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2014 Mazda5 Sport: Say Hello To Tom's Hardware's Project Car

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June 13, 2014 3:00:01 AM

We love reviewing the latest and greatest automotive technology. But when the factory toys don't evolve fast enough, we turn to the aftermarket. A new 2014 Mazda5 will serve as our platform for testing third-party technology moving forward.

2014 Mazda5 Sport: Say Hello To Tom's Hardware's Project Car : Read more

More about : 2014 mazda5 sport tom hardware project car

June 13, 2014 4:40:15 AM

Looks great cant wait for the rest of the planned mods.
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June 13, 2014 4:40:51 AM

nice mazda 5 you have sir :)  I liked the wireles charge.

I want see some night vision on car. drive without lights...
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June 13, 2014 4:59:12 AM

I might have to upgrade the wife's 2010 =)
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June 13, 2014 8:29:03 AM

Thanks guys. Next up will be a Blind-spot monitor system from Gosher's, ScanGaugeE, and some sort of wireless storage. Even have a set of Mazdaspeed 3 wheels ready to go, just waiting on tires :) 
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June 13, 2014 8:30:53 AM

I recently picked up a non-Nav equipped CX-9 Grand Touring AWD. I look forward to the head unit reviews. So far, I've put on an aftermarket trailer hitch, and half installed a Pyle backup camera system.
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June 13, 2014 8:32:43 AM

SinisterSalad said:
I recently picked up a non-Nav equipped CX-9 Grand Touring AWD. I look forward to the head unit reviews. So far, I've put on an aftermarket trailer hitch, and half installed a Pyle backup camera system.


How do you like the CX9 so far? The CX5 is still one of my favorites to drive. I've yet to get into a CX9 but I do love the Ford Flex, its platform mate.
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June 13, 2014 9:08:30 AM

It's been good so far. I got it at the end of April, so haven't had it too long. The only thing I don't care for is the headroom up front. I'm 6'3", and If I have the seat adjusted more upright like I prefer, my noggin hits the roof.
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June 13, 2014 9:14:28 AM

SinisterSalad said:
It's been good so far. I got it at the end of April, so haven't had it too long. The only thing I don't care for is the headroom up front. I'm 6'3", and If I have the seat adjusted more upright like I prefer, my noggin hits the roof.


How's the driving dynamics? The CX-9 is supposed to be fairly sporty compared to the usual dreadful driving CUVs.
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June 13, 2014 9:16:07 AM

It does drive very much like a car. I'm coming from a '02 Durango. I had also test drove the Acura MDX. Very similar ride at a lower price point.
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June 13, 2014 9:18:40 AM

The first gen Durango's are awesome. I still love how they look. The MDX is nice. I drove the latest one and its a very nice car minus the annoying dual screen infotainment system. The price tag didn't help sway me either. As much as I enjoy driving expensive cars, I'm quite frugal when it comes to my own car :) 
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June 13, 2014 9:25:29 AM

It's an SLT+ with the 5.9l and a bad tranny. Interested?? LOL
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June 13, 2014 9:26:46 AM

I don't need anymore cars, but you sure it's not just a sensor? My dad picked up a '97 Grand Cherokee 5.2 a few years ago with a bad tranny. Turns out it was a bad sensor or something. Been running fine.
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June 13, 2014 10:24:27 AM

THANK YOU for the LED headlight install. I have been watching this tech and am intrigued at the LED headlight kits on Ebay for under $100 that look similar to the kit you bought. It's now competitive to HID kits, though not as bright especially compared with 55w HID kits.

Maybe if you adjust your headlight up a bit with the adjustment screw the light pattern will be better?

I would be skeptical that power into the LED is 35 watts. Most say 25 watts or so on Ebay. More watts is more heat and less lumens/watt probably.

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June 13, 2014 10:25:50 AM

danwat1234 said:
THANK YOU for the LED headlight install. I have been watching this tech and am intrigued at the LED headlight kits on Ebay for under $100 that look similar to the kit you bought. It's now competitive to HID kits, though not as bright especially compared with 55w HID kits.

