With three months to go until its next scheduled preventive maintenance, it’s time to give a brief update on our long-term Sonic Silver Mazda CX-5 AWD Sport Diesel. Nine months into ownership, everything’s fine with our first-ever diesel.
The best part is that between the last update and this one, we finally got our number plate. The wait took about five months—not exactly aligned with the timeline promised by the Department of Transportation, but at least we can now peel off the conduction sticker and put away the temporary sintra board plate for good.
For the first four months, we logged in around 3,000 kilometers—a rather low number; sadly, add another five months and the total mileage has just risen by 1,600 kilometers. Yes, we’re not driving her around enough, but that’s simply because of the sheer number of test drive units that come and go in our garage (we’ve had a record 50 in 2019, and we refuse to take more than one at a time).
In the times that we got to drive it around though, the 2.2-liter Skyactiv-D showed consistent fuel economy whatever the traffic condition. Based on the trip computer, we’ve been averaging 10.78 km/L—its worst mileage remained at 8.3 km/L, while its best one was at 13.10 km/L. Oh and given we have more than ten data points, we can now determine the disparity in fuel economy figures generated by the trip computer and the traditional top-up method. Surprisingly, it’s pretty low—just at 1.51 percent, with the trip computer consistently showing more optimistic numbers.
Overall, the CX-5’s fit and finish has withstood months of ownership, but we did notice two things. The first is that a stitch on the driver’s seat started to fray. Now, we could have left it alone, but because we’re terribly obsessive-compulsive, we used a safety razor to trim down the fray (so far, the stitch itself isn’t damaged in anyway). The second is that some of the paint in the “Skyactiv-D” badge has started to flake off. Not a big deal, and it’s something easily fixable with some black touch-up paint.
Oh, and as previously mentioned, our CX-5 has received some accessories during this update, and to wit, they are:
- Mazda OE Blue Hydrophilic Mirror (Part # KB8C-V3-660)
- Mazda OE Stainless Steel Rear Bumper Guard (Part # 0000-8T-R10)
- Mazda OE Roof Rack Side Rails (Part # 0000-8L-R09)
- WeatherTech FloorLiner (1st and 2nd row) (Part # 4411871-444192)
- WeatherTech CargoLiner (Part # 40991)
- PIAA SI-Tech Wipers
- Blaupunkt 7.1 2-Channel DVR
- 3M Crystalline Tint (CR90 at front, CR70 at sides and rear)
All these, with the exception of the Blaupunkt dashcam and the 3M tint, were all installed DIY. We don’t know if they’re available at local Mazda dealerships too since we went the import route (sorry, Bermaz Auto Philippines). The genuine Mazda parts and WeatherTech mats, as expected, are well-made. Though, it’s worth noting that the WeatherTech mats don’t cover completely cover the second-row floor area due to a different floor design in our Malaysian-sourced units (all other brands such as Hippo Mat or Max Liner fit the same way). Oh, and in case you’re wondering, the side rails aren’t there because we’re the outdoorsy-type, but because we needed an easier way to clean the CX-5’s roof. Also, and in hindsight, the blue hydrophilic mirrors aren’t worth it—the hydrophilic properties aren’t “strong” enough to repel heavy rain.
As for the 3M tint, they work as advertised. Not only did we find them more effective in cutting down heat compared to the V-Kool clear series installed in our previous long-term Mazda3, but they actually provide better privacy; plus, they don’t interfere with EasyTrip tags.
2019 Mazda CX-5 Skyactiv-D AWD Sport Long-Term Test Update #2
- Months Since Last Report: 5
- Kilometers Travelled: 4,759
- Kilometers Since Last Report: 1,620
- Average Lifetime Fuel Consumption (km/L): 10.78
- Best Fuel Consumption (km/L): 13.1 km/L
- Worst Fuel Consumption (km/L): 8.3 km/L
- Fraying stitch on driver’s seat (Fixed)
- Peeling paint on Skyactiv-D badge
- None
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