Product Improvement Thread

[MikeM.]

Thanks Mike, I'll try that next time. I haven't been doing that thinking it won't be enough "throw power" to close all the way, but I'll try.

Keep in mind - the CX-5 is very airtight, if all the other doors/windows are closed it will take more force to close. The airtightness acts as an air cushion the last 1/2" so, between this air cushion and the rubber gasket, you do not need to worry about closing it too hard. When I first picked up the car it would never latch all the way doing this and I would have to push it closed from the exterior. But, with experience, I learned exactly how much is needed and, if you accidentally do it too hard it will not hurt anything (you would need to be the incredible hulk to hurt it). If another door or window is open the force required will be less. Let us know if you can get this to work as I'm 6'-04" and am not sure if the ergonomics are good for someone of less height.

 

[ReManG]

I am bumping this with something that I had not thought of until my 7500 mile service. An oil life monitor, the highest compression production engine (gas) is subject to mileage oil changes, not the engine tracking the oil parameters. This is actually a wish, but considering what other vehicles in this price range (Honda, Toyota come to mind) do to track their oil life, I think this should be stock on an engine like this. For the diesel engine, it seems this would help as well with the oil rise issues they seem to be having, or conversely track how many engines are not having that issue.....

 

[Lando]

Things that the CX-5 designers could learn from the Forester

Sport manual

I love my CX-5, but after spending four days driving my father's 2011 Subaru Forester 2.5X premium, from Joplin, MO to Bend, OR, about 1700 miles, I came away feeling that Mazda needs to work on the interior materials of the CX-5. The dash layouts are surprisingly similar but the Forester materials are just better. My Cx-5 dust collector dash and piano plastic trim are outclassed, as is the switchgear, especially the steering wheel cruise and audio controls which feel more substantial and solid in the Subie.

The seats in the Forester are much better both in comfort and materials. I spent 8-10 hours driving each day and had no problem adjusting the seats to my liking, and felt little fatigue at the end of the day. With the Mazda, if I don't have my OregonAero seat cushion, my back is hurting after a few hours behind the wheel. I was transporting two dogs in the back with the rear seats folded down. My CX-5 seats do not fold flat, but the Forester's do.

I know the Mazda Skyactiv goal is to cut weight and improve efficiency, but I believe the cabin is not the place to do this. It just makes the car feel cheap. Press down on the narrow plastic trim piece separating the instrument cluster from the steering wheel and you will see what I mean. The plastic flexes like yogurt container plastic. The strange thing is that even with all the Skyactiv weight saving, the AWD Forester actually weighs about the same as my FWD manual CX-5.

Don't get me wrong, I cross shopped the Forester and chose the CX-5 mainly because of the outstanding gas mileage, sportscar suspension and looks, (I think the Forester is dorky looking) but there are some areas where Mazda needs to improve especially given that the 2014 Forester will have direct injection yielding similar gas mileage numbers and improved manual and auto transmissions with increased interior room. I expect Mazda to continue to improve rather than fall behind.

 

[Buger]

The seats in the Forester are much better both in comfort and materials. I spent 8-10 hours driving each day and had no problem adjusting the seats to my liking, and felt little fatigue at the end of the day. With the Mazda, if I don't have my OregonAero seat cushion, my back is hurting after a few hours behind the wheel. I was transporting two dogs in the back with the rear seats folded down. My CX-5 seats do not fold flat, but the Forester's do.

I'm sure you're probably aware already but the seats not folding flat is only for our 6MT sport versions and not for all the others. I agree that this was one of the things that I really wanted so it was disappointing to see that the stripped down sport didn't have the 40/20/40 rear seat split which folded down flat.

 

[tarapajero1]

I would like it to turn on the headlights when the wipers activate, this would improve safety and assist driver compliance in states with "lights on when wipers on" laws. The lights could stay on 5 minutes minimum to alleviate any on and off when driving in spotty weather.

I do agree on this..!!

 

[JC_hbg]

I agree with the suggestion to automatically turn on the headlights when the wipers are on. Since it's the law in my state I find it an inconvenience to have to manually change it from auto to on and then back.

 

[stromdriver]

i think that the drls qualify as the lights when wipers are on

 

[JC_hbg]

Apparently the DRL meets the letter of the law here in PA but probably not the intent since that doesn't turn on the tail lights.

 

[popeyecahn]

MT Sport:

Heating/Cooling adjustment - there are pretty much 2 levels of it. Warm/Cold that's it. The adjustments within cold (left half) and hot (right half) bring no perceivable change.

Yep.

Plus the heater takes too long to warm the cabin, my Korean hatch took 1/3 the time to run me out of the car with heat why can't Hiroshima's best?

 

[z-man]

^ in So Cal...what, did the temps go down to 60? Try single digits for a week

 

[popeyecahn]

^ in So Cal...what, did the temps go down to 60? Try single digits for a week

Har-har... No thanks, I used to live in that mess in Minnesota. Actually they've been in the 30's in the morning, just enough to piss you off.