Maybe if you adjust your headlight up a bit with the adjustment screw the light pattern will be better?

I would be skeptical that power into the LED is 35 watts. Most say 25 watts or so on Ebay. More watts is more heat and less lumens/watt probably.



I wanted to like them so much but the way they're designed, you can't really get proper lighting out of them. If you're in the city and only need close range lighting, sure they'll suffice. However, I live in the country side and being able to see the signs way down is necessary. I ended up pulling them out and buying wiring harnesses to install H9 bulbs. They're 65-watt and 2100 lumens. Life span is shorter but they're only $15 a piece.
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June 13, 2014 10:50:39 AM

tuanies said:
I don't need anymore cars, but you sure it's not just a sensor? My dad picked up a '97 Grand Cherokee 5.2 a few years ago with a bad tranny. Turns out it was a bad sensor or something. Been running fine.

I've thought about the possibility of it just being a pressure sensor. The transmissions in these are notoriously bad, though. I haven't decided if I want to bother with it yet or not.
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June 13, 2014 10:52:27 AM

I'd at least get the code read and if its just a sensor, replace it and sell the car for much more.
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June 13, 2014 11:14:44 AM

tuanies said:
I'd at least get the code read and if its just a sensor, replace it and sell the car for much more.

No codes are being thrown for it. :( 
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June 13, 2014 11:16:00 AM

That's odd. Could just need a flush and new filter?
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June 13, 2014 11:18:20 AM

Did that less than 10k before this. Went from WI to Badlands and back just fine last year. Did everything to it as far as maintenance right before the trip out. Mechanics are family, so I trust them. ;) 
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June 13, 2014 11:30:26 AM

Yea if its not throwing codes, could be anything from solenoids or clutch packs burning out :-\.
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June 13, 2014 12:41:55 PM

for Headlight, you can try HIDs, of course being responsible driver as we are, you need to do it properly to avoid glare or disturb the incoming traffic. This is where retrofitting HID projector comes in and there are a lot of information out there in the net. What is even better, there are some package out there that runs on 35W but can really deliver the 3x promise VS halogen (the same promise that LED HL was suppose to deliver but it really lack something)
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June 13, 2014 12:48:17 PM

chyll2 said:
for Headlight, you can try HIDs, of course being responsible driver as we are, you need to do it properly to avoid glare or disturb the incoming traffic. This is where retrofitting HID projector comes in and there are a lot of information out there in the net. What is even better, there are some package out there that runs on 35W but can really deliver the 3x promise VS halogen (the same promise that LED HL was suppose to deliver but it really lack something)


I'm not quite ready to retrofit the headlights. I may end up just pickup a set of JDM HID projectors and dropping in an HID kit. The International headlights don't have the amber reflector, which I prefer.

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June 13, 2014 12:51:47 PM

Very interesting article. I will follow this column in the future.
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June 13, 2014 3:40:54 PM

The trouble with the dashcam being on only when the car is on is that when you do get in a crash, more than likely, the dashcam will cease recording, thereby not catching the other party's actions afterwards.
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June 13, 2014 3:43:58 PM

That's a good point, but if the car loses power in an impact, its most likely it will lose all power even if it was wired to always be on. I'd rather not drain my battery. I think capturing the moment of impact is more important than what happens afterwards. I do wish that it had a rear camera that recorded what happens behind you though.
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June 13, 2014 5:19:05 PM

tuanies said:
That's a good point, but if the car loses power in an impact, its most likely it will lose all power even if it was wired to always be on. I'd rather not drain my battery. I think capturing the moment of impact is more important than what happens afterwards. I do wish that it had a rear camera that recorded what happens behind you though.


I can certainly understand that. The geek in me was about to suggest an arduino programmed to keep power going for a few minutes after power is killed, but that would still apply when you just turned the car off.

I can tell you from experience with dashcams in my bike that it's a good idea to have, however. Mine aren't powered on by the ignition, because I sacrificed usability for size, but I've found that to be extremely useful, as they've captured road rage more than once, giving me an insurance claim that I might well not have gotten otherwise.

