Do you find the 5 under-powered?

[MP5Alive]

Been driving the 5 for around 2000 kms now and am quite happy with it. It's a great compromise of utility, performance, and economy.

I used to drive a 5-speed Protege5. Sure, it wasn't a speed demon, but the thrust-to-weight ratio is about right and with a quick downshift, there is more than enough power on tap.

My 4-speed auto Mazda5 however, will try to climb a hill at 1900RPM in 3rd gear? WTF?!? And it really struggles. If I'm not mistaken, 3rd gear in the 4AT is 1:1 (i.e. no mechanical advantage). Of course I can just floor the pedal to force a downshift but then the car screams as the RPMs go way up.

Is it just me or is the only way to get decent power out of the auto tranny is to floor the gas pedal? I find 2nd and 3rd gear a bit far apart. Why didn't they have a 5-spd auto? It's available on Mazda3's, right?

[mountjonas]

yeah, it seems a bit underpowered to me, also. maybe it's the 4AT's unwillingness to kick down a gear. not sure how it is in the 5 speed.

[~JoJo~]

mazda 5 = no juice =p I still love it though for its' style and function.

[monsta]

It sure could use that Auto 5-speed. Although, I don't know the ratios in it...

Luckily we have the option of shifting the 4-speed ourselves (most of the time) so flooring it doesn't really need to happen.

I find it quite peppy above 5500rpm! :D It IS an inline 4 afterall. Rev the buggah!

[irloyal]

It needs a six-speed. Good zoom-zoom and better mileage.

[monsta]

I needs the turbo-charger from the Speed6 mated to that 6-speed! YUM!

[Wytchdctr]

yeah, it seems a bit underpowered to me, also. maybe it's the 4AT's unwillingness to kick down a gear. not sure how it is in the 5 speed.

wow, odd. I thought our 5s was one of the most aggresive autos ive ever driven. Mine always wants to kick down a gear

[dommo_g]

It could use 30 more horses/torque to make it really fun.

[bulwnkl]

Underpowered? No, I don't find ours to be. OTOH, everything is relative. So, if you're used to an 8-liter V-10 in a 500-lb. cart, then yeah, it's a little underpowered. :p

Seriously, though, I don't find it underpowered despite having had a 250-hp (aftermarket) SAAB turbo not too long ago. It's powered about appropriately for what it is aimed at doing, IMO. Don't know how much different, exactly, the AT is. We drove one or two, but that's not the same as owning one for 6 months or a year or so.

[toucci]

I don't see how anyone can call the mazda 5 underpowered.. have you ever been driving on the freeway and had to turn around and go home because it was too steep? I have... that is underpowered -- the lack of power affects the car's ability to transport its passengers.

[mountjonas]

for me, it's more of a transmission thing which translates into the car feeling underpowered. yeah, my 87 tempo with ~70whp was underpowered. but driving up a grade at 70mph, the AT stays in 4th gear until i really step on it.

[MP5Alive]

for me, it's more of a transmission thing which translates into the car feeling underpowered. yeah, my 87 tempo with ~70whp was underpowered. but driving up a grade at 70mph, the AT stays in 4th gear until i really step on it.

I think that's it. I've been spoiled by my Protege5's 5MT where I could more easily choose what gear to be in. That car totally didn't mind being driven consistently above 4000rpm with none of this "burnt" smell problems (http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123641325) others have experienced.

[the_saint]

I think it's a transmission thing too...it's too soft and shifts too early. Like it will try to accelerate up a hill from 5mph in 2nd gear, and it will stay in 2nd (from 800 rpm up to 4 or 5 grand. And this is keeping it in the 75% throttle range the whole time. I find myself doing the "scootch" manuver (where you sort of hop forward in your seat, trying to make the car go faster (freak) ).

And then there are other times where it will be in third gear (coasting) and I will step on the gas and ther car will almost do a 'neutral drop' into second.


Makes me wish I would have got a stick instead.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/mlsaint78/SMILEYS/vava.gif

Does anybody know if there is a PCM reflash or something that can be done to change the transmission characteristics?

