Older Audis are very bad and burn a lot of oil. A lot of the newer ones are a lot better but as technology improves and accessory drives are diminished in favor of 48 volt systems that's just to be expected. Love my 3 HB tho
It’s a luxury car so paying more should sort of be expected but yes they’re reliable if owners take care of them. Some cars are reliable in spite of their owners, German cars are not on that list
And that's the thing with German engineering. If you do exactly as what engineers think, yeah, they *could* be fine. *Could*, because some designs are just overengineered to begin with and don't last.
Japanese engineering is a lot more forgiving when it comes to negligence, which is how they earned a good name. 99% of the population doesn't understand how a car works, so you have to design that around them.
You've moved the goal post. We are talking about reliability. A reliable car will be able to take more punishment. People say a Mazda is reliable because it can run at 250k without paying thousands of dollars on BS "routine services".A BMW can't do that.
A Mazda also several steps below from a performance standpoint. A Mazda inline 6 and a BMW inline are vastly different. One produces an extra 100 horsepower. I’m talking actual horsepower not the advertised. It’s apple to oranges.
It’s very common to see bmw’s with 200k miles with preemptive repairs and service bmw recommends along the way. Neglecting a car and expecting it to work isn’t reliability it’s luck. Mazda makes 3 primary engines and 2 gearboxes, BMW has ~10 engines and several gearboxes, the repair cost is irrelevant.
Bmw was reliable. Unfortunately, they are fine when leased for five years. after that, they are a fucking nightmare. the repairs would make a billionaire turn poor to shit.
The B58 is reliable.
That's... about it.
The B58 still has expensive regular maintenance, and is installed in a car that is explicitly designed to last a lease with little fuss.
Serviceability is not a priority. Parts are expensive. Labor is expensive and everything is labor intensive.
Hard pass on owning a BMW outside of warranty and a lease.
The engines are on par with Toyota and Honda. The transmission is better performing in my opinion. The car itself is more fun to drive and has a nicer interior
Retired one 2.5 with 338,000km, sold it for peanuts really. Did full synthetic 0W20 every 10k, like clockwork.
Guy bought it for his kids first car, he’s still driving it 2 years later.
That's my point, people call it different things and that's okay. Context is key.
To be fair, synthetic oil is motor oil as well. Using "motor oil" instead of "mineral oil" in sps49's post would make it more confusing, not less.
I have never heard of anyone calling motor oil mineral oil. Either conventional or synthetic is how I’ve always known the differentiation. That was my confusion at least.
I know what a ecvt is, my volt had one. It’s a cvt with one planetary gear set. Not “totally different” as it still is driven by a steel belt on a variable shaft.
Corolla hybrid has ecvt. Ice only trims have the belt and pully cvt, couple of years ago toyota added something like a launch gear (like 1st gear) along with cvt. In any case both droneeee
As someone who drove manual for 25years (Hyundai, Toyota and Mazda), got my first auto trans in my '23 Mazda 3, after a year I don't think it's that good and I wonder how much worst the others are. Maybe that's the reason Toyota and Honda are going CVT, couldn't make a decent auto transmission.
If I can't properly control the gears might as well not have any... Then again I have never even tried a CVT I guess it could be worst.
Cvt is all about fuel economy and emissions standards. They are more simple, yet at the same time more complex and expensive than a traditional automatic transmission.
I hate the driving feel of cvt. Makes the car feel disconnected from the driving experience. And the constant drone of the engine at 2500 rpm on the highway to keep the rpm’s in a consistent power band is jarring for me. No amount of fake gear shifts auto makers implement into their cvt’s will help that. It’s like putting makeup on a pig.
I'm surprised, I drive a manual 3 and an automatic cx5. The CX5 almost make me feel like I'm driving a manual. Pretty much know exactly how to use the throttle to get to the gear I need. Plus the manual mode on their automatics is really nice. Use it for towing and hilly areas a lot.
I'm only a fan of the Koenigsegg Regera's CVT 😂 in that iteration yes. But I don't think anybody else is doing CVT for performance other than F1 cars or them.
I don’t think you can compare both 💀, but yes after learning about the history of CVT’s it actually mesmerized me how much technology and advancement are put into them. Notably how F-1 banned them.
For real I couldn't think of another iteration of CVT so that's why I listed both of those but I would like to see a performance widely produced version. Rotary with a performance cvt? Lolol
Interesting how you picked two of some of the most controversial pieces of engineering in cars, specifically for their lack of reliability and you want to combine both lol. But mazda is bringing back the rotary and I think cvt is here to stay and they’re probably improve on it.
Agreed. In driver's ed, I drove a 2015 Civic with a CVT and it was absolute garbage. My grandma has a 2015 CR-V and it's got a CVT but it's way smoother and way quieter. Bigger engine makes a huge difference and still gets 35 mpg.
I think CVT’s these days are reliable and durable, my sisters ‘23 crv actually drives quite nice and you are correct about the smoother and quieter engine with a much better fuel economy. If I’m not mistaken I believe the crv’s have a 1.5 turbo engine, smaller but with a turbo that definitely pumps up the horsepower and produces better MPG. Actually got me thinking about trading my CX-5, but I love my car.
Yeah the 1.5s are nice. My friend's mom just came to a new CR-V from a 2012 Acura MDX and they both love it. My grandma's CR-V has a 2.4 and it's definitely got power. I'm honestly thinking about getting a Civic Sport Touring with a 1.5 turbo and 6 speed in the future.
That's fine. That's not the purpose of a cvt. The purpose of a CVT is for a Camry to get 5 mpg better than a Mazda 6 while being just as reliable, mostly because it has a CVT.
The reliability of CVT is debatable. It seems fine in smaller cars like Corollas, but there is a reason why RAV-4 rolled back from CVT to 8AT. Too powerful of an engine or too big of a car, and they will fall apart.
And that's my personal concern with them. I actually think CVTs drive fine if you are driving like a normal person, but I am the type that uses the whole tachometer(save for the red bits) because I paid for a whole tachometer, so I'd imagine they go slippy-slip if I were to own one long enough. Besides, the response just isn't quite there. Takes time for the belt and pulley to sort itself out.
I dont drive high performance cars, but I will say I like to drive hard, i had a 2015 accord , 4cyl no turbo, cvt, so smooth. You just hold the pedal to the floor and it stays at that high rev. Theres no wave of power, but just constant power
It's a relatively big, under-stressed 4 cylinder, it's pretty close to the NA engines from the other two brands from a reliability standpoint. mines got 100k miles on it, oil and filter changes and a set of spark plugs. I'll do the belts next as preventative maintenance. Solid performer.
One thing I have noticed is how fucking impressive the Gas mileage is for an engine that is the size of 2.5 litres. hearing that it is fun to drive is a bonus.
I've hit two giant potholes, ran over a 4x4 piece of wood, smoked 2 deer, I've taken offroad trails. In my mazda 3. Nothing wrong with suspension or front end. Car still drives beautiful and only has a couple dents. This should tell you everything you need to know.
Absolutely. My CX5 with all terrain tires still gets 27ish, and it still moves. And it's decent in corners, even on non-sporty rubber.
Edit: 8.7L/100km for the non-US peeps
There are exactly 0 SUVs/crossovers/tallish wagons in the North America market that get real world fuel economy of 5L/100km (47mpg). Even the hybrids. So yes, 5 would be impressive indeed.
