Is Tech Package worth it?

CX-5um · Dec 16, 2015

boandlkramer said:
To be fair, the dotted array that Audi uses in Europe (Matrix) have a functional purpose which makes them significantly more sophisticated than what Mazda offers.

http://youtu.be/kwLiY-J0bJQ

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I have the new style LED daytime halos on my Mazda6. They are aimed high...essentially like high beams. I tested them at night. While in neutral and my LED headlights off, the LED daytime halos light up street signs and trees otherwise not lit by the LED headlights which have a rather sharp cutoff.

During the daytime when my LED headlights are off the LED halos operate at 100% brightness. At night with LED headlights turned on, the LED halos operate at about 60-70% brightness as to light up signs but not blind oncoming traffic as much. The reflectors inside the housing actually make the halos project further than I thought.

boandlkramer · Dec 16, 2015

^^^I love them. For this price point, they are superior to most .

Are you telling me the 6's lights are further developed than the '16 CX-5s?

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CX-5um · Dec 16, 2015

boandlkramer said:
^^^I love them. For this price point, they are superior to most .

Are you telling me the 6's lights are further developed than the '16 CX-5s?

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I have not tested the 16 CX-5 LEDs to verify. I was hoping someone did. It's my assumption that they are the same with differences being the CX-5 is at a higher ground clearance. I just saw a 16 CX-5 during my lunch break and it looks as if my housing is a bit narrower. Likely the same internal mechanical parts but different reflective housing. In my Mazda6 it was the reflectors that allowed the halos to project light upwards.

What I can say clearly is that the 16 halos on the Mazda are significantly brighter than the 15 mazda6 GT daytime lights.

yrwei52 · Dec 16, 2015

banjos-n-beer said:
boandlkramer said:

banjos-n-beer said:

Looks are purely subjective, but I think the CX5's LED lights are the best looking on the market, particularly the DRLs. I hate the dotted array style most manufacturers use, and many other DRL LED applications just look gaudy (Mercedes, Cadillac, etc). Further, the AFS is fantastic on highway on/off ramps and windy back roads.
I just hope they last a long time, as replacement units are ridiculously expensive, at least for now.

Click to expand...

To be fair, the dotted array that Audi uses in Europe (Matrix) have a functional purpose which makes them significantly more sophisticated than what Mazda offers. http://youtu.be/kwLiY-J0bJQ

Click to expand...

I was referring to the array DRLs, not the newer style adaptive headlights themselves.

Yes, I like those LED DRLs and tail-lights on CX-5 too! DRLs and tail-lights on CX-5 with Tech have tubed LED lights (like BMW Angel-Eyes) which look nicer and more expensive than most other manufactures who use cheaper dotted LED array!

Tech Package has not only the LED headlights, fog lights, DRLs, tail-lights, brake-lights, but also the Pivoting Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFS) and auto-leveling which improves the safety of the night time driving greatly!

Those LED array headlights mentioned on Audi are not new. Mercedes, BMW have them too. Mazda i-ActivSense: Adaptive LED Headlamps (ALH) are the same LED headlight system and have been available in non-US market for several years!

MikeM. · Dec 16, 2015

banjos-n-beer said:
And there seems to be a delay when you first start the vehicle on a rainy day with the sensing feature on... mine won't wipe until I've been driving for about 5 seconds... annoying in the daytime, obnoxious at night.

I leave mine on a different setting than you and they will turn on as soon as I start the car (still in park) but only if there is water on the windshield. But I don't think the sensitivity setting is causing your issue. The optical rain sensor is just right of the rearview mirror and is behind part of the windshield that is swept by the wipers. I imagine if your right wiper has blade damage near the right tip, this could leave a dirty streak right where the rain sensor looks (which common sense tells us could affect the decision to wipe or not).

Having said that, I was unaware the Intermittent control on the wiper arm controls the sensitivity of that feature. I'll have to try dialing it up a bit, as I think I have it set on the 2nd lowest setting.

Sounds good. And don't hesitate to turn it up or down to adjust for different climatic conditions. It has a very small effect in most types of common rain but I have noticed a greater range of effect in trickier conditions.

MikeM. · Dec 16, 2015

boandlkramer said:
I really need to dig into the manual as this is the first I'm hearing about this as well. (thought)

Yes! The manual is an awesome resource. I actually download manuals to any major purchase before the final purchase decision. I then read it cover to cover. Sometimes I learn things that actually sway my decision to another model/product. I do this with major appliances, cars, trucks, motorcycles and even smaller items like alarm clocks and the like when I want to make sure the operation is satisfactory to my needs and preferences.

Then, when I take delivery (or shortly before), I'll read the manual again, cover to cover. Of course no one retains everything so after a few months of actually using the product, I read it again (and I always learn more stuff that I didn't understand the first couple of times).

It's amazing how often peoples dissatisfaction with a particular product or service is because they didn't understand how it was supposed to work or how to operate it correctly.

CaboWabo · Dec 17, 2015

Those dotted array DRLs that Audi uses look hideous, and you cant even turn them off

Tom 6-6 · Dec 17, 2015

On the 2015 you can go into the info center and change the settings from auto to intermittent. (rain sensing to intermittent wipers)

At first I had my doubts about the auto sensing but I am getting use to them. First time they spazed out it surprised me but it seems to have settled down and doesn't do that much anymore. I have mine set at the lowest setting, think that helped. Could have been something the dealer wiped on the windshield before pickup.

boandlkramer · Dec 17, 2015

CaboWabo said:
Those dotted array DRLs that Audi uses look hideous, and you cant even turn them off

I'm not saying I liked them, I'm not even an "Audi guy" was just stating that they are functional. I prefer the LED configuration BMW employs.

But back to the topic, I think for this pricepoint, they are superior to the others in the same market.

banjos-n-beer · Dec 17, 2015

MikeM. said:
I leave mine on a different setting than you and they will turn on as soon as I start the car (still in park) but only if there is water on the windshield. But I don't think the sensitivity setting is causing your issue. The optical rain sensor is just right of the rearview mirror and is behind part of the windshield that is swept by the wipers. I imagine if your right wiper has blade damage near the right tip, this could leave a dirty streak right where the rain sensor looks (which common sense tells us could affect the decision to wipe or not).

Sounds good. And don't hesitate to turn it up or down to adjust for different climatic conditions. It has a very small effect in most types of common rain but I have noticed a greater range of effect in trickier conditions.

Hello Mike- the windshield is nice and clean, and the wiper blades are in perfect condition. If there is anything on the windshield, it would be on the inside behind the plastic unit (but I think that is highly unlikely). I noticed this morning that I have the wiper toggle set on the middle intermittent setting. As far as the manual goes, I have read most of it, but not every little piece on all the techy gadgetry.

BMuzzy · Dec 17, 2015

They went from Braces on the Q Series grills to braces on their LED's...I'm sure the Technology is cool but the appearance is annoying...

Is Tech Package worth it?

CX-5um

boandlkramer

US Specs in Europe

CX-5um

yrwei52

2016 Mazda CX-5 GT AWD w/Tech Pkg

MikeM.

Member

MikeM.

Member

CaboWabo

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Tom 6-6

boandlkramer

US Specs in Europe

banjos-n-beer

BMuzzy

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