No pics Sorry Etrailer has a full gallery of their various options

 

It's all subjective.
I had the OEM hitch and wire harness installed at the dealer.
It came with a receiver/mount, two swappable ball sizes and a rubber Mazda plug for the receiver hole.
It is a smaller receiver and has the same towing capacity as after market hitches.
My opinion it looks great and does not stick out beyond the bumper, like some after market do, without the ball mount.
My dealer price and install was only $150 more than a comparable aftermarket hitch that I would have had to install myself.

 

Basic universal response not necessarily for any one specific MAZDA or any other vehicle daily driven passenger vehicle.

First you all should always read the complete technical specifications of the hitch you are contemplating to get.
Then look exactly the specification on your MAZDA for GROSS vehicle weight and towing capacity.

The things to consider whenever you are towing.
Your suspension and the handling characteristic will become less efficient as you increase your total vehicle's weight. All the specifications you read about on most all vehicles are not towing values and generally from a test vehicle with a *145-155 lb test driver and 1/4 tank of fuel or less unless the specification clearly state "CURB WIEGHT". *There is a reason for that... lol

Your vehicle although may indicate in the specifications for maximum towing capacity but the trade off is reduced SAFETY. You braking distance will increase exponentially with greater towing weights and higher vehicle speeds and the traction control will perform but reduced reaction efficiency as you increase the weight of the MAZDA .
You all that are licensed pilots know exactly what I am talking about when are flying a puddle jumper and you have large friends that want a flight with you... just say NO to FAT Friends.... LOL

Point here is dont go to the maximum towing capacity in the specification which most are under ideal driving condition and NOT real World possibilities that could happen. No one expect to hit a Deer, Dog, rabbit ,snake or a kid running out in the street after a wild ball.


Next contact your insurance carrier and let them know your plans BEFORE you purchase a hitch. There may some clauses in your policy that you may not be aware of.

IMHO because I get asked often about a recommendation on hitches there are really no better or worse Trailer hitches that are availed as long as they dont come from a generic seller that you can not trace who the actual manufacture is. There are Federal Complaint regulation that manufactures of hitches must meet before they can sell them ...at least here in the USA .

I have carried in my stores sold, prefer and recomend, Drawtight , Reese and CURT. It really is pocket book dependent for most of my customers. IMHO they all have excellent quality in manufacturing and very nice welds and design. And all have excellent Customer service.

I have used U-haul hitches from time to time and found them to be safe .... but bulky...maybe that was the application IDK?

 

Geez... I bought a quality class 3 hitch primarily to hall a couple of bicycles around. I bought the draw-tite because of their quality reputation, and a class 3 can accommodate a wider choice of aftermarket racks. Didn't try to overthink this, and no insurance issues with Allstate...

 

Um... I take it you did not read what will be covered in your Allstate insurance regarding "towing" or contacted your agent to be sure? I have to do insurance estimates a few times a year for customers with hitches and FYI I live right here is KALIFORNIA just like you!
I believe that depending on what your policy is you may be required to pay extra to cover what is being towed? But hey I am not that versed or even close to understanding all the insurance companies coverages, limitations and restrictions.
Don't you think it is better to "overthink" something then find out later you should have "overthought" something a little more?

 

If you search for CX-5 hitches in YouTube you will see a comparison between Draw-Tite and CURT on e-Trailer's video.
I chose the Draw-Tite for several reasons but mainly its more secure mounting.

BTW, an OEM hitch will likely be TWICE the cost of a Draw-Tite. Dealers sell OEM parts for a ****load more money - because dealers.
Eric B.

 

Don't be fooled by cost online trailer hitch pricing..
E-trailer and other hitch websites will cost a minimum of $150 hitch.
Plus $75 for ball mount & ball - another $75 for the wiring harness - $8 for hitch cover or a total of $308.
Dealer pricing depends on the dealer you go to and often how well you get along with them.
At my dealer I paid $299.96 for all parts for a complete OEM Mazda package that includes all the above with same towing specs.
All of these hitches ratings exceed the towing capacity of my 2020 CX-5 so that is a moot point.
I prefer the tucked away look of the OEM hitch on my CX-5 but that is my personal opinion.

 

ABOVE RESPONSE IS A THUNMBS UP!


I wish we had had more members on forums in general that owned retail business and retail business that include a labor portion of that business. Dealers always get a bad rap from most people that do not understand how a business runs.

Many dealerships parts accessories are bought from distributors and just like all distributors the price they pay is dependent most on quantity they purchase the product at. The less the discount to the dealer the higher the retail price will be. And then the labor, well in most places there is a flat rate posted and is close to what other shops in that same area charge per hour. Yes many times the dealership are slightly higher but then most dealership also have a higher overhead to be in business.

Unless you are a experience DIY you really need that good relationship with your dealer or a dealership. So sometimes you pay a little more for parts but then at some point that may help you a coin toss on something that needs to be replaced but is not exactly under the warranty!

 

Um... I take it you think you can read my mind. And I'm not sure why my post elicited a political rant about my decision to install a hitch receiver that gets excellent reviews, as well as comments about an intended use other than what I indicated my use will be. My Allstate agent has told me that the hitch receiver is covered under my existing auto policy (just keep the receipt if damaged in an accident - but who doesn't do that?), and my RockyMount and any bicycles are covered under my homeowners as personal property and covered at full replacement cost. Also, I have read my policies - homeowners and auto - in detail.

One last time - I do NOT plan to tow anything - as I stated in my initial and second post. I bought the receiver online and installed it per the instructions in about 2 hours. I did NOT buy the hitch offered by Mazda as it is a Class II 1.25" receiver for twice the price. Yeah, I get it that dealers, like any other business, need to make a profit, but I would think from your KALIFORNIA comment that you would understand that competition is a good thing and usually benefits the consumer. And often "overthinking" just leads to clutter and indecision, whereas the opposite is not necessarily "underthinking". I am confident I made the correct decision - for me - so please let it rest.

 

Kool your jets there bud...
My response to yours was to be clear that members or anyone reading this thread should at least consider what I posted. You are taking it personal only in that I said YES you (meaning everyone) should over think things related to the safety of yourself, your vehicle and other that may be in your path should you not consider all possible safety concerns by perhaps "OVERTHINKING" something!!!!!





ASE

Why is it that so many "THINK" their insurance policies "COVERS" everything completely ? I suggest really go read the fine print on the limitations before you end up in a civil suite because the insurance does not cover all the damage you caused another person or property?