How do you like your 5, now that you have it back?

[Antonio DiMarco]

I drove my wife's 5 all day yesterday and came home with a smile on my face. It maybe my imagination but I think the new exhaust actually improved the 5's midband responsiveness. Can anyone with more info comment?

I took offramps and onramps at 60, took twisties like I was driving my 3 and was amazed at how smooth the 5 speed powertrain is. At less than $20,000 this car is a marvel of solid engineering. I was also amazed at how fast I was able to get to 100mph (I didn't stay there long) and how stable the car felt at speed.

I know the 5 is based on the 3's platform and powertrain but man the 5 - a "family" car- has some serious balls.

I'm so glad it's back and hope the new MPV get's a dose of the same juice. The 2005 MPV I drove as a loaner is a HUGE step down from the 5. :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

[perfecto]

I love it - my wife and I are so glad we bought it now, especially since we got the nearest competing vehicle (a Matrix) as a rental and found it totally and completely inferior to the 5 in every way.

:)

[isda65]

I love it - my wife and I are so glad we bought it now, especially since we got the nearest competing vehicle (a Matrix) as a rental and found it totally and completely inferior to the 5 in every way.

:)

I'm just laughing here right now Perfecto since I felt exactly the same way as you do now. I remember your initial "very positive" observation on the Matrix. Same here with me with the Camry. On the first week I thought man why didn't I ever consider the Camry before. On the last week of driving it it was like driving Wonder Woman's invisible airplane. The Camry has become totally nameless, faceless, plain, forgettable that I just couldn't be bothered cleaning what's not there anymore :)

When we picked the 5 from the dealership yesterday I was shocked by the reaction of my kids. They just went crazy with elation. My daughter, 14, who doesn't even care about cars acted as if she got her first puppy. She particularly kept gushing about how nice it was to have the sliding door back. The first thing that my son, 8, did when he got in was to recline the seat and let out a big sigh of relief. We were home! Poor Camry. It was like it hasn't existed at all. For myself, I'm just happy to be sitting high again, take tight parkings spots without worry, make tight uturns, not have to painfully bend over to open the rear trunk, enjoy what is truly, I just realized, a more superior audio system, etc, etc, etc. I feel like I'm back driving a space ship. No wonder it is referred to also as a space wagon.

On another note, have you notice how the heat shielding was installed? Seems to me like it was just hastily slapped there as the edges were not adhered tightly making me think that it could attract mud and debris in the long run. I'll make a thorough check next time and maybe take some pics. Could others share their observations?

[Antonio DiMarco]

I'm just laughing here right now Perfecto since I felt exactly the same way as you do now. I remember your initial "very positive" observation on the Matrix. Same here with me with the Camry. On the first week I thought man why didn't I ever consider the Camry before. On the last week of driving it it was like driving Wonder Woman's invisible airplane. The Camry has become totally nameless, faceless, plain, forgettable that I just couldn't be bothered cleaning what's not there anymore :)

When we picked the 5 from the dealership yesterday I was shocked by the reaction of my kids. They just went crazy with elation. My daughter, 14, who doesn't even care about cars acted as if she got her first puppy. She particularly kept gushing about how nice it was to have the sliding door back. The first thing that my son, 8, did when he got in was to recline the seat and let out a big sigh of relief. We were home! Poor Camry. It was like it hasn't existed at all. For myself, I'm just happy to be sitting high again, take tight parkings spots without worry, make tight uturns, not have to painfully bend over to open the rear trunk, enjoy what is truly, I just realized, a more superior audio system, etc, etc, etc. I feel like I'm back driving a space ship. No wonder it is referred to also as a space wagon.

On another note, have you notice how the heat shielding was installed? Seems to me like it was just hastily slapped there as the edges were not adhered tightly making me think that it could attract mud and debris in the long run. I'll make a thorough check next time and maybe take some pics. Could others share their observations?

I'll check mine again but I didn't feel anything was slapped together. Tight as a drum.

[airman_slacker]

It's like a dream come true to have my 5 back. My wife isn't depressed when we have to go anywhere anymore. I was wondering if the exhaust has improved the performace or even hindered it. I have always noticed it to be very responsive when I touch the gas (or brake, or steering wheel :D) but I don't think I had it long enough before the recall to get a real feel for it to tell if there is a difference or not. Time to make some calls and find out!

[fam]

My 0-60 time improved by a full 2 seconds to a total of 42 seconds for the 0-60 and 1:47 for the 1/4 mile. WOoooh! Just kidding, havent gotten my pink van back yet. You lucky terd burglers.

[miatafied]

You lucky terd burglers.

LOL! Yeah, what he said!

[Antonio DiMarco]

I drove my wife's 5 all day yesterday and came home with a smile on my face. It maybe my imagination but I think the new exhaust actually improved the 5's midband responsiveness. Can anyone with more info comment?