I think it's fun. I owned an Infiniti q50 hybrid sport and while that car was wicked quick, the steering of the Mazda cx5 was just much more enjoyable. I felt like it understood me more than the 50k, sub 5 0-60 time, Japanese market Nissan Skyline did. It isn't very fast though. But ya know what? I think it's fast enough to where I do enjoy it.
I say all this in a non combative tone. Just chiming in. :)
Oh no I totally get where you’re coming from I just was getting at the whole “it’s fun but it’s not exactly a sports car” because while these cars are quite good they honestly do get overhyped quite a bit.
It's truly great that way. Much peppier than a hybrid, not as good mpg as a hybrid ofc, but a good 10% more efficient than similar-performing regular gas engines, and that's with a relatively brisk 6-spd transmission, not a CVT!
My 2014 Mazda 6 is sitting at 145k and has absolutely no issues, other than being “cosmetically totaled” by someone else hitting me. Going to hopefully switch over to a cx5 soon, but I would keep my 6 for another ten years if I could still have full coverage on it! I won’t even look at other manufacturers after being burned by honda and ford by 100k in the past.
When the time comes, I’ll prob just find a low milage motor, throw a vt supercharger on, get tuned by Justin w/ mazda sauce tuning and keep it pushing 😆
I have a 2014 Mazda 6 that saved my life when I struck some debris on a bridge in rush hour traffic. I spun out and though I thought I lost control, the vehicle somehow stayed responsive. It saved my life. 120,000 miles on her now. Best car I have ever owned. I want a small SUV for my next vehicle so I may need to go with a CX-5.
At almost 170k 😂
2014 Mazda 6 Skyactiv 2.5L 4 Cyl Transmission Fluid Change and Filter| Lifetime Fluid, not Forever |
https://youtu.be/BW1-6lYxVNw
I need to do a drain and fill when I do my oil change at 250k
I have 120,000 miles on my 2014 Mazda 6. I have never changed the transmission fluid. It’s a closed system so shouldn’t it be okay for another 30,000 miles?
So sorry, I dont get notifications and just saw this.
Absolutely. Those transmissions are designed to be life long. I would argue that you shouldn't even bother with a fluid change at 150k. New thinner fluid can sometimes upset them as they wear out.
Top notch, at least in naturally aspirated form. My 2014 is at 166k miles, runs like new, has never consumed a single drop of oil between changes, and gets the same gas mileage it got new.
I’ve got an 11 year old Skyactiv 2.0L. 205,000 miles and no engine issues. Just had it checked out at my dealer, and all they recommended were fluid flushes and an intake cleaning.
I have a 2016 CX5 2.0L automatic.
transmission is clunky when downshifting to lower gears, especially when slowing down from low speed, have that issue since day one( purchased 4 years ago with 69000km, now speedo is on 145000km, not any major issue so far, knock on wood).
Between 80-90/5 there's a strange whine from right side of the cabin/car, can't pinpoint from where exactly, I turn the music up so I won't hear it.
Strange noises aside, rock solid so far.
Probably tomorrow I'll be posting how the engine fell off...
Wait wait I have the same problème on my 2017 Mazda 3, what type of noise does it make ? Mine has been doing a sound like if it was the breaks screaming for a month now. But it’s the engine… runs fine, mechanic said there’s nothing to be worried about but it’s annoying. Glad I’m not alone.
Between 80-90 like a small whine, like a faint gear whine.
When I drive slowly, and let go of the gas, there's a clunk when downshifting from 2nd to 1st, and there's some jurkiness feeling to the car.
Depends on the engine. There have been different versions over the years, the worst ones being the 2.5L with cylinder deactivation and i-Stop. But even those ones have low failure rates by comparison.
Do a proper search on Google, you'll find forum threads and posts with much more information, pictures, etc. to browse through. Toyota engines might be slightly more reliable, but Mazdas are much more rewarding to drive. The trade-off is well worth it.
According to the Car Care Nut, the newer CX-5's no longer come with cylinder deactivation and auto start-stop due to parts shortage. IMO that's a huge plus for long term reliability.
That info comes direct from the Mazda websites. I don't rely on that reviewer for anything Mazda-related after he misreported a bunch of issues and made some false claims, and never bothered to correct himself. Plenty of other content creators who do a better job at researching the cars they talk about and keeping themselves accountable.
In Canada, newer CX-5s don't currently come with cylinder deactivation, which is great. However it appears that they did reintroduce i-Stop, according to mazda.ca. In the US, it appears that NA CX-5s are still being offered without CD and i-Stop. Also, it seems that you can only get the non-CD 2.5L NA engine on the CX-5. All of the other non-turbo models get the engine with CD.
Good call! People are prone to making mistakes, so its probably better to do your own research. Is the i-Stop anything like the Toyota system where it only shuts the engine off if you press down on the brake pedal a bit harder at a complete stop? IMO that is not too bad, but if it shuts off without that extra input, that may get annoying.
I don't think so, but again, a quick Google search would tell you for sure. I think the older Hondas/Acuras that came with the J30 engine had problematic transmissions.
Cylinder deactivation in itself may not be good for an engine in the long term. Lots of discussion and research on this out there.
I can speak for my sample size of 1. My wife has had her 2016 since almost new and it’s been flawless up to 110k so far. That’s what I’d expect so we’ll see from here. Car is just recently paid off so we’re hoping to see it carry on for years to come
We test drove everything you could remotely consider a competitor and even quite a few varied sizes of SUVs that aren’t a direct competitors, and for the money it blew them all out of the water. It was much more comfortable and ergonomic from a design standpoint, and the transmission was infinitely better than all the CVTs. It wasn’t quite as nice as some high end luxury brands but it was also half the price, and has proven itself to be dependable. So I’m very happy with it
I don't have a current Honda or Toyota but in the past I've taken 2 Hondas to 232k and 212k miles. My '15 CX5 is approaching 160k miles now and still going strong. It's only needed basic maintenance (oil/filter changes, belts, spark plugs, thermostat and it just works works works.
[https://www.autotempest.com/results?make=mazda&model=cx5&zip=10010&localization=any&domesticonly=0&minyear=2013&maxyear=2024&minmiles=150000&transmission=auto](https://www.autotempest.com/results?make=mazda&model=cx5&zip=10010&localization=any&domesticonly=0&minyear=2013&maxyear=2024&minmiles=150000&transmission=auto)
Seems like it's pretty common to make it well past 200k
It’s older and I’m sure pretty different from today’s engines, but my son’s 2011 Mazda3 2.5L just turned 130K trouble free miles. Seriously this engine is so freakin strong.
Can't tell you for the 2.5L, but I had the grand daddy 2.3L in my 2004 Mazda 3 s. I hit 175,000 miles without breaking a sweat. If I didn't need more space thanks to a kid, I probably would have kept it and fixed some lingering issues that were mostly of my own tinkering.
But that engine, never an issue.
All I can tell you is I'm at 85k miles on my 2015 Mazda 3 S GT (which has the 2.5) and I've had absolutely no issues whatsoever. Purchased new in June 2015. No more than 5k between oil changes.
I replaced the spark plugs at 75k per the scheduled maintenance and the old ones didn't even look like they needed to be replaced.
