Bought a 2014 CX-5

MazdaMan79

Member
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2014 CX-5 Touring FWD 2.5 Tech Pkg
After grueling research, i bought a 2014 CX-5. I liked the car, but was mostly tired of car shopping. Here's my experience so far. It runs funny in the cold. I avg 23.9 mpg, not great, mostly city, and i do tend to get on the gas. I suspect mazda has manipulated the gas gauge because the 1st half tank will last much longer than the 2nd half...almost like they made a desperate attempt to give the impression its a real gas saver. The voice command is worthless. There's a real lack of interior lights. This includes center console, window/lock switches, & glove compartment. There is a sad excuse for a cargo light with a manual switch. Furthermore, there is no indicating light on the shifter base for what gear ur in. The posts on the fragile windshield have me worried, especially since i have the tech pkg. Which brings me to the auto wipers, this wasnt a selling point, but i dont think they work. Another feature that wasnt a selling point was the scbs. Havent tested this, but if it actually works, could be worth whatever it cost me. If it malfunctions, could cost me my life. It is fun to drive, and even with all its faults, i have no doubt the other cars i looked at had just as many, if not more.
 
You made an impulsive buy without really looking hard for what you want... especially for an early model car
don't b**** because you got tired of car shopping and got something you didn't like
 
Auto Wipers might not be enabled in the vehicle settings within the infotainment unit
 
Every car I've owned, the first half of the tank always last longer than the second half.
 
You made an impulsive buy without really looking hard for what you want... especially for an early model car
don't b**** because you got tired of car shopping and got something you didn't like

The things i did not like about the 2014 version was fixed in the 2016.5 version hence why i bought a brand new 2016.5 rather then the 2014 version. Waiting was worth it!
 
SCBS won't cost you your life, not paying attention will though. The fuel gauge scales based on your mpg so if the previous driver was getting better mpgs and you werent then it will scale differently
 
SCBS won't cost you your life, not paying attention will though. The fuel gauge scales based on your mpg so if the previous driver was getting better mpgs and you werent then it will scale differently

If you really want to know your gear and you cant tell from RPM/speed/feel (I'll give you that because car is new to you), you can flick manual mode on and it will show you
 
None of the things mentioned is on my annoyances list, except for the cargo light. I don't have the Tech Pkg and I don't feel I miss anything.

Read this thread (perhaps *before* making a purchase) to see what others are complaining about.

What annoys me are:
* Window switches stop working after I turn the engine off (except manual up). If I trigger auto up on the driver side window then turn the engine off, it will stop mid-way.
* Not enough/small volume of storage all throughout the cabin: on the doors, center console etc.
* On an incline, AT logic at certain speeds chooses too low gears.
* Wiper blades, in a snow storm, collect ice, stop being effective.
* Back seat a bit upright to my taste.
* Driver seating position not ideal: can't put elbow on hand rest and hold the wheel at the same time.
 
Having owned my 2014 touring for 3 years now,here's my take on things.
1) mine don't run funny in the cold.It's noisy until it warms up a bit.I feed it decent gas and find it likes 89 octane better and gives a small mileage increase.Just as an aside,has your engine air filter ever been replaced?
2)Getting 23.9 mpg in the midwest with city driving(in cold weather) is better than mine but I let mine warm up for 15-20 minutes on cold days and do lots of stop and go around town.
3)This is the 11th car I've owned and none have had a linear gas gauge.I just learn how it works and accept it.Resetting the trip odo at fillup allows a ballpark figure by dividing by average mpg(which is also reset at fillup).
4)Lack of interior lights--I hear ya.For less than 13$ delivered,I got led light bulbs from ebay and installed them in the overhead lights and cargo light.Nice improvement.BE WARNED--disconnect the battery before changing bulbs.It's well known on this board that the #54 "room fuse" in the underhood fuse box can be inadvertently blown when changing bulbs and leave you wondering why no instruments,power windows/locks and won't start.Happened to me.Though I didn't experience it,I've read about people blowing out the rear body control module when changing the cargo light without disconnecting battery.
5) the gear selector positions light up next to the shifter on mine at night.Maybe you have a bulb out.
6) fragile windshield-- I was concerned when reading about other's experiences but now just will deal with it if it happens.
7)Don't have tech package so have nothing to add except to say that I bought the basic touring for what it DIDN'T have as much as what it did.Did not want a hole in the roof(sunroof),auto climate control,auto wipers or auto darkening mirror or any other complicated stuff which can be frustrating and expensive to fix ,as I've had some of these items in the past.
Not relevant to amenities but helped my buying decision ,three main criteria the cx-5 met were a)no cvt transmission . b) no timing belt--has a chain. 3) no turbo.

I knew as soon as I drove it that it was a definite contender.Loved how it drove.That coupled with what it had(and didn't have as mentioned above),and was built in Japan with 90% japanese parts content and the styling made it a keeper.Guess you can tell I like my cx-5.No car is perfect and this gets me around well."Nuff said.
 
Thanks for all the helpful posts! I must have come across that i dont like the car...woops. I just listed my experience so far, and they are just minor annoyances. For everyone who took time to try to help, i really do thank you! Im really excited about this forum with all the helpful tips, and positive responses.
 
