Recent content by chitownpete

I just made it through the worst winter Chicago has had in 20 years and I never got stuck. Stock tires with over 20k on them. Sure I had to take it slow and back up a few times but so did everyone else. Then again I've made it with 2wd pickups before and they are the single worst kind of car in...

My dealer has an old brush style car wash and put swirl marks all over my Black Mazda 5. I mentioned it to them and they said they would fix the problem when I like but I don't trust their judgement at this point. This summer I'm getting swirl remover and fixing it myself. Not the end of the...

Completely agree but mine got even more fun when I removed the back seats altogether. Dropped over 200 pounds but eventually put the passenger side middle seat back in as I drive alone and the car feels more balanced left to right with that weight on the right side.

If you live where there is snow I would not recommend the splash guards. I had them on my 09 and they dragged on the snow when the rest of the car cleared. My right flap got patially torn out from normal driving so I removed them before any damage was done to my 5. Didn't keep the sides clean...

So I guess this guy comes here to cry, then doesn't even bother to give us a follow up? I like the way he says " I hate to start my first post complaining" then proceeds to complain. I wonder if he did something to cause the damage and is too embarased to come back. Assuming this is even real...

I wish you luck. Stuff happens to every brand (yes, EVERY brand) and it's usually taken care of with no problem if you are in warranty and haven't done a bunch of goofy mods to your car. I feel for you but this would be no big deal if the dealer was a short drive away. I would never buy a car if...

I've taken naps in my 5 and Im 6' tall, not good for camping as I had to lay at an angle. My 5 has been perfect for "Power Naps" during lunch on my 12-16 hour workdays.

Oil changes have doubled now that Mazda requires synthetic oil. Not a big deal but I will wait the full 5,000 miles between oil changes, especially since I don't really fall into the "Severe" category. I double checked and my dealer did have the 0-20 wt and this was listed on my paperwork as...

My 12 Sport Auto consistently gets 2-4 MPG more than my 09 stick shift did and its not even fully broken in yet.

They should fit but I'm not sure if those wheels will take your TPMS sensors. I would check into this as you probably don't wan't the TPMS light to be on constantly.

It seems like the 09-10 models aren't selling for that much less than a new 12. It's generally not worth it if you are looking to trade in an older model but you are buying a car outright. Get the 12 if you can afford it, it is a nicer car in a lot of little ways and does have a better engine...

Profile has been updated. Sorry about the rule violation, thanks for the heads up. My 17" wheels just got sold , still looking for some 16s.

Want to buy a full set of nice 16" wheels from a 2010 or later Mazda 3 or 5. oem wheels only. Chicago area.

Looks like a decent car, to bad it's made by the US Government Motor company.

It will be fine. I had an 09 and now have a 12. There is enough to justify the change and I will likely have questions that will only be served by 12 owners and will annoy 06-10 owners. If I still had my 09 I wouldn't want to hear about 12' specific issues. I would recommend looking into a...