[jandree22]

I don't see how anyone can call the mazda 5 underpowered.. have you ever been driving on the freeway and had to turn around and go home because it was too steep? I have... that is underpowered -- the lack of power affects the car's ability to transport its passengers.
Was this in your P5 you're referring to? Do you have an auto tranny?

IMO the 5's problem is more tranny than engine. It's just a fact that the smaller the engine is, the more important it is to have a well thought out transmission to take advantage of power you have. The 5MT is obviously a winner because not only do you have 5 gears, but it's also easier for the driver to select which is most appropriate. Seems like the 4AT is flawed not only in that it only has 4 gears, but that it's kind of 'mentally challenged' too... it's a shame, hopefully there's be some kind of reflash in the future like you're hoping for Saint...

All I can say is learn to use your auto-stick feature effectively, and be thankful that you even have it. While it's certainly not the perfect solution, it should be a big help for climbing hills and what not.

[doctorz]

I agree, the 5 feels underpowered with the automatic, but it felt like every other four cylinder engine with an automatic that I've driven--slow off the line, floor the pedal to get the tranny to kick down to get any power. That's part of the reason we got the 5-speed, which has plenty of power, even with the A/C on and a full load. I'll never buy a four cylinder car with an automatic again if I can help it.

On the other hand, it's all relative. We used to have a '97 Honda CR-V with an automatic. Now that was slow...but it did make it up hills if you floored it. Can't say I've ever had bulwnkl's problem...

[monsta]

So what's the ratios of both transmissions anyway?

Letting the auto shift on its own is a bit frustrating. I can now fully realize why they went with a "shift-it-yourself-if-you-want" feature. I use it quite a bit!

[jandree22]

So what's the ratios of both transmissions anyway?

Here ya go...

[X10James]

It depends on what you're coming from :) My 5 replaced a 1995 Saturn and it's got way more power than that. I wouldn't complain about 20 or 30 more horsepower or a turbo or something. But I wouldn't want to make the gas milage any less. i think the engine is just fine and even fun to drive. No problems or complaints here I think it's terrific.

[miatafied]

Not underpowered here - the 5spd manual transmission is great! However, that being said - all thing are relative - my hubby drives a 2002 Toyota prius - that thing is a dog! Great on gas because it can't move out of it's own way! Needless to say, I don't like driving the prius.

In addition to not being underpowered, the mazda5 is pretty great on the curves - I had a jeep SUV follow me onto an onramp and they were pretty close going in then when I looked in my rearview they were waaay back there - likely they slammed on their brakes when they realized how fast we were going into the curve. zoom zoom!

[X10James]

the mazda5 is pretty great on the curves

oh yea, I'll second that. The handling is wonderful, doesn't feel like a minivan or SUV at all. There is a little more tilt in the corners than my old sedan, but it's SO much more like a car than a van when driving. It handles wonderfully.

[jandree22]

It depends on what you're coming from :) My 5 replaced a 1995 Saturn and it's got way more power than that.
Yep... I'll be trading in my 115hp 3spd AT Sunfire. ;)

[monsta]

Here ya go...

Excellent! Thanks! Quite a difference!!

[PolarBear]

Been driving the 5 for around 2000 kms now and am quite happy with it. It's a great compromise of utility, performance, and economy.

I used to drive a 5-speed Protege5. Sure, it wasn't a speed demon, but the thrust-to-weight ratio is about right and with a quick downshift, there is more than enough power on tap.

My 4-speed auto Mazda5 however, will try to climb a hill at 1900RPM in 3rd gear? WTF?!? And it really struggles. If I'm not mistaken, 3rd gear in the 4AT is 1:1 (i.e. no mechanical advantage). Of course I can just floor the pedal to force a downshift but then the car screams as the RPMs go way up.

Is it just me or is the only way to get decent power out of the auto tranny is to floor the gas pedal? I find 2nd and 3rd gear a bit far apart. Why didn't they have a 5-spd auto? It's available on Mazda3's, right?


My guess that is auto tranny. I own Mazda Protege 2001 auto that has exact the same engine as your Protege 5 and it really struggles when I climb on a steep hill. May I ask why you chose auto after driving stick? We're considering Mazda 5 with manual though we don't have a real experience driving manual.

