Decided to postpone my cx5 purchase

[Retro Reactive]

Id will try to confirm that Mazda malaysia has infact improved the structure and implemented the revised airbag deployment.

this was the cx5 for 2013 model year made up till october of last year (for the usa market, but what about other markets?)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CinKckGDdAg

This was for the cx5 of 2014, much better performance in test which went from poor to good and earned the car a top safety pick plus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orjnxdOKgK4

I am going to try to confirm that mazda malaysia have implemented the revisions to production and that the october date was a global change rather than one for the usa market only.

While the Thai market misses out on some non essential options like the sunroof and blind spot monitoring, its worth pointing out that mazda does not implement changes in a traditional mid model life refresh like Ford or Honda, they change things to production quite frequently, this is why there was a 2014.5 and a 2015 model refresh which is being talked about online. Apparently europe got memory functions on the drivers seat and some other changes, but the one of interest for me because mazda malaysia have it for their market, is the linear shifting automatic transmission, I think it looks higher rent than than the gated auto transmission which is standard accross all trims in thailand.

I called mazda malaysia who told me the gated transmission was standard for their 2.0l

But now the Malaysian 2.5l has the linear transmission as do all cx5 2014.5's autos in other markets

I believe Thailand is lagging behind, as the current cx5s that i have seen do not appear to have implemented global revisions done elsewhere,

My main concern is confirming the malaysian cx5's have had production conform to the revisions evidenced in the testing above,

by the way do you guys prefer the gated or linear automatic transmission?

[JAS21]

linear ... every time ... can be much more exciting

[IMHO]

Well, you obviously don't need a car in a hurry if you're delaying the purchase over the shifter design

[keemapoot]

I was thinking Mercedes invented that [gated shifter design for safety] back in the 70s, and then did a quick google and found out it was Jag, but it seems the Mercs made it famous. First one I had it was a nice novelty, but I agree they become tiring really. I prefer in-line linear design. Would I defer my order because of it? No, but that is your choice certainly.

That gated design would be a useful safety feature if you were going to drive around up-country Thai style with loads of old ladies, kids and babies crammed into the cabin...but I guess if that was your plan you would have ordered an Isuzu pickup.

Edited May 22, 2014 by keemapoot

[Retro Reactive]

Its annoying I cannot edit the original post as the picture needs to be resized as the horizontal schrol is necessary to read the text now.

hahaha no im not delaying my purchase on account of the linear gear shift, my main concern is clarifying whether the changes mazda made to improve the small offset crash test

were implemented in Malaysia and not just to appease the USA market which refers to IIHS standards, Going off the Thai market alone wouldnt inspire confidence but if Malaysia exports

to australia or some other market with more stringer safety concerns that be of interest.

You are correct about the added safety of the gated design, I dont like the look of the gated one which is likely also why it is no longer featured in europe, down under or in the states, It looks as though it was lifted

out of the captiva, much prefer the silver accents of the linear and leatherette pouch which complements the logically appointed interior. which i felt was relatively higher rent than the crv, rav4 and the angular

busy kuga.

I noticed the mazda6 which essential shares many components and has a near identical interior, recently recieved a sport mode on their automatic just 4 months after recieving the linear

automatic transmission. Im assuming the same will be for the cx5 since it would help drivers not wanting to have to shift in manual mode or to overcome the fuel saving tendancies of the transmission

that some critics have not cared for.

With the diesels large reserves of torque in lower range this isnt even a concern, also seems mazda have finally rectified the oil risisng issues regarding the dpf, im hoping that the car can still passively regenerate

through a hard or long run, so as to avoid the active regeneration which leads to diesel diluting the oil and the rise.

I have read plenty of articles berating the awd system as noneffective in most driving, my experience when driving the awd was that it was much more positive to drive with respect to the weighted feel

the fwd i drove on slalom and on circuit felt planted and body roll was well controled but the awd enhanced the feedback with some oversteer in corners, with the added weight of the awd,

youd be better off with the diesel which is likely why the european lower output diesel comes fwd and the higher output awd like the one here.

Heavy steering isnt for everyone, I liked the x1 for its heavy steering and bought v6 escape over a decade ago for its relatively heavy steering rather than just its power advantage over the 2.3l

Heard that a new minor change will be comming for mazda and it wont be for just the autotransmission, apparently the 2.0l will now be able to sip e85 like the maz3 which share its powerplant, that is

something which would be worth considering for bangkoks stop and go urban commuters who really dont need the extra power of the 2.5 which isnt available till you travel higher up the rpms.

will be waiting for confirmation that the safety revisions were implemented globally.

Edited May 22, 2014 by Retro Reactive