Dislikes about your MAZDA 5

[Silentnoise713]

Two additional minor annoyances with the HVAC firmware.

1) When you push the ambient button, it stays in ambient display mode. I would like and prefer (as I see in other cars) that it only displays outside temp for 3-5 secs and return to displaying cabin air flow temp.
2) When the HVAC system is off and recirculate off (open for outside air to come in), the display screen does not show the cabin air flow temp. It also does not show incremental changes in temp, say you want outside air to come in hotter or colder. Think back when temp control was non-digital and you can slide the knob left (colder) and right (hotter) to adjust cabin air flow temp.

 

[DKaz]

Lead foot? I average 23mpg in the city and get 27-31mpg on the highway. Automatics more fuel efficient these days? Still a myth.

If I had a 2012 with my driving habits, I would probably average 25mpg in the city and get 30-35mpg on the highway. I like to push it sometimes but usually I take it slow.

 

[bootman]

I wish the 5 had some more sound damping in the interior.
I can hear every creak, groan, etc when she's empty.
Other than that, I'm happy with her.

 

[DKaz]

Sound dampening = added weight. No thanks!

Besides the only place I ever complain about road noise is when I'm driving in the United States, I can barely hear myself think on the I-5. Thankfully the newer road surfaces are not bad.

Road surfaces in Canada are usually quiet, even older ones. No wonder Americans have a tendency to go for bigger cars with better sound insulation.

 

[KBrian]

I need more room for my feet in the foot box. Clutch, brake and gas pedal are too close together (and likely, I will never heel & toe). Everything else is a blast.

 

[Silentnoise713]

Sound dampening = added weight. No thanks!

Besides the only place I ever complain about road noise is when I'm driving in the United States, I can barely hear myself think on the I-5. Thankfully the newer road surfaces are not bad.

Road surfaces in Canada are usually quiet, even older ones. No wonder Americans have a tendency to go for bigger cars with better sound insulation.

i'm all for added lightness but this car needs more and better insulation. A few more lbs will not affect performance much yet make a world of diffetence but it'll cost ya.

 

[skyhawk]

I need the adjustable seats for the passenger and 2nd row seats. On long drive, when the daughter or son takes over the driving, I get to sit in the front passenger seat, or the 2nd row seat. And I have to say, they are not as comfortable as the driver's seat. (i.e. on our 2006 GT.)

 

[Sounbwoy]

Besides the only place I ever complain about road noise is when I'm driving in the United States, I can barely hear myself think on the I-5.

Depends on what area of the country you are and the road surface..In the South, there are some roads where road noise is not an issue at all....however on parts of I-20 in S.C., it sounds like when you're sitting behind the engines on a jet at takeoff...

 

[mpvue]

i'm all for added lightness but this car needs more and better insulation. A few more lbs will not affect performance much yet make a world of diffetence but it'll cost ya.

I guess it depends on what you're used to; I think the car is pretty quiet.
also, the OEM tires get REAL loud as they wear. a new set of tires on mine really quieted things up!

 

[ArtofZOOM]

No auto down/up on the passenger front window is a big one for me. I would have liked a closeable center console like I have in my Speed3.

 

[8.5x11]

How much power the AC robs is absolutely horrible. I've never driven a car that changed so much with the AC on. In my 2010 Sport 5sp I almost refuse to use the AC just because the car will barely go especially upon startup. I also was very unhappy with how many options I had to lose just because I wanted a 5sp manual transmission. I'll also NEVER buy another car with light interior. I thought the two tone was interesting at first but now the light interior gets so dirty I have to scrub the whole thing once a month. I'm trying to sell my 5 currently due to needing a bigger vehicle for towing.

 

[flcruising]

The second row seat shoulder belt is attached to the C pillar too low. Would be nice to be adjustable.

 

[bostn33]

Easy. Armrests. Why skimp out on them? The driver side armrest can also stand to be a little wider/longer. The seat behind the driver would be the best seat in the house if you had a place for your left arm to rest.

 

[DKaz]

^^^ 2006/2007 owner?

 

[Junr]

The porcelain suspension

 

[smartass]

Easy. Armrests. Why skimp out on them? The driver side armrest can also stand to be a little wider/longer. The seat behind the driver would be the best seat in the house if you had a place for your left arm to rest.

My 2010 has arm rests on both sides of the middle row seats.