(No way of hooking that back-up camera to a dvr-type setup, huh? It would take quite a mess, and might well be easier to have a second camera facing backwards, but it would definitely be a nice thing for peace of mind.)
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June 13, 2014 10:33:01 PM

Good thing you are not reviewing this car. If so, the only things to say are the case is ugly and the hardware is a decade old which deserves a rating of -5.
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June 14, 2014 7:17:13 AM

DarkSable said:
tuanies said:
That's a good point, but if the car loses power in an impact, its most likely it will lose all power even if it was wired to always be on. I'd rather not drain my battery. I think capturing the moment of impact is more important than what happens afterwards. I do wish that it had a rear camera that recorded what happens behind you though.


I can certainly understand that. The geek in me was about to suggest an arduino programmed to keep power going for a few minutes after power is killed, but that would still apply when you just turned the car off.

I can tell you from experience with dashcams in my bike that it's a good idea to have, however. Mine aren't powered on by the ignition, because I sacrificed usability for size, but I've found that to be extremely useful, as they've captured road rage more than once, giving me an insurance claim that I might well not have gotten otherwise.

(No way of hooking that back-up camera to a dvr-type setup, huh? It would take quite a mess, and might well be easier to have a second camera facing backwards, but it would definitely be a nice thing for peace of mind.)


I'm still trying to figure out what I can do with an Arudino in the car, so far can't think of anything. I haven't ran into any situations where I've had to use the footage on the dash cam quiet yet, but people are terrible drivers in WA. I tend to be more aggressive and try to get as far away from idiots as soon as I spot them. I also always avoid driving near semi's.

There are DVR setups that do that, but they're a bit excessive. However, I'll look into it and hopefully find a front/rear setup that can just record into a security cam format.
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June 14, 2014 9:36:27 AM

I recently went through 3 HID kits, converting my Mazda 3 to HID. I felt comfortable with this conversion because the Mazda 3 parts manual shows both halogen and HID available for the same headlight assembly.

If you read up on conversions, there is engineering in the light pattern you may be effecting by changing the size / orientation of the actual light source. On the Mazda 3, both the halogen and HID have their light source longitudal with respect to the car.

I tried a 55 W HID, and even with the projector beam cuttoff, it was too bright to oncoming cars. I finally settled on 35 W HID 4300 K, and it is nice.
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June 14, 2014 9:52:46 AM

g00b said:
I recently went through 3 HID kits, converting my Mazda 3 to HID. I felt comfortable with this conversion because the Mazda 3 parts manual shows both halogen and HID available for the same headlight assembly.

If you read up on conversions, there is engineering in the light pattern you may be effecting by changing the size / orientation of the actual light source. On the Mazda 3, both the halogen and HID have their light source longitudal with respect to the car.

I tried a 55 W HID, and even with the projector beam cuttoff, it was too bright to oncoming cars. I finally settled on 35 W HID 4300 K, and it is nice.


I've read the same with the 5 as well, but I'm just being overly cautious so for now H9 bulbs are a suitable replacement until I get proper HID projectors.
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June 14, 2014 2:06:07 PM

you should get a better sound system and some subs atleast a little 8-10 inch kicker for when a good song comes up
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June 14, 2014 2:10:48 PM

Computer LVR said:
you should get a better sound system and some subs atleast a little 8-10 inch kicker for when a good song comes up


That's coming soon. We'll have a story alone on speaker upgrades with RTA measurements. Going with Alpine Type R components and coaxial with a 4 channel alpine amp. A sub in the spare tire compartment will come later.
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June 14, 2014 2:56:16 PM

Quote:
I wanted to like them so much but the way they're designed, you can't really get proper lighting out of them. If you're in the city and only need close range lighting, sure they'll suffice. However, I live in the country side and being able to see the signs way down is necessary. I ended up pulling them out and buying wiring harnesses to install H9 bulbs. They're 65-watt and 2100 lumens. Life span is shorter but they're only $15 a piece.


