New CX-5 Akera delivered today

[Moonlighter]

Traded our 2015/16 CX5 Akera 2.2D today for a new CX5 Akera G25 in Soul Crystal Red.

Same colour as the previous car. This red is IMO the most beautiful red of any car on the market.

Not sure of the US model range, but the Akera is the very top of the CX5 range here. Got everything.

Since its primarily her car, I surprised the wife with getting personalised number plates for her. They spell the name of her karate dojo in Japan. She was absolutely wrapped.

New car feels heaps sharper in the handling and response overall. And far, far quieter than the 2.2 diesel. Different planet quieter.

Steering is sharper, and the engine response is so different to the 2.2D its going to take some getting used to. But feels great. And, Im happy with just how well it goes being the non-turbo 2.5 version.

Already the new features are a hit - S&G cruise control, electric boot up n down, cooled seats, HUD, auto folding mirrors, etc Some nice updates from the earlier model Akera.

The only accessory option we ticked was the genuine floor mats. I have organised ceramic paint protection myself (being done tomorrow at half the dealer price) and nano ceramic window tinting being done in a weeks time, again nearly half the dealer price.

Time will tell how the fuel economy compares old car to new. The 2.2 turbo diesel averaged between 7.2 and 7.5 Litres/100km in mixed driving around town and some shorter freeway runs. Best I ever saw was on a 1400km highway trip where it averaged 5.6L/100km and this was with a heavy load of gear on board. Most highway trips averaged around 6.2/6.3L/100km.

The diesel gave us no issues in the 115,000km we had it over 8 years, I did get a batch of dirty fuel a while ago and the engine just cut out and would crank but not start, but a new fuel filter sorted that out. But I will admit I am not going to miss the DPF regens happening every 200km or so. Mazda dropped the 2.2 diesel for the 2024 models due to very low sales percentages.

We are visiting Japan in December/January and the trip includes a week in Hiroshima , and are planning to do the Mazda factory tour there which I have heard is very good. Will see what merch I can find there.

 

[Antoine]

Congratulations! Great comparison with the first generation and beautiful color…Enjoy Japan!

 

[Conrad 16.5]

Good luck with the diesel!

 

[HyFlyer]

Good luck with the diesel!

Well, member Moonlighter reports trading in the diesel for a petrol 2.5 NA CX5 and also reports having no issues in the 8 years of owning the diesel cx5 so . Seems like it has served him well.

Traded our 2015/16 CX5 Akera 2.2D today for a new CX5 Akera G25 in Soul Crystal Red. ...

... The diesel gave us no issues in the 115,000km we had it over 8 years ...

Congratulations @Moonlighter on the new ride for your wife . It looks sharp. Just curious, would you have spec'd another 2.2D had it been available? Considering you had good service from your previous 2.2d.

 

[Conrad 16.5]

My bad.

For some reason I thought that the Akera was a diesel.

Carry on!

 

[7eregrine]

Wish we had cool names for our Mazdas.
Besides Carbon, that's a great name.

MAXDA CX5 SELECT.
Select. Yawn.
Or the base model...never liked "Sport" much but I'd take that over just.... S.
And then, of course, the worst... Mazda CX5 PP. Certainly don't understand who thought PREMIUM PLUS was a cool name for a car.

 

[Moonlighter]

Well, member Moonlighter reports trading in the diesel for a petrol 2.5 NA CX5 and also reports having no issues in the 8 years of owning the diesel cx5 so . Seems like it has served him well.





Congratulations @Moonlighter on the new ride for your wife . It looks sharp. Just curious, would you have spec'd another 2.2D had it been available? Considering you had good service from your previous 2.2d.

Probably not. There was a not insignificant price premium on the diesel, and I originally opted for the diesel CX5 because I needed the extra torque for towing my boat. That was my second CX5 diesel, the first was a company car that I had for 2 years prior to retiring.

But I have a 4WD dual cab ute now for towing duties now and it handles the job better than the smaller CX5, I had a few “tail wagging the dog” situations on the highway when towing with it as trucks passed….

One dealer tried to temp me with a CX60 diesel hybrid but it was just so much more expensive that it was crazy.

 

[paris1]

"Same colour as the previous car. This red is IMO the most beautiful red of any car on the market."
Your Gen 1 CX-5 was Soul Red Metallic; the new one is Soul Red Crystal Metallic. Big difference if you put them side by side! The later color was evolved from the former to be much more brilliant, less "tomatoey".

 

[Lazy2.5]

Great, so is the refinement/response quietness of the 2.5 worth the tradeoff of the torquey 2.2D?

The 2.5L is a fantastic engine. I've been really enjoying mine especially after I did the custom tuning for it. Still going strong at nearly 320,000KM, but the car needs more maintenance at this mileage.

 

[Moonlighter]

Yes indeed, well at least so far as we still have less than 100km on the clock

To say that I am pleasantly surprised with the 2.5 performance is an understatement. Impressed.

Had the ceramic paint treatment done yesterday (organised myself at half the cost quoted by the dealer) so the car is in the garage for 24 hours to let it cure properly. Will go for my second drive this afternoon.

