Mirror Memory (2021 CX-5)

[Boby@]

OK, It's been a while and I *have* been enjoying my 2021 CX-5, although it has had the worst luck of any car I've ever owned (not Mazda's fault), with a dented wheel which now has a leak from a pothole, a crack in the windshield from a stone and a trashed passenger side mirror which flipped forward (as expected) when it rubbed the edge of the rubber weather stripping of my garage door, then snapped back against the side of the car and cracked the plastic frame of the mirror

So I replaced the mirror (usually my Wife's fault and not as easy as on other cars I've owned) and noticed the memory setting for the mirrors wasn't working. I tried a lot of things and, after doing some internet research, it appears the CX-5 does *not* have mirror memory, even if you have the seat memory option--I just never noticed because memory position #2 always had the same settings for the side mirrors as position #1.

So my question is, am I indeed correct--the seat memory does not store the side mirror settings?

and if I'm correct--what the heck?!? In the last 30 years, I've had 5 or 6 cars with seat memory and they *all* stored the side mirror settings, as one would desire and *expect*. The Mercedes even stored the interior mirror setting and the steering wheel tilt/telescoping (and that Mercedes cost thousands less in 2006 than my 2021 CX-5 Signature!).

Frankly I continue to be boggled by the odd choices Mazda has made--it's the least intuitive car I've ever owned, with so many things that work differently than the way they worked on every other car I've had. I mean, I like the "heads-up display", the non-touch-screen infotainment system and the function which speaks your phone's text messages, but I'd trade them in a heartbeat for tire pressure readout, mirror memory and rear seat heater switches mounted on the door armrests where they belong, not hidden in the flip-down center console which is often innaccessible when passengers are seated back there.

We're talking a bunch of esoteric features here in place of common, practical functions. While the CX-5 is not nearly the least favorite car I've ever owned (that would be a 1980 Chevy Citation), I don't expect I'll be keeping it very long. While the drive train is magnificent, it really can't hold a candle to my 2017 Hyundai Tucson in every other way (which I'm now beginning to regret I sold to my Son when his car died shortly before he was going on his honeymoon).

 

[ceric]

Check out the new CX-90.

 

[wlong01]

I had a Hyundai as a rental and I swore I would never ever buy one.

 

[Boby@]

But can someone answer my question definitively? Is it the case the CX-5 does not have mirror memory or do I just have something set wrong?

Also, the Tucson generations prior to my 2017 were not that good, but my 2017 Tucson was one of the most satisfying cars I’ve ever owned even compared to much more expensive cars I’ve had, such as Audi, and Volvo. My Wife’s Mercedes was (and remains) my favorite car, but they discontinued that model and replaced it with a pretty ugly SUV, so we moved on.

I found my Tucson to be comfortable, ergonomic and reliable (not a single problem with over 50,000 miles on it). No question the CX-5 drivetrain is smoother and peppier, but it also gets worse gas mileage. Once I changed out the awful Hyundai OEM tires for some good rubber, the ride was extremely smooth and the AWD system with manual locking mode was outstanding in the rain and heavy snow we get in my area.

Oh yeah, I did dress up the Tucson interior with an aftermarket wood trim kit which really upgraded the look, but even though my CX-5 came with real wood trim, it might as well be black plastic it is so dark you can barely see the grain unless the sun is shining directly on it.

 

[Boby@]

Re: CX-90. Very nice but bigger than anything we want.

 

[cz5gt]

Yes , no mirror memory on the US models at least.

 

[wlong01]

I found my Tucson to be comfortable, ergonomic and reliable (not a single problem with over 50,000 miles on it). No question the CX-5 drivetrain is smoother and peppier, but it also gets worse gas mileage. Once I changed out the awful Hyundai OEM tires for some good rubber, the ride was extremely smooth and the AWD system with manual locking mode was outstanding in the rain and heavy snow we get in my area.

Then why didn't you buy another Hyundai instead of complaining about your Mazda.

 

[Boby@]

Ah, sorry, I explained that in my first post nearly two years ago when I first got the car.

At the time, the Hyundai dealers were asking me how much over list price I was willing to pay for the opportunity to buy a Tucson with no choice of exterior or interior color or options. The CX-5 was the only other thing out there with the features I wanted and which I could get a deal on--the dealer dropped the price enough and gave me an unusually good trade on my Son's 10-year-old, 87,000-mile rustbucket.

I liked the CX-5, but it wasn't until I bought it and learned all of it's operation that I realized Mazda just has some quirky ideas about how some things should work and about what an owner's priorities might be. I'll take useful, real-world, everyday convenience features over hi-tech bells and whistles every time. Would I rather have mirror memory than auto-fold mirrors with blind-spot monitoring and side view cameras? Heck, yeah--I thought I was getting all of those because it never occurred to me Mazda would offer seat memory without mirror memory...

Anyhow, I didn't start this thread to complain, just to find out if it was me screwing up, or Mazda that made a frankly "out-there" decision to include seat memory without mirror memory--I wouldn't be surprised if they make the only cars in the world like that. Seat Memory is an expensive option and those who opt for it expect the mirror positions to be stored, too.