I took offramps and onramps at 60, took twisties like I was driving my 3 and was amazed at how smooth the 5 speed powertrain is. At less than $20,000 this car is a marvel of solid engineering. I was also amazed at how fast I was able to get to 100mph (I didn't stay there long) and how stable the car felt at speed.

I know the 5 is based on the 3's platform and powertrain but man the 5 - a "family" car- has some serious balls.

I'm so glad it's back and hope the new MPV get's a dose of the same juice. The 2005 MPV I drove as a loaner is a HUGE step down from the 5. :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

I was planning to take my 3 into work like I always do and my son (5 years old) jumped in the 5 and asked me if I could drive him to school in the 5. I gave in and eneded up taking the 5 into Boston.

After driving it a 100 miles round trip I am again amazed about how damned smooth and responsive the 5 drives. I feel like I'm driving my 3. I'm even pretty satisfied with the standard audio system which blows the "premium system" that I had in my Honda Pilot to bits. Even without the tweeters the sound is smooth and well balancd across the 5's dash.

It was such a pleasurable experience and I find that I feel the sme way as I do about my 3- just lookign at the 5 makes me want to drive it.

The biggest complaint I have is that I'm going to have a hard time choosing whihc to drive each day!

I'm very happy :-)

[fam]

K i got mine back and my experience is a bit different! The stereo is oathetic compared to the bottom barrel mazda6i rental, basically it has no bass :-( It feels slower than it used to, but maybe I need to drive it more. Also, they never moved it so I think the tires flat spotted, if it keeps on making vibration on the highway mazda may be buying me new tires. :-( But even after my quarrels, I still LOVE the car and am SOoOOoOo happy to have it back.

[miatafied]

Mixed reviews here.....thought the stereo sucked!...thinking about those posts of replacing speakers...and I'm NOT a big audiophile.

Forgot about the zoom-zoom! Driving the MPV for a month will do that to ya, and I thought that the MPV had some pretty good maneuverability for a minivan. The mazda5 is superior in so many ways. Did a tight U-turn in the dealer parking lot then nearly squealed the tires out of the lot (gotta get those tires replaced). I had to keep checking myself that I wasn't driving too fast because it felt great.

Every little thing, I was like "Oh, yeah!" Forgot I had a sunroof, NAV, 6-cd changer - loving the 5 speed! The ease of getting kids in and out, the adjustability of the back seats (in the MPV I kept trying to move the seats front and back - but they don't go!)

I wasn't sure if the brakes felt any different (the brakes on my miata are very "grabby" so I'm not sure if I'm confusing the 2 cars)

I also forgot how great looking it is.....so happy happy happy to have the 5 back!

[the_saint]

K i got mine back and my experience is a bit different! The stereo is oathetic compared to the bottom barrel mazda6i rental, basically it has no bass :-( That was the second thing I noticed when I took delivery of the loaner 6i. I was like "damn, does this thing have a premium system with sub?" I had to pop the trunk just to check, lol.
The first thing I noticed was how much more noise (engine & road) the 6 lets in.

[perfecto]

Are any of you guys noticing that the engine sounds a bit louder since the recall, especially at 3000+ RPM?

[fam]

No, mine is as quiet if not quieter, but feels like a dog, (but maybe it felt like a dog before). I do have a shiny exhaust tip.

[Kaian]

Finally got my 5 back yesterday.

What a weird experience this has been. I'm fairly happy with Mazda's actions in this recall. I obviously would rather not have had a recall to begin with, and the amount of time my 5 was gone was way too long, but I'm happier now with my 5 than ever.

I first got a 2005 Mazda3 sedan as a loaner. I liked the 3 a lot, although I would have preferred the 5-door hatch, and the color I got (silver) didn't do anything for me.

However, after a couple of weeks I had to return the 3 to get a MPV as I got to the point where I had to drive with all three of my kids and their car seats, and it's just too hard to get them all in one row in the 3, which was the main reason I looked to the 5 in the first place.

The MPV, for a minivan, was ok. I could actually park it in places without too much trouble, unlike my wife's Sienna which I refuse to drive. But overall I felt like I was guiding a tank around, and the horrible gas mileage was insane. And I really missed shifting my manual transmission.

Even though I don't like the recall, I like the fact I was able to really try out the two other Mazdas while my 5 was in custody. It really clarified for me that I would not have been happy in a minivan, but it surprisingly made me appreciate the charms of the Mazda3 even more. If I didn't have the car seats to deal with, I'd be heavily tempted into a 3, but the 5 still wins in practicality to me, and I think the interior parts of the 5 (the car audio controls, etc.) are a bit nicer than the 3.