The problem with LEDs is the same as the problem with HIDs. The reflector is designed with a different type of light source and won't focus the beam properly. Instead of having a bar of light you have two point sources. They can look spectacular but only with the appropriate reflectors. For more info:
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/Hid/conve...
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June 14, 2014 5:09:06 PM

Quote:
I noticed … it falls off down the road compared to stock.

Epic Fail
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June 14, 2014 5:10:01 PM

.
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June 15, 2014 12:32:01 AM

I want to see a projection HUD on the windshield.

Adding a bluetooth ODB2 adapter and using Torque app, you can mount an android phone on the dash. Maybe something like that with better integration ideas?

When I was on a road trip with my wife, I had my xe500t tablet playing a movie on the passenger side dash so she could watch a movie through the reflection of the windshield. Speakers were connected through bluetooth and played on the car audio. It actually works pretty well.
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June 15, 2014 9:31:24 AM

ddpruitt said:


The problem with LEDs is the same as the problem with HIDs. The reflector is designed with a different type of light source and won't focus the beam properly. Instead of having a bar of light you have two point sources. They can look spectacular but only with the appropriate reflectors. For more info:
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/Hid/conve...


Yea I read a lot from Daniel Stern, hence why I just ended up swapping for H9 bulbs and not an HID drop-in kit. Light output is much better and it didn't cost very much. I just wanted the LEDs to work as promised, but unfortunately its impossible unless you retrofit the projectors from an OEM setup. I don't drive enough at night to justify that much work.
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June 15, 2014 9:32:19 AM

hp79 said:
I want to see a projection HUD on the windshield.

Adding a bluetooth ODB2 adapter and using Torque app, you can mount an android phone on the dash. Maybe something like that with better integration ideas?

When I was on a road trip with my wife, I had my xe500t tablet playing a movie on the passenger side dash so she could watch a movie through the reflection of the windshield. Speakers were connected through bluetooth and played on the car audio. It actually works pretty well.


I looked into the available units but I'm not fond of sticking stuff on top of my dash. Now if I had a 3D scanner + printer that I could use the scan the top part of my dash and get a new piece printed...that'd be different ;) 
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June 15, 2014 5:22:53 PM

Since you are looking at Peltier solutions for seat heat/cool, I have this to say about them. We have a 2013 Ford Explorer LTD with heated and cooled seats (which use a Peltier device). Good news is that they cool fine (though noisily on high). Bad news is that when it is cold, the peltier takes so long to heat up and blow warm air that they are useless in pre-heating the seat (we also have remote start). I don't think they even kick on until the engine is warmed up. By that time, your buns have done more warming than the fancy seat. If you can find a solution that uses good old fashioned heating coils, you will thank yourself in the future. Just a quick heads up for you all. That all said, your project car is pretty cool and I am most intrigued by the Qi wireless charger. I would love to have that in my next car. Thanks and keep up the good work.
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June 15, 2014 7:12:41 PM

VinceCL said:
Since you are looking at Peltier solutions for seat heat/cool, I have this to say about them. We have a 2013 Ford Explorer LTD with heated and cooled seats (which use a Peltier device). Good news is that they cool fine (though noisily on high). Bad news is that when it is cold, the peltier takes so long to heat up and blow warm air that they are useless in pre-heating the seat (we also have remote start). I don't think they even kick on until the engine is warmed up. By that time, your buns have done more warming than the fancy seat. If you can find a solution that uses good old fashioned heating coils, you will thank yourself in the future. Just a quick heads up for you all. That all said, your project car is pretty cool and I am most intrigued by the Qi wireless charger. I would love to have that in my next car. Thanks and keep up the good work.


I didn't realize Ford used that in its cars. The system I'm looking at is the Degreez system that Katzkin markets with its leather seats swaps. I'll have to go check out an Explorer or something soon then before I decide to spend $500 for the Peltier-effect setup.

Qi wireless charging is easy to integrate, I imagine the Explorer has a lot of areas to retrofit it.

