2017 CX-5 GT w/Premium Driver's Seat bolster too hard?

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2017 CX-5 GT AWD with Premium Pkg.
Hi Folks,

My wife and I are considering buying a 2017 CX-5 GT w/ Premium Pkg. We've test driven several identically spec'ed vehicles.
I'm finding the seat cushion bolster closest to the driver's door to be very hard and uncomfortable. Has anyone else noticed
this? Also, we've sat inside many identically spec'ed CX-5s and found that there is some variance in seating comfort having to do with that bolster. Most are firm but acceptable. A few are extra-hard and unacceptable (for me). Our current vehicle is a 2011 Nissan Rogue SL with leather. Those seats are much flatter and not as heavily bolstered. However, I've sat in quite a few other cars like Honda and Toyota and those seats were bolstered but not nearly as hard as the Mazda.
I was considering waiting for the 2018s to come out and try those.
Also, I haven't driven the 2016 or 2016.5 ....does anyone know if they have the same seats as the 2017?

Anyway, any thoughts on this?

Thanks, Brian
 
Hi Folks,

My wife and I are considering buying a 2017 CX-5 GT w/ Premium Pkg. We've test driven several identically spec'ed vehicles.
I'm finding the seat cushion bolster closest to the driver's door to be very hard and uncomfortable. Has anyone else noticed
this? Also, we've sat inside many identically spec'ed CX-5s and found that there is some variance in seating comfort having to do with that bolster. Most are firm but acceptable. A few are extra-hard and unacceptable (for me). Our current vehicle is a 2011 Nissan Rogue SL with leather. Those seats are much flatter and not as heavily bolstered. However, I've sat in quite a few other cars like Honda and Toyota and those seats were bolstered but not nearly as hard as the Mazda.
I was considering waiting for the 2018s to come out and try those.
Also, I haven't driven the 2016 or 2016.5 ....does anyone know if they have the same seats as the 2017?

Anyway, any thoughts on this?

Thanks, Brian

Absolutely Brian.

I’m not a big lover of bolstered seats anyway and although I’m not skinny, I’ve got disproportionately skinny legs and butt so in theory I shouldn’t struggle but I ordered this car without sitting in it as my previous CX-5 was stolen. Those bolster have a hard spine close to the seat base and they were making my legs numb. Why Mazda, why? I took mine to a professional car upholsterer and he has made it much better by removing that hard edge and adding a softer foam. It still isn’t perfect as I’d rather have no flipping bolsters but it is much better. I’ll leave it a bit and if they don’t get better, I’ll have them removed but that involves a good deal of cutting and sewing.

He’s already taken the top off the bolsters here and keep in mind my seat is not on the wrong side like your US model ;-) but you can see that the door side is actually much wider than the console side which is probably why it troubles you more;

IMG_3686.jpg


Having removed the bolster completely, he has now rebuilt and reformed it with softer foam;

IMG_3688.jpg


Then adds the wadding material;

IMG_3689.jpg


He then replaced the cover;

IMG_3690.jpg


I like the car but this spoils it slightly so I will sort it out at some stage. I fancy black alcantara panels in all 4 seats so would do it at the same time. I also find the steering wheel very uncomfortable but that is another story.
 
Wow. Never seen the inside of the seat before. Thanks for the pictures.
Oh right, well that's the seat heating element but the back is a bit more complicated because it has a heater and an airbag embedded in it. All the movement motors are visible too. In the very back is the mechanism for the whiplash lessening device.
 
Hey Brian

I have a 2017 Machine Gray GT AWD with Premium Pkg. Mine is as hard as a rock in that same spot! I thought it would soften up over time...but it hasn't. My left side is often sore due to this issue. I bought a memory foam seat cushion which eliminates the soreness, but I don't feel planted when I'm driving and move around in the seat more in turns because I've effectively eliminated the bolstering effect with the cushion. I am thinking about taking it into the dealer. It sounds like a QC issue if others aren't as firm. Mine definitely falls in the "unacceptable"! The bumper-to-bumper should cover this...right?

Thanks
Earl
 
Hey Brian

I have a 2017 Machine Gray GT AWD with Premium Pkg. Mine is as hard as a rock in that same spot! I thought it would soften up over time...but it hasn't. My left side is often sore due to this issue. I bought a memory foam seat cushion which eliminates the soreness, but I don't feel planted when I'm driving and move around in the seat more in turns because I've effectively eliminated the bolstering effect with the cushion. I am thinking about taking it into the dealer. It sounds like a QC issue if others aren't as firm. Mine definitely falls in the "unacceptable"! The bumper-to-bumper should cover this...right?

