Still cycling through replacement options for our Jetta TDI wagon. I know the Mazda 5 is popular around here. From a quick scan of wikipedia, it sounds like 2008+ is more desirable? What are the trim levels and what is included? I'd like to stay south of $10k and 100k miles.
Please dispense with your wisdom!
The knowledge you seek is linked below.
Shocks and struts wear quickly. So do motor mounts. Driveline is almost 100% mazda3. They're super sweet.
Koni makes struts and there are lowering springs available.
That should help a bit.
Stefan (Not Bruce) wrote: Koni makes struts and there are lowering springs available. That should help a bit.
H&r makes brilliant coilovers. Hotchkiss and tripoint both make excellent sway bars. Awr makes endlinks. Corksport makes it all.
In reply to mndsm:
Great, if you're making something that will be uncomfortable to drive on anything but a billiard smooth road or you're a stance-tard.
Eh, i have all the listed suspension in my ms3 and it's only a little stiffer than stock. The rsb in particular really helps the car.
It's for my daughter to drive, so getting 10/10ths out of it isn't a requirement, or even desirable. Competent yes. What else should I look for/at when I go shopping?
dyintorace wrote: It's for my daughter to drive, so getting 10/10ths out of it isn't a requirement, or even desirable. Competent yes. What else should I look for/at when I go shopping?
Sorry, autopilot. I automatically assume everyone needs all the suspension.
In reply to dyintorace:
Why would you buy a 5 instead of a 3 for your daughter? Seems like extra weight to carry around, and only adds the potential to haul a bunch of extra distractions (aka classmates) around with her.
The 2017 3's start at $18,345 BRAND NEW. I drove one recently and really liked it. It's a fine family hatch, with a few nice perks.
...OK, obviously a new car is more expensive than a used one. I'd still look at the 3, whether it was used or new.
We're shopping the 3 as well. The 6 passenger capacity would come in handy on occasion, for Mom carpooling duty.
In reply to dyintorace:
If you honestly want the carpooling capability, better have Mom look at the storage capacity. You can't fit 6 people in one plus their backpacks or gym bags.
It's just a 3 that's already loaded to capacity.
...when my oldest kids got their licenses, we were driving Suburbans (2 of them, plus my truck). With 7 of us in the house, I figured we needed the carpooling capacity.
Then one day I realized, we almost always took 2 cars everywhere. Just because 7 people have different schedules, and we had 4 drivers then. Even when we were all going to the same place, we were usually coming from different places.
There was no reason 7 of us couldn't fit in 2 compacts.
We dumped the 'Burbs, and stopped paying the fuel premium. Just accepted that we often took 2 cars places. Never looked back.
The 3 can reasonably carry 5 people with their luggage (though not for a long trip).
The 5 cannot reasonably carry 6 people plus their luggage.
mndsm wrote: Shocks and struts wear quickly. So do motor mounts. Driveline is almost 100% mazda3. They're super sweet.
My 5 has 157k and the stock struts with H&R springs. The new gen holds up better than the first gen.
08-10 got the 5 speed automatic (vs 4 speed automatic). I dont know all the details of the newest 5's, but I believe its an all new powertrain, and suspension is still similar.
If you want manual you need to shop for the sport trim level. It is the most modestly equipped offering. I have a Grand Touring, has HID's, LED tail lamps, leather, heated front seats, 6 disc cd changer.
I have been on Megan lowering springs for about 30k miles now. (118k on van). I think I need a suspension refresh,. Cold weather is bringing out all sorts of interesting sounds. Looking at Koni Yellows.
How difficult is a Speed3 engine and trans swap? Seems like the perfect sleeper.
In reply to Appleseed:
Quite difficult since the Speed3 is direct injection and the 5 is not. You'd need a complete donor Speed3 and a decent fab shop to relocate the intercooler and fit the necessary DI parts and FSM's for both to sort the wiring for the ECU, etc.
Its possible though, a Mazda shop did one for the One Lap, Car & Driver tried and failed though.
In reply to failboat:
Drivetrain is essentially unchanged. Instead of a 2.3L, it received a 2.5L MZR and 5-speed auto or 6-speed manual up to 2015.
In Canada, they received the 2016's which received a 6-speed auto.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_Premacy
Do any of the available radios for these have an aux. input? Or is there a simple kit to add one?
Thanks for the continued insight. Next trick will be finding one local to take for a test drive.
ProDarwin wrote: Do any of the available radios for these have an aux. input? Or is there a simple kit to add one?
Our '13 has an aux jack below the gearshift.
My 08 has an aux input. below the shifter next to cigarette lighter.
ProDarwin wrote: Do any of the available radios for these have an aux. input? Or is there a simple kit to add one?
For Mazdas with no aux input, My brother bought this for his 2003 3 and I helped him install it. It was straightforward and worked great
http://www.sylfex.com/products/AuxMod/
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