[jandree22]

May I ask why you chose auto after driving stick? We're considering Mazda 5 with manual though we don't have a real experience driving manual.
Get the 5spd Manual. Stick shift, while intimidating at first, is SO easy once you get the hang of it. Once you know it, you subconciously just shift when you're supposed to, you don't even have to physically 'think' about it. It gives you much more control of your car and it's flat out fun. It's also cheaper up front, saves a pinch on gas, and in many cases is cheaper to repair. If you're on the fence, then definately lean towards the manual. All that being said, if you will frequently drive in stop and go traffic such as a city or in rush hour, your left leg will get quite a workout on the clutch, so in that case an auto may be in your best interest.

I learned to drive on a stick, had stick for a few years, then had a few auto cars, now I'm sick of automatic... once you drive a stick it's hard to go back. That's all just my opinion, of course.

[toucci]

Was this in your P5 you're referring to? Do you have an auto tranny?
Ummm, NO and no. The P5 climbs hills in 5th just fine.

[jandree22]

Ummm, NO and no. The P5 climbs hills in 5th just fine.
I was gonna say... I mean, I've never even had this problem even in my POS 3AT Sunfire (lol2)

[doctorz]

All that being said, if you will frequently drive in stop and go traffic such as a city or in rush hour, your left leg will get quite a workout on the clutch, so in that case an auto may be in your best interest.

The Mazda5 clutch is one of the lightest I've ever driven--it requires little to no effort to push down. It's lighter than my Protege's clutch, which does get driven in stop and go city trafffic in rush hour, and I don't have a problem with it.

My wife, who used to drive only automatics and really didn't care for stick shifts, is now a convert. She even wants to drive the Protege every chance she gets.

The trick is to find a stick shift 5. We have at least six dealers around Baltimore and they had ONE stick shift 5 between them. I used mazdausa.com and had a similar lack of success finding anything in southern PA and Delaware. I finally found a few in the Washington area. Is this experience typical of others?

[jandree22]

The trick is to find a stick shift 5. We have at least six dealers around Baltimore and they had ONE stick shift 5 between them. I used mazdausa.com and had a similar lack of success finding anything in southern PA and Delaware. I finally found a few in the Washington area. Is this experience typical of others?
I ordered my 5spd... granted, that was back in May and I still have a few weeks to wait :(

I don't understand it, Mazda could've easily offered automatics exclusively with this car, particularly in North America where 90% of cars on the road are automatics. But no... they (thankfully) decide to take a bold step and separate off the norm (of sliding door vehicles, anyways) and offer it. So why the heck don't the dealers carry it?! In the end, I guess it's because the dealers know, 90% of the cars on the road are automatics.

[the_saint]

That's because the dealers, in their inFINITE wisDUMB, ASSume that nobody would want a 'stickshift minivan'.

[monsta]

So why the heck don't the dealers carry it?! In the end, I guess it's because the dealers know, 90% of the cars on the road are automatics.

Pus, there's a bit more profit in it. My understanding is that the 5 doesn't have a very big margin. It is actually the smallest profit cetner on the Madza lot.

Most dealers are not enthusiasts and only really worry about how many units they can move in a month. I've never even SEEN an 5 with a 5sp! My local dealer played it real safe...too safe, IMO. I wanted a 5sp but had to settle for the auto. I still shift THAT myself 75% of the time. Certainly needs the ratios of the 5sp... (drive)

[doctorz]

Just out of curiousity, I checked the inventory at mazdausa.com. My experience is that it's actually pretty accurate to what dealers have on their lots. Hilo Mazda has three 5-speed Mazda5 Sport models on its lot right now, but no Tourings. The closest I could get to Hershey, PA was Hanover, where they have a couple of 5-speeds. As for Baltimore, there are two 5-speed Mazda5s out of 40 sitting on various dealer lots, both Sport models.

So I guess 5-speed 5s can be found, but you're hard pressed to find the color and trim that you want. It's even harder to find a Touring model in the 5-speed; they seem not to exist.

[MP5Alive]

I just got back from a day trip to Whistler (http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/index.htm) through the Sea-To-Sky highway (http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/North_America/Canada/Province_of_British_Columbia/Vancouver-903183/Off_the_Beaten_Path-Vancouver-Sea_to_Sky_Highway-BR-1.html) with the car loaded with 4 adults and one child. The car performed FLAWLESSLY through twist after twist and every ascent and descent. The car is not under-powered by any means.

