Adding Sirius to the CX-5?

M

mobd

Member
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2013 CX5 - Touring with Tech
I bought the CX5 Touring edition with the tech package and also the Bose package added. The sales guy told me I had basically the same car as the Grand Touring edition that I had wanted to buy but was not available. When I got it home tonight I realized that there is no Sirius satellite...now why would they sell a Bose with 9 speakers and not have satellite? That is amazing.

Can I add Sirius to the audio portion of the sound/nav system? Any ideas?? I'm bummed because I've had Sirius for about 6 years now and don't know what I'd do without it!!
 
As rmac said, you can definitely add Sirius, it's just a matter of cost. here is the link to the two parts you'll need (the radio itself plus the install kit). Not cheap, but it integrates right into your existing setup as if you had it to begin with. Here is another link to the same part(s) but a bit cheaper than going directly through Mazda. You could also do something cheaper that's aftermarket, but it wouldn't be integrated the same way (as far as I know). I'm not an expert, so take all this FWIW.
 
Thanks. I should have read the sticker more closely. Not sure what I'll do. I'm glad I didn't wait to order a Grand Touring though..that would have taken forever. Even if I have Mazda add the satellite I'll still be spending a total of a little less than the GT model would have been.
 
I just use the free Sirius/XM app on my phone and connect via bluetooth. It even has more features than the built in radio:

Start Now – Allows users to go back in time by up to 5 hours to hear previously aired programming on many channels
TuneStart – Hear songs from the beginning when tuning into a music channel
Pause – Allows listeners to pause and resume live programming
Fast Forward & Rewind – Allows users to skip forward and back on most channels
Show Alerts – Gives users reminders when their favorite shows begin
Improved reliability and sound – A key issue that was the source of many complaints
Album Art – A small yet under-appreciated feature that adds to the user experience
Artist information – Provides information on the artist that users can read.
 
Just an update.

I tried the Sirius App on my phone but that was more frustrating than anything, probably because of where I live. No reception at times...

So, I went ahead and bit the bullet and had Sirius installed at the dealership. It looks perfect and they did an excellent job but I wanted to warn any DIY folks out there. The service techs had estimated that it would take them 2 hours to install it. It wound up taking at least 4 hours to finish the installation. It's a small dealership and so I could chat with them and see the progress. It's a big, big ordeal...they had to pull out tons of interior to get all the wires right.

I hated to spend so much to put it in but I'm glad I did. Don't try to do this yourself unless you are really experienced. It appears to be a big project.
 
I believe the total was right at $525 for the Sirius with the labor for installation. I'm in Alabama though. I see you are in NY...probably much more expensive up there right??
 
Not sure, but this gives me an idea. Seems like everything is (annoyingly) more expensive here :)
 
Quick bump here...
When I was at the dealership they told me that "You can't get sirius unless you get the GT model (In Canada that is). Is it true? We currently have sirius in our car (like bobby71) but I'd prefer to have it integrated instead of adding a fugly antenna on my roof...
 
I purchased the GS model in Canada and you can have Sirius installed by the dealer. The only issue is the cost. You need the Sirius module plus the harness adapter. I was quoted 550$ to purchase and install. I looked it up and it is a rather complicated install if you want the antenna at the back.
I have a standard Sirius radio in my Honda civic and left the antenna receiver on the dash. Works 99% of the time and was easy to fish through.
 
I was also not pleased that my tech package touring did not come with Sirius. Oh well...
 
algo said:
I purchased the GS model in Canada and you can have Sirius installed by the dealer. The only issue is the cost. You need the Sirius module plus the harness adapter. I was quoted 550$ to purchase and install. I looked it up and it is a rather complicated install if you want the antenna at the back.
I have a standard Sirius radio in my Honda civic and left the antenna receiver on the dash. Works 99% of the time and was easy to fish through.
Click to expand...

Well, having a "portable" sirius in my 98 Corolla isn't too bad, the car's ugly anyway but if I'm buying a 30k+ vehicle I want it to look as good as possible which means I want integrated Sirius (as in, you press Sirius on the radio and it works, no extra antenna on the roof either).

I just want to make sure that's possible... I'll pay for it since we beleive it's a must have.
 
Actually, they have to insall an exterior antenna. That is what takes so much time as they have feed the wire from the dash to the rear of the vehicle.
I found the install kit online and they have the installation instructions. You can take a look.

As far as I know, you need a seperate antenna, but I may be wrong.

http://www.mazdaparts.org/mazda-cx5-satellite-radio.html
 
guess it might be cheaper to take a dataplan on my phone and stream sirius.... I dunno... argh
 
nyctravis said:
Not sure, but this gives me an idea. Seems like everything is (annoyingly) more expensive here :)
Click to expand...

Of course it's more expensive here , it's the vampire state and we got to keep letting big companies come in and not pay TAXES, just pass it on to other's to pay, oh and we have elected officials that get caught(five-0)with pot.
 
Yes, they do install an external antenna. I had the system installed at my dealership and just became aware that another antenna is required and was installed.
The old "assume" rule just got me since I assumed that any dealer installed satellite radio would use the existing shark antenna. I am shocked and really disappointed that Mazda does not make provisions to use the factory antenna if you add satellite radio at the dealership. Now I am stuck with a 2 inch puck with it's wire making its way into the hatch. Don't get me wrong,it's a professional installation but having to use another antenna is unbelievable. You would think that first, Mazda would offer a factory satellite radio on the Touring model but failing that , they would at least, considering the price, make the dealer installed satellite kit capable of using the existing antenna. I realize that the non satellite equiped CX-5 Touring antenna is apparently not compatable with sirius, but why not. For a few bucks I would think that they would be better off having a car that looked "factory", not like a Cartronix job had been done on it. By the way, I was quoted $300 for a Cartronix installation before I decided on a Mazda sourced installation. One would rightly think for 400 extra dollars that you wouldn't end up with a hockey puck on your roof.
 
Last edited:
perlsi said:
Yes, they do install an external antenna. I had the system installed at my dealership and just became aware that another antenna is required and was installed.
The old "assume" rule just got me since I assumed that any dealer installed satellite radio would use the existing shark antenna. I am shocked and really disappointed that Mazda does not make provisions to use the factory antenna if yo9u add satellite radio at the dealership. Now I am stuck with a 2 inch puck with it's wire making its way into the hatch. Don't get me wrong,it's a professional installation but having to use another antenna is unbelievable. You would think that first, Mazda would offer a factory satellite radio on the Touring model but failing that , they would at least, considering the price, make the dealer installed satellite kit capable of using the existing antenna. I realize that the non satellite equiped CX-5 Touring antenna is apparently not compatable with sirius, but why not. For a few bucks I would think that they would be better off having a car that looked "factory", not like a Cartronix job had been done on it. By the way, I was quoted $300 for a Catronix installation before I decided on a Mazda sourced installation. One would rightly think for 400 extra dollars that you wouldn't end up with a hockey puck on your roof.
Click to expand...
My sentiments exactly. I bought a bare bones Touring with the intention of adding Sirius until I found out what a Micky Mouse install it would be. That's when I decided to learn how to stream Pandora off my cell phone and I've never looked back. The only way to get satellite on a less than GT trim level is to special order it from the factory so it's done right IMO.
 
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