floaty" feeling. It's part of what makes a Mazda handle well.

The rough ride is very likely due to the sidewall/tire/inflation. If you want to reduce the roughness, try deflating your tires to slightly less than the recommended PSI found on the sticker in your driver's side door jamb (maybe like 2-3 PSI less). Keep in mind that Mazda has this recommendation in place because it contributes to fuel economy (higher PSI in tires means better fuel economy), so deflating the tires slightly may have a negative impact on your overall fuel economy. Otherwise, increasing the sidewall by switching to a smaller rim and different tires would be your next step.
 
I'm thinking that when they say stiff suspension, they're referring to the way the suspension dampens, like when you go over a speedbump or a dip in the road. When they say rough ride, they're referring to the way the car feels when you go over train tacks at speed, or when you're driving on a damaged road.

Stiff suspension lends to Mazda's "sporty" nature, as a stiffer suspension leaves you feeling more connected with the road by reducing the "floaty" feeling. It's part of what makes a Mazda handle well.

The rough ride is very likely due to the sidewall/tire/inflation. If you want to reduce the roughness, try deflating your tires to slightly less than the recommended PSI found on the sticker in your driver's side door jamb (maybe like 2-3 PSI less). Keep in mind that Mazda has this recommendation in place because it contributes to fuel economy (higher PSI in tires means better fuel economy), so deflating the tires slightly may have a negative impact on your overall fuel economy. Otherwise, increasing the sidewall by switching to a smaller rim and different tires would be your next step.
My previous vehicles didn't have tpms. Will lowering the pressure by a few psi set off the tpms system ?
 
My previous vehicles didn't have tpms. Will lowering the pressure by a few psi set off the tpms system ?

My CX-9's recommended cold PSI with the OEM wheel and tires is 34. My tires have been as low as 29 psi and the warning wasn't triggered, so there is some leeway. I just don't know what the threshold is.
 
TPMS checks for being absolute low (all four are low) and being relative low (delta difference). For the former case, I once found all four tires at 27PSI or so, and no light was triggered (pumped by a mechanic).
 
Def check tire pressure. They have them high, maybe even 50 psi, at dealerships for appearance. This could affect reviews of new vehicles that have yet to be sold.
 
Is there a way to reset the tire pressure reference? On my Lexus, after adjusting the tire pressure, I can press a reset button and it will use the new tire pressure as reference.
 
I read from another forum that the tires are inflated to max to prevent them from flattening out since they sit in lots for a long time before hitting the dealerships. I checked mine and sure enough they were around 48. No wonder the ride felt so rough during the first 4 days of driving. I thought that’s how it is and was ready to accept it. After deflating them to 35, it’s almost night and day. Ride feels much better. My sales guy didn’t say anything and I’m sure he didn’t even know. I could’ve had a tire blowout on the highway. Now I’m loving how the ride quality is and how it handles.
 
I read from another forum that the tires are inflated to max to prevent them from flattening out since they sit in lots for a long time before hitting the dealerships. I checked mine and sure enough they were around 48. No wonder the ride felt so rough during the first 4 days of driving. I thought that’s how it is and was ready to accept it. After deflating them to 35, it’s almost night and day. Ride feels much better. My sales guy didn’t say anything and I’m sure he didn’t even know. I could’ve had a tire blowout on the highway. Now I’m loving how the ride quality is and how it handles.
This has been an issue since I bought my car and joined this forum. I can't believe this is still not being addressed by dealers during the vehicle prep. It's not the sales guy that's at fault here, it's the service department. Checking tires pressure, fluids etc., is part of the pre delivery process. The problem is nothing more than lazy a$$ techs skipping through the checklist in order to just get it done. I'm sure they just look at the tires, decide they're ok because they're not flat, and move on. You should go back to your dealer and speak to the service manager and point out to him that this tire pressure thing is not being done properly and can be dangerous.
 
Adjusting tire pressure is one of many steps on the pre-delivery inspection checklist.
Someone did not do his/her jobs properly.
 
I mentioned this on the Mazda survey. Sales manager called me about my other comments as well. About this issue, he just pointed the finger to the service department. I checked all fluids just in case they slacked on that as well.
 
Back