New CX5 Owner - Questions

[7eregrine]

I don't get the camera complaints. It's fine 98% of the time.
And yea, those of you that say contrast and color don't help are wrong. It does help. I'm an IT guy. I know what resolution is and how it works. Making the color pop more makes it look better, makes things easier to see. That's a fact.

@Avoiding-Deer Once you start using the camera, it gets real easy. I love it. I can park really well with it. A friend of mine sounds just like you. She just cannot wrap her head around how to use it (I don't mean you can't figure it out just that she loves them mirrors!)

 

[dwill]

I think the camera works fine in daylight and dry conditions. I don’t need 4K to avoid hitting something when backing up. What I really dislike is that water droplets collect on the lens when it’s wet out, making the camera almost useless. I’ve had other vehicles with backup cameras before, and the CX-5 camera is by far the worst I’ve ever had. A lesser issue is that the white backup lights tend to blow out the picture at night.

 

[Rutedown]

Do you think we could replace CX5 rear camera with a CX9 rear camera? My wifes CX9 rear view looks way better.

 

[Avoidin Deer]

Do you think we could replace CX5 rear camera with a CX9 rear camera? My wifes CX9 rear view looks way better.

I wonder if the software and other "supporting infrastructure" is also different.

As I said elsewhere, we're not the only ones complaining about this issue. People on other manufacturer's forums are as well, and they think that the software might be a choke-point.

Here are links at MazdaSwag for the 2016 CX-9 camera and the 2019 CX-5 camera. Doesn't really tell us much. There are no technical specs. Different Part#s could solely be due to different fitment.

Personally, I'm fine with the camera. I've not had a car with one before, and I don't drive backwards all that often. I've never had the CX-5 camera quality be an issue for me when backing in to or out of a parking spot. As dwill said, rain droplets is my sole complaint.

 

[Rutedown]

I wonder if the software and other "supporting infrastructure" is also different.

As I said elsewhere, we're not the only ones complaining about this issue. People on other manufacturer's forums are as well, and they think that the software might be a choke-point.

Here are links at MazdaSwag for the 2016 CX-9 camera and the 2019 CX-5 camera. Doesn't really tell us much. There are no technical specs. Different Part#s could solely be due to different fitment.

Personally, I'm fine with the camera. I've not had a car with one before, and I don't drive backwards all that often. I've never had the CX-5 camera quality be an issue for me when backing in to or out of a parking spot. As dwill said, rain droplets is my sole complaint.

Thanks for the links. Maybe finding a used one at a pick-and-pull to try, but I also don’t want to mess up my new car so I’ll probably just wait some

 

[RedBaron]

I doubt that the cameras are any different (but don't know for sure). In my 2014 I replaced the craptastic Mazda radio with a Kenwood, but kept the Mazda camera. There are (were) just 4 wires to the camera: +V, Ground, Video signal and Video shield. I had to make a Heath-Robinson adapter between the radio-end camera connector and the Kenwood, but apart from that, the camera just worked.

I would assume(!) that all the cameras work to the same basic NTSC (or PAL) standard. Also, for that reason, I doubt the resolution will change between the CX-5 and CX-9 camera - but that and a couple $'s will buy you a cup of coffee.

 

[Rutedown]

I doubt that the cameras are any different (but don't know for sure). In my 2014 I replaced the craptastic Mazda radio with a Kenwood, but kept the Mazda camera. There are (were) just 4 wires to the camera: +V, Ground, Video signal and Video shield. I had to make a Heath-Robinson adapter between the radio-end camera connector and the Kenwood, but apart from that, the camera just worked.

I would assume(!) that all the cameras work to the same basic NTSC (or PAL) standard. Also, for that reason, I doubt the resolution will change between the CX-5 and CX-9 camera - but that and a couple $'s will buy you a cup of coffee.

So do you think it's software issue or the display size? I can take some side by side comparisons of mine and my wife's this evening.

 

[Avoidin Deer]

So do you think it's software issue or the display size? I can take some side by side comparisons of mine and my wife's this evening.

The other question is that even though they work to the same transmission standard, they might still be different resolutions, right?

 

[RedBaron]

So do you think it's software issue or the display size? I can take some side by side comparisons of mine and my wife's this evening.

That would be interesting to see. We can compare with ours too, to see if you have a specific problem or not.

 

[2001birdowner]

The left side seat bolster was a pain for me too. From me changing my leg position, and maybe some break in, it no longer bothers me. But over all the seats are not as comfortable as my old car. Side bolsters are not needed on the CX-5, it is not a sports car.
.

Not a sports car.... so that means it doesn’t turn left and right?