My beef is not with the engine, it's with the auto tranny. It loves to upshift quickly (almost seemingly to the point of "lugging") but will downshift when required. On the steeper uphill grades, it will downshift to third and this increase in RPM will usually make enough power to keep the car moving (Third and fourth gear in the 4AT have similar ratios to 4th and 5th in my Protege5's 5MT with the P5's 4th gear slightly overdriven). I didn't need to switch to manu-matic mode at all - just needed to step on the gas a bit more. I figured with the electronic throttle body, I won't need to worry about drowning the engine.

I chose the auto for the wife but I might look into getting a manual-trannied winter beater.

[monsta]

Just out of curiousity, I checked the inventory at mazdausa.com. My experience is that it's actually pretty accurate to what dealers have on their lots. Hilo Mazda has three 5-speed Mazda5 Sport models on its lot right now, but no Tourings. Wow...wonder if they listened to me?! It was one of my complaints. :D There were none when I bought mine...doesn't matter really. I wanted the Touring.

[martman]

Just got back from a 1,000 km drive to Kelowna from Vancouver, and came back even more impressed with the 5. I actually didn't find the 5 that underpowered. Those from Vancouver will know the Coquihala highway going to Kelowna is a real killer on trannies.

With a load of two adults (My wife and I) and two kids (12 and 2.5) PLUS a week's worth of supplies and luggage, the 5 handled the hills with aplomb! Perhaps i found myself wanting a wee bit more power, but that is all subjective. As for safe passing on the highway, and going up hills, the 5 has more than adequate power. I agree with MP5alive's assessment that it would have been nicer to have a 5 or 6 speed tranny - I think I would have averaged better gas mileage (around 32 - 35 mpg) if the 5 did come with a 5 or 6 speed auto. Believe me, I was really pushing the 5 being on manual mode through the twisties, and downshifting quite often (and running around 5500 rpm every so often)

Other than that, no problems to report on the trip, other than to say that I sure had a blast with the 5, and came back home actaully not feeling tired from the long drive.

Too bad we only saw two other Mazda 5's through the entire trip!

[narenji]

i had little trouble finding 5spd mazda5's here in southern california. in fact, there were 3 USED Mazda5's w/ 5spds within 50 mi of me... the clutch is VERY light, compared to my STI...

[Kojack]

I found that the motor has tons of pep....but second gear steals all the fun...

[GWDavis281]

Hi all new here and don't have a Mazda5, but I'm really starting to fall for them.

I got to take a Mazda5 for a test drive a few weeks ago. The dealer had to go, so I couldn't really dig into it. The one that I drove was an automatic and I've never really driven an auto-stick type transmission before. I found the car with 3 adult men to be sluggish trying to pull out onto the highway with traffic.

From others experiences do these drive better with the 5 speed?

Glenn |B)

[paging_drburgos]

I've found my 5 to be pretty ballsy (can i say that?). It does want to save gas often but i enjoy shifting to manual mode. I find myself being able to downshift to 3rd on the freeway to make the pass and wow is it fun. I know i can just step on the pedal and force the car to downshift by itself but the manual thing is too fun to not use :P

[was98strat]

I found that the motor has tons of pep....but second gear steals all the fun...

I don't know, second gear (MTX) is the best gear in the car. Pulls reall strong and long. Never feels over burdened (useless I shift too early)

[P_bouchr]

Agreed about that second gear. Pretty simple, keep the engine around 4000rpm during accelerations and tell me about it after. lol. It's not a v6 and it's not turbocompressed. And it likes high revs. So when crusing in town let say from 60 to 80 km/h, i'm in 4th. I think this is the smooth gear. But you can get pretty quickly there only with the second.

I myself found the mazda pretty sluggish at first, but from my 1.8TJetta where I could go to 80km from 40km from the 4th (yay for turbos), it's a world of difference. If you have a shift stick, use it :).

[brightwhite]

From others experiences do these drive better with the 5 speed?

There's no such thing as a car that doesn't, except maybe a 911 Turbo.

get a stick.