[miatafied]

Even though I don't like the recall, I like the fact I was able to really try out the two other Mazdas while my 5 was in custody. It really clarified for me that I would not have been happy in a minivan,

AMEN! We ended up getting a 6 then an MPV as loaners - having the 5 after driving the MPV - well.....WOW....viva la difference!

[rockett]

Could someone post a pic of the new exhaust tip? I haven't seen it yet, and my dealer is saying it could be another week. THANKS!

[Antonio DiMarco]

Mixed reviews here.....thought the stereo sucked!...thinking about those posts of replacing speakers...and I'm NOT a big audiophile.

Forgot about the zoom-zoom! Driving the MPV for a month will do that to ya, and I thought that the MPV had some pretty good maneuverability for a minivan. The mazda5 is superior in so many ways. Did a tight U-turn in the dealer parking lot then nearly squealed the tires out of the lot (gotta get those tires replaced). I had to keep checking myself that I wasn't driving too fast because it felt great.

Every little thing, I was like "Oh, yeah!" Forgot I had a sunroof, NAV, 6-cd changer - loving the 5 speed! The ease of getting kids in and out, the adjustability of the back seats (in the MPV I kept trying to move the seats front and back - but they don't go!)

I wasn't sure if the brakes felt any different (the brakes on my miata are very "grabby" so I'm not sure if I'm confusing the 2 cars)

I also forgot how great looking it is.....so happy happy happy to have the 5 back!

I guess it all in your perspective. My 3 has the "premium system with the tweeters and I think sounds great for a factory car stereo. It defintely sounds better than the subwoofer-driven system in my Pilot. The 5's system isn't great but it definitely ranks higher than 90% of the factory systems out there. Not sure what kind of music your listening to. I've been listening to acoustic and electronic stuff lately. The 5 definitely doesn't have the high frequncies of the 3 with tweets, btu isn't a talking tin can either. I agree that the 6i did have a killer system and the MPV had a very good system as well. But it's all in your perspective, both those cars cost significantly more than teh 5 when you consider how much you get with the 5.

[the_saint]

I got mine back today. YAY! It's nice to have some room back.
Performance wise I think it's the same, maybe a little more doggy, but that might be because I was driving a lighter & slightly higher HP vehicle. The 5 does seem a tad bit louder though.

I shot a quick pic of the tail pipe. It's a bad pic, but you should get the idea. It's nothing fancy, just a plain old chrome tip.
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/1258/img10371ig.th.jpg (http://img231.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img10371ig.jpg)

[dag25]

http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/673/515yf.jpg

[mazdahatch]

Got it back yesterday. Very happy with the 5 all over again. Nice to have the nav back, the driving experience back (though I still wish a bigger engine option was available), the small parking footprint, etc. We we given a brand new MPV loaner and we already own a Mazda 6i 5-door. I like our 5 better than our 6 or the MPV.

My dealer also detailed it, filled the tank and delivered it to my workplace. Now I'm watching the mail for my $500 check. :)

I've been pleased with Mazda's handling of the recall. I'm more pleased to have the 5 back. Overall count me a happy Mazda camper.

-mazdahatch

[rockett]

Thanks for the pics guys. I wonder why the exhaust is pointing slighty to the ground. I also don't see a heat sheild. Is the chrome pipe being used not only for a little bling bling but also to be the heat shield? Killing two birds with one stone perhaps?

[the_saint]

I seriously doubt the tip has little, if any, heat sheilding properties.
From what I remember the original exhaust pointed downward as well. I think most factory exhausts point downward, it probably helps keep the bumper clean or something. (shrug)

[rockett]

Got my 5 back today. Wow, what a difference from the MPV. So much more giteup its amazing. I took a business trip last week and rented a Ford Taurus. What a piece of junk. Has very little response in acceleration. Anyways, I like the 5 so much more. (drive2)

As for the 5, I had my dealer drive it back to me. They are about an hour away so it was a bit of a waste of 2 hours of my own time to go pick it up. They came, dropped off the 5 and drove the MPV back. What a great thing. When I asked if they would do this there wasn't any hesitation so I give my dealer high praise for doing this.

The guy that drove the car to me said he was thoroughly impressed by the 5. He hadn't driven one yet and was blown away. When I took him where the MPV was parked he said said he didn't want to drive it back.

[rarefc3s]

Had ours for a week. Was gone so long I don't know if anything is different, I think its all the same myself. Not sure if the dealer removed the antenna mast when they washed it or someone swiped it but its gone. Guess I'll have to buy a new one when we get the $500. I really want to add the automatic climate control if that is even possible.

[the_saint]

Had ours for a week. Was gone so long I don't know if anything is different, I think its all the same myself. Not sure if the dealer removed the antenna mast when they washed it or someone swiped it but its gone. Guess I'll have to buy a new one when we get the $500. I really want to add the automatic climate control if that is even possible.
I would have said something to the dealership about the antenna and demanded that they replace it. You brought it in with an antenna, it had better leave with an antenna.
As for the climate control, I doubt that you will be able to retrofit it. If you can it will probably be a huge pain in the butt to do...I imagine there are plenty of sensors and wiring and computers involved.