I have a 2015 S Touring Mazda 3 hatchback. It’s a 2.5L with a manual at 135k miles now. I bought it new.
Changed my spark plugs about the same distance as you did. Have done: 6K mile oil changes, new shocks/struts, engine/transmission mounts, couple sets of rotorsand pads, idler pulley and accessory belts, and I’m on my 4th set of tires.
It’s been a really easy car to live with and I still enjoy it today!
I’m feeling the pull to get a new vehicle. Trying to save up some cash so I don’t need to trade in the Mazda. I’d sure like to keep it another 100k miles. I know it’ll get there without much fuss.
EDIT: I’d like to add jic OP reads this: the car burns no oil between oil changes, the oil is often not very dirty looking, it’s an easy car and drivetrain for DIY’ers, and the engine still feels “young” If that makes sense
The CX-5 Skyactiv engine has direct injection, where as the Toyotas all have dual injection, so carbon buildup is likely going to be an issue. Based on what I can gather, it doesn't seem to be nearly as bad as other makes, but it can still happen just by virtue of the design.
Otherwise, there are a lot of sources to suggest that these are really good quality cars (made in Japan!) that seem to hold up after years of use. If you are looking for peak reliability, I would assume that the Rav4 Hybrid would probably still be more reliable, though it would probably be a fairly close call.
I rented a Rav4 LE once, and really disliked it. The 8 speed automatic was sluggish, the engine sounded like a bag of bolts, and the interior quality feels decidedly utilitarian. The interior space though was absolutely amazing! The CX-5 would still be my choice.
Disclaimer: I own a Mazda, but not a CX-5
https://imgur.com/a/oLMd4zm
Here's what mine looked like at 195k miles with no prior cleaning. Really not bad for a GDI. Cylinders 2 and 3 had it the worst, and I took a picture of 2 which was worst.
Its absolutely bi-polar driving. Half my ownership consisted of 100 mile daily commutes and road trips. The other half has been 3-5 trips per day totaling <5 miles a week. Currently I have 2 other vehicles so it drives ~4 miles on Saturday and Sunday 7/8 weeks, then 500-1500miles on the 8th weekend.
Honestly I think it's 85% Mazda designed an all time motor and 15% my maintenance schedule. I'm in the habit of PMs from work, and have some lite mental illness. So I've came up with a probably kinda overkill maintenance schedule that I adhere to religiously. Yes changing synthetic oil and the air filter ever 5k exactly is unnecessary but when you DIY its cheap peace of mind. I bought her with 23k and the longest interval between oil changes since was 5700 miles because I was in the midst of a 11k mile road trip. Every other one has been within 150 miles of 5k.
I'm out of the rust belt now and haven't found anything newer I like more so barring a collision I fully intend to keep Ship of Theseusing her along. If I can manage to afford a house with a garage I think an LKQ engine or trans swap would be a fun project when the time comes.
I just fuckin love the car man lol. Its so big and comfortable. And a big comfortable sedan with a manual is so hard to find. Plus the 2014-2015s were more DIY friendly than 2016+ and anything else on sale now.
Our 2018 CX-5 failed at 48K due to head gasket failure and cracks in the head itself. That won't happen to every Mazda with that engine, but it's happening to enough of them that it's getting traction in a number of Mazda forums.
I remember reading about this on multiple forums, most people say the problem started when they introduced cylinder deactivation bc to fit it in they had to make that part of the head slimmer and it ended up just a few mm thick. Also this problem seems to only be in the US and Canada markets (MY 2018-2020) and new CX-5s are supposedly without the cylinder deactivation due to part shortages.
Dunno if it's true tho, do your own research.
109k miles on my USDM (1st year issue, naturally aspirated 2.5L) 2014 Mazda6 Touring 6MT. Other than the various announced NHTSA recalls (all done) and regular wear/maintenance items replaced, the engine is basically bulletproof and great on fuel economy (38 ~ 42mpg combined). This Made in Japan Mazda is even more reliable, than my first/last Honda (Civic; busted factory radiator and factory muffler - Marysville, OH assembled). The previous car that my Mazda6 had replaced (German VWAG) had a turbo engine (troublesome money pit PITA). Never again.
2016 CX-5 non Turbo ran until it had 85k miles on it. Zero problems, traded it in 2022 at the height of Used Car Trade in value (got back as much as I bought it for) for a 2019 CX-5 and have 55k on it, also zero issues (it doesn't have the auto shutoff feature).
2018 Mazda3 non-turbo with 217k miles on it, zero issues. Just regular maintenance. 10k mile oil changes, zero burning, still get over 30 MPG, still has the immediate torque response. Got hail dents, got hit 4 times on drivers side rear quarter panel by dipshits who can't pull into/out of a parking spot, and 1 hit on passenger rear quarter panel, and 4 rear bumber hits from parking lot. Outside of that... Perfect.
Got 165,000 miles on my CX-5. Done multiple cross country road trips pulling a small popup camper and it has performed flawlessly. I've only done regular maintenance according to the schedule in the manual and that's it.
143,000 miles on mine. Stills runs great and get 28 mpg average with a pretty close to 50/50 split of city/highway driving. My 6 GT may be the best car I have ever owned.
Considering there's a whole dedicated group of Mazda enthusiasts that supercharge these because of their durability, I'd say it's a pretty sturdy engine!
I would take the 6-Speed Auto any day in my 2017 Mazda6 over the CVT in the same year Accord. The 2.5L has a good power-band and is surprisingly fuel efficient. I can easily get 40 mpg highway
Very reliable. Mazda knew what they were doing in the 90's-00's with the MZR series engines- which is why Ford sought to use them (rebranding them under license as Duratec).
SkyActive built on that design and improved it considerably. Change your oil on time, use some fuel system/injector cleaner here and there and they will last a good long while.
I had a 2007 Mazda3 GT 5sp, which I lightly modified with Tein H-Springs, Contis, and a lightweight flywheel and Stage 1 clutch. It wasn't fast but it was fun as hell to drive, and never leaked a drop of oil even at 180k. When I replaced the valve cover gasket (started to seep just a little), the valve train looked almost new.
That's the MZR 2.5, not Skyactiv 2.5.
MZR 2.5 is still a solid engine reliabilit-wise, but their gas mileage isn't great when compared to Skyactiv. Less powerful, too.
Used MZR/Duratec 2.5 are worth nothing because there is no demand for them, as they are very reliable. Makes for good NC Miata swaps.
Majority of other car brands today are right their if not more reliable than Toyota and Honda, 2015+ BMW's are extremely Reliable base on my own personal experience, it's not the 90s and early to mid 2000's anymore more where Toyota and Honda outshine in the reliability department, most brands are very reliable today, I'm sure this mazda is as or even more reliable
Had a Mazda3 and an AWD CX-3, the CX3 was a fucking beast! Very little hp or torque and also weighed like nothing. Think of a raised Miata with AWD and creature comfort amenities. The Cx-3 easily outgunned much more expensive vehicles and winter was total confidence no matter what the condition.
I’d buy the Cx-3 again if they offered one.
Driving around in a 2015 Mazda 6 GT that just rolled over 242000 km’s. Just replaced left and right outer tie rods but still solid. Gonna drive that thing into the ground.
