Letter to Robert T. Davis, North American VP, Mazda North American Operations

Same. The Bluetooth can be ******* infuriating, but it's kind of a first world problem? "Oh no, my phone doesn't connect to Bluetooth within the first 10 seconds of enabling it, weeeeh."

The CX-5 drives wonderfully, looks great, feels great, and the Mazda brand itself ain't bad. *shrug*
First world product, first world problems. If I had a 3rd world car with no options, I wouldn't have the option(s) I paid for (performing poorly) to worry about right? The Mitsubishi Mirage (one of the lowest priced cars in America) is available with a similar infotainment. it does not have blaring issues and it's half the price.
 
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I agree. I am looking at investing another $1500-2000 for fixing the infotainment issues and improving sound, which for me plays a very big part in the overall driving experience. My 2008 Acura TL worked much better and was cheaper at that time. I also traded a 2014 GLI Jetta with the Fender system. I can honestly say that the only good feature the CX-5 has is the TomTom navigation with the real traffic rerouting features, but only when the GPS works...
 
Unfortunately, for those who have already taken the plunge, the fix will be a completely revised system by the 2016-17 model years. Technology changes so fast that software is not going to correct our issues. Having used navagation in several of my vehicles, Tom Tom has alway done its job getting me where I needed to go, flawlessly directing me around jammed traffic routes. The Bose stereo is more than adequate, and my Bluetooth old iPhone 5 with iOS 8 plays pandora and Bluetooth music. So the drawbacks are songs not playing from where you last played..annoying, and no text or emails..annoying. Both of these features work in my 2011 BMW, but reading or playing my emails and text has become too distracting, and frankly it can wait until I get to where I am going. Yes these features should work in our CX5's, but software can not fix an outdated unit with old formware. BMW and many other car companies change hardware and firmware at least every 6 months to keep up, meaning in my case, older units do not support things like BMW apps, CarPlay, or Siri activated from the steering wheel. Mazda with fix the current issues, but we won't see any benefits unless we upgrade our vehicles. Most likely the people upset here will change brands....
 
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I saw few Android head units on ebay that are supposedly plug-in substitutions for the stock unit.
I wonder if anyone has tried the swap. Seems to be quite economical fix.
 
I saw few Android head units on ebay that are supposedly plug-in substitutions for the stock unit.
I wonder if anyone has tried the swap. Seems to be quite economical fix.



They look very interesting; really like to OEM look. But just sounds to good to be true....I would also like to know of anybody that have tried this..
 
The only gripe I have with aftermarket hu is the vehicle options control are lost
 
Most people who purchased the CX-5 are neither. Perhaps "driveability", safety, style, comfort, mpg, and technological innovation are considered more important for a vehicle than the vehicle being an extension of an I Phone.
 
" Thank you! Victims or sheep is what I keep asking myself"

Most people who purchased the CX-5 are neither. Perhaps "driveability", safety, style, comfort, mpg, and technological innovation are considered more important for a vehicle than the vehicle being an extension of an I Phone.
 
I could have bought a GS with less features and it would have cost less. I didn't, I bought the GT with Tech pack. The majority of the NB-1 infotainment unit is flawed. Usually when something does not work, you take it back and its fixed or replaced. In this day and age with cheap tech nobody takes ownership of issues like this. Said it before but next time, I'm not getting a 'loaded' model. A hidden AUX cable and 7" tablet ($200) could do so much more its not even funny.
 
" Thank you! Victims or sheep is what I keep asking myself"

Most people who purchased the CX-5 are neither. Perhaps "driveability", safety, style, comfort, mpg, and technological innovation are considered more important for a vehicle than the vehicle being an extension of an I Phone.

When you spend $30K+ for a vehicle,everything should work properly.
Yes?
 
Mr. Carroll,

Mazda Philippines sent me a PATHETIC reply to the same complaint about the USB audio in my CX5 I just bought this October 2014; see their email below:

"Dear Mr. Padilla,

Thank you for your email and we value your feedback. Unfortunately, there is no known work-around for this at this time.

Regards,

_____________
Customer Service

MAZDA PHILIPPINES"

I would appreciate if you can email me when you got a fix from Mazda USA on your audio problems. Thanks.
 