[rarefc3s]

I didn't notice the antenna was gone until the next morning. Some kid could have swiped it overnight I guess.

[the_saint]

I didn't notice the antenna was gone until the next morning. Some kid could have swiped it overnight I guess.
You could omit that little piece of info when complaining to the dealer. (evil)

[DRHP]

I just got the 5 back a couple of hours ago after a little over 2 weeks. After 10 minutes of driving it I was already on the phone with my service writer. The car is a dog. The shift points are nothing like they used to be and it now takes almost a full second after I step on the gas before it will downshift. This almost got me into an accident when I tried to switch to the passing lane on the highway and it was unresponsive. The car in the other lane had to hit his brakes as the "turtle" cut in front of him. (notcool)

The service writer said he would talk to his master mazda tech in the morning and see what they could do. This was my biggest fear once I heard they were going to flash the pcm. My 5 (auto) in manual mode was Greg Lemond and now it's Fat Albert.

[WhitewaterPearl]

Oh my, I was thinking the same. This is exaclty what I feared would happen after a reflash on a TCM that in my opinion works "perfect" from the factory.

Sorry to hear this but I'm betting you won't be the only one who will report varying dissatisfaction.

I'm gonna play it safe a bit longer, I won't (and might never), be turning in my car until you guys are completly happy (strike)

[the_saint]

I'm not certain about this, but it might be true.
I have read that alot of cars are coming out with some kind of adaptive shift computer controlled trannys. Meaning that the computer "learns" your driving style for the first X number of miles. After the computer gets a "feel" for your driving technique it will optimize the shift points, line pressures, ect. as per your style.
Maybe that's why you're not satisfied with the reflash.

Supposedly the way to clear this from the cars memory is to disconnect the battery and step on the brakes for 30 seconds or so (the brakes are supposed to drain any possible residual charge in the computer). after you've done that you can hook the batt. back up and take it for a spin. Afterwhich the computer is supposed to be re-adjusted for you.

Take this with a grain of salt, I do not know if it will apply to the 5.

[Mazda5_4_me!]

Dealer had my car way over the time limit they promised I would get it back, so I went to the dealership and took it back. The dealer still had not received the repair kits, and had no idea when they would. None of the 5 e-mails I sent to Mazda Corp office in Irvine, CA. were ever answered! I finally called customer service, he called the Browning Mazda Dealership, and it appears that they forgot about me, although out of the 18 cars sold at that dealership that were recalled, 5 owners decided to drive them until the fix kits were ready. The Mazda Corp promised in writing that not one dealer owned new M5 would be sold until the cars we owned were taken care of first. NOT! I kept the Los Angeles Times newspaper auto ad section from 2 weeks ago, with Mazda5's being advertised for sale! I just now, today got a call from the dealer asking me to bring my car back to have the work done. Yet another day of missed work! If it wasn't such a great car, I'd tell the Mazda guys to kiss my a--! (fuoops)

[Antonio DiMarco]

Dealer had my car way over the time limit they promised I would get it back, so I went to the dealership and took it back. The dealer still had not received the repair kits, and had no idea when they would. None of the 5 e-mails I sent to Mazda Corp office in Irvine, CA. were ever answered! I finally called customer service, he called the Browning Mazda Dealership, and it appears that they forgot about me, although out of the 18 cars sold at that dealership that were recalled, 5 owners decided to drive them until the fix kits were ready. The Mazda Corp promised in writing that not one dealer owned new M5 would be sold until the cars we owned were taken care of first. NOT! I kept the Los Angeles Times newspaper auto ad section from 2 weeks ago, with Mazda5's being advertised for sale! I just now, today got a call from the dealer asking me to bring my car back to have the work done. Yet another day of missed work! If it wasn't such a great car, I'd tell the Mazda guys to kiss my a--! (fuoops)

So they used the parts to fix the unsold cars?

[Mazda5_4_me!]

So they used the parts to fix the unsold cars?

No. each part kit for the recall actually has the vin number of the car that it goes to.

[perfecto]

So, are they supposed to wait until you and everyone else who took their cars early "decide to take your car in" until they start selling 5's? :confused:

(outie)

[Mazda5_4_me!]

Perfecto, you did not read my post, the fix kit for my car did not even arrive at the dealership from Mazda Corporate until the 11th, when I finally got the call to bring mine back for the recall fix! There are still 3 more m5's sitting there in the dealers back lot, the owners still waiting till their special kits come in...and yes it pisses me off that Mazda owners still can't drive their cars while Mazda dealers fix and sell their stock. I say give new cars to those who are still waiting!!!