Car & Driver: Our Mazda CX-5 Turbo Deserves a Better Infotainment System

i find nothing wrong with the infotainment, carplay works well, the user interface is simple and easy to navigate, the only thing i would say is if it had a bigger screen, i never even use the touch screen. The infotainment will be updated in the next gen to what the cx-30 and the mazda 3 has currently.
 
Nitpicking by C&D. I never use the touch screen either. And how often do you actually need to use the scan and/or seek feature for radio stations ? I would rather have a series of small buttons on the dash for my favorite radio stations and another button to switch between AM/FM/Sirius XM.
My satisfaction with a vehicle is 98% determined by the performance, reliability and comfort. I lived without navigation and an infotainment screen for 48 years before I owned a vehicle with those features and somehow survived. I will admit that the Nav feature comes in handy at times but the rest of the features on the screen and the size of the screen are such a small part of the daily driving experience that it is a non-issue.
 
Young-nyc said:
i find nothing wrong with the infotainment, carplay works well, the user interface is simple and easy to navigate, the only thing i would say is if it had a bigger screen, i never even use the touch screen. The infotainment will be updated in the next gen to what the cx-30 and the mazda 3 has currently.
Click to expand...
I agree with the above. Except that I think the screen is the perfect size. The way I see it, It is not a home entertainment center, it is an infotainment system in a moving vehicle. It allows me to see what I need, when I need it. It is easy to read without being a distraction.
I laugh when I see a Tesla with with their MASSIVE screens or those cars that appear to have a full size iPad screen bonded to their dash. This might appeal to some, not to me. If you have good vision you don't need an over-sized screen.
 
NucPC said:
I agree with the above. Except that I think the screen is the perfect size. The way I see it, It is not a home entertainment center, it is an infotainment system in a moving vehicle. It allows me to see what I need, when I need it. It is easy to read without being a distraction.
I laugh when I see a Tesla with with their MASSIVE screens or those cars that appear to have a full size iPad screen bonded to their dash. This might appeal to some, not to me. If you have good vision you don't need an over-sized screen.
Click to expand...

I agree with you 100%. I find nothing wrong with the system as a whole and wouldn't care for a bigger screen either.
 
Agree and disagree. The system/interface itself works great once it starts up - it does seem to take a while to start up even on the latest firmware. I never use the touchscreen either - the layout and ergonomics of the cabin doesn't really compel you to reach for the screen when the knob is so conveniently located. Also it's 2020...people still listen to the "radio"?

I wouldn't mind the screen to be a tad bigger, nothing outrageous - but I think I read the new CX-5 would have an optional 8" screen...that would be nice. But for context - this is easily THE nicest car I've ever owned and months later - it's still a joy to drive and look at. No regrets whatsoever despite people's nitpicky things about it.
 
sm753 said:
this is easily THE nicest car I've ever owned and months later - it's still a joy to drive and look at. No regrets whatsoever despite people's nitpicky things about it.
Click to expand...

i concur! it brings a smile to my face everytime i press the gas and take off, along with the exterior design, despite the dang cricket noise coming from the engine bay.
 
The Mazda interface is terrible, but with CarPlay, I could care less. 99% of my travels are with CarPlay active. Waze and iHeart Radio. Would a bigger screen be nicer? Sure, but I'll survive. ;-)
 
NucPC said:
I agree with the above. Except that I think the screen is the perfect size. The way I see it, It is not a home entertainment center, it is an infotainment system in a moving vehicle. It allows me to see what I need, when I need it. It is easy to read without being a distraction.
I laugh when I see a Tesla with with their MASSIVE screens or those cars that appear to have a full size iPad screen bonded to their dash. This might appeal to some, not to me. If you have good vision you don't need an over-sized screen.
Click to expand...

Agree especially with the Tesla comment. I thought I might like a Tesla... until I saw that. I didn't think something like that could completely turn me off of a car. It did.
 
DwightFrye said:
Nitpicking by C&D. I never use the touch screen either. And how often do you actually need to use the scan and/or seek feature for radio stations ? I would rather have a series of small buttons on the dash for my favorite radio stations and another button to switch between AM/FM/Sirius XM.
My satisfaction with a vehicle is 98% determined by the performance, reliability and comfort. I lived without navigation and an infotainment screen for 48 years before I owned a vehicle with those features and somehow survived. I will admit that the Nav feature comes in handy at times but the rest of the features on the screen and the size of the screen are such a small part of the daily driving experience that it is a non-issue.
Click to expand...
We old guys gotta stick together.

I agree about missing my radio preset buttons. I could reflexively push the one I wanted without taking my eyes off the road. I still occasionally reach for that spot on the dash. Radio Voice Recognition is still spotty...sometimes it loads properly and sometimes it does not. Now I mostly use the steering wheel control to scroll through Favorites to the station I want...but I still have to look at the screen to see when I get there.

Others mentioned not using their radios...I've had XM since the early days. The first time I drove on vacation with it, I noticed that I was listening to the exact same station I listened to around town, uninterrupted during the entire 6 hour drive. I don't like it. I felt as though I was missing out on a part of being out-of-town...listening to the local radio stations along the way and then when I was at my destination. These out-of-town trips are where Scanning the FM frequency still comes in handy.

I, too, have never used a NAV system before, and I really like having directions on the HUD. I go to yard sales and a number of other one-off or infrequent places, and the HUD NAV sure beats looking at written directions or a screen. Here in the sticks, my stomping grounds cover 6 counties that I'll never become 100% familiar with.

I've only really used the touch screen once, and that was when loading and renaming a group of addresses so I can get "there" from wherever I happen to wander. I don't really find it to be that much more efficient on a daily basis than using the Command Switch.
 
Last edited:
Somebody should tell car and driver to go back to the dealership and have the info system updated to the latest version.
I'm betting it's an older version in their tester.
 
Avoidin Deer said:
Others mentioned not using their radios...I've had XM since the early days. The first time I drove on vacation with it, I noticed that I was listening to the exact same station I listened to around town, uninterrupted during the entire 6 hour drive. I don't like it.
Click to expand...
We are all different. I never really liked SAT radio UNTIL I went on a long road trip and COULD leave the same station on for the entire trip, or even just have access to the same 3 or 4 stations on the entire trip.

Bah, I don't really need to hear that Bobs Bar in downtown Detroit is selling a $9 steak as I pass through. :D
 
Current Driver of a CX 5 2019 infotainment is bad/aweful try using the XM traffic info in traffic for alternate routes while driving
radio functionality is ok
inputting of a destination address is horrible
touch screen functionality is ok
 
I’m always surprised when I see this. Sure it could be faster, but it’s mostly intuitive. Unlike the Chrysler 300 I rented a couple years ago.
 
I was a little skeptic about the limited use of touch screen. I got used to it. One big bonus, no finger prints on the screen.
 
Last edited:
Jet said:
I was a little skeptic about the limited use of touch screen. I got used to it. Once big bonus, no finger prints on the screen.
Click to expand...
Based on another member's recommendation, I installed https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned):

71d97PRr9qL._AC_SY355_.jpg


I like having the screen protected, even though I don't often use the touchscreen function. Perfect fit. Cost less than $11.
 
Please log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

I
2013~2016 CX-5 Aftermarket Infotainment system Recommendations
Replies
18
Views
17K
ikerg
I
B
New infotainment system 2021 Mazda CX-5
2
Replies
31
Views
9K
zroger73
zroger73
C
    • Like
2019 CX-5 20,000 Mile Review
2
Replies
20
Views
5K
CX-5um
C

Latest posts

Back