My 2012 Mazda 3 makes my 5's suspension seem soft.

[cburrell]

I really need to do some aftermarket work on my suspension, because my 2012 3 makes it feel soft. My 2012 3 has some of the most taught stock suspension that I've ever owned on a vehicle. I heard many people say it is " German like " in the way it rides and handles, one review I read said it is the best driving car this side of a Miata . The 5 handling is already better than a lot of compact sedans, but I want more out of it. I know feeling "soft" is relative, but I want my 5 suspension to be just as taught as my 3's.

 

[ScottSXT]

What wheels/tires are you running on your 5? If you have a Sport and are running the 16s w/ H rated 205 55 16s then an upgrade to V or Z rated 16" tires or even better an upgrade to 17 inch wheels w/ lower profile 50 series tires that are V/Z rated would really help. V and Z rated tires have a much stiffer and less forgiving sidewall than H rated.

I kept the H rated 205 55 16s on my 5 because a) they only 2000 miles on them and b) I didn't want to sacrifice a ton of ride quality, but something I'm doing to improve handling on mine is adding the H&R lowering springs for the 2012+. I'm waiting on them to be shipped now. This will lower it about 1.3-1.4 inches, and that lower center of gravity should improve my handling.

Corksport has an adjustable rear sway bar but I'm sure if that piece is 2006-2010 specific or fits the 2012+ also.

 

[eyeballs]

I think I read around here somewhere that the suspensions are similar between the 1st and 2nd gen 5's. And if I'm not mistaken, that means many parts that fit on the mazda 3's will fit on the 5. You should have many options such as upgraded dampers (koni, etc) and springs to coilovers. There's even a couple coilover options listed for the 5 specifically. At the very least you could throw on the h&r springs and a rear swaybar (racing beat or corksport). If you really want a firm, controlled ride you should be looking for a set of quality coilovers (bilstein, KW, etc) with good spring rates. The parts you need are out there, but it might be up to you to do some research since there don't seem to be too many 2nd gen 5 owners around here that like to play with suspension.