What have you done to your CX-5 today?

[yieldchase]

Got some Michelin CrossClimate2 tires installed.
Ordered some rear pads (AKEBONO ACT1846) and rotors (BREMBO 08C42511 (08.C425.11)).

 

[Frank_Zuccar]

"Got some Michelin CrossClimate2 tires installed."......me too.

 

[SBMongoos]

Serpentine belt was replaced the other day. Was raining all day and started to squeak. I took a look and noticed that it was about 50% narrower than it should be. Had them replace the water pump belt as well.

About a week ago during the oil service I had them do the fluid change on the rear differential (2nd time). At over 94k now.

 

[ColoradoDriver]

I bought a set of these for my 2017 CX-5 back in December and have been very happy with them: Smooth and quiet, handle well plus I notice an mpg improvement as well.

Once you get some miles on them and a feel for these tires let me know what you think. I may get the same Conti's I have again. Never had Pirelli's before.

Only a couple weeks on them so far, but color me impressed and very happy with them.

Quietest tire I've ever put on my CX-5 by far, but for my purposes, more importantly these tires feel extremely well planted. I've taken some sharp turns a little quicker than I should have and let's just say these things didn't feel like they were going to slip at all. Good traction, excellent steering responsiveness / feeling. Seems to also at the same time dampen some bumps a bit better than my last set.

Drove in some rain as well and no hydroplaning either.

Overall very happy with these tires so far, will see how it progresses.

 

[SBMongoos]

Only a couple weeks on them so far, but color me impressed and very happy with them.

Quietest tire I've ever put on my CX-5 by far, but for my purposes, more importantly these tires feel extremely well planted. I've taken some sharp turns a little quicker than I should have and let's just say these things didn't feel like they were going to slip at all. Good traction, excellent steering responsiveness / feeling. Seems to also at the same time dampen some bumps a bit better than my last set.

Drove in some rain as well and no hydroplaning either.

Overall very happy with these tires so far, will see how it progresses.

Have you had the Continental CrossContact LX25s before? Curious as to how they compare.

 

[ColoradoDriver]

Have you had the Continental CrossContact LX25s before? Curious as to how they compare.

I have not. It was the other tire I was considering.

 

[GFrosty]

New tires -- Nokian Encompass AW02, 235/50-19 103V XL.

New tire -- spare tire, as it's been 9yrs+ since the original had been installed.

Due to a recent check engine light = P0300 code:

• GDI intake valve cleaning w/ STP GDI Intake Valve Cleaner bottle
• Chevron Techron in the gas tank
• Several "Italian tune-ups" weekly
• CEL persisted
• Spark plugs, new set of NGK Ruthenium
• Ignition coils, new set of four OEM Mazda
• Second treatment of STP GDI intake valve cleaner
• Another bottle of Techron in another tank of gas
• "Italian tune-ups" continuing
• CEL is now gone
• Note: due to greater percentage of driving is stop-and-go urban, will be doing
  • Annual GDI intake valve cleaning
  • A bottle of Chevron Techron every several thousand miles
  • "Italian tune-ups" several times weekly -- hard accelerations, and a couple of 5-minute intervals @ 5Krpm
  • Clearly I've been in "Granny driving" mode, given all the urban mileage. Time to pump up the volume, more or less.

 

[GFrosty]

Engine air filter -- Fram XGA11259 UltraAir.

Cabin air filter -- Fram CV11811 TruAir.

"Italian tune-up" -- Another round of 5K rpms for 10mins, on the highway (3rd gear, actually). Hopefully, doing this once or twice weekly will add up to keeping the intake/fuel system cleaner, along with a can of Chevron Techron High-Mileage a couple times annually, and an annual Berryman GDI Intake Valve Cleaner treatment once annually. Probably a throttle body cleaning in there somewhere, annually, as well.

 

[N7turbo]

Another round of 5K rpms for 10mins, on the highway (3rd gear, actually). Hopefully, doing this once or twice weekly

I'm not a mechanic, but I feel this may be overkill.

 

[paris1]

I'm not a mechanic, but I feel this may be overkill.

Ya think?

 

[GFrosty]

Ya think?

The Miata's engine much prefers exercising. Performs far better when shifts are made above 5K rpms, often above 6K. Occasional runs in the mountains for a half hour to hour, keeping rpms in the 4K to 6500 range.

The Mazda3's engine isn't much different, in that it seems healthier when well-exercised.

Have had both, for many years. Fabulous engines, when kept lively.