[perfecto]

And it likes high revs.

Quoted for truth - this car LOVES to rev. :)

[Antonio DiMarco]

Quoted for truth - this car LOVES to rev. :)

It loves to rev and live in the 80-100MPH range. I was just driving back from my dealer and needed to pass a truck (up a slight grade), dropped it into 4th and before I knew it I had accelerated from 65 to 100MPH!

The car is deceptively fast when you work the engine in it's sweet spot (3500-5500rpm).

[TuKool5]

The car is deceptively fast when you work the engine in it's sweet spot (3500-5500rpm).

I have never driven an AT in a 5, but once you figure out the revs in the 5Speed, there is ample power. I had a dodge caravan before this vehicle with a 3.0. It didn't even come close to what the 5 can do.

[Rocket]

I have an automatic and I don't find it to be overly peppy or sluggish. Why not a five speed automatic from Mazda? If I were a betting man, I would say that the transmission case cannot handle a STRONG 5 speed automatic. With the extra weight of the 5, I bet they had to compromise and make it a 4 speed. Plus, if we had 5 speed automatics, we would be complaining that is was always shifting and never on the torque curve. I think the 4 speed is likely the best choice...

But someone with access to the internal parts documents might be able to see if the ring and pinion, torque converter, etc. are the same as the other Mazda automatic transmissions using the 2.3 engine.

Just a thought...

[was98strat]

I test drove both the AT and MTX versions of the 5 (I had a tought time finding an MTX to test drive) . And I would say, if you can drive an MTX, buy it. The 5 with the ATX is definitely sluggish compared to the 5spd MTX. The MTX tranny really makes the car/van come alive. With the ATX it feels like any other mini van... Underwhelming!!

MTX Rocks!

[Antonio DiMarco]

I have an automatic and I don't find it to be overly peppy or sluggish. Why not a five speed automatic from Mazda? If I were a betting man, I would say that the transmission case cannot handle a STRONG 5 speed automatic. With the extra weight of the 5, I bet they had to compromise and make it a 4 speed. Plus, if we had 5 speed automatics, we would be complaining that is was always shifting and never on the torque curve. I think the 4 speed is likely the best choice...

But someone with access to the internal parts documents might be able to see if the ring and pinion, torque converter, etc. are the same as the other Mazda automatic transmissions using the 2.3 engine.

Just a thought...

I believe the 5 speed Auto will eventually be availabel in the 5. The 3 used to have a 4 speed AT and now a 5 speed AT is available.

[doctorz]

FWIW, our '04 MPV had a 5-speed automatic.

[JimboNC]

The Mazda5's onboard computer will gradually change the shift points on A/Ts to the driver's driving style. If you change your style it will take a couple days for the computer to make more changes. If you see-saw, well, you will have to get your dealer's service department to Flash it to the initial shift points and start over.

[JimboNC]

The *burnt smell problem* may be the paint on the block burning off. Many new cars have this.

[jandree22]

Now that I finally own my 5 and have driven it for a little over 100 miles, I can answer this thread's title in one word... No.

[zoomzoom mazda5]

no(drive2)

[jandree22]

Actually, the more I drive the more I realize how quick it is. In any gear, particularly 2nd though, it really rockets forward. No it's not a "fast" car, but damn, my Sunfire has basically the same displacement and was a dog. I guess that's what Japanese engineering and 2 more forward gears will do for ya!

[DurhamProPhoto]

Actually, the more I drive the more I realize how quick it is. In any gear, particularly 2nd though, it really rockets forward. No it's not a "fast" car, but damn, my Sunfire has basically the same displacement and was a dog. I guess that's what Japanese engineering and 2 more forward gears will do for ya!

I noticed the car got significantly
faster after the first 1000 miles.

Cheers,
Robin

[HotDog88GT]

Underpowered? No. There's some sluggishness at the low end of the tach but once you get into the sweet spot it moves well.

[epharmacist]

The Mazda5 hauls @$$! I have no problem punching it off the line and getting plenty of responsiveness. (burnout)

However, this is not a racecar, but it's one sweet car for the family that's all about style and accessibility! (cabpatch)

You can't go wrong here! (first)