 

[Moonlighter]

Congratulations! Great comparison with the first generation and beautiful color…Enjoy Japan!

Thanks!

We’ve been to Japan numerous times and Im sure we will enjoy it again. This is going to be our first “White Christmas” and we are spending that week in the foothills of the mountains in Hida-Takayama. Be a big change from the hot summer Christmas that we have here in Australia.

Background- Back in 1990 we hosted a young 17yo Japanese high school girl on a school exchange and she subsequently visited us here in Australia many times after that.

Our first visit to Japan was when we were invited to her wedding in 2007. It was a full Shinto wedding in traditional kimono etc and was held in the world heritage listed Itsukushima shrine on Miyajima Island, off the coast of Hiroshima. We were the only westerners there and were treated as family. She now has a family of her own and as usual, we will visit them at their home near Nagoya on this trip. Her daughter is now the same age as she was on her first visit to Australia….. do I feel old now!!

Nagoya as you may know is world home base for Toyota and we have been to the Toyota Museum of Industry and Technology there as well as the Toyota Automobile Museum. We also toured the Aichi Steel plant where they make steel for the Toyota manufacturing plants nearby. Our friend’s father was an engineer there before retiring.

Have driven past the Aisin transmission plant near Tokoname that makes the 6 speed autos used in the CX5.

I checked yesterday and it looks like Mazda only takes tour bookings 4 months in advance so January 25 bookings are not open yet. But I will be on it again next week.

Japan is not an expensive place to visit and at the moment the ¥ has tanked so it’s incredibly attractive to Aussie and US visitors.

Its safe, friendly and easy to get around. The trains are clean, fast, safe and ALWAYS on time. And there is no tipping or price bargaining/negotiating to deal with.

 

[vrsick]

Congrats! It's beautiful. Mine didn't come with balloons or tie bowl.

 

[Antoine]

Thanks!

We’ve been to Japan numerous times and Im sure we will enjoy it again. This is going to be our first “White Christmas” and we are spending that week in the foothills of the mountains in Hida-Takayama. Be a big change from the hot summer Christmas that we have here in Australia.

Background- Back in 1990 we hosted a young 17yo Japanese high school girl on a school exchange and she subsequently visited us here in Australia many times after that.

Our first visit to Japan was when we were invited to her wedding in 2007. It was a full Shinto wedding in traditional kimono etc and was held in the world heritage listed Itsukushima shrine on Miyajima Island, off the coast of Hiroshima. We were the only westerners there and were treated as family. She now has a family of her own and as usual, we will visit them at their home near Nagoya on this trip. Her daughter is now the same age as she was on her first visit to Australia….. do I feel old now!!

Nagoya as you may know is world home base for Toyota and we have been to the Toyota Museum of Industry and Technology there as well as the Toyota Automobile Museum. We also toured the Aichi Steel plant where they make steel for the Toyota manufacturing plants nearby. Our friend’s father was an engineer there before retiring.

Have driven past the Aisin transmission plant near Tokoname that makes the 6 speed autos used in the CX5.

I checked yesterday and it looks like Mazda only takes tour bookings 4 months in advance so January 25 bookings are not open yet. But I will be on it again next week.

Japan is not an expensive place to visit and at the moment the ¥ has tanked so it’s incredibly attractive to Aussie and US visitors.

Its safe, friendly and easy to get around. The trains are clean, fast, safe and ALWAYS on time. And there is no tipping or price bargaining/negotiating to deal with.

Have yet to visit Toyota expect for their car collection (of all makes) which was actually very impressive. Last time I visited Mazda Japan was back in 2022...I posted a few pics of the tour here (which has probably been updated since then)...

Mazdas247 Mazda Museum Tour 2022

How was the second drive? Got pics post ceramic coating?

 

[Moonlighter]

Second drive was good. Wife has driven across town (45 mins each way) yesterday evening and was happy. Happy wife …..

Going to drive to the Gold Coast tomorrow (about 80km each way) to visit friends and pick up a clear bonnet protector from the selling Mazda dealer, the “Delivery Coordinator” guy actually got one for me at trade price.

Isnt it weird these days - the sales person who does the hard work to make the deal doesnt get the pleasure of doing the handover, thats done by the Delivery Coordinator dude. Even after he trimmed the session because he knew we were familiar with the previous model, it still took 40 minutes for him to run through stuff.

The pre-delivery team did a stellar job, all 4 tyres had different pressures when I checked them yesterday - and a 3.5psi variance front left to front right…… And the washer water was half empty.

Looks great after the QFX Carbon Ceramic coating. Pics don’t do it justice sitting in the garage.

Getting the window tinting done later this week. Darkest legal and highest IR rejection necessary in our strong sun.

 

[paris1]

Are the silver lower bumper/skid plates an option, or is that standard on that model in your country?

 

[Moonlighter]

Silver accents front and rear are standard on the Akera here in Aus.

