NZ-new or Japanese import?
The first CX-5 (KE) was built from January 2012 to 2017, and the second (KF) from November 2016, launching here in April 2017. Mazda sold a lot of diesels in Japan: just after the 2012 launch, the 2.2-litre Skyactiv-D made up 73 percent of CX-5 sales there. So if yours came in second-hand from Japan, check which engine it has before booking anything.
Mazda New Zealand covers NZ-new cars under Mazdacare, with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty and scheduled servicing for the first five years or 100,000 km. An import sits outside the NZ-new programme, so ask Mazda New Zealand with the VIN before you assume it has any of that cover.
CX-5 diesel: the particulate filter
Modern diesels carry a particulate filter (DPF) that traps soot from the exhaust and burns it off. Wikipedia's account is that a full burn-off typically needs 30 to 45 minutes of continuous driving at 80 to 100 km/h. A CX-5 that only does school runs and supermarket trips may never get there.
When the filter clogs, power drops and the car can go into limp mode with a warning light. Keep driving it like that and the filter can be ruined. A garage can run a forced regeneration with diagnostic software, and should also look for whatever stopped the car doing it on its own. See exhaust and DPF repairs.
One more habit for diesel owners: check the dipstick on a cold engine every few weeks. A level that goes up instead of down is something to tell a mechanic about straight away.
Mazda CX-5 battery replacement
AA New Zealand says cars with start-stop need an AGM battery, and that fitting another type undermines the fuel-saving system. Mazda's owner's manual says i-stop only works with the battery in good condition, and that after a battery is replaced, the i-stop functions must be verified.
So ask for a test of the battery and alternator first, the right type fitted, and the i-stop check done before you drive away. Don't worry if the engine doesn't stop at the first few lights after a battery change: Mazda notes that can happen straight after the terminals are reconnected.
What to tell the mechanic about your CX-5
- Petrol or diesel, and the engine size.
- NZ-new or imported, and the model code if you know it.
- Whether it has i-stop.
- How it's usually driven: town hops, motorway commutes or towing.
- Any warning light, with a photo of the dash.
- When it was last serviced, and by whom.
Where we'd start with a CX-5
On a diesel, we'd give it a decent open-road run regularly and write down the dipstick reading each month. On any CX-5, we'd test the battery before buying one, fit the type the car needs and have i-stop checked. And on an import, we'd sort the engine, the history and the recalls at the first service. A local mechanic who specialises in your car.