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I just got my unit updated at the dealer and still a POS. My daughter's cheap car under 18K with her factory tech package makes my 33K car seem like a leap frog tablet that has be dropped a million times. I am embarrassed when I have friends in my car. I now have a cheap Android tablet on my dash with Google maps and a wireless BT device.

My daughter has a new iPhone 6 and it works super, emails txts, everything OUT OF THE BOX, I can't get my USB to work and the maps on my NAVI spins around and around, and stops working if making a wrong turn (new thread later).

My decision not to buy any more Mazdas is not solely base on the Tech Package at all, it's based on customer support and their efforts in making customers happy, which Mazda has absolutely NONE.

NO MORE MAZDA's this was our 8th in 15 years. Why, Mazda just plain lies about their vehicles.

PS, I am in sales and depend on a good system.
 
I must say also, I am terribly upset with the Bluetooth and audio system in my 2014 Mazda6 I bought back in February. If Mazda does not come out with an update to fix these issues within the next 6 months, I will probably end up going back to Ford or looking into trading my 6 for a Nissan Altima. For the money, I can't believe the audio system and Bluetooth capabilities in my 2008 Honda Accord and 2010 Ford Edge BLEW THIS MAZDA SYSTEM AWAY with ZERO issues!!! :-(
 
We have a 2014 Ft with tech package. It's our 4th Mazda, 5th in the family. We live so far away that the satellite radio does not pickup a signal. Its just an option we knew would not work when we bought it. Our voice command for the navigation absolutely is the worse part and does not function. Ask for a police station and you get some address over 4000 miles away or some other nonsense. My S4 is smarter and easier to use. Tom-tom (not a fan) had us making turns either off a cliff or into the cliff face. It showed us driving through the forest while on a well marked road. I have whined to the dealer, talked and emailed Mazda customer service until a I got a step or two up the ladder. No resolution, my vehicle is "operating within parameters". Even the dealer feels sorry for me. Especially since others are now complaining too. I eventually asked for a rebate of the tech package plus compensation. I did not get that but did get a $250 Mazda gift card. You do have to use it all at once. So I had the windshield replaced. Too bad the subcontractor (Speedy auto) broke the sensor package and that had to be replaced after 3 weeks for parts and arguing between Speedy and the local dealer. So start calling or contacting Mazda USA and keep pushing. Ask to speak to a manager and be polite the whole time. Maybe Mazda likes giving out hush money with no strings attached ( I got that in writing too) instead of fixing the problem. Oh, and they don't care if you threaten to file a complaint with the feds either. I do like my new windshield.
 
It's funny how some here actually excuse the flaws of the CX because they say it handles so well.
A '15 $32K vehicle should have a working properly infotainment system among other things it lacks that much cheaper vehicles have.

What other things does the CX-5 lack that much cheaper vehicles have? And what infotainment systems in the CX-5's price class are superior?

We just got a CPO 2014 CX-5 Touring with Tech for my wife, and are really very happy with it overall. I agree the iPod integration is weak, especially the long load time and always playing the first track, that is a design flaw that should have been fixed for 2014, not to mention 2015. But the actual sound output of the Bose is excellent, I think it's better than the Mark Levinson in my '06 Lexus GS with 14 speakers, in which I only play CDs. She's happy with the Nav, although a larger screen would be nice. She did comment that Nav in my old Lexus is actually easier to use, mostly because it's larger. But I don't have real time traffic updates, and being a DVD based system, it doesn't know any addresses created after 2006. The SD card update in the Mazda is going to be a lot more useful.

As for the Bluetooth integration, I played around with that a bit yesterday. I have hooked up her Galaxy S3, my iPhone 5, and her ancient iPod, which is what we're using to play music right now via the iPod tab. I don't like BT for music, as I don't want to be tempted to try and operate the system through the external device. It's just not safe to be tapping on your phone with two hands, and driving with your knees. Also, the sound quality via Bluetooth was inferior.

I want to try the USB stick with music, especially if I can get it to start playing where I left off. Perhaps the load time will be faster as well.
 
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