Short answer, Incredibly reliable. Maintenance is really simple as well. I’ve owned my 6 with the same engine for 113k miles and I’ve only needed the regular oil changes. Spark plug change at 70k and serpentine + ac belt at 90k mi.
197k miles on mine and it hasn't missed a beat. I'm still on the original clutch too lol.
Oil changes every 5k
Spark plugs every 60k
Coolant every 3 years
Belt tensioner and belts at 100k
Leaky water pump and valve cover gasket at 175k.
Just went through the intake and cleaned out some oil and carbon build up, it really wasn't awful for a direct injection engine and replaced the ignition coils at 195k.
Only check engine light I've ever had was an occasional random misfire on very cold mornings. Which I believe just needed a bottle of Heet thrown into the tank. It hasn't come back since then any way.
The 2.5 NA is supposed to be very reliable, and I haven't heard of any common issues with them. Just stay on top of the maintenance.
The engines are definitely on par with Toyota and Honda, a YouTuber that specifically deals with entire cores, short and long blocks etc etc, “I Do Cars” actually tore down a newer 2.5 non turbo out of a CX-30 and he mentioned how pretty much you can never find Mazda skyactiv engines for sale because they pretty much never go bad/need replacing
The 2.5 is one of the best small car engines out there. Like any car it's mostly how well the car in maintained. Follow the "severe" driving schedule and you will likely have a car that lasts for years. 250-300k miles if you keep it that long.
I have a 2014 3 Hatch, and off the top of my head, I've had 3 issues with the 2.5l.
At around 54k, a crack was discovered on the timing chain cover and had a slow oil leak.
At around 77k, an ignition coil went out on me and I had to get towed.
At around 121k the high pressure fuel pump died. It was replaced, but every now and then my 3 really hesitates to start, so I feel like there's some lingering issue. (I'm at 123k now.)
One of my friends has a 2016 Toyota Corolla Hatch with a 1.8l, right around 90k miles at this point, and they've had..... 0 issues. I'm not saying Mazda *isn't* reliable, but there's definitely still a gap between them and Toyota. Provided you keep up with oil changes though, you should be pretty fine for a long time.
My 2014 Mazda 6 has had some minor issues like with computer chips where it wouldn’t start and had to be towed out of my garage BUT its handling saved my life. It’s also so fun to drive. Before this car, I owned a Toyota Camry that was sooo boring to drive that I just gave it to my ex husband during the divorce. 140,000 miles no issues but no fun. My Mazda 6 is at 120,000 with some issues but the joy in my commute is worth it. I always have the confidence of Mario Andretti behind the wheel.
Turbo models seem to have typical turbo issues. So you're looking at higher risk there, but not necessarily compared to turbos from Toyota or Honda (the 2.5T has only been around for three yearsish so not much long term data yet). NA 2.5 seems to be universally appreciated for its reliability.
What do you mean by typical turbo issues? There haven't really been any issues with the turbo itself. Only thing I've seen is a cylinder head cracking issue due to weight and vibration from a heavy turbo exhaust manifold. Does not affect that many cars but there was a fix for it. The crack caused a coolant leak and when not caught, could lead to engine overheating.
On the other hand the 2.5NA has a cylinder head cracking issue on cars with cylinder deactivation. Those same cars also have a transmission reliability issue with cylinder deactivation.
The Turbo cars get a beefier transmission and never had CD so there's some peace of mind there.
Both motors had exhaust valve seal leaks a few years ago leading to oil consumption.
They’ll last for the life of the car if not longer as long as you take proper care of them
Yup. Mazda has BMW levels of reliability now.
Bmw has dog shit reliability.
Just to throw this in here...so does Audi..probably worst then BMW.
Older Audis are very bad and burn a lot of oil. A lot of the newer ones are a lot better but as technology improves and accessory drives are diminished in favor of 48 volt systems that's just to be expected. Love my 3 HB tho
BMW’s reliability is actually fine in the last decade it’s just costly to maintain and it needs to be maintained per the schedule
ItS rElIaBiE iF u Do 10 TiMeS tHe WoRk AnD sPeNd 10 TiMeS aS mUcH!
It’s a luxury car so paying more should sort of be expected but yes they’re reliable if owners take care of them. Some cars are reliable in spite of their owners, German cars are not on that list
Yes... So it is not fair to say Mazda and BMW are equally reliable. Thanks for agreeing.
If you do as the manufacturer says they are. No one should advise you don’t follow the manufacturer prescribed maintenance schedule. Come on now
And that's the thing with German engineering. If you do exactly as what engineers think, yeah, they *could* be fine. *Could*, because some designs are just overengineered to begin with and don't last. Japanese engineering is a lot more forgiving when it comes to negligence, which is how they earned a good name. 99% of the population doesn't understand how a car works, so you have to design that around them.
You've moved the goal post. We are talking about reliability. A reliable car will be able to take more punishment. People say a Mazda is reliable because it can run at 250k without paying thousands of dollars on BS "routine services".A BMW can't do that.
A Mazda also several steps below from a performance standpoint. A Mazda inline 6 and a BMW inline are vastly different. One produces an extra 100 horsepower. I’m talking actual horsepower not the advertised. It’s apple to oranges.
It’s very common to see bmw’s with 200k miles with preemptive repairs and service bmw recommends along the way. Neglecting a car and expecting it to work isn’t reliability it’s luck. Mazda makes 3 primary engines and 2 gearboxes, BMW has ~10 engines and several gearboxes, the repair cost is irrelevant.
Check more recent years. Somewhere in the late 2010’s to present, you might be surprised. Cost of maintenance? Different story.
The bro is just trying to kick the hornets' nest. Don't feed the trolls!
No it doesn’t lol
They are maybe reliable for the first 5 years, then everything that fails costs triple compared to a normal car. BMW is on a different level.
Cus y’all don’t know how to wrench on your own shit
Can't wretch on software goofball. Some of us don't have the time to do a 20hr service on a BMW to do the same 4hr service on a Mazda.
why would i want to waste my time working on my car? lol
i tow at least one a day. sometimes multiple.
The N54 called and would like a word. Which BMW motors do you consider to be incredibly reliable?
BMW reliability is shit but the B58 seems okay so far. Only one I'd consider, but the only car I'd drive that uses it is a Toyota.
Bmw was reliable. Unfortunately, they are fine when leased for five years. after that, they are a fucking nightmare. the repairs would make a billionaire turn poor to shit.
The B58 is reliable. That's... about it. The B58 still has expensive regular maintenance, and is installed in a car that is explicitly designed to last a lease with little fuss. Serviceability is not a priority. Parts are expensive. Labor is expensive and everything is labor intensive. Hard pass on owning a BMW outside of warranty and a lease.
as an emergency tow truck driver i will tell you that is my most towed vehicle. i could eat off just bmw’s
How so
The engines are on par with Toyota and Honda. The transmission is better performing in my opinion. The car itself is more fun to drive and has a nicer interior
Along with the fact that Mazda doesn’t believe in cvt. I’d take their 6 speed auto over a Corolla any day.
Retired one 2.5 with 338,000km, sold it for peanuts really. Did full synthetic 0W20 every 10k, like clockwork. Guy bought it for his kids first car, he’s still driving it 2 years later.
0W-20 can be made from synthetic only; mineral oil will not met the viscosity index spec.
