2017 CX-5 Seating position / posture

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2017 Mazda CX-5 Sport AWD SnowFlake White Pearl
I am new to the CX-5 since I used to drive a WRX...

I tried 2 different seating position ...

1. I match seat height and rake of driver seat 100% to that of the passenger seat...
since I have the "sport" with manual adjustment ... its 10 cranks up with seat back at 100-110 degree

with that driving position I felt super high up like I am floating in the car but I could see everything around me...

2. Seating position 2 is seat all the way down with seaback at 100 degree ...
I saw a mazda youtube video in regards to seating posture and I tried to mimic that 100%
(( see video at 2:47 for proper posture ))

what is your driving posture / position
 
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I am new to the CX-5 since I used to drive a WRX...

I tried 2 different seating position ...

1. I match seat height and rake of driver seat 100% to that of the passenger seat...
since I have the "sport" with manual adjustment ... its 10 cranks up with seat back at 100-110 degree

with that driving position I felt super high up like I am floating in the car but I could see everything around me...

2. Seating position 2 is seat all the way down with seaback at 100 degree ...
I saw a mazda youtube video in regards to seating posture and I tried to mimic that 100%
(( see video at 2:47 for proper posture ))

what is your driving posture / position

I probably do something close to your 1st position. The seat definitely needs more lumbar support though.
 
My process:

Adjust seat height so you have approx 1 closed fist worth of distance between your head and the headliner.

Adjust seatback for comfortable angle

Adjust seat fore / aft for comfortable pedal position

Adjust steering wheel distance and height for comfortable reach, driving position, gauge cluster visibility.

Tweak all settings here & there over time until you find your sweet spot. As you adjust seatback you may have to tweak seat height and steering wheel, etc. as one adjustment can affect another as it changes your posture.
 
This is one of my only gripes (and a major one) with my 2017 CX-5. The absence of a tilting seat bottom (which my 2012 Mazda 3 GT had) means I just can't get the perfect position.

I'm 6 feet tall...which in my opinion should be within the range for which adjustments to perfect position are possible, but this doesn't seem to be the case.

If I adjust the seat forward/backward position so that my knees have the correct bent angle while reaching the pedals, I am so far away from the wheel that I cannot achieve the correct arm/hand position (I am reaching too far and my upper back comes away from the seat when turning). The wheel does not telescope enough...if it extended another few inches it would be perfect, but it does not. If I try to make up for this by raising the seat height (i.e., so that my legs need to "reach" further down after the seat edge to get my feet to the pedals), my head is too close to the roof inside the car. If I reduce the seatback angle so that my upper body is closer to the wheel, I am uncomfortably upright (and the top of my head is too high).

My compromise is to get my upper body the correct distance from the wheel (at it's maximum telescoped position), but this puts my lower body too close so my legs are over-bent and not very well supported by the seat (which should be a few more inches deep). And I'm STILL not as close to the wheel as I'd like to be.

All of this could be solved if a) the wheel telescoped out further; or b) the seat bottom could be angled up so my legs had more "distance" to travel and didn't feel so cramped/bent when my seat is closer to the dash.

I'm disappointed that a perfect seating position is elusive for someone who's 6 feet tall.

Not sure if anyone has suggestions for finding the perfect position at this height?
 
I recline the seat more to compensate for the weak lumbar support, but I still struggle to find the perfect driving position. Luckily my commute is only ~15 minutes so I don't notice any discomfort. A longer trip for a few hours will be the true test. Regardless, my previous Infiniti Q50 had awesome seats, so I think my body still needs time to adjust. In comparison, Mazda has quite a ways to go to improve their overall construction and build quality on their seats if they want to move up market.
 
Wait, the front edge doesn't go up? This isn't a GT is it?

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
 
I think only the GT model gets the six way seat adjustments which you can adjust the seat front and back separately. I'm 5' 9" and I found my sweet spot. On my 2014 mazda3 it did not have the seat front adjustment so my thigh area gets tired on long drives.
 
I am 5 feet 7 , 155-160lbs ... the average asian man
I have the base Sport trim so I got cloth and manual adjustment...
my final seating settings are ...

12 cranks UP so my driver seat is very similar/identical to passenger seat.
 
