Differences or imsprovements between 2015-2017 M5

My 06 M5 has served us well and we are looking to replace it. We are looking at the M6 but can't get over the practicality of the M5. There is not much in terms of reviews from 2015 on. It seems there is not much or no differences between the 2016 and 17 models.

What we are looking for is a little quieter cabin and a smoother ride. Does anyone know how the 06 compares with the later 15-17 models. Thanks.
 
New taillights.
Different look for a deck.
Different sheet metal and "smile" on the grill.
6-speed manual or 5-speed automatic gearbox vs 5 and 4 in the older models 2.3 vs 2.5 motor.
stability control with traction control as well as front, side and curtain air bags.

So if you have some spare money it is a bit of an upgrade but if those changes don't excite you, driving older one will be cheaper if it is not falling apart.
 
My 06 M5 has served us well and we are looking to replace it. We are looking at the M6 but can't get over the practicality of the M5. There is not much in terms of reviews from 2015 on. It seems there is not much or no differences between the 2016 and 17 models.

What we are looking for is a little quieter cabin and a smoother ride. Does anyone know how the 06 compares with the later 15-17 models. Thanks.
If you can accept the looks, shop for +'12 and newer. Age (and heat) are killers and a newer car just simply has newer (aged) parts with less wear. I'm not going into details but the newer model car uses some better subcomponents.

IIRC, TCS/DSC are standard on '10, which is why I believe '09 is the best. year. ever. and epitomized what a Mazda 5 should be :)
Not sure about 06-07 but '08 and up has front, side, and curtain air bags also.
 
My 06 is showing its age, especially because I only have street parking and it has suffering many bumps and scrapes including a hit a run . However, it has held up but rust is starting to show at the bottom of the front fenders and rear wheel wells.

The M5 is for the 2016 or 17 with less than 50K km are priced under $20K CAN and I can expect to paid around $23-28K for the same year M6. What we are looking for is a more smoother and quieter ride. The safety features are a definite plus but the new M6 from what I gather offers better sound insulation, ride and more safety feature options.
 
Smooth and quite (NVH) first and foremost is dictated by the chassis, which all Mazda 5 share so that's moot. 2nd is shocks and struts, which I think the newer car uses an upgraded rear OEM shock but this is a minor aftermarket upgrade cost. Then there's tires, which is how much you want to spend. I don't know how different the sounds insulation, weather seal, and glass thickness vary from the different years but I'm wiling to bet they are also moot. I'm not sure how much quitter the 2.5 is compared to the 2.3 so that may be a factor. There's also noise from intake/exhaust configuration but I also don't think much is different. I think you want a Odyssey or Sienna noise level car, which you will not get at the Mazda 5 price point. OR take whichever model you like to an audio shop and have them sound insulate it.


FWIW, I test drove the '16 Mazda6 GT(?) for my brother in law. I find the low profile tires and overall sporty setup makes the car ride a bit harsh and did not recommend it. He went with the Legacy instead and he (as am I) are still very happy with it. Heavy and underpowered - sure, but a well rounded car and AWD would be useful in CA -snow tires just makes it more-better.
 
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Agree with Silentnoise713. If you are looking for quiet, I wouldn't replace your older M5 with a new one. My friend has a 08. My 2012 which I owned since new, is a bit quieter, but nothing to write home about. We have 97K miles on ours. We are going to keep it till 150K. I am going to replace it with a Sienna XLE.

Sienna xlE 8 passenger, with moonroof, and leather, locally 2 years old are going for 20-23,000$ for under 30K miles. Those things will go 200K miles with eyes closed, without the nagging problems of the Mazda5. They get the same MPG as the Mazda, while giving me more room, and no need for roof box, and quality issues of the Mazda. Sure I give the "fun to drive," factor, but lets be honest the Mazda5 ain't no sports car. Thus that is what we will be moving to. I don't need to spend 40K on a new one, and deprecation on minivans are ridiculous.

Good luck with your decision.
 
Greetings from Singapore. It's great to know that there's such a nice thread on Mazda 5 over here. I got a 2017 Mazda 5 2.0L Skyactiv Petrol Engine with 6sp automatic transmission. The car rides great and the gearbox is silky smooth. NVH is impressive.
 
Unfortunately, 2017 was the last year that the Mazda 5 was offered on sale in north america. It never got the skyactiv treatment, it was only available with the dated 2.5l engine and 5 speed auto transmission.
 
I'm quite surprised that the 5 is so popular in the U.S! The Skyactiv engines are punchier although the saying goes "There's no replacement for displacement" end of the day 2.5L will win over a 2.0L engine.
 

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