safe trans???

[walleygator]

Hey guys, im getting all kinds of good info in this forum, you guys are great...thanks
now i just got a mazda5 sport, with the auto "tiptronic or autostick" trans (dont know what the correct name is)

im also looking to get a protege5 for my self, and doing some research with you guys, some mentioned to me that the p5 auto trans is not a good one to get; to go with the 5speed. and that is ok because that is what i wanted any ways,

but, does the m5 has the same problem with its auto trans? What do i have to do to make shure i dont have any problems with this M5, i need this vehicles to last me a loooooong time... and i would apreciate any insights on problems with the m5 that i can do to keep from ruining my love for the little wagon...

Even tho it's my wife's car im having to drive it for now untill i get my car so im getting to like it a lot... lol...
thanks for your help.

[DKaz]

To be honest, if I ever drove an automatic transmission, it would only be a Toyota. That said, I haven't heard of any serious out of warranty issues on the Mazda 5.

[00bluees]

i don't have much experience with the auto variants of the M5 and the P5. but i can say i have driven both. the 5's auto transmission is pretty nice for daily operating IMO, at least in my brief stints driving one. however i do own a manual equipped 5 just because i prefer rowing my own gears, that and despite telling my wife that i actually wouldn't mind a 5 with auto she told me to buy manual anyway.

the protege5 autobox is terrible. you can feel quite a difference in power and response between the auto and the 5 speed. again i own a P5, and its a 5 speed.

thats about all the insight i can provide. not sure about the longevity factor, but manuals usually outlast autos due to their simplictic design over the autos.

[Heat]

I've not heard of any issues with the automatic transmission in the Mazda5's. Just be sure to change the transmission fluid on a regular basis.

[Robotaz]

I've heard of people, I thought on this forum, replacing transmissions at 30K-50K miles. I own one and it is still working with 35,000 miles on it, but my opinion is that they are very weak and do not inspire confidence. You should flush the tranny more frequently than other cars if you want it to last, in my opinion.

[jimp]

an mz5 with atx you should change the atf every 20-30K miles, with a quality atf, its something you can do if you caan change the oil in the car, you can change the atf as well.

[Sounbwoy]

b4 you incur the wrath of some of the long-term residents, I'd suggest you remove the duplicate post.. or this one.. as far as the trans goes..it's like everything else..if you take care of it, it SHOULD take care of you, but YMMV.. I have the auto, 27,xxx in less than a year and no issues yet.

[thaxman]

As with any auto tranny, flush and filter often is the key to longevity. Few people consider their transmissions to need more maintenance than your average electrical plug on the wall, and that's what keeps AAMCO in business.

[Rockin03mp5]

Merged the 2 threads.

I actually have unique experience here. My former car was an 03 mp5 with a sport auto trans. I currently also own an 08 mz5 with the sport auto.

As far as issues with the mz5... i had a small transmission leak that was fixed early. other than that... i really havent heard of any failures. mine is still going strong... but i only have 42000 miles on it. i plan on flushing the fluid every 30000 miles just to be safe. it seems that the fluid gets dirty quickly in these cars.

Now, why do you want a protege5 for your car? You are looking at buying a 9-10 year old car now. There are going to be lots of problems. I've seen (and had myself, that is why i sold it) lots of issues popping up with the protege folks. Wheel bearings are going bad at around this time. The auto trans is known to be weak, but i never had any problems. The 02 mp5 5 speed has syncro problems. So, as much as i love the look of the protege5, i would suggest looking at a mazda3 if you want a small hatch. They seem more solid, and have a bit more power.

[nrvcat]

Can folks give me a guesstimate on how much it should cost to get the trans fluid changed?

[thaxman]

Grease monkey outfits usually charge about $120 and supply the fluid. These trannies take unique Ford fluid that the local guys may or may not decide to fill it with. You may have to buy it yourself & watch them do the work to be sure that they don't go the cheap route and lead to the untimely demise of the trans. Or take it straight to Mazda, which will probably cost more.

[daan]

I've had my trans flushed twice now (06 with the 4-speed auto) The fluid looked burnt after 30K or so, and it shifted "funny" (wife drives the 5 more than I do, it was her description) I had it done at the dealer since it was already there for warranty work anyway. I think the fluid change cost me right around $100 both times. Now I live way farther from work, so it's all freeway so the fluid has looked (and worked) just fine for 40K or so where before it would definitely "wear out" because of all the city driving we used to do. Plus, the newer 5's have a 5-speed auto that actually drives nicer (had a newer 5 as a loaner once and it drove so much nicer I'd actually prefer one of those over the older kind.)

[kw_da]

We have a 2006 Mazda 5 with auto (4 speed). Bought it new - transmission was replaced under warranty @20k miles. Now about 60k miles - no further problems, but I do regular ATF fluid changes now. The newer model years have 5 speed transmissions and are probably better.