I test drove a Mazda5 GS auto last night. I've been waiting a while to drive one though my current lease doesn't end until early October I believe. I think the M5 had less than 2k on the clock but I walked away really disappointed for several reasons.
The road noise was awful; we don't have the best roads here but the road noise was LOUD. Now I know I could possibly attribute that to crappy all season tyres but I presume they were the standard ones that are fitted when you buy new.
The suspension was disappointing too. It didn't soak up the bumps as well as I thought it would for a new car. I'm not sure how else to describe it; I was hoping to feel a thump as the shocks absorbed the impact but instead it was quite jarring.
Previous to this, I'd only sat in the GT model in the showroom, which has leather seats. I found this driver's seat quite comfortable. It took me less than 1 minute to find a comfy position. The GS I drove had the standard material seats and for the life of me I couldn't get comfortable. I think I managed to find a half decent position by the time the long test drive was over. I'm probably more picky than most because I have a bad back but I was surprised. I assumed the non-leather and leather seats were identical in every way except for the material.
Are my thoughts on the suspension and road noise typical for the M5? As a comparison I'm currently driving a 2008 Sentra, which I can't wait to get rid of! I'm not trying to troll here; I really do want to get feedback and comments from owners. I know that test models tend to take quite a hammering so maybe it wasn't indicative of a brand new M5? Thanks
The road noise was awful; we don't have the best roads here but the road noise was LOUD. Now I know I could possibly attribute that to crappy all season tyres but I presume they were the standard ones that are fitted when you buy new.
The suspension was disappointing too. It didn't soak up the bumps as well as I thought it would for a new car. I'm not sure how else to describe it; I was hoping to feel a thump as the shocks absorbed the impact but instead it was quite jarring.
Previous to this, I'd only sat in the GT model in the showroom, which has leather seats. I found this driver's seat quite comfortable. It took me less than 1 minute to find a comfy position. The GS I drove had the standard material seats and for the life of me I couldn't get comfortable. I think I managed to find a half decent position by the time the long test drive was over. I'm probably more picky than most because I have a bad back but I was surprised. I assumed the non-leather and leather seats were identical in every way except for the material.
Are my thoughts on the suspension and road noise typical for the M5? As a comparison I'm currently driving a 2008 Sentra, which I can't wait to get rid of! I'm not trying to troll here; I really do want to get feedback and comments from owners. I know that test models tend to take quite a hammering so maybe it wasn't indicative of a brand new M5? Thanks