Mazda Appoints New CEO, Prioritises USA - Wonder If Any Immediate Impact On CX-5

So the higher octane means its harder to ignite from compression which is normally good in a traditional gasoline engine. You are less likely to have pre ignition or knock.

With X they want to ignite it with compression so its literally the opposite! So lower octane would be better but 87 is whats readily available so theyre constrained there.
This's not true. SkyActiv-X SPCCI, Spark Plug Controlled Compression Ignition, still uses spark ignition in many situations.
 
They use it to get the necessary pressure to reliably ignite so my statement is true that they are wanting it to ignite from compression. Remember originally they were not going to use a spark plug at all but had to add it. Maybe if lower octanes were readily available......
 
I bet a lot of people are going to want to put higher octane fuel in when these are out because we’re so used to that being better (even though often it isn’t) and that’s just how people are programmed to think. Normally while this wasn’t necessary it certainly wouldn’t make your car run worse. With X it just might if it’s harder to ignite!
 
How much time do you spend "daily driving" as opposed to how much time you spend WOT?

You're right about the advantages, but many people have their minds made up.
I try to go WOT at least once a day. Of course there are days that this is not even possible due to traffic. Which is why I deemed the CVT in my dad's Accord Sport to be acceptable for daily driving. The paddle shifters do help, as it allows you to switch ratios for more power without actually needing to fully step on the gas pedal. I wish Mazda would make the paddle shifters available on the 6 Touring and CX-5. My wife is scared to activate the kick-down switch in low speed traffic just to force a downshift, because she feels the car will be end up being too fast.

Unfortunately it does seem that people's minds are made up on it. It would be really hard for Mazda to introduce a car with CVT, even if they already did before in the Mazda2 (in Asia), as it will degrade their performance credentials here as a "zoom-zoom" company. I wouldn't want them to go CVT honestly as they do make really good traditional automatic transmissions. I would be interested in a hybrid transmission though, CVT like for daily driving and functions like a traditional transmission during WOT. Their current 6 speed auto is almost there. Almost imperceptible shifts in daily driving and huge improvement over the 5 speed auto I had in my 2010 Mazda3.
 
Has she tried just flipping it into sport? This will usually drop it down a gear or two which might be fine for just a little more responsiveness or power. That’s generally all I do on the GTI in those daily scenarios even though it has paddles. I rarely get to go WOT in that as it’s not usually safe to do so in daily driving. In the CX-5 though...... you kinda need to sometimes. Apples and oranges though.
 
Has she tried just flipping it into sport? This will usually drop it down a gear or two which might be fine for just a little more responsiveness or power. That’s generally all I do on the GTI in those daily scenarios even though it has paddles. I rarely get to go WOT in that as it’s not usually safe to do so in daily driving. In the CX-5 though...... you kinda need to sometimes. Apples and oranges though.
She is not really an "enthusiast" type driver. I've told her about using Sport mode numerous times and she thinks it's too much of a distraction to turn it on and to remember to turn it off. She also doesn't know how use the manual shift mode. Her argument is that she just wants the car to responds when she steps on the gas pedal. The issue she is having in low speed traffic is the car is cruising in 2nd gear, which as we all know, has no power whatsoever below 3000 RPM. Even if she fully steps on the gas pedal, sometimes, depending on the speed that she is driving, the car will not downshift to 1st, which means she has to wait for revs to reach 3000 RPM before the car moves. At that point, another car has already jumped in front of her and cut her off. Using Sport mode would easily solve her issue though, if she gets the patience to try it out.
 
The issue she is having in low speed traffic is the car is cruising in 2nd gear, which as we all know, has no power whatsoever below 3000 RPM. Even if she fully steps on the gas pedal, sometimes, depending on the speed that she is driving, the car will not downshift to 1st, which means she has to wait for revs to reach 3000 RPM before the car moves. At that point, another car has already jumped in front of her and cut her off.

Yeah, this happens to me every now and then. If I have to I shift manually back down to first and then shift to 2nd etc. and flip it back over (2014 - no sport mode).

Though this is a rare occurrence for me. I'm usually pretty conscientious of my speed and what gear I am in in that sort of traffic.
 
My wife is scared to activate the kick-down switch in low speed traffic just to force a downshift, because she feels the car will be end up being too fast.

Too fast? That'll never happen! She should practice on a deserted road.

In the CX-5 though...... you kinda need to sometimes.

you mean often, dontcha?
 
Yeah, this happens to me every now and then. If I have to I shift manually back down to first and then shift to 2nd etc. and flip it back over (2014 - no sport mode).

Though this is a rare occurrence for me. I'm usually pretty conscientious of my speed and what gear I am in in that sort of traffic.

That has happened to me as well. Start slow, it shifts into second, then you've got to move, floor it... and it doesn't downshift. Not sure if it's the car screwing up, or me not flooring it hard enough. I do tend to stomp on it in those situations, though, so I blame the tranny.
 
I deemed the CVT in my dad's Accord Sport to be acceptable for daily driving. The paddle shifters do help, as it allows you to switch ratios for more power without actually needing to fully step on the gas pedal. I wish Mazda would make the paddle shifters available on the 6 Touring and CX-5.

It would be really hard for Mazda to introduce a car with CVT, as it will degrade their performance credentials here as a "zoom-zoom" company. I wouldn't want them to go CVT honestly as they do make really good traditional automatic transmissions.
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My own two cents here.
First off, I'd like to personally thank Mazda for not introducing CVT's in their vehicles. I hate those things.
It is one of the reasons (among many) that I went from being a Nissan guy, to never wanting to own one of their products again.

I also find it highly amusing to see paddle shifters on a car that has a CVT. Shifting your own gears in a car that doesn't have any (gears, that is).
It also amuses me just how hard car manufacturers try to program their CVT's to mimic a traditional torque converter automatic transmission. Fake shift points, etc.
If the CVT is that great, why are they trying so hard to make it pretend it's not a CVT? I know, it's because CVT's suck.
Thank you Mazda.
Love my 6.
 
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My own two cents here.
First off, I'd like to personally thank Mazda for not introducing CVT's in their vehicles. I hate those things.
It is one of the reasons (among many) that I went from being a Nissan guy, to never wanting to own one of their products again.

I also find it highly amusing to see paddle shifters on a car that has a CVT. Shifting your own gears in a car that doesn't have any (gears, that is).
It also amuses me just how hard car manufacturers try to program their CVT's to mimic a traditional torque converter automatic transmission. Fake shift points, etc.
If the CVT is that great, why are they trying so hard to make it pretend it's not a CVT? I know, it's because CVT's suck.
Thank you Mazda.
Love my 6.

Yeah, but they lost me when they dropped the REAL manual. At least in the CX-5.
 
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