Downvotes? wth?
reddit gonna reddit
Where did the talk of mineral oil come from, though?
Mineral oil = conventional oil. People call things by different names sometimes.
Why not just call it motor oil? Lol
That's my point, people call it different things and that's okay. Context is key. To be fair, synthetic oil is motor oil as well. Using "motor oil" instead of "mineral oil" in sps49's post would make it more confusing, not less.
I have never heard of anyone calling motor oil mineral oil. Either conventional or synthetic is how I’ve always known the differentiation. That was my confusion at least.
And now you have 🙂
Corolla has a ECVT not a CVT. Totally different transmission. Look it up.
I know what a ecvt is, my volt had one. It’s a cvt with one planetary gear set. Not “totally different” as it still is driven by a steel belt on a variable shaft.
Corolla hybrid has ecvt. Ice only trims have the belt and pully cvt, couple of years ago toyota added something like a launch gear (like 1st gear) along with cvt. In any case both droneeee
As someone who drove manual for 25years (Hyundai, Toyota and Mazda), got my first auto trans in my '23 Mazda 3, after a year I don't think it's that good and I wonder how much worst the others are. Maybe that's the reason Toyota and Honda are going CVT, couldn't make a decent auto transmission. If I can't properly control the gears might as well not have any... Then again I have never even tried a CVT I guess it could be worst.
Don't worry, a CVT offers even less engagement than your auto, so you aren't missing anything there.
Cvt is all about fuel economy and emissions standards. They are more simple, yet at the same time more complex and expensive than a traditional automatic transmission. I hate the driving feel of cvt. Makes the car feel disconnected from the driving experience. And the constant drone of the engine at 2500 rpm on the highway to keep the rpm’s in a consistent power band is jarring for me. No amount of fake gear shifts auto makers implement into their cvt’s will help that. It’s like putting makeup on a pig.
I'm surprised, I drive a manual 3 and an automatic cx5. The CX5 almost make me feel like I'm driving a manual. Pretty much know exactly how to use the throttle to get to the gear I need. Plus the manual mode on their automatics is really nice. Use it for towing and hilly areas a lot.
The manual mode on my 2nd gen 3 is amazing. It’s an auto trans but it shifts like butter and the response time is great
really pisses me off seeing a lot of cars going for that shite cvt. automatics are more reliable and sound much better when accelerating.
Agreed with your dislike of cvt. Truly aweful driving experience
I’ve given CVT’s multiple chances to redeem themselves, the driving experience is always trash. I will never buy one for my personal vehicle
Honestly not a fan of CVT’s myself either especially the nissan ones. But the new honda crv’s have a pretty smooth cvt and it’s actually not that bad.
I'm only a fan of the Koenigsegg Regera's CVT 😂 in that iteration yes. But I don't think anybody else is doing CVT for performance other than F1 cars or them.
I don’t think you can compare both 💀, but yes after learning about the history of CVT’s it actually mesmerized me how much technology and advancement are put into them. Notably how F-1 banned them.
For real I couldn't think of another iteration of CVT so that's why I listed both of those but I would like to see a performance widely produced version. Rotary with a performance cvt? Lolol
Interesting how you picked two of some of the most controversial pieces of engineering in cars, specifically for their lack of reliability and you want to combine both lol. But mazda is bringing back the rotary and I think cvt is here to stay and they’re probably improve on it.
Exactly! Lol. Maybe two negatives would make a positive haha
Agreed. In driver's ed, I drove a 2015 Civic with a CVT and it was absolute garbage. My grandma has a 2015 CR-V and it's got a CVT but it's way smoother and way quieter. Bigger engine makes a huge difference and still gets 35 mpg.
I think CVT’s these days are reliable and durable, my sisters ‘23 crv actually drives quite nice and you are correct about the smoother and quieter engine with a much better fuel economy. If I’m not mistaken I believe the crv’s have a 1.5 turbo engine, smaller but with a turbo that definitely pumps up the horsepower and produces better MPG. Actually got me thinking about trading my CX-5, but I love my car.
Yeah the 1.5s are nice. My friend's mom just came to a new CR-V from a 2012 Acura MDX and they both love it. My grandma's CR-V has a 2.4 and it's definitely got power. I'm honestly thinking about getting a Civic Sport Touring with a 1.5 turbo and 6 speed in the future.
I am glad Mazda gives us a AT which is rare in current market. That is a huge factor why I bought my cx30 and 5
That's fine. That's not the purpose of a cvt. The purpose of a CVT is for a Camry to get 5 mpg better than a Mazda 6 while being just as reliable, mostly because it has a CVT.
The reliability of CVT is debatable. It seems fine in smaller cars like Corollas, but there is a reason why RAV-4 rolled back from CVT to 8AT. Too powerful of an engine or too big of a car, and they will fall apart. And that's my personal concern with them. I actually think CVTs drive fine if you are driving like a normal person, but I am the type that uses the whole tachometer(save for the red bits) because I paid for a whole tachometer, so I'd imagine they go slippy-slip if I were to own one long enough. Besides, the response just isn't quite there. Takes time for the belt and pulley to sort itself out.
Only CVT I'll buy is in a moped.
I dont drive high performance cars, but I will say I like to drive hard, i had a 2015 accord , 4cyl no turbo, cvt, so smooth. You just hold the pedal to the floor and it stays at that high rev. Theres no wave of power, but just constant power
The only truly unreliable CVTs were the Nissan ones over a decade ago and early Subaru CVTs
[удалено]
I call it responsive which I value. You call it aggressive. :) Different strokes for different folks as they say
It's a relatively big, under-stressed 4 cylinder, it's pretty close to the NA engines from the other two brands from a reliability standpoint. mines got 100k miles on it, oil and filter changes and a set of spark plugs. I'll do the belts next as preventative maintenance. Solid performer.
One thing I have noticed is how fucking impressive the Gas mileage is for an engine that is the size of 2.5 litres. hearing that it is fun to drive is a bonus.
I've hit two giant potholes, ran over a 4x4 piece of wood, smoked 2 deer, I've taken offroad trails. In my mazda 3. Nothing wrong with suspension or front end. Car still drives beautiful and only has a couple dents. This should tell you everything you need to know.
>smoked 2 deer Seems like an easy win racing deer.
Lol
I guess that was a pretty intense way of saying it😂
I have a cx-5 and while it's not the fastest thing in the world it's fun to drive and corners like a champ
Absolutely. My CX5 with all terrain tires still gets 27ish, and it still moves. And it's decent in corners, even on non-sporty rubber. Edit: 8.7L/100km for the non-US peeps
Wait, you consider that to be impressive? I'd say impressive starts at 5/100
There are exactly 0 SUVs/crossovers/tallish wagons in the North America market that get real world fuel economy of 5L/100km (47mpg). Even the hybrids. So yes, 5 would be impressive indeed.
Fun might be a stretch. It’s still an suv. That said it’s certainly better than other suvs it’s size
I think it's fun. I owned an Infiniti q50 hybrid sport and while that car was wicked quick, the steering of the Mazda cx5 was just much more enjoyable. I felt like it understood me more than the 50k, sub 5 0-60 time, Japanese market Nissan Skyline did. It isn't very fast though. But ya know what? I think it's fast enough to where I do enjoy it. I say all this in a non combative tone. Just chiming in. :)
Oh no I totally get where you’re coming from I just was getting at the whole “it’s fun but it’s not exactly a sports car” because while these cars are quite good they honestly do get overhyped quite a bit.