Thanks
Earl

It sounds like you are unhappy with the design, rather than the workmanship. I think there is very little chance the dealer will do anything to the seat unless it is obviously a different firmness on one side than the other, or something like that, which indicates that the particular seat is anomalous.

I'm wondering if preferences for seats have to do with seating position, driving style, or body size/width to some extent. It might be instructive if folks who don't like a particular model, or prefer another, give some info on those parameters. Obviously one would want a different style of seat if the car were used exclusively on a race track, vs. trying to optimize fuel economy on 12 hr road trips.

Having narrow hips myself, I suspect I may like firm sides to keep me centered, but I might not be directly on top of them most of the time.
 
Hi Folks,


I'm finding the seat cushion bolster closest to the driver's door to be very hard and uncomfortable. Has anyone else noticed
this? Also, we've sat inside many identically spec'ed CX-5s and found that there is some variance in seating comfort having to do with that bolster. Most are firm but acceptable. A few are extra-hard and unacceptable (for me). Our current vehicle is a 2011 Nissan Rogue SL with leather. Those seats are much flatter and not as heavily bolstered. However, I've sat in quite a few other cars like Honda and Toyota and those seats were bolstered but not nearly as hard as the Mazda.
I was considering waiting for the 2018s to come out and try those.
Also, I haven't driven the 2016 or 2016.5 ....does anyone know if they have the same seats as the 2017?

Anyway, any thoughts on this?

Thanks, Brian

Nice to see I'm not the only one who has issues with the 2017 CX-5 driver's seat.

This is my first Mazda ever, and in many ways, an awesome car. But.... I am dismally disappointed at what the driver must endure just to drive this thing. Steering wheel that is ~1" too small in the diameter (along with other simple tweaks to it that could have made it so much nicer); door-side arm rest that is ~1 1/2"-2" too far to the left; center console arm rest that is marginally useful; ergonomics getting in/out of the car require a bit more gymnastics than any of the 50+ cars I've owned in my lifetime (already whacked my head on that "A" pillar.....); and then there's the seat: too long by at least 1"; bolsters too firm all around; no ability to adjust tilt angle downwards a bit to relieve pressure on the front bolster against the backside of the leg (Touring version); horizontal front of the seat (it should be tapered back a bit) does not allow a comfortable position when driving long distances and you want to bend your legs back a bit- seat design doesn't allow that; distance and positioning of seat in relation to door sill and "B" pillar is not conducive to easy ingress/egress; etc. etc. For a vehicle that was supposed to have a multitude of tweaks to the interior cabin to enhance the driving experience, those enhancements are lost on me- I can't find them.

Again, the rest of the car is awesome, but the driver-position experience leaves much to be desired. Not a whole lot of 'horse and rider as one' in this car; a bit more like 'horse has wrong saddle; could care less about the rider', or something like that.
Not meaning to diss Mazda; it is what it is. It might have been wiser for me to rent one for a while to work out some of the anomalies before I plunked down my dollars. The main redeeming value for me is that my wife is content with the car (it's her DD)- if mama's happy, that's all that matters... (wink).

Just an old coot's opinion,
Rick
 
I drove a 217 car this week for a day and the seat was no different as far as comfort is concerned, but I've a small frame, the bolsters keep me in the seat as I would expect.

Couldn't find any difference in the steering wheel either, although the steering feel is different.
 
Nice to see I'm not the only one who has issues with the 2017 CX-5 driver's seat.

This is my first Mazda ever, and in many ways, an awesome car. But.... I am dismally disappointed at what the driver must endure just to drive this thing. Steering wheel that is ~1" too small in the diameter (along with other simple tweaks to it that could have made it so much nicer); door-side arm rest that is ~1 1/2"-2" too far to the left; center console arm rest that is marginally useful; ergonomics getting in/out of the car require a bit more gymnastics than any of the 50+ cars I've owned in my lifetime (already whacked my head on that "A" pillar.....); and then there's the seat: too long by at least 1"; bolsters too firm all around; no ability to adjust tilt angle downwards a bit to relieve pressure on the front bolster against the backside of the leg (Touring version); horizontal front of the seat (it should be tapered back a bit) does not allow a comfortable position when driving long distances and you want to bend your legs back a bit- seat design doesn't allow that; distance and positioning of seat in relation to door sill and "B" pillar is not conducive to easy ingress/egress; etc. etc. For a vehicle that was supposed to have a multitude of tweaks to the interior cabin to enhance the driving experience, those enhancements are lost on me- I can't find them.

Again, the rest of the car is awesome, but the driver-position experience leaves much to be desired. Not a whole lot of 'horse and rider as one' in this car; a bit more like 'horse has wrong saddle; could care less about the rider', or something like that.
Not meaning to diss Mazda; it is what it is. It might have been wiser for me to rent one for a while to work out some of the anomalies before I plunked down my dollars. The main redeeming value for me is that my wife is content with the car (it's her DD)- if mama's happy, that's all that matters... (wink).