Having owned my 2014 touring for 3 years now,here's my take on things.
1) mine don't run funny in the cold.It's noisy until it warms up a bit.I feed it decent gas and find it likes 89 octane better and gives a small mileage increase.Just as an aside,has your engine air filter ever been replaced?
2)Getting 23.9 mpg in the midwest with city driving(in cold weather) is better than mine but I let mine warm up for 15-20 minutes on cold days and do lots of stop and go around town.
3)This is the 11th car I've owned and none have had a linear gas gauge.I just learn how it works and accept it.Resetting the trip odo at fillup allows a ballpark figure by dividing by average mpg(which is also reset at fillup).
4)Lack of interior lights--I hear ya.For less than 13$ delivered,I got led light bulbs from ebay and installed them in the overhead lights and cargo light.Nice improvement.BE WARNED--disconnect the battery before changing bulbs.It's well known on this board that the #54 "room fuse" in the underhood fuse box can be inadvertently blown when changing bulbs and leave you wondering why no instruments,power windows/locks and won't start.Happened to me.Though I didn't experience it,I've read about people blowing out the rear body control module when changing the cargo light without disconnecting battery.
5) the gear selector positions light up next to the shifter on mine at night.Maybe you have a bulb out.
6) fragile windshield-- I was concerned when reading about other's experiences but now just will deal with it if it happens.
7)Don't have tech package so have nothing to add except to say that I bought the basic touring for what it DIDN'T have as much as what it did.Did not want a hole in the roof(sunroof),auto climate control,auto wipers or auto darkening mirror or any other complicated stuff which can be frustrating and expensive to fix ,as I've had some of these items in the past.
Not relevant to amenities but helped my buying decision ,three main criteria the cx-5 met were a)no cvt transmission . b) no timing belt--has a chain. 3) no turbo.

I knew as soon as I drove it that it was a definite contender.Loved how it drove.That coupled with what it had(and didn't have as mentioned above),and was built in Japan with 90% japanese parts content and the styling made it a keeper.Guess you can tell I like my cx-5.No car is perfect and this gets me around well."Nuff said.

I have a 2014 CX-5 GT and agree with most all of this. The interior lights bothered me in the beginning but I don't even think about it now. The rear cargo light does not even bother me much. I purchased the car with the remote start but leaving the car idling kills gas mileage.
 
You can reset the mpg to compare different conditions. I average 27.2 in a 2015 Touring. Agree about the gas tank. But they have been different on every car I've ever owned. I know what this one does, and plan accordingly. It is really, really fun to drive. Fantastic control on wet, slippery roads. Don't have the tech package and the other stuff doesn't bug me.

Meant to add, this is the easiest car to maintain I have ever owned. Got it as a former Enterprise rental, with fairly high mileage because the transmission on my old CR-V blew out, I knew I wanted a CX-5 and this was the only one within 50 miles (my neighbors drove me to the dealer). Due to a family issue, I have been driving back and forth on 400 mile roundtrips 2-3 times a month and piling up the miles for the past year. The oil has been regularly changed, new tires/rotated and fluids/hoses checked. It has high miles (72k) for a 2015 and is in beautiful condition. It runs perfectly. It is also very comfortable on the long trips. And mega-fun driving on windy mountain roads. It is very sure-footed in the rain, when water is pouring off of hillsides. The tires undoubtedly have something to do this (Cooper Discoverer SRX), but so does the car. The handling is awesome. Don't think its a coincidence that Mazda has a test track at Laguna Seca Raceway.
 
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There is a 22 dollar led package for internal lights, believe it includes cargo as well. Try that.. pretty much plug and play.
Scbs is touchy... If it had a lot of failure Mazda could get sued. Bsm and rcta work great. Thinking scbs would be good too.
Mpg wise I do 29. Trying to push 30 my commute has a lot of stop n go. I think in city mazda mpg is phenomenal. It is 1 mpg more than Camry
 
Do you mod cars?
Not really, but I think I should. I've never owned a car this nice before. My last car was a 2002 Alero GLS that I drove 12 years till it rusted out. I'm used to repairing cars, not modifying and upgrading lol. Right now I'm considering the better bulbs, remote start, and the euro spec headrests. The headrests sound like they are difficult to get. These are probably noob modifications, I'm not really interested in lowering the car. It looks badass, but after driving a hatchback, coupe, and sedan, I like the height of the CX-5. I'd also like to do something with the front end, aftermarket grille or something. Do you have any suggestions or recommendations?
 
After grueling research, i bought a 2014 CX-5. I liked the car, but was mostly tired of car shopping. Here's my experience so far. It runs funny in the cold. I avg 23.9 mpg, not great, mostly city, and i do tend to get on the gas. I suspect mazda has manipulated the gas gauge because the 1st half tank will last much longer than the 2nd half...almost like they made a desperate attempt to give the impression its a real gas saver. The voice command is worthless. There's a real lack of interior lights. This includes center console, window/lock switches, & glove compartment. There is a sad excuse for a cargo light with a manual switch. Furthermore, there is no indicating light on the shifter base for what gear ur in. The posts on the fragile windshield have me worried, especially since i have the tech pkg. Which brings me to the auto wipers, this wasnt a selling point, but i dont think they work. Another feature that wasnt a selling point was the scbs. Havent tested this, but if it actually works, could be worth whatever it cost me. If it malfunctions, could cost me my life. It is fun to drive, and even with all its faults, i have no doubt the other cars i looked at had just as many, if not more.

If you're willing to "mod" the car....this is one of the best things you can do for the lighting in the cargo area!!!

https://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123838940-How-To-Install-LED-Strips-in-CX5-Cargo-Area

It's been almost 3 years since I've installed these and they still work just like new!
 
Interesting. We bought a 2014 Touring back in August, and we absolutely love the thing. Of course this is by far the newest car we've ever had, coming from my wife's old clunker 96 Toyota Corolla. Creature comforts and technology is off the charts compared to what we were used to driving. I love the way it rides and handles, and I love the steering feel. My one main complaint is the city MPG isn't quite what I hoped it would be, but part of that is my wife sitting in the school pickup line and idling for 20+ minutes every weekday afternoon. When I'm driving I can usually make it to about 26-27 MPG, and on a recent road trip we got 31 MPG on one tank.
 
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