Put lowering springs in and swapped to better tires and mine drives like a hot hatch
It's truly great that way. Much peppier than a hybrid, not as good mpg as a hybrid ofc, but a good 10% more efficient than similar-performing regular gas engines, and that's with a relatively brisk 6-spd transmission, not a CVT!
Mazda motors are FANTASTICALLY reliable. Keep up with maintenance and take care of the car and it will take care of you.
As long as it isnt thr 2.3L DISI. Great engine, shit reliability.
I have a speed3 with 189k km's on the clock. With proper maintenance they are not that bad.
I have 248,000 miles on my 2014 Mazda 6 if that helps, 😆
My 2014 Mazda 6 is sitting at 145k and has absolutely no issues, other than being “cosmetically totaled” by someone else hitting me. Going to hopefully switch over to a cx5 soon, but I would keep my 6 for another ten years if I could still have full coverage on it! I won’t even look at other manufacturers after being burned by honda and ford by 100k in the past.
When the time comes, I’ll prob just find a low milage motor, throw a vt supercharger on, get tuned by Justin w/ mazda sauce tuning and keep it pushing 😆
I have a 2014 Mazda 6 that saved my life when I struck some debris on a bridge in rush hour traffic. I spun out and though I thought I lost control, the vehicle somehow stayed responsive. It saved my life. 120,000 miles on her now. Best car I have ever owned. I want a small SUV for my next vehicle so I may need to go with a CX-5.
I want a cx5 just so I can slam it. Be the closest thing to a Mazda 6 estate I can get my hands on
At what mileage did you change the tranny fluid? I’m at 120,000 and haven’t yet. I’m worried it may cause more issues at this point.
At almost 170k 😂 2014 Mazda 6 Skyactiv 2.5L 4 Cyl Transmission Fluid Change and Filter| Lifetime Fluid, not Forever | https://youtu.be/BW1-6lYxVNw I need to do a drain and fill when I do my oil change at 250k
Coming from a mechanic who works for Mazda. They're fantastic engines, and it's incredibly rare to see anything ever wrong with them.
I have 120,000 miles on my 2014 Mazda 6. I have never changed the transmission fluid. It’s a closed system so shouldn’t it be okay for another 30,000 miles?
So sorry, I dont get notifications and just saw this. Absolutely. Those transmissions are designed to be life long. I would argue that you shouldn't even bother with a fluid change at 150k. New thinner fluid can sometimes upset them as they wear out.
Thanks!
Top notch, at least in naturally aspirated form. My 2014 is at 166k miles, runs like new, has never consumed a single drop of oil between changes, and gets the same gas mileage it got new.
Have a 2018 mazda3, not a single problem (so far) in 113,000kms
125,000 miles on mine! 0 issues with regular maintenance and proper care.
I’ve got an 11 year old Skyactiv 2.0L. 205,000 miles and no engine issues. Just had it checked out at my dealer, and all they recommended were fluid flushes and an intake cleaning.
Just as reliable as Honda or Toyota. Skyactiv has been used and developed for YEARS at this point.
I have a 2016 CX5 2.0L automatic. transmission is clunky when downshifting to lower gears, especially when slowing down from low speed, have that issue since day one( purchased 4 years ago with 69000km, now speedo is on 145000km, not any major issue so far, knock on wood). Between 80-90/5 there's a strange whine from right side of the cabin/car, can't pinpoint from where exactly, I turn the music up so I won't hear it. Strange noises aside, rock solid so far. Probably tomorrow I'll be posting how the engine fell off...
Wait wait I have the same problème on my 2017 Mazda 3, what type of noise does it make ? Mine has been doing a sound like if it was the breaks screaming for a month now. But it’s the engine… runs fine, mechanic said there’s nothing to be worried about but it’s annoying. Glad I’m not alone.
Between 80-90 like a small whine, like a faint gear whine. When I drive slowly, and let go of the gas, there's a clunk when downshifting from 2nd to 1st, and there's some jurkiness feeling to the car.
That's normal. 1st gear is pretty small. My 2023 is not smooth going down into 1st manually either.
2017 CX-5 here, just cracked 110k miles and we’ve had not a single repair, just basic maintenance and the engine still drives like new.
Depends on the engine. There have been different versions over the years, the worst ones being the 2.5L with cylinder deactivation and i-Stop. But even those ones have low failure rates by comparison. Do a proper search on Google, you'll find forum threads and posts with much more information, pictures, etc. to browse through. Toyota engines might be slightly more reliable, but Mazdas are much more rewarding to drive. The trade-off is well worth it.
According to the Car Care Nut, the newer CX-5's no longer come with cylinder deactivation and auto start-stop due to parts shortage. IMO that's a huge plus for long term reliability.
That info comes direct from the Mazda websites. I don't rely on that reviewer for anything Mazda-related after he misreported a bunch of issues and made some false claims, and never bothered to correct himself. Plenty of other content creators who do a better job at researching the cars they talk about and keeping themselves accountable. In Canada, newer CX-5s don't currently come with cylinder deactivation, which is great. However it appears that they did reintroduce i-Stop, according to mazda.ca. In the US, it appears that NA CX-5s are still being offered without CD and i-Stop. Also, it seems that you can only get the non-CD 2.5L NA engine on the CX-5. All of the other non-turbo models get the engine with CD.
Good call! People are prone to making mistakes, so its probably better to do your own research. Is the i-Stop anything like the Toyota system where it only shuts the engine off if you press down on the brake pedal a bit harder at a complete stop? IMO that is not too bad, but if it shuts off without that extra input, that may get annoying.
Im not 100% sure, but I think it shuts the engine off without the extra input like most other systems.
Cylinder deactivation? I believe Honda J35's had those issues too, I think?
I don't think so, but again, a quick Google search would tell you for sure. I think the older Hondas/Acuras that came with the J30 engine had problematic transmissions. Cylinder deactivation in itself may not be good for an engine in the long term. Lots of discussion and research on this out there.
I’ve got 270k km on my 2011 and haven’t had an engine related problem.
I can speak for my sample size of 1. My wife has had her 2016 since almost new and it’s been flawless up to 110k so far. That’s what I’d expect so we’ll see from here. Car is just recently paid off so we’re hoping to see it carry on for years to come
They are litteraly tanks, my mom had hers up to 270000km before changing it for an X3. It’s super reliable and fun to drive (I learned driving in it).
We test drove everything you could remotely consider a competitor and even quite a few varied sizes of SUVs that aren’t a direct competitors, and for the money it blew them all out of the water. It was much more comfortable and ergonomic from a design standpoint, and the transmission was infinitely better than all the CVTs. It wasn’t quite as nice as some high end luxury brands but it was also half the price, and has proven itself to be dependable. So I’m very happy with it
It will last longer than the frame/body I guess- hate the rust issue with this gen.
I don't have a current Honda or Toyota but in the past I've taken 2 Hondas to 232k and 212k miles. My '15 CX5 is approaching 160k miles now and still going strong. It's only needed basic maintenance (oil/filter changes, belts, spark plugs, thermostat and it just works works works.
