The Heep Morphed in to a CX-5

Non-Suzuki related topics. Anything can go here.
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Ronzuki
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Speaking of...received this Mazda3 press reveal link in an email from Mazda today...

https://www.mazdausa.com/new-era?intcmp ... EyNzgyNwS2

Thought the sedan would make a good replacement candidate....depending on how it handles...
Ron

2010 Kizashi GTS, CVT, iAWD (3/10 build date)
2011 SX4 Premium Hatch, CVT, iAWD (12/10 build date)
2018 Mazda CX-5 iAWD Touring
2014 Wrangler JKUW (GONE, traded :D :D )
1991 Samurai, 5-Speed, EFI, Soft-Top ( :| sold)
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KuroNekko
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Ronzuki wrote:Speaking of...received this Mazda3 press reveal link in an email from Mazda today...

https://www.mazdausa.com/new-era?intcmp ... EyNzgyNwS2

Thought the sedan would make a good replacement candidate....depending on how it handles...
It will handle wonderfully as the 3 always has. I had a 2005 Mazda3 S before my Kizashi and dare I say it was slightly better in the corners than the Kizashi. It was smaller, lighter, and more nimble. One thing the Mazda will certainly be much better with is the transmission, regardless of manual or automatic. Mazda has avoided CVTs for good reason and make great autos. Their manuals are among the best and shifters far superior to that of the Kizashi's. It's the one thing I miss most about my 3.

Where the Mazda3 fell short was in refinement, build quality, and NHV suppression compared to the Kizashi. The Mazda3 was built like an economy car while you could tell the Kizashi was Suzuki's flagship. However, Mazda has made huge strides in quality and reliability since SkyActiv models came out. I haven't driven one but I'm sure they are closer to the Kizashi in refinement than the old Mazda3's.

If anything, I'm most wary about the new SkyActiv X's reliability given it's a brand new engine running on proprietary technology.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
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Woodie
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KuroNekko wrote:If anything, I'm most wary about the new SkyActiv X's reliability given it's a brand new engine running on proprietary technology.
:idea: Good thinking. Probably best to get the old engine, or wait a year for them to learn from a couple of disasters.
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Ronzuki
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It took Chrysler/Fiat over 3 years to sort out the Pentastar engine...
Ron

2010 Kizashi GTS, CVT, iAWD (3/10 build date)
2011 SX4 Premium Hatch, CVT, iAWD (12/10 build date)
2018 Mazda CX-5 iAWD Touring
2014 Wrangler JKUW (GONE, traded :D :D )
1991 Samurai, 5-Speed, EFI, Soft-Top ( :| sold)
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KuroNekko
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While I have high hopes for SkyActiv X given the other SkyActivs from Mazda have done so well, Mazda is also a risk-taker in ways Honda and Toyota aren't. The Japanese reliability stalwarts test new designs extensively before mass production to try minimize issues. It's likely why they were late into the direct-injection turbo trend. However, even they have issues with their newer engine designs. Toyota has issues with the new V6 in the Tacoma that runs Otto and Atkinson cycle. Honda's issues with their 1.5T in the CR-V has even made the news.

Mazda's had some serious issues with their 2.3 liter turbo, especially in the Mazda CX-7. Before that, they had a Miller-cycle engine in their Millenia which was far from reliable. Hopefully, they have learned from these mistakes and have thoroughly tested SkyActiv X before mass production. I hope it's a success.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
KlutzNinja
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Lol at the fake user digging this thread up.

I read through this whole thread earlier today and it’s interesting how things turned out, compared to what was predicted here. I’ll cover an overview of what’s happened with Mazda in the years since the last real post here.

SkyActiv-X failed to launch, and SkyActiv-D was DOA due to being delayed and nerfed to no end to get it to comply with American (read: Californian :lol: ) emissions. I wouldn’t be surprised if the few diesel CX-5s around in the US become an even bigger Japanese unicorn than the Kizashi. The MX-30, Mazda’s first full EV, is also kind of a dud, at least on paper. TBH I’d totally get one lol. My commute is short, the exterior is growing on me, and the interior is really interesting (even more so than the conventional Mazdas). Most of you won’t see one in person for a long time since it’s California-only for a time. I wonder how good the MX-30 could be if Mazda had access to Lucid’s more energy-dense batteries and smaller motors…

The Mazda3 came out, and while it’s a good car, it got a lot of flak for the whole rear suspension going away from multi-link thing. I think if you took the average driver and didn’t tell them the suspension setup was changed between the current and previous generation, they might not notice. Also a shame about the manual transmission being relegated to the FWD, non-turbo hatchback only, if I recall. Say what you want about Honda, but at least they put the manual in a lot of Civic configurations. They can also afford to do so, too.
Savagegeese has done some good reviews of the Mazda3, especially the reviews from when the current gen launched. It helps that he owned a previous gen Mazda3. The vids have a great rundown on how dedicated Mazda is to developing that philosophy mentioned earlier in this thread. IMO, while Honda may be up there in terms of driving dynamics, I think Mazda is the best when it comes to making the car an extension of yourself, of being at one with the car. That’s what they seem to really be going after; driving dynamics is just a part of that. They certainly seem to directly target that more so than other automakers. It makes the Corolla and Sentra seem like the glorified appliances that they are. That said, some people need appliances for cars, and the Corolla and Sentra are very good at that in their own way. The current crop of cars in that class are all pretty good at what they set out to do.
Savagegeese also has a pretty similar opinion to Ron on the proliferation of electronics in modern cars and how they’re likely to eventually malfunction or break. Like when I was reading this thread earlier, it was a little funny how Ron’s troubles with his Mazda’s sensors were exactly what Savagegeese warns about in nearly every video, of the automakers’ over-reliance on technology. It’s refreshing that someone actually discusses this part of car ownership; most reviewers don’t delve into longer-term ownership in this manner.
I also spotted a Kizashi in one of his other reviews (will add it to the spotting thread here), for what it’s worth.

