Satellite Radio on Mazda 5 -- Curious

[M5-27-08-05]

Anyone consider getting satellite radio installed in their Mazda 5 now that it's available here in Canada? I did notice that we do have a "SAT" option on our radio??? Just wondering how it would installed.

[TSheikh]

We also have SAT option on 05 Mazda3. lol.

But i am not interested in sat radio.
I would rather burn songs that i like hearing as suppose to hearing tons of songs that i dint like.

[vicvic]

We also have SAT option on 05 Mazda3. lol.

But i am not interested in sat radio.
I would rather burn songs that i like hearing as suppose to hearing tons of songs that i dint like.

we have the button not an option.. maybe it is an option now.. since we get xm in canada

[TSheikh]

If its an option now, cant we get it too?

[derrick]

It's not an option, I don't think. They just build all our cars alike to save on manufacturing costs. Not saying you can't get it installed though, just might cost a bit.

[ZoomZoom]

You can install it... RedRaptor posted a walkthrough.  Basically you'd have to buy the optional sirius receiver from somewhere in the US, then install it.

When he did it, there was no satellite radio in Canada, so he registered for the US service (you just need a US postoffice box or something).  The only thing I don't know is if US receivers can get canadian Sirius now that it's available.

[Yuki]

my 06 came stock...

on the day that i picked up my car, the sales told me Sat radio will come next year...
there will be a $10-20 monthly fee to get that...

but still, i think is not that useful too.

[Snowflake]

When I bought my 05, Sirius was an option.  XM was not, which is annoying because if I was going to get either of them it would be XM.  But i'm not really interested in either, I don't want to pay a monthly fee to listen to a radio.

[Yuki]

I agree....for radio, i just listened to the 3 chinese stations and news 1130 for news and traffic updates..
I mostly litsen to CD...

y pay for sth that you can already getting it for free???

[ZoomZoom]

Kind of getting off topic here (sort of)... but anywho

Why pay for sth you can get for free?  Because they don't have a single radio station here that I really like.  I'll most likely be getting some form of satellite radio shortly... haven't done the research to decide which, but I really dislike all the radio in Vancouver.  Everybody tries to hit a wide target audience... so they're afraid to just stick to a style and play it.  94.5 used to be urban, hip hop... etc.  Now they're pop with a bit of hip-hop.  95.3 used to be dance/pop... now they're rock, with some classic rock.  Jack is... well I'm a few years too young for Jack.

I want to have 5 or 6 stations of different types of music that I like.  Then depending on my mood etc... I can dial up exactly what I want.  CD's?  Then I have to switch them, burn them etc etc.  I like someone else to pick the music for me.. otherwise I end up listening to the same stuff over and over again

I can't get that for free, so I'll be glad to pay.

[Snowflake]

Pay for a 6-disc MP3 changer instead... That provides a lot more flexibility, and probably carries more music than you can listen to in a week's worth of driving.

[ZoomZoom]

Again... I don't wanna pick it.  I'd rather let a DJ do that.   Plus.. if you listen to a station that plays music you love... you end up finding out about new artists that you maybe hadn't thought of.

I can assure you, I won't hear any good songs that I haven't heard before listening to my CDs or MP3s.

[RedRaptor]

Hey guys,

I installed the factory Sirius Sat Radio receiver in my Mazda3 and all we needed was a 2005 radio unit that had the SAT button since it had firmware to support Sirius.  I bought the factory unit from the US and signed up with Sirius USA using a friend's american mailing address.  However you can use ANY mailing address from the US (even with White House) and they won't care. 

I've had Sirius SAT radio since August and I LOVE it.  My plan was to try it out for a few months and if I didn't like it at all, I would just sell the OEM unit, however there is no way that is happening.  As Travis said, you get all these music genres and certain songs that you haven't heard since you were a kid that brings a special feeling to you.  They have a lot of dance and R&B stations where the DJs are mixing songs 24/7, mixes that you won't here anywhere else and are exclusive to Sirius.  You also get all the sports and complete NFL coverage (I'm a pigskin fan) and the score of the game is updated throughout so you can see the actual score without waiting for the commentator to tell you.

I've gone without Sirius radio for more than a week now (getting glovebox replaced because it was rattling at idle) and I miss SAT radio.  I have the 1 CD OEM MP3 player and that can't compare to SAT radio.

I don't now how the Mazda5 is, but the OEM Sirius unit works on the 3, 6 and Tribute I believe.  The install is quite easily for the Mazda 3 and is a DIY job.

Hope this helps.
Red

[Snowflake]

Are you driving a loaner car right now, Red?  The dealer has been telling me since got my '3 that the MP3 playing CD-players are backordered until January.  I wonder where they got theirs?

[perfecto]

I don't now how the Mazda5 is, but the OEM Sirius unit works on the 3, 6 and Tribute I believe.  The install is quite easily for the Mazda 3 and is a DIY job.

If it works on the 3, it should work just fine in the 5.

[arfman]

Would you guys get satellite radio if you don't do long commutes?

Say, if you only commute usually 15-20 minutes or occasionaly the longer 30 mins to 1 hr ... is it worth it in your book to get satellite just so you can hear 3 or 4 songs on 1 station, that you need to flip different stations to find the ones you like, if you didnt have satellite?

[RedRaptor]

My daily commute is 30min one way.  The thing about satellite radio is, you can listen to the internet feed so I tune in when I am at work.  Also if you do long weekend trips like I did in the summer, sat radio is great.

AND if people have their sat radio antenna mounted in the back of their car, they can now buy your sharkfin antenna to cover it and get the clean look.