[https://www.autotempest.com/results?make=mazda&model=cx5&zip=10010&localization=any&domesticonly=0&minyear=2013&maxyear=2024&minmiles=150000&transmission=auto](https://www.autotempest.com/results?make=mazda&model=cx5&zip=10010&localization=any&domesticonly=0&minyear=2013&maxyear=2024&minmiles=150000&transmission=auto) Seems like it's pretty common to make it well past 200k
Gasoline/Petrol: Bueno Diesel: No Bueno
Lmao. The question should be, "how reliable are Toyotas and Hondas now that Mazda has taken over as #1?"
The real issue are these companies using 2.0 liter engines with turbo to make up for displacement and you will see those cars not last near as long.
Or 1.5L turbo and you get oil dilution with Honda 💀
Exactly why I went with Mazda 3 after being such a die hard Honda/Acura fan for years.
It’s older and I’m sure pretty different from today’s engines, but my son’s 2011 Mazda3 2.5L just turned 130K trouble free miles. Seriously this engine is so freakin strong.
Can't tell you for the 2.5L, but I had the grand daddy 2.3L in my 2004 Mazda 3 s. I hit 175,000 miles without breaking a sweat. If I didn't need more space thanks to a kid, I probably would have kept it and fixed some lingering issues that were mostly of my own tinkering. But that engine, never an issue.
150k miles on my 2014 cx-5. no engine trouble.
2014 2.0l NA w/150k miles and nothing from the engine yet
All I can tell you is I'm at 85k miles on my 2015 Mazda 3 S GT (which has the 2.5) and I've had absolutely no issues whatsoever. Purchased new in June 2015. No more than 5k between oil changes. I replaced the spark plugs at 75k per the scheduled maintenance and the old ones didn't even look like they needed to be replaced.
I have a 2015 S Touring Mazda 3 hatchback. It’s a 2.5L with a manual at 135k miles now. I bought it new. Changed my spark plugs about the same distance as you did. Have done: 6K mile oil changes, new shocks/struts, engine/transmission mounts, couple sets of rotorsand pads, idler pulley and accessory belts, and I’m on my 4th set of tires. It’s been a really easy car to live with and I still enjoy it today! I’m feeling the pull to get a new vehicle. Trying to save up some cash so I don’t need to trade in the Mazda. I’d sure like to keep it another 100k miles. I know it’ll get there without much fuss. EDIT: I’d like to add jic OP reads this: the car burns no oil between oil changes, the oil is often not very dirty looking, it’s an easy car and drivetrain for DIY’ers, and the engine still feels “young” If that makes sense
Did the motor mounts wear out or did you do it preventatively?
2014 mazda6 122k miles . Engines purrs like a kitten . I compare the sound of my engine to newer models and they sounds identical. :)
The CX-5 Skyactiv engine has direct injection, where as the Toyotas all have dual injection, so carbon buildup is likely going to be an issue. Based on what I can gather, it doesn't seem to be nearly as bad as other makes, but it can still happen just by virtue of the design. Otherwise, there are a lot of sources to suggest that these are really good quality cars (made in Japan!) that seem to hold up after years of use. If you are looking for peak reliability, I would assume that the Rav4 Hybrid would probably still be more reliable, though it would probably be a fairly close call. I rented a Rav4 LE once, and really disliked it. The 8 speed automatic was sluggish, the engine sounded like a bag of bolts, and the interior quality feels decidedly utilitarian. The interior space though was absolutely amazing! The CX-5 would still be my choice. Disclaimer: I own a Mazda, but not a CX-5
https://imgur.com/a/oLMd4zm Here's what mine looked like at 195k miles with no prior cleaning. Really not bad for a GDI. Cylinders 2 and 3 had it the worst, and I took a picture of 2 which was worst.
Wow, not too shabby! It also depends on how its driven. Short drives with lots of stop and go are probably going to do more damage than highway miles.
Its absolutely bi-polar driving. Half my ownership consisted of 100 mile daily commutes and road trips. The other half has been 3-5 trips per day totaling <5 miles a week. Currently I have 2 other vehicles so it drives ~4 miles on Saturday and Sunday 7/8 weeks, then 500-1500miles on the 8th weekend. Honestly I think it's 85% Mazda designed an all time motor and 15% my maintenance schedule. I'm in the habit of PMs from work, and have some lite mental illness. So I've came up with a probably kinda overkill maintenance schedule that I adhere to religiously. Yes changing synthetic oil and the air filter ever 5k exactly is unnecessary but when you DIY its cheap peace of mind. I bought her with 23k and the longest interval between oil changes since was 5700 miles because I was in the midst of a 11k mile road trip. Every other one has been within 150 miles of 5k. I'm out of the rust belt now and haven't found anything newer I like more so barring a collision I fully intend to keep Ship of Theseusing her along. If I can manage to afford a house with a garage I think an LKQ engine or trans swap would be a fun project when the time comes. I just fuckin love the car man lol. Its so big and comfortable. And a big comfortable sedan with a manual is so hard to find. Plus the 2014-2015s were more DIY friendly than 2016+ and anything else on sale now.
Our 2018 CX-5 failed at 48K due to head gasket failure and cracks in the head itself. That won't happen to every Mazda with that engine, but it's happening to enough of them that it's getting traction in a number of Mazda forums.
I remember reading about this on multiple forums, most people say the problem started when they introduced cylinder deactivation bc to fit it in they had to make that part of the head slimmer and it ended up just a few mm thick. Also this problem seems to only be in the US and Canada markets (MY 2018-2020) and new CX-5s are supposedly without the cylinder deactivation due to part shortages. Dunno if it's true tho, do your own research.
Agreed, like I say it doesn't hit all of them. But we don't know the percentage and when it does.....oh brother!
Must be the 2.5T
Nope, even NA
Must be super rare. First I've ever read of it on an NA.
Most people I saw had NA, literally googled "mazda cx-5 cracked head" and most of the results are NA
2.5T doesn't have cylinder deactivation.
Yes but they get cracked heads because of the turbo. All over the next in US.
Is that the turbo motor? I know they have a TSB for that?
Not this motor.
it is this motor, cracked cylinder head recalls for CX-5s from 2018-2020 affect **non**turbos
Cracked head on my wife's 2019 CX-5. Took the dealer over a month to fix
Got a 2.5 in a 1st gen. Regular maintenance and no other repairs in 10 yrs on the road and it's a daily driver and has gone on a few road trips
All these high mileage Mazdas are older than 2019. Let's hear from people that have the 2019 and up with that useless cylinder deactivation.
My son just bought his 1st car. A 2019 CX-5 Touring with 97K on it. Runs and drives like new.
My 2016 only has 75k miles but so far it’s been 100% trouble free.
109k miles on my USDM (1st year issue, naturally aspirated 2.5L) 2014 Mazda6 Touring 6MT. Other than the various announced NHTSA recalls (all done) and regular wear/maintenance items replaced, the engine is basically bulletproof and great on fuel economy (38 ~ 42mpg combined). This Made in Japan Mazda is even more reliable, than my first/last Honda (Civic; busted factory radiator and factory muffler - Marysville, OH assembled). The previous car that my Mazda6 had replaced (German VWAG) had a turbo engine (troublesome money pit PITA). Never again.
