parts interchange between Mazda3 and 5?

Anyone know what all will swap between the 3 and 5?

I know they're based off the same chassis... can I use suspension parts made for a 3 on our 5?

I'm looking into that same question now. It honestly looks like the suspensions are identical, as you can pick up some pretty crazy springs, shocks, swaybars, and coilovers for them. The engines are nearly identical as well.

Struts and springs are a dirct swap, as are rear sways. I think the front sways won't work. Engines are identical to the first gen 3 2.3l.

Should be able to do some interesting stuff with it.

Surely you dont need ideas like this put into your head do you?

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/09q2/return_of_the_boss_wagon_mazdaspeed_5-project_car

All the suspension parts swap but the 5 uses heavier rear springs. Volvo S40/V40 stuff fits too as long as it's the 2nd gen Volvo.

This is good to know. We're considering our own "what car" thread, and my wife loved the Mazda3 we had.

The rear bar from my MS3 bolted right on to my wife's 5, as did the wheels. Struts appear to be identical, as well. Just eyeballing it, the front subframes do look slightly different, so I wouldn't be surprised if the front bars aren't compatible. Although, the last thing either of those vehicles need is more front bar.

jg

JG it's good I didn't hit you with the team cart at Daytona because I wouldn't be able to ask your opinion on this. My wife also drives a 5 and I'd like to do something about the suspension. I can't lower it because "someone" in the house has a driving style that is not conducive to lowered vehicles, not me and not my 1 year old son but I'm not naming names. How would you compare the handling with the MS3 rear bar?

I'm thinking the MS3 rear bar and some new struts (KYBs or Konis if I win the lotto/become a magazine guy). The high frequency damping on the stock struts is really bad.

You'd do yourself well to upgrade to an ms3 rear bar. I know that's what a LOT of stock mz3 (non-turbo) guys do it, and that bar wakes it right up. If you want HUGE overkill, go with the Hotchkis RSB and some endlinks (I prefer tripoint, YMMV) and run that sucker on full stiff. Rotates like a drift car. IIRC the Hotchkis bar is 34mm, and did it ever wake up my ms3. Kinda glad I threw the front bar in at the same time, or the car would be nigh undriveable on the street.

My Mazda5:

bluesideup wrote: JG it's good I didn't hit you with the team cart at Daytona because I wouldn't be able to ask your opinion on this. My wife also drives a 5 and I'd like to do something about the suspension. I can't lower it because "someone" in the house has a driving style that is not conducive to lowered vehicles, not me and not my 1 year old son but I'm not naming names. How would you compare the handling with the MS3 rear bar? I'm thinking the MS3 rear bar and some new struts (KYBs or Konis if I win the lotto/become a magazine guy). The high frequency damping on the stock struts is really bad.

The bar is a pretty good swap. Doesn't transform the 5, but does give it a little crisper bite from the front end when you lean into it.

I'm not sure it's really begging to be lowered, except from a styling perspective. The 18" wheels helped quite a bit in that regard, evening up the proportions a bit.

The struts and shocks are not the best. I'm not sure if Koni makes an FSD for the car, but that would be my first choice if I were replacing struts. (Actually, I decided not to be lazy and looked, and they do). I'm a huge FSD fan. I've never driven anything with them that wasn't improved considerably over stock.

jg

P.S. Thanks for not hitting me. I did enough damage backing into things with my eye buried in a viewfinder on my own.

^ I was just gonna say, I KNOW Koni makes it, because for a long time, they confused all the ms3 guys buy putting up Mazda5 p/n's in the section for ms3 suspension. Turns out it was all the same thing. Koni yellows/FSD+ Eibach prokit and some form of RSB would make that thing rather surprising.