The Mazda3 is roughly the same exterior size as the Kizashi. Its 2.5L engine is of similar displacement and power figures compared to the Kizashi, but it nets much better fuel economy. The interior definitely feels a bit more cramped, at least in back, from what I recall at the auto show a couple years ago. I’m sure the paint is thicker than the Kizashi’s, too; Mazda3s always look so darn good and their paint has a lot of depth and glossiness. Interior quality is very good, but in order to get it to that level, Mazda sacrifices some features that other brands offer, especially the value-forward brands like Hyundai and Kia. I can’t recall which features exactly, unfortunately, but I’m pretty sure they’re mentioned in those reviews I referred to earlier.
The Mazda3 is probably priced similarly to how the Kizashi was (not sure about inflation, though). Unlike the Kizashi, it has an upgrade engine and a real automatic transmission that won’t fail before 200k (…I hope?). If I had to get a new car with a budget similar to what the Kizashi was listed at when new, the Mazda3 would be at or near the top of my list. The new Civic is supposedly rather excellent, but it doesn’t feel special to me (because Civic :lol:), and I’d rather have the 2.5 non-turbo in the Mazda over the 1.5L turbo in the Civic, as far as long-term goes.

The turbo that first appeared in the CX-9 is now in basically every Mazda besides the Miata (and MX-30, obv), which is pretty cool.

New Mazda CX-50 to be made alongside Toyotas and sold alongside the newly refreshed CX-5 as a more rugged alternative. It’ll also get a hybrid powertrain from the RAV4, I believe. Shame it won’t get the PHEV powertrain from the RAV4 Prime; those are very well-regarded. I like the CX-50 but it feels like it could have been a trim level, like how literally every other mainstream automaker is making “tough” soft-roader versions of their crossovers.
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a3825 ... -revealed/

The Mazda6 sedan is gone (for now), but the Mazda patents seem very interesting: RWD Mazda6 successor and inline-6 engine for it and maybe the upcoming CX-70 and CX-90. And maybe a rotary engine for a range extender in the MX-30. I can’t remember if that last one was a dispelled rumor, though.

Next Miata will feature hybridization, which I can only hope will be implemented well enough so that the core values of the Miata are retained.

Speaking of Toyota, I read today that they make a Mazda2 hatchback for certain markets (i.e. a rebadged Yaris), while Mazda has been making the Yaris for certain markets, including ours (a rebadged Mazda2)… Am I the only one who finds this a little funny and odd?

Oof, I really went off on a tangent about the Mazda3. Whoops?
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KuroNekko
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The car I had before the Kizashi was a 2005 Mazda3 with the 2.3 liter and 5 speed manual. In my experience, the Mazda3 and the Kizashi weren't in the same league and that was actually a major factor in why I "upgraded" from the Mazda3 to the Kizashi. The Kizashi was much more refined and comfortable thus resembled a midsize sedan in composure over the Mazda3, which in comparison was a chintzy economy car. While I'm sure that Mazda3s now are much more refined and closer to the Kizashi we know, if the Kizashi was still around, it would be in or near its 3rd generation thus noticeably more upscale than the Mazda3. While some consider the Kizashi a large compact sedan, it's actually a small midsize by intent and inherent quality and features.

In the years since the SkyActiv engines debuted for Mazda, they have technically done very well for themselves. They earned top ranks in reliability and actually have better ratings than Honda for a few years now. Their turbo engines have also proved to be solid engines for reliability thus the CX-9 ranks top for the segment. The CX-5 is also consistently the favored vehicle in the segment among auto reviewers, over more popular vehicles like the RAV4 and the CR-V. Mazda also stays away from CVTs yet has excellent fuel efficiency due to their superior engines.

I'm personally most looking forward to the CX-50 because it's realistically the kind of vehicle I will replace my Kizashi with in the future. I need a vehicle that can go offroad for adventures but not necessarily an "offroader" with all kinds of compromises to practicality, efficiency, and handling. Mazda appears to have kept true to their on-road focus while creating a CUV more capable of unpaved travel for outdoor activities. While Subaru has long been the favored choice of many, their recent quality control issues are troubling and I personally think they are overrated now. I also don't trust a CVT made by anyone for long term ownership unless in a hybrid.

The SkyActiv-D was a dud largely because of Dieselgate and the whole world moving away from diesels as a result. Diesel has its merits but electrification is quickly eroding that for passenger vehicles. That being said, the MX-30 is a half-baked EV that will deservedly be overshadowed by the competition. It's far too little too late and proves Mazda cannot do the EV game by itself. They, and Subaru, desperately need Toyota for the inevitable shift to EVs. At least Toyota finally seems to have snapped out of denial and has since been scrambling to develop EVs. Sadly, I personally think Mazda will be completely absorbed into Toyota in the next 5 to 10 years as the industry revolutionizes into electric vehicles. Mazdas are great cars but are too small to independently survive the inevitable shift to electrified vehicles.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
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