The CX-5 with its automatic transmission is (in my case of driving patterns) far too frequently in the ~1300-2200 rpm range. Mostly urban, slower-speed routes, lots of stop-and-go. Even on the highway, it's rare for me to hit 2500, and that's for only moments. That's a recipe for gumming-up, over time.

I suppose manual shifting to get the rpms regularly in the higher range would be another way. Even this 5-10mins of ~5K rpms isn't but a tenth of the Miata or 3's weekly time at higher revs (in my own experience).

 

[7eregrine]

I am, hands down, the first person to give someone a hard time when I hear "I like to baby my car..."...I have a friend that literally tries to keep his RPMs under 2K...seriously...
The first one to tell anyone who thinks a CX5 is 'slow', that they aren't driving it right if they aren't flooring it.

But i 100% agree with the others. Your "Italian tune ups" are overkill.

 

[theblooms]

The first one to tell anyone who thinks a CX5 is 'slow', that they aren't driving it right if they aren't flooring it.

I went from my 04 MZ3 S 2.3 with a 5 speed to my 12 CX-5 2.0 automatic.

The MZ 3 isn't fast at all, but it was a fun little car. Even compared to my not so fast MZ3, my CX-5 is indeed, slow.
It is what it is.

 

[GFrosty]

But i 100% agree with the others. Your "Italian tune ups" are overkill.

This is a "what have you done lately" thread. Not a suggestions thread for what others should do.

The thing is, though, 5-10mins weekly of ~5K rpms usage is easily done using the +/- manual shift. Somehow I doubt people would get grilled over regular "spirited" driving in this way. Yet a similar amount of rpms without +/- equates to "overkill".

Aren't many ways to get the RPMs up, if the routes don't afford much opportunity to let it "run". Manual shifting 'normally', or this leave-it-there-for-a-few-mins manual shifting method.

And if most of the driving is stop-and-go, slower-speed stuff ... well, the problem of "gumming up" the works isn't a new one. Nor is the "Italian tune-up" method of periodically getting the RPMs up.

Have yet to hear a shop mechanic or a Mazda dealership tech indicate that such is flatly bad for the vehicle. Wasn't surprising to them with the Miata 1.8L, nor the 3-series 2.5S, and hasn't so far been (4+ yrs) with the 2.5L CX-5. Perhaps one of the techs will point out a defect in the concept, at some point. Haven't done so yet.

 

[N7turbo]

The idea is solid. All I'm saying is, I don't think the RPMs need to be that high, for that long. 3K should be plenty.

I prefer some WOT sprints getting onto the highway though

 

[jadmt]

I kind of do the "italian tuneup" on my cx5 turbo...I mostly run around in sportmode and often keep it manually in the lower gears and exercise the tack needle...might not keep it at 5000 rpms for a solid 10 minutes but certainly hit 6000rpms from time to time.

 

[GFrosty]

I prefer some WOT sprints getting onto the highway though

I do those, too, on the one on-ramp that I use with WOT, in my area. When I can. It hasn't been enough. And aside from running in "manual" mode all the time, there's basically this method. Ain't sexy. But it probably amounts to roughly the amount of time weekly at 4500-5500 that I'd otherwise be doing if running in "manual" mode and raising those shift points.

Won't be everyone's cuppa.

 

[GFrosty]

New tires -- Nokian Encompass AW02, 235/50-19 103V XL.

Well, I can safely say these new AW02 tires are stellar in the rain. (At least, while in the "new" stage of grip.)

• Dry and clear -- 4 out of 5.
• Wet (not puddles) -- 4 out of 5.
• Hydroplaning -- 4+ out of 5. Highway puddling and some areas of 1"+.
• Noise -- 3.75+ out of 5. Fairly quiet, though a very slight 'hum'.
• Hard maneuvers (L/R) -- 3.75+ out of 5.
• Hard braking -- 4 out of 5.

Subjective: sure-footed.

All in all, a nice tire. IMO, better wet performance than other 3-season (all-season) tires I have had experience with. Far better hydroplaning resistance than most tires I've used.

The all-weather compound in these is similar to that of the Nokian WRG4 that I have had previously. Ought to perform similarly well in the cold, moderate snow, frosty/icy.

 

[SBMongoos]

I have not. It was the other tire I was considering.

How are the tires so far? We've had some decent rain.

 

[7eregrine]

This is a "what have you done lately" thread. Not a suggestions thread for what others should do.

It is first and foremost a discussion forum, and I am not telling anyone "what to do".

Have yet to hear a shop mechanic or a Mazda dealership tech indicate that such is flatly bad for the vehicle.

Nor did I say it was BAD. I said overkill. And I stand by that.