Yep... I'll be trading in my 115hp 3spd AT Sunfire.X10James said:It depends on what you're coming fromMy 5 replaced a 1995 Saturn and it's got way more power than that.

Yep... I'll be trading in my 115hp 3spd AT Sunfire.X10James said:It depends on what you're coming fromMy 5 replaced a 1995 Saturn and it's got way more power than that.
jandree22 said:Here ya go...
MP5Alive said:Been driving the 5 for around 2000 kms now and am quite happy with it. It's a great compromise of utility, performance, and economy.
I used to drive a 5-speed Protege5. Sure, it wasn't a speed demon, but the thrust-to-weight ratio is about right and with a quick downshift, there is more than enough power on tap.
My 4-speed auto Mazda5 however, will try to climb a hill at 1900RPM in 3rd gear? WTF?!? And it really struggles. If I'm not mistaken, 3rd gear in the 4AT is 1:1 (i.e. no mechanical advantage). Of course I can just floor the pedal to force a downshift but then the car screams as the RPMs go way up.
Is it just me or is the only way to get decent power out of the auto tranny is to floor the gas pedal? I find 2nd and 3rd gear a bit far apart. Why didn't they have a 5-spd auto? It's available on Mazda3's, right?
Get the 5spd Manual. Stick shift, while intimidating at first, is SO easy once you get the hang of it. Once you know it, you subconciously just shift when you're supposed to, you don't even have to physically 'think' about it. It gives you much more control of your car and it's flat out fun. It's also cheaper up front, saves a pinch on gas, and in many cases is cheaper to repair. If you're on the fence, then definately lean towards the manual. All that being said, if you will frequently drive in stop and go traffic such as a city or in rush hour, your left leg will get quite a workout on the clutch, so in that case an auto may be in your best interest.PolarBear said:May I ask why you chose auto after driving stick? We're considering Mazda 5 with manual though we don't have a real experience driving manual.
Ummm, NO and no. The P5 climbs hills in 5th just fine.jandree22 said:Was this in your P5 you're referring to? Do you have an auto tranny?
I was gonna say... I mean, I've never even had this problem even in my POS 3AT Sunfire (lol2)toucci said:Ummm, NO and no. The P5 climbs hills in 5th just fine.
jandree22 said:All that being said, if you will frequently drive in stop and go traffic such as a city or in rush hour, your left leg will get quite a workout on the clutch, so in that case an auto may be in your best interest.
I ordered my 5spd... granted, that was back in May and I still have a few weeks to waitdoctorz said:The trick is to find a stick shift 5. We have at least six dealers around Baltimore and they had ONE stick shift 5 between them. I used mazdausa.com and had a similar lack of success finding anything in southern PA and Delaware. I finally found a few in the Washington area. Is this experience typical of others?
jandree22 said:So why the heck don't the dealers carry it?! In the end, I guess it's because the dealers know, 90% of the cars on the road are automatics.
Wow...wonder if they listened to me?! It was one of my complaints.doctorz said:Just out of curiousity, I checked the inventory at mazdausa.com. My experience is that it's actually pretty accurate to what dealers have on their lots. Hilo Mazda has three 5-speed Mazda5 Sport models on its lot right now, but no Tourings.
Kojack said:I found that the motor has tons of pep....but second gear steals all the fun...