 

[DwightFrye]

No I think he means that you won't be taking corners at 0.9 G;s and need to have really good lateral seat support

 

[Avoidin Deer]

There are times I appreciate the constricting seats.

I need to buy a dash cam and post a video to get the real feel of uphill/downhill S curves.

I consider marginal mileage to be an investment in my emotional health.
You just gotta know where the ag equipment crosses.

 

[sm1ke]

L

There are times I appreciate the constricting seats.

View attachment 222161

I need to buy a dash cam and post a video to get the real feel of uphill/downhill S curves.

I consider marginal mileage to be an investment in my emotional health.
You just gotta know where the ag equipment crosses.

Looks fun! I'd love to see a dashcam vid.

 

[Avoidin Deer]

L


Looks fun! I'd love to see a dashcam vid.

I really enjoy driving my CX-5 in this area. I'm often in the transmission's Manual Mode...makes me long for a stick shift.

Even when I drive conservatively, all these curves & hills knock about 3-4 mpg (1.7km/l) or more off my mileage compared to longer trips I've taken doing a steady 55MPH (about 90KM/H). It's about the same I get at normal highway speeds of 70MPH (113KM/H).

But as I said, driving around here is a mental health investment.

 

[2001birdowner]

No I think he means that you won't be taking corners at 0.9 G;s and need to have really good lateral seat support

All car seats should have decent bolstering to keep the driver from sliding around. You don’t need no to be pulling .9 Gs to be moved around in a car. It’s marketed as and is a fun to drive cross over, that’s why so many of us on this forum drive them.

 

[2019 CX5 GT]

Picked up our new ride a few weeks ago and I agree the seats hold a nice firm shape but are uncomfortable for long trips. I bet they will soften up a bit in time.

Yes, the back up camera is essentially crap at night and grainy, a definite resolution issue.

The brakes do have that soft feel but appear to stop on a dime which is appreciated. BTW, has anybody ever had the smart brake feature activate? I tried to replicate a scenario by tailing on the highway but didn't notice much

 

[Avoidin Deer]

Picked up our new ride a few weeks ago and I agree the seats hold a nice firm shape but are uncomfortable for long trips. I bet they will soften up a bit in time.

Yes, the back up camera is essentially crap at night and grainy, a definite resolution issue.

The brakes do have that soft feel but appear to stop on a dime which is appreciated. BTW, has anybody ever had the smart brake feature activate? I tried to replicate a scenario by tailing on the highway but didn't notice much

Congrats on the new ride!!! You'll not tire of it.

I tell folks that I don't drive backwards much, and I have other ways to spy on the neighbors besides backing my car up to their windows (the reverse lights always tend to give me away), so have little to complain about with the backup camera.

I've got 7,000 miles on my car and the seat still puts a cramp in my right leg. There are some here who have had the bolsters soften pretty rapidly. Following the Owner Manual's detailed Seat Adjusting process helps. You can't just sit in it and adjust as you have been in other cars.

If you read/watch SUV review & comparison articles/videos, you'll see that the CX-5 does have a longer stopping distance that other manufacturers' SUVs. For the life of me, I cannot find specific data right now. Whether or not the difference is significant likely depends on a given situation.

There are threads here with stories of the SBS kicking in on folks. Mine did the first week I had my car. I've not had an accident in over 45 years, and when I first got the car I was driving with my attention was focused on the infotainment screen (my primary complaint with the CX-5 is that--in a car with so many nanny safety features--things like radios where I instinctively pushed buttons without looking in the past now required that I read and navigate a computer screen) and came up on a line of traffic where someone up ahead was turning left. There is rarely any traffic at the particular location. It caught me unawares. The car literally prevented me from crashing into the car in front of me. I'm glad it was turned on.

I have had it warn me to BRAKE! once when there was no apparent reason, but I was heading into a sharp curve facing a fenced-in yard. Those are known scenarios where a false warning may happen.

 

[Avoidin Deer]

Okay, I found some Edmunds braking distance test data.
These are not published manufacturer's data.

Edmunds' best stopping distances from 60 MPH in Model Year 2019 SUVs:

Honda CR-V: 116 feet
Mazda CX-5: 121 feet

I recall the manufacturer's specs showing the gap to be much larger than this.

Perhaps others will chime in on this. I have no idea why such a basic spec is so darned tough to locate.

 

[Rutedown]

CX9

CX5

 

[dwill]

CX9
View attachment 222184
CX5
View attachment 222185

How old is that CX-5? Even my 2016 CX-5 GT had a camera similar to what you show for the CX-9 with the same red/yellow ladder grid line.