Unfortunately, the new Tucson is also full of hi-tech bells and whistles, but for the most part, I can ignore most of them (other than the stupid push-button transmission) and find the regular stuff to be normal and intuitive to use...

 

[cz5gt]

Mazda has a lot more of those features but in Europe and other markets. Where the price of the car is also more expensive.
For the US market they cut some options to lower the cost so that they can compete ($$) within the segment.

 

[Boby@]

I guess they were trying to figure out what would give them a competitive edge in the US, trading off common features in other brands for more esoteric ones on their cars, but I have to believe mirror memory is cheaper than auto-folding or side-view cameras (neither of which are even slightly important to me) or even the blind spot monitor (which I do find a useful safety feature) and I just bought a TPMS display for less than $40, so that can't be all that expensive to add given the transmitters are already on the tires and they could easily integrate the tire pressure display into the infotainment system for free...

 

[cz5gt]

the missing tpms view on cx5 is the biggest miss to me and pretty much the most requested feature
but Mazda is still not enabling it in the car infotainment even after so many years. Well... hope they listen for 2025.

 

[Boby@]

Do any Mazda models have TPMS display? If so, is this just a ploy to get people to trade up to a higher end model?

Personally I hate that. I should be able to option out a model to the max if I want to--it's my money! I'd rather spend "too much" for a smaller car than have to move up to a larger, less fuel efficient car to get the options I want.

Our Mercedes was a perfect example of what I'm talking about. I could get every option on it I wanted (other than rear seat heaters) available on the next model up, which cost over $20,000 (!) more. I wasn't going to spend $20,000 more just to get rear seat heaters when it also meant getting a larger, heavier, less fuel efficient car. So basically on the lower end model, the driver and front passenger got everything they could possibly want and the rear seat passengers got the shaft (quite literally, as the driveshaft hump took up a lot of their legroom)--I don't think they even got reading lamps or grab straps and the padding on the flip down center armrest was pretty meager, with no storage at all.

In many cases, cars are already pre-wired for all of the options, as it's cheaper for the company to use a common wire harness/communication bus and you can easily (and inexpensively) add an option yourself which is only available on a higher end model (in an expensive option "package").

 

[RedBaron]

Do any Mazda models have TPMS display? If so, is this just a ploy to get people to trade up to a higher end model?

My '23 CX-50 (Turbo Prem Plus model) has the display of the TPMS pressures in one of the radio screens in the "information" menu. Also shows on your phone in the Mazda Connect app. It also has all the other features you mention, including the mirror memory. Note that this is their highest trim though, and some of these (not sure which) are not on some lower trims.

 

[onerpm]

My '23 CX-50 (Turbo Prem Plus model) has the display of the TPMS pressures in one of the radio screens in the "information" menu. Also shows on your phone in the Mazda Connect app. It also has all the other features you mention, including the mirror memory. Note that this is their highest trim though, and some of these (not sure which) are not on some lower trims.

my wife 'yatches about the lack of mirror memory all the time. it is the sole thing I feel is missing from the car. is your cx-50 memory just the side mirrors, or rear-view too?

 

[RedBaron]

my wife 'yatches about the lack of mirror memory all the time. it is the sole thing I feel is missing from the car. is your cx-50 memory just the side mirrors, or rear-view too?

Just the sides. (I don't think I've ever seen a car with motorized center rearview mirror.)

 

[Boby@]

My Wife's Mercedes wagon had mirror memory for the center rearview mirror. It also had memory for the amount of tilt and telescoping of the steering wheel, and would automatically move the seat back and raise the steering wheel away when entering or exiting the driver's seat.

 

[HyFlyer]

My Wife's Mercedes wagon ...

Whew! I sure am glad my Mazda doesn't have all that stuff on it. I'm not too busy to adjust things with my hands . But I'm a "less is more" kinda guy.

 

[Moncha]

Our '11 Acura MDX had "memory everything." It was great until the wiring harness in the driver's door failed. Then, nothing worked and no parts were available. I finally made a harness myself to fix it. I like the level of dependent items the CX-5 has.

 

[Boby@]

Well, to each his own. My CX-5 Signature is loaded will all sorts of gadgetry I don’t care about, which I had to get in order to get the things I did want. I don’t expect a car to be outfitted the way the Mercedes was, but if you have multiple drivers, having “memory everything” is the most convenient, as you can just jump in the car and take off immediately instead of still having to spend time adjusting a bunch of things—mirrors, steering wheel, Sat-Radio radio presets...

With all gadgetry comes potential problems—increased complexity typically leads to decreased reliability. My HUD is a bit wonky—sometimes it just stays really dim and no matter how I adjust the position, it’s off center compared to the driver’s seat, so one edge is cut off in my field of view unless I lean a bit to the side...

 

[wlong01]

With all gadgetry comes potential problems—increased complexity typically leads to decreased reliability. My HUD is a bit wonky—sometimes it just stays really dim and no matter how I adjust the position, it’s off center compared to the driver’s seat, so one edge is cut off in my field of view unless I lean a bit to the side...

My wife always complains that the HUD keeps dropping down. In my case I don't even see the HUD anymore. Only time I pay attention to the HUD is when driving through speed traps.