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June 16, 2014 10:11:18 AM

Great article. I was looking at a Mazda 5 a few years ago even though I'm single. Wanted it for the cargo room and being able to haul around family and friends. Too bad there's almost no leg room behind the wheel for a 6' 4" guy with long legs.
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June 16, 2014 11:09:26 AM

jeffredo said:
Great article. I was looking at a Mazda 5 a few years ago even though I'm single. Wanted it for the cargo room and being able to haul around family and friends. Too bad there's almost no leg room behind the wheel for a 6' 4" guy with long legs.


Yea the benefit of being 5'7" is I can drive virtually anything :D .The cargo room is great for a family of four. Fit a fairly large Jeep stroller in the trunk + a Canon Pixma Pro 100 large format printer + whatever else we needed for the kids.
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June 17, 2014 5:53:19 AM

Quote:
13511715,0,1688550 said:

I didn't realize Ford used that in its cars. The system I'm looking at is the Degreez system that Katzkin markets with its leather seats swaps. I'll have to go check out an Explorer or something soon then before I decide to spend $500 for the Peltier-effect setup.

Qi wireless charging is easy to integrate, I imagine the Explorer has a lot of areas to retrofit it.

said:


Here is a link of the company that made the seats (I think, at least to the best of my googling). It used to be called Amerigon: http://www.gentherm.com/en/page/climate-seats
The page isn't as informative as it used to be unfortunately.
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June 17, 2014 7:08:58 AM

Thanks! now I'm wondering if I can retrofit a heated steering wheel and heated/cooled cupholders now :D 
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June 18, 2014 8:35:47 AM

Quote:
Thanks! now I'm wondering if I can retrofit a heated steering wheel and heated/cooled cupholders now :D 


YW.

The cupholders would be awesome. Our Ex has the heated steering wheel and I get more use out of it than I do the heated seats. That puppy warms up in seconds and keeps your hands nice and toasty.
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June 18, 2014 8:36:52 AM

I wonder if I can rewrap the steering wheel and add a heated element. Guess I need to do more research. I actually swapped out the stock vinyl steering wheel for a vinyl one from the wrecking yard so I could potentially get the vinyl one rewrapped with a heating element, hmmm.
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June 26, 2014 11:13:18 PM

I have a 2008 and just replaced my rear struts. It seems the car rides on the bump stops in the rear and several aftermarket solutions suggest cutting down or replacing the bump stops with shorter ones to allow the struts more range of motion. I've got Koni yellows at the factory setting. The ride is better, but it is mostly because one of the old struts had bled out. Right now it feels better, but there is noticeable squat with kids and luggage in the car. I need to adjust the struts to be firmer or look into new springs. The car is so close to being a joy, but the ride needs to be a little firmer and the road noise is too much. Are you going to look into sound isolation?
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June 28, 2014 9:05:32 PM

I have no plans on doing any sound isolation. The noise doesn't bother me very much.
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September 1, 2014 6:07:10 AM

I also just bought the Mazda5. I love it for the seats vs gas mileage. I want to take one of my tablets and and install in in the dash and then wire it to a backup camera. I have a 128gb microsd that is fine for now as far as storage goes. In the future I may want a wifi HD. Running a car LAN is a great idea since the boys are often playing networked games and we usually use my phone or the samsung tablet to create a HOTSPOT. If you use the spare tire space for the sub, where will you put the spare?
I had a 2008 Toyota Sienna XLE Limited prior to this car, and I want to install a tow hitch so that I can use my "Swingaway Cargo Carrier". The space in the back is pretty much nonexistent when the back seats are being used. Also, mine doesn't have luggage rack which is truly the worst!
The last thing I want to do is get a beefier battery and put in more accessory outlets including one A/C like my van had. I really liked that. We played Rock Band while driving to Disneyland a few times a year. It makes the 10 hour drive go much quicker.
I also like the idea of the cup cooler or want to integrate a powered cooler in the place of one of the pockets in the back(the one that doesn't have the jack in it).
I have some iPad 1s that I could put into the seats in front of the four back seats. But I don't want to cut a big hole and then wish I'd have went with a smaller option. But the old iPads are perfect for watching flix or basic gaming.
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