I researched compact SUV's for a very long time. I am always concerned first with quality and reliability. I purchased this vehicle under the assumption that the reliability will be very good over time. My past ownership of Mazda cars has indicated this should be the case.
In a crowded field, it's maddening to make comparisons. Most of the compact SUVs offer similar features, but the devil is in the details. You need to pick a price point, and determine what you can get for that amount. I chose the CX5 because of the bang for the buck.
The gas mileage is among the best, unless you decide to go with a hybrid. The RAV4 offers a hybrid, but you will spend well over 30K out the door for not even the top trim level. The mileage on the CX5 is surely not as good, but pretty darn close for a combustion engine. I felt I would never recoup the added cost (4-5k) to justify the hybrid in terms of fuel savings over time. All other compact SUV choices were not nearly as good as the CX5 when it comes to fuel economy. I passed on the Hyundai and Kia brands because of lousy fuel economy. I have a friend that has the Tuscon, and barely can achieve 21 mpg in mixed driving conditions. The Tuscon has a turbo and dual clutch tranny, and is about as powerful as the Mazda. I was nervous about long term reliability of a dual clutch tranny that is in its first year, and the turbo, so I passed on the Tuscon.
You need to be very careful about mpg and engine performance. Many brands put in a under powered engine to achieve better numbers. Lack of pick up and acceleration is a safety hazard. I would not buy any brand at the lowest trims, including the Mazda, because of poor power profiles in base engines.
With that said, the Touring model offers a great engine, with superb acceleration. It is appropriate for all driving conditions. Matched with the mpg, the engine choice in the CX5 touring was the deciding factor for me. No other vehicle performed as well or better.
Driving this car is a blast. Great road feel and handling. Some mention the cabin is noisy. I say this is not true, unless you floor it. For that matter, every car in the class makes engine noise. While cruising along, this car is smooth and quiet.
The car comes with many features, including the RV camera and cross traffic alerts. These are must have features in a modern car. The cross traffic alert is worth its weight in gold. Don't buy a car without this feature!
The seats are very comfy, and the interior ergonomics just right. I love the fact I can control everything with my right hand using the turn knob/joystick on the middle console. This is a big plus. It feels like a much more premium car because of this feature.
The best things about this car to me are:
1. Great styling
2. MPG
3. Smooth powerful engine (184hp)
4. Smooth shifting transmission. No CVT!
5. Interior very comfortable
6. Nicely laid out cockpit, and ergonomics. The cockpit is extremely well thought out.
7. Price/value is superb
Every car comes with compromises. I was well aware of these before I purchased the car.
1. Stereo system is at best mediocre in comparison to other cars.
2. Although comes with Navigation, it's a fairly rudimentary system. It works fine as a basic Nav system, but lacks modern features, particularly live traffic alerts. It's included in the Touring model and above, so I can't complain. Other cars don't include this in mid level trims, and charge a lot for it. It's good enough. If I need live traffic alerts, my phone is fine.
3. You should not be texting and driving. However, a voice system to answer texts would have been nice to have. You can read texts on the dash screen, and reply only with preformatted message reponses.
Mazda is a little bit behind on the tech features related to the dash screen. They obviously put more emphasis on the performance features and overall build. In the end, this is a car, not a rolling office. Hence, the little things I don't have are greatly overshadowed by the overall quality of this car. I have no buyers remorse or second thoughts whatsoever about my purchase.…
Super vehicle bought new !
By JJ | on Tuesday, November 01, 2016
5.0
Love my Mazda CX-5. Drive mountain roads and feel secure in weather and hugging the curves. Reason I bought was the safety rating was so high, and the back seats folding down have allowed large items to be transported. Only drawback has been is just FWD and I need AWD for snow when heavy in driveway. So very limited drawback due to heavy snow only a couple times a year, does light snow just fine. Next vehicle will likely be a new Mazda with AWD. No complaints, only high praise.…
Im in with this car
By Tej | on Wednesday, October 26, 2016
5.0
i love this car,the way it handles curves and its fun to ride . i get around 28-30 mileage both city and highway combined…