Just an old coot's opinion,
Rick
No, I’m with you on the steering wheel and the seat bolsters, the rest is fine with me. The steering wheel is far to thin and the shape is abysmal. It is very uncomfortable and the strangest shape. I also struggle with the edge of the steering controls digging in the base of my thumb - there was no need to extend the switch so far.

I still find the seat over bolstered and that is after having the bolsters softened.
 
The steering wheel is far to thin and the shape is abysmal. It is very uncomfortable and the strangest shape. I also struggle with the edge of the steering controls digging in the base of my thumb - there was no need to extend the switch so far.

I still find the seat over bolstered and that is after having the bolsters softened.

Hmm... I think I will need to go on a test drive sometime way before possible purchase as I find my existing CX5 the most comfortable car ever on an extended drive. No aches or pains after 4 hours continuous driving. (6ft 2inch and 16 stone). Having said that I've sat in a 2017 at a dealer and found it comfortable and the latest Peugeot 3008 was also comfortable. Some cars I've sat in I've had immediate backache after a few minutes whilst trying for comfort on a dealer forecourt. I wonder if the fabric seats are softer and more forgiving than the leather.

Decisions... Decisions...
 
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Hmm... I think I will need to go on a test drive sometime way before possible purchase as I find my existing CX5 the most comfortable car ever on an extended drive. No aches or pains after 4 hours continuous driving. (6ft 2inch and 16 stone). Having said that I've sat in a 2017 at a dealer and found it comfortable and the latest Peugeot 3008 was also comfortable. Some cars I've sat in I've had immediate backache after a few minutes whilst trying for comfort on a dealer forecourt. I wonder if the fabric seats are softer and more forgiving than the leather.

Decisions... Decisions...
I think a lot of people find it comfortable and some complain that it isn’t bolstered enough. I just feel like there was something on the seat when I sat in it!
 
When I first sat in the 2017 I felt very comfortable and fitted. I don’t find the steering wheel thin or uncomfortable at all. These are basics that should be discovered when checking the car out at the showroom.
 
When I first sat in the 2017 I felt very comfortable and fitted. I don’t find the steering wheel thin or uncomfortable at all. These are basics that should be discovered when checking the car out at the showroom.

I've only sat in a CX5 two or three times. The steering wheel seemed fat compared to my 2000 Acura. I think I will like it once I get used to it (assuming the diesel is ever released). I don't have any recollection of the seat comfort or lack thereof. That's probably a good thing, only drove for 15 minutes or so though.
 
The trouble with bucket seats is that not everyone has the same size bucket.

I knew before I bough the CX-5 that I would need to mess with the seats but it is not the first (or second) car I have had to do that with. I liked everything else so I bought it. In my case I could lower the seat enough that I could use a cushion to get up past the bolsters. I bought a very firm piece of foam and trimmed it so it fills the space between the bolsters (It is cut at an angle on both sides.) I then had it covered with matching material and I am all set. In a previous car I removed the seat and cut away the steel bolsters under the foam and welded in flat steel. In another car I simply replaced the seat.

Seating is personal. and pinching that causes pain or numbness is real. I urge anyone with trouble to do what you need to fix it.
 
I have cloth seats. The seat bolsters are hard and very uncomfortable. Even climbing out of the car and sliding across the left seat bolster hurts. I didn't notice it during my test drive, I was too distracted. Now I want to find a solution.
 
I'm wondering if they stiffened up the bolster since I remember there were some issues from the 1st generation CX-5 bolster being too soft and there were reports that the power driver seat adjustment controls were being incidentally activated when entering/exiting the driver's seat.
 
Hi Folks,

My wife and I are considering buying a 2017 CX-5 GT w/ Premium Pkg. We've test driven several identically spec'ed vehicles.
I'm finding the seat cushion bolster closest to the driver's door to be very hard and uncomfortable. Has anyone else noticed
this? Also, we've sat inside many identically spec'ed CX-5s and found that there is some variance in seating comfort having to do with that bolster. Most are firm but acceptable. A few are extra-hard and unacceptable (for me). Our current vehicle is a 2011 Nissan Rogue SL with leather. Those seats are much flatter and not as heavily bolstered. However, I've sat in quite a few other cars like Honda and Toyota and those seats were bolstered but not nearly as hard as the Mazda.
I was considering waiting for the 2018s to come out and try those.
Also, I haven't driven the 2016 or 2016.5 ....does anyone know if they have the same seats as the 2017?

Anyway, any thoughts on this?

Thanks, Brian
 
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