I just finished a 2000km road trip in mine overall I'm pretty impressed. Main issues:

-Road noise is pretty bad at highway speeds (even in Canada) I got into my daily driver (Audi A4 Avant) after the road trip..the 5 is my wife's car.. And was surprised just how much quieter it was. To be fair it's a far more expensive car, but still, the 5 is LOUD at 110km/h..
-Driver's seat could use more thigh support the cushion is simply too short. And really more adjustment overall, the lumbar adjustment is a joke, and I'd really like to see the seat bottom tilt.
-Stereo is pretty weak, and occasionally ours doesn't want to play cd's.
-The heated seats are stupid, you turn the switch on and get the faintest warm feeling then they turn off. What's the point? My previous VW's BMW's and Audi's have had heated seats that stay hot until you turn them off and have multiple heat settings. This on for 30 seconds then off thing is a disappointment, esp because heated seats was a selling point for my wife.

As far as the interior light control from the front goes, the only car's I've ever experienced with this are american, and then it's just a control to turn ALL the interior lights on, which is dangerous at night since the reflections from inside the car can partially blind the driver to what's going on outside the car. All my other cars have been German and they all have had 3 way light controls on the lights just like the 5 (on with doors, on, and off) I honestly don't see this as a problem. I guess it might be a nice to have.

It would be nice to have more interior lights, reading lights for the rear, foot well lights etc.. But again this is a cheap car so I'm not really expecting that kind of thing.

In general I'm impressed with the features the car does have considering it's price, bluetooth, auto climate control, auto lights/wipers

 

[johnnieboy]

My 2010 has arm rests on both sides of the middle row seats.

I just finished a 2000km road trip in mine overall I'm pretty impressed. Main issues:

-Road noise is pretty bad at highway speeds (even in Canada) I got into my daily driver (Audi A4 Avant) after the road trip..the 5 is my wife's car.. And was surprised just how much quieter it was. To be fair it's a far more expensive car, but still, the 5 is LOUD at 110km/h..
-Driver's seat could use more thigh support the cushion is simply too short. And really more adjustment overall, the lumbar adjustment is a joke, and I'd really like to see the seat bottom tilt.
-Stereo is pretty weak, and occasionally ours doesn't want to play cd's.
-The heated seats are stupid, you turn the switch on and get the faintest warm feeling then they turn off. What's the point? My previous VW's BMW's and Audi's have had heated seats that stay hot until you turn them off and have multiple heat settings. This on for 30 seconds then off thing is a disappointment, esp because heated seats was a selling point for my wife.

As far as the interior light control from the front goes, the only car's I've ever experienced with this are american, and then it's just a control to turn ALL the interior lights on, which is dangerous at night since the reflections from inside the car can partially blind the driver to what's going on outside the car. All my other cars have been German and they all have had 3 way light controls on the lights just like the 5 (on with doors, on, and off) I honestly don't see this as a problem. I guess it might be a nice to have.

It would be nice to have more interior lights, reading lights for the rear, foot well lights etc.. But again this is a cheap car so I'm not really expecting that kind of thing.

In general I'm impressed with the features the car does have considering it's price, bluetooth, auto climate control, auto lights/wipers

(2thumbs)
Nice job! If mine had a turbo all would be good!

 

[Redclove]

If thats the dash in the mazda 3, you have my sympathies! Its a brutal expanse of plastic looks like it was stolen steaight from a honda odessey!

A lot of the redesign looks like the odyssey, esp the rear end. The beautiful lines of the 5 were nice while they lasted until 2011!

 

[j3nsmz5]

Not sure if it's been mentioned but window and door lock/unlock buttons would be nice if they were also illuminated. The driver side window button is the only one illuminated, other than that good luck finding the other buttons at night. And I wish this car had more storage bins and/or cubby holes. Oh and one o those ambient lighting things that light up the front dash, one of those faint led light usually found where the map lights are mounted. My 03 Audi A4 and 07 Honda Pilot has got this. adds a really nice touch.

 

[mpvue]

occasionally I've been hearing a metal-on-rubber squeaking from the drivers side rear door, right behind my head! this kind of stuff drives me CRAZY! (I can't deal w/ stuff rattling around in the door cubby holes either. any kinds of noises like that I can't stand)
so the door squeaking was pretty bad last night on a road that has a lot of patches. BUT, when I stopped to get gas, I just opened and closed the door hard, and the noise went away! so I guess the sliding doors may LOOK closed fully, but you have to close them pretty firmly or they will squeak.