The Akera model is the very top of the range and has everything that is available here. The only factory options are
- a choice of 2 different wheels,
- paint color,
- engine pick Akera G25 = naturally aspirated, Akira G35 = turbo.

Thats it for options. Then pick what accessories you want.

Looking at Mazda USA site there are lots more variants than what are offered here. Bit confusing really.

 

[N7turbo]

Looking at Mazda USA site there are lots more variants than what are offered here. Bit confusing really.

Yeah. Essentially, the "options" are chosen for you. You don't pick anything except accessories.

 

[Moonlighter]

No doubt the greater options choices have everything to do with the US market being around 13 x the size of the Au market.

 

[Kennykoala]

Traded our 2015/16 CX5 Akera 2.2D today for a new CX5 Akera G25 in Soul Crystal Red.

Same colour as the previous car. This red is IMO the most beautiful red of any car on the market.

Not sure of the US model range, but the Akera is the very top of the CX5 range here. Got everything.

Since its primarily her car, I surprised the wife with getting personalised number plates for her. They spell the name of her karate dojo in Japan. She was absolutely wrapped.

New car feels heaps sharper in the handling and response overall. And far, far quieter than the 2.2 diesel. Different planet quieter.

Steering is sharper, and the engine response is so different to the 2.2D its going to take some getting used to. But feels great. And, Im happy with just how well it goes being the non-turbo 2.5 version.

Already the new features are a hit - S&G cruise control, electric boot up n down, cooled seats, HUD, auto folding mirrors, etc Some nice updates from the earlier model Akera.

The only accessory option we ticked was the genuine floor mats. I have organised ceramic paint protection myself (being done tomorrow at half the dealer price) and nano ceramic window tinting being done in a weeks time, again nearly half the dealer price.

Time will tell how the fuel economy compares old car to new. The 2.2 turbo diesel averaged between 7.2 and 7.5 Litres/100km in mixed driving around town and some shorter freeway runs. Best I ever saw was on a 1400km highway trip where it averaged 5.6L/100km and this was with a heavy load of gear on board. Most highway trips averaged around 6.2/6.3L/100km.

The diesel gave us no issues in the 115,000km we had it over 8 years, I did get a batch of dirty fuel a while ago and the engine just cut out and would crank but not start, but a new fuel filter sorted that out. But I will admit I am not going to miss the DPF regens happening every 200km or so. Mazda dropped the 2.2 diesel for the 2024 models due to very low sales percentages.

We are visiting Japan in December/January and the trip includes a week in Hiroshima , and are planning to do the Mazda factory tour there which I have heard is very good. Will see what merch I can find there.

View attachment 330865

Hi Moonlighter. I have just joined the forum today. Your car looks amazing. We picked up our brand new Mazda CX5 Akera G25 from a dealer in Tas 2 days ago on 26 Sept ‘24. The same beautiful red as yours which is a definite step up from the previous Soul Red (I think). We traded a 2021 CX30 G25 Akera. Great car but too small. Lacked ground clearance and height. The CX5 is in the garage and the colour is magical. Slightly disappointed that it does not have the option of digital speed display as the CX30 did. We are well into our senior years and it was good for ageing eyes. We are going to have to become familiar with the HUD. I am tall and getting thick around the middle and getting in and out of the CX30 was becoming unpleasant. The CX5 is just so much higher and roomier. What a beautiful car. I am not sure Mazda can improve on the latest updated series. It is a pleasure (early days) to just sit in it. Only done 75k’s in 2 days but a long trip coming up to Hobart. A massive 300kms! Taswegians think anything over 200 kms is a long trip. The problem of living on an island not half the size of Vic. Will be great if you can tour Mazda in Hiroshima. Been there but was driving a Honda CRV and a brilliant little Jazz back then. Honda seems a little lost these days.

 

[paris1]

Hi Moonlighter. I have just joined the forum today. Your car looks amazing. We picked up our brand new Mazda CX5 Akera G25 from a dealer in Tas 2 days ago on 26 Sept ‘24. The same beautiful red as yours which is a definite step up from the previous Soul Red (I think). We traded a 2021 CX30 G25 Akera. Great car but too small. Lacked ground clearance and height. The CX5 is in the garage and the colour is magical. Slightly disappointed that it does not have the option of digital speed display as the CX30 did. We are well into our senior years and it was good for ageing eyes. We are going to have to become familiar with the HUD. I am tall and getting thick around the middle and getting in and out of the CX30 was becoming unpleasant. The CX5 is just so much higher and roomier. What a beautiful car. I am not sure Mazda can improve on the latest updated series. It is a pleasure (early days) to just sit in it. Only done 75k’s in 2 days but a long trip coming up to Hobart. A massive 300kms! Taswegians think anything over 200 kms is a long trip. The problem of living on an island not half the size of Vic. Will be great if you can tour Mazda in Hiroshima. Been there but was driving a Honda CRV and a brilliant little Jazz back then. Honda seems a little lost these days.

The Soul Red Crystal Metallic on your CX-5 is the same as that of your CX-30. The original Soul Red Metallic was discontinued prior to the CX-30 intro.