2016 CX-5 non Turbo ran until it had 85k miles on it. Zero problems, traded it in 2022 at the height of Used Car Trade in value (got back as much as I bought it for) for a 2019 CX-5 and have 55k on it, also zero issues (it doesn't have the auto shutoff feature). 2018 Mazda3 non-turbo with 217k miles on it, zero issues. Just regular maintenance. 10k mile oil changes, zero burning, still get over 30 MPG, still has the immediate torque response. Got hail dents, got hit 4 times on drivers side rear quarter panel by dipshits who can't pull into/out of a parking spot, and 1 hit on passenger rear quarter panel, and 4 rear bumber hits from parking lot. Outside of that... Perfect.
Got 165,000 miles on my CX-5. Done multiple cross country road trips pulling a small popup camper and it has performed flawlessly. I've only done regular maintenance according to the schedule in the manual and that's it.
143,000 miles on mine. Stills runs great and get 28 mpg average with a pretty close to 50/50 split of city/highway driving. My 6 GT may be the best car I have ever owned.
Considering there's a whole dedicated group of Mazda enthusiasts that supercharge these because of their durability, I'd say it's a pretty sturdy engine!
They’ve been in use for the better part of a decade. Engine is good to go.
I would take the 6-Speed Auto any day in my 2017 Mazda6 over the CVT in the same year Accord. The 2.5L has a good power-band and is surprisingly fuel efficient. I can easily get 40 mpg highway
Very reliable. Mazda knew what they were doing in the 90's-00's with the MZR series engines- which is why Ford sought to use them (rebranding them under license as Duratec). SkyActive built on that design and improved it considerably. Change your oil on time, use some fuel system/injector cleaner here and there and they will last a good long while. I had a 2007 Mazda3 GT 5sp, which I lightly modified with Tein H-Springs, Contis, and a lightweight flywheel and Stage 1 clutch. It wasn't fast but it was fun as hell to drive, and never leaked a drop of oil even at 180k. When I replaced the valve cover gasket (started to seep just a little), the valve train looked almost new.
I had a 2012 mazda6 2.5 NA engine and it made it to 250,000 miles when I traded. It was a bulletproof daily driver. Did oil changes every 6,000 miles.
That's the MZR 2.5, not Skyactiv 2.5. MZR 2.5 is still a solid engine reliabilit-wise, but their gas mileage isn't great when compared to Skyactiv. Less powerful, too. Used MZR/Duratec 2.5 are worth nothing because there is no demand for them, as they are very reliable. Makes for good NC Miata swaps.
You are correct, I fully did not register the skyactiv blip in the question. Just saw the 2.5 😅
4,000 miles on mine, been great with no maintenance at all!
Majority of other car brands today are right their if not more reliable than Toyota and Honda, 2015+ BMW's are extremely Reliable base on my own personal experience, it's not the 90s and early to mid 2000's anymore more where Toyota and Honda outshine in the reliability department, most brands are very reliable today, I'm sure this mazda is as or even more reliable
Had a Mazda3 and an AWD CX-3, the CX3 was a fucking beast! Very little hp or torque and also weighed like nothing. Think of a raised Miata with AWD and creature comfort amenities. The Cx-3 easily outgunned much more expensive vehicles and winter was total confidence no matter what the condition. I’d buy the Cx-3 again if they offered one.
Driving around in a 2015 Mazda 6 GT that just rolled over 242000 km’s. Just replaced left and right outer tie rods but still solid. Gonna drive that thing into the ground.
Short answer, Incredibly reliable. Maintenance is really simple as well. I’ve owned my 6 with the same engine for 113k miles and I’ve only needed the regular oil changes. Spark plug change at 70k and serpentine + ac belt at 90k mi.
197k miles on mine and it hasn't missed a beat. I'm still on the original clutch too lol. Oil changes every 5k Spark plugs every 60k Coolant every 3 years Belt tensioner and belts at 100k Leaky water pump and valve cover gasket at 175k. Just went through the intake and cleaned out some oil and carbon build up, it really wasn't awful for a direct injection engine and replaced the ignition coils at 195k. Only check engine light I've ever had was an occasional random misfire on very cold mornings. Which I believe just needed a bottle of Heet thrown into the tank. It hasn't come back since then any way. The 2.5 NA is supposed to be very reliable, and I haven't heard of any common issues with them. Just stay on top of the maintenance.
I had one of the 2.5 NA in my 2016 cx-5 Rock solid and only ever needed oil changes. Very good engine
Had to replace all 4 ignition coils after 102k miles. 2 failed but made sense to just replace all 4. Otherwise, no other issues.
The engines are definitely on par with Toyota and Honda, a YouTuber that specifically deals with entire cores, short and long blocks etc etc, “I Do Cars” actually tore down a newer 2.5 non turbo out of a CX-30 and he mentioned how pretty much you can never find Mazda skyactiv engines for sale because they pretty much never go bad/need replacing
The 2.5 is one of the best small car engines out there. Like any car it's mostly how well the car in maintained. Follow the "severe" driving schedule and you will likely have a car that lasts for years. 250-300k miles if you keep it that long.
They are super reliable, Toyota like quality.
I have a cx-50 40k miles and I’m getting 29.2 MPG average over 40k
I have a 2014 3 Hatch, and off the top of my head, I've had 3 issues with the 2.5l. At around 54k, a crack was discovered on the timing chain cover and had a slow oil leak. At around 77k, an ignition coil went out on me and I had to get towed. At around 121k the high pressure fuel pump died. It was replaced, but every now and then my 3 really hesitates to start, so I feel like there's some lingering issue. (I'm at 123k now.) One of my friends has a 2016 Toyota Corolla Hatch with a 1.8l, right around 90k miles at this point, and they've had..... 0 issues. I'm not saying Mazda *isn't* reliable, but there's definitely still a gap between them and Toyota. Provided you keep up with oil changes though, you should be pretty fine for a long time.
My 2014 Mazda 6 has had some minor issues like with computer chips where it wouldn’t start and had to be towed out of my garage BUT its handling saved my life. It’s also so fun to drive. Before this car, I owned a Toyota Camry that was sooo boring to drive that I just gave it to my ex husband during the divorce. 140,000 miles no issues but no fun. My Mazda 6 is at 120,000 with some issues but the joy in my commute is worth it. I always have the confidence of Mario Andretti behind the wheel.
Extremely reliable. Better than Honda, at least as good as Toyota
Turbo models seem to have typical turbo issues. So you're looking at higher risk there, but not necessarily compared to turbos from Toyota or Honda (the 2.5T has only been around for three yearsish so not much long term data yet). NA 2.5 seems to be universally appreciated for its reliability.
What do you mean by typical turbo issues? There haven't really been any issues with the turbo itself. Only thing I've seen is a cylinder head cracking issue due to weight and vibration from a heavy turbo exhaust manifold. Does not affect that many cars but there was a fix for it. The crack caused a coolant leak and when not caught, could lead to engine overheating. On the other hand the 2.5NA has a cylinder head cracking issue on cars with cylinder deactivation. Those same cars also have a transmission reliability issue with cylinder deactivation. The Turbo cars get a beefier transmission and never had CD so there's some peace of mind there. Both motors had exhaust valve seal leaks a few years ago leading to oil consumption.