When I am driving long distance, my seating position is more layed back. This is because of blood flow and pressure-point physiology for long drives. If I am out on a short drive, the seat is much more vertical, as this gives the best control of the vehicle. Height of the seat itself in relation to the vehicle is only a function of how I prefer to interface with the steering wheel. Adjust until comfy.
 
I adjust seat height so my eyes are in the top half of the screen and, distance from pedals, so that my feet rest easy on the pedals and I can lift my foot between accelerator and brake without banging my knee on the steering wheel.

Then I adjust the seat angle so my hands can reach all of the steering wheel without having to move my shoulders.

Basically, my torso doesn't move a millimetre however I steer or move my feet to brake or change gear.
 
I adjust seat height so my eyes are in the top half of the screen and, distance from pedals, so that my feet rest easy on the pedals and I can lift my foot between accelerator and brake without banging my knee on the steering wheel.

Then I adjust the seat angle so my hands can reach all of the steering wheel without having to move my shoulders.

Basically, my torso doesn't move a millimetre however I steer or move my feet to brake or change gear.
Does Mazda have an adjustable/telescoping steering wheel like everyone else yet, or no?
 
I realize there are differences between the trims in different regions...

But for me here in Canada, it doesn't make sense to adjust the driver's seat to the height of the passenger seat because the passenger seat itself is (manually) height adjustable.

On the mid trim GS that I have, the driver's seat goes up and down but no front-back tilt on the seat bottom.

Really, all I'd need for the perfect position would be a few more inches on the steering wheel's telescoping. A tilting seat bottom like I had on my old 3 would be the next best thing.

I'll find a good enough position eventually...and then will never let anyone drive my car (because Mazda left memory seat positions out of this trim too)!
 
I drive kind of semi relaxed. Now a days I am just driving normal and relaxing. So much so that a few drivers dont want to drive behind me. My ht is 5 11 and my seat height is almost lowest + 1 tick up with my auto seats.
Steering wheel is pulled to max outwards and legs are comfy. I wish it had some padding around center console.
 
I drive kind of semi relaxed. Now a days I am just driving normal and relaxing. So much so that a few drivers dont want to drive behind me. My ht is 5 11 and my seat height is almost lowest + 1 tick up with my auto seats.
Steering wheel is pulled to max outwards and legs are comfy. I wish it had some padding around center console.

6' here. My seat and wheel looks to be in the exact same position as yours. Only difference may be that I like to sit fairly close to the steering wheel so my seat is not too terribly far back.
 
6'4" and seating has always been a crapshoot for me. One of the main reasons I got the CX-5 is because of the headroom. I don't think I'll ever get that sweet spot for seat position.
 
Kaps and Colorado... You don't feel you're too low with your seats at lowest or almost lowest? This is my first vehicle that's not a low car, and I'm really digging being higher up on the road, so didn't really want to play with going lower. At 6 feet, I can just barely pass my closed fist (thumb down, small finger up) between my head and roof (don't have a sunroof btw). What about you? How much space do you have?
 
Kaps and Colorado... You don't feel you're too low with your seats at lowest or almost lowest? This is my first vehicle that's not a low car, and I'm really digging being higher up on the road, so didn't really want to play with going lower. At 6 feet, I can just barely pass my closed fist (thumb down, small finger up) between my head and roof (don't have a sunroof btw). What about you? How much space do you have?

Even with a low seat I am higher off the ground than any typical sedan. So feels like a non-issue there. I came from driving Jeeps, so being higher off the ground is important to me, but that doesn't translate to needing my seat on high settings. The more important factor for me is how high the car itself is off the ground. At the time when I bought it (2013), CX-5 had the highest ground clearance versus the typical competition for CUV's.

I haven't measured how much head space I have. I'll have to report back on that one, though I can tell you it is definitely more than a fist..
 
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'16 GT and after almost two years of ownership I am reconciled to the fact I will never achieve full comfort. I think my driving position is as good as it gets - for me it is the padding (or lack thereof). I like almost everything else about the car...I drive ~7,500 miles/year; it will likely be hand-me-down to my daughter in five years.
 
About my only complaint after 4 years is that the padding on the door where I rest my left arm is feeling pretty hard now.

Edit: Outside of that, very comfortable in mine. And mines a 2014, materials are better in the new ones and much better in the 17.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
 
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