OK Hive, it's getting close to time to replace the brakes on the wife's 2018 CX-5. Frankly, this thing has always driven me crazy with how weak the brakes are, whenever I drive it I need 4-5 stops to adjust to it (hopefully without rear-ending somebody).
Is there a brand we like that will be a little more effective without breaking the bank? Power Stop? EBC?($$$) Looking for a stock fitment, no big mods.
Raybestos Element3 Hybrid pads on our 2017 CX-5. I didn't have any qualms with the factory pads and these feel pretty similar to me. Changed rotors at the same time also with Raybestos, Street Performance fronts and Element3 rears.
OK, so this is a known thing? Wife got a 2023 and somehow she doesn't notice, but I feel like the brakes are about to completely give out. Way more pedal travel than any other modern car I've driven. Let us know what you decide on and the results!
In reply to spedracer:
I haven't heard of it being a known issue and didn't notice it when we bought the car. Either the brakes are worn and not as effective or my Ranger has great brakes!
I've had a 2016 and I have a 2023. I'd say the brakes feel about average among the field . However, brake feel can be a personal preference.
I've never felt that the brakes on my CX-9 were all that great, but I never felt they weren't adequate. I think the fact that the stock pads are ceramic for long wear and low dust means that they're not going to have the bite of a performance-oriented pad.
My best direct comparison is a 2017 Ridgeline with factory pads. Compared to it, the CX-5 brakes have less travel before brakes engage and more bite. So, maybe I'm desensitized.
When we had our 2018 CX-5, I replaced the stockers with Raybestos Element3 stuff when it was time to replace them. Wasn't the biggest fan of the stock brakes with similar complaints as everyone else here, but the Element3 brakes seemed to stop a bit better.
We're on our 2nd CX-5 for Mrs. Rotaryracer. First was a 2017 normally aspirated with excessive brake pedal travel and warped rotors/worn pads at just over 20K. The current daily is a 2023 turbo with around 22K miles, and...you guessed it....just got done with rotors and pads. I did factory parts on the 2017, Raybestos standard stuff on the 2023, and they both feel about the same.
I'm guessing this thing is somewhat underbraked for the weight of it. The non-boosted 4-piston Wilwoods in my road race Camaro have skewed my sense of "good" brakes, but even coming out of my crappy daily drivers ('06 Outback, '07 Prius, '14 F-350), I need to recalibrate my brake foot when I drive her car.
I think I need to visit the brakes on my rx7 because I just drove my parents new 2022 CX5 and felt that it braked too easily/too well with little pedal travel...
I used the Akebono pads from tirerack. Rather like them for a daily driver Mazda 3 2018.
In reply to amg_rx7 (Forum Supporter) :
I have been using that brand pad for a long time, very good for DD duity.
We have a 2023 turbo CX-30 and the brakes are "meh", meaning that they didn't draw my attention either way. It's not a sports car and I don't treat it as one, plus, traffic around here doesn't allow spirited driving any more, so, yeah, "meh." (As an aside, I find it interesting driving a car so diametrically opposite Midlana. I see these things everywhere and they're the perfect invisible means of transport. Does mean that I have to be more careful about remembering where I parked...)
What does draw my attention is the drive-by-wire. When driving at very low speed, like walking speed, it's as if the circuitry has poor resolution. Foot off and it's at idle speed, but push the pedal down 0.001" and the first increment puts it at about 3mph, too large a change. It's most annoying in stop-and-go traffic, but that's for another thread.
Update time!
I went with the PowerStop kit from Tire Rack. When I was shopping, I found the price of the kit to be very reasonable compared to "regular" brakes.
Some observations... or WTH was Mazda thinking? First, the front rotors could have been shared with a semi tractor! They weigh a ton! Can you say "unsprung weight"? Then the rear brakes with the electronic parking brake. I didn't deploy the parking brake so no problem, right? Well, on the passenger side, not much other than the complex clip arrangement. Just compressed the piston and done. The driver side however, was a royal pain. Went to compress the piston... NOPE. Had to remove the electric motor, turn the input shaft while compressing the piston.
I budgeted a couple hours for the job, ended up six and a half hours later. After the break-in procedure I was pretty impressed with the results. The Corvette will be next up for brakes and the PowerStop kit is very reasonable, especially considering that it's for a Vette! (UNDER $500 unless you upgrade! And if you do upgrade to the Z51/J55 brakes, the PS front rotors are vented in the right direction unlike the GM parts.)
triumph7 said:Then the rear brakes with the electronic parking brake. I didn't deploy the parking brake so no problem, right? Well, on the passenger side, not much other than the complex clip arrangement. Just compressed the piston and done. The driver side however, was a royal pain. Went to compress the piston... NOPE. Had to remove the electric motor, turn the input shaft while compressing the piston.
Not sure why but CX5 brakes on my wifes car don't last very long either. I do get way more than 20k out of them though.
Were you not able to have the parking brake retract automatically? There is a procedure you need to follow and it is done electronically, very easy. There are how to's on youtube.
civhatch90 said:Not sure why but CX5 brakes on my wifes car don't last very long either. I do get way more than 20k out of them though.
Were you not able to have the parking brake retract automatically? There is a procedure you need to follow and it is done electronically, very easy. There are how to's on youtube.
We're at almost 80K and the brakes just started making some noise. The fronts probably could have gone another 30K but the rears were almost gone, the noise was a rim of rust on the rotors.
Like I said, I never deployed the parking brake and I had the brakes torn apart when I found the driver's side sticking out. Also, from the information I could find at the time, you need a computer to retract to piston automatically. I only had my phone with me so it was harder to dig for information (and harder to see!).
Another thought, I'm not sure if brakes on the Grand Touring trim are any different than base models.
Rotors are supposed to have mass, it's a fundamental part of their job. There's probably an internal requirement for the stock brakes to handle a certain level of abuse, and that's the size/mass of rotor required to pass that requirement. A tall CUV with a relatively short wheelbase is going to have more weight transfer under braking so it'll need larger front brakes than a sedan.
Mazda may not overboost their brakes like some other manufacturers to give a "strong brake" feel. There's a difference between a high level of assist and weak braking, but most people don't differentiate. If you ever want to improve bite, start by bedding the pads. And for those talking about a long pedal - when's the last time you flushed the fluid on your appliance car? ;)
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