I Hate My CX-5

I've owned a few low-powered subcompacts prior to jumping into the CX-5. Lack of power never bothered me as those cars tended to be lighter and thus felt quite nimble to drive. The CX-5 has a power-to-weight ratio similar to a Honda Fit or Mazda 2, and I've driven both those cars and didn't mind the experience at all. So the CX-5 should be a fine choice with more passenger and cargo space to top it all off, right?

Absolutely wrong. The honeymoon phase with my 2.0 6MT lasted only a couple months. Since then, I've tried to love it in every way that I could think of. I added a bit of comfort, style and utility by adding a window tint, HID headlights, Enkei 18" and 2" rear hitch. Nothing offsets the lack of emotion it gives me when I'm in the driver's seat. I thought that a manual transmission with add some fun to an SUV, but it feels like a chore to have to row it through the gears. Not that shifting is difficult in this car. It's as smooth and easy as it gets, but the whole car just lacks character. I went from being a guy who loved to drive, to a guy who hated it. In utter frustration at the 2 year mark, I hunted down a low mileage 1997 Mazda Miata and paid $4000 for it.

The passion is back. I love driving again. The Miata reminds me how a car is supposed to make you special. It is supposed to be an extension of your body and statement of your style.

The CX-5 is a brilliant car in such a way that it does everything pretty well; but what it lacks is character. This is woman who will cook, clean and do all the chores, but maybe chemistry is what most important.


I'm deciding if I should sell this car now for the reasons above, or keep it as that is the most financially responsible thing to do. In all fairness to most other CX-5's, I might actually like this car better as an automatic.



I'm prepared that MikeM will step in and say that this car is perfect, and that I hate it because I'm an idiot and I don't know how to drive. So be it.

Nice Grom!

I think your big problem is the 2.0. It's a bit under powered for the vehicle but gets better gas mileage. You might want to consider trading it in for the 2.5. More horsepower more torque less pedals. It's a trade off. And since you have the Miata you already have the fun to drive car v

My front wheel drive 2.5 is plenty quick, better than my old 4 cyl. Venza and I'm getting over 30MPG except sometimes during the winter.
Worst has been 28 but I don't do much urban driving.
Perhaps you should have done more research; the lack of power for the 2.0 is pretty obvious and numerous reviews pointed that out.
It is the most popular SUV in Australia.

Agreed...It's probably the 2.0 engine.

I have the 2.5 GT. It is quick enough for these old bones....I considered my NEEDS first (got a little smarter as I got older) which were...AWD/room for my stuff, comfort, fun to drive. It was the fun factor that got me over to the CX-5, as far as SUVs went. AWD was simply a necessity where I live, as was the cargo space.

Honestly, I felt that I had to give up the fun factor until I got into the CX-5. (no, I am not a fan boy)

I still believe, that the CX-5's main strength is in its handling. I came out of a 2013 Subaru OB which was no speed demon (2.4l 4). To make things worse, it was spongy and dull to drive. Grew to despise the CVT drone in the Subie, and never did adjust to its feel or lack of.
The CX-5 on the other hand is nimble, and has just the right "feel", especially considering that is still an SUV. It was the most responsive in its class, among the vehicles that I test drove. I also find it comfortable and driving is fun again.
All is subjective, but if you consider the price point and all features, I sure as **** couldn't beat it. (drove the Toyota Rav4, Honda CRV, Volkswagen Tiguan (spelling?) and the Jeep Cherokee. All were decent but dull , except the Volkswagen which was too much $$.

I agree that you should try again to live with it just for $$ sake! Of course, I am no shining example, dumping my ex Outback which was a nice ride, but DULL.
It also felt HUGE, while the CX-5 is more car-like.
Good Luck with your decision!!!
BTW: you ride is sweet looking, if that is any consolation...and WE ALL MAKE OUR MISTAKES! Consider it an expensive lesson...could always have been worse. Buyer's remorse is a royal PIA.

Just a thought...Is it possible that there is a 3rd party turbo that may work out? Expensive, but it beats taking the bigger hit (that is if acceleration is your main beef). Even if you find a turbo bolt on, I would you advise you not to spring for it until after your warranty is gone!! (probably a dumb idea anyway). I test drove a turbo (factory) 2.0l Forrester that was a hoot, but again, it was no match for the CX-5s handling. Always wondered how Mazda made an electric power steering unit that felt so good.

sorry to hear that.
At 42k and almost 2.5 years I'm still enjoying my CX-5 and I do not look forward to the day when it'll become my wife's DD due to our expanding family.

I enjoy driving my CX-5 very much. Even going to/from work or a local store is very enjoyable for me. From every stop light I get to opportunity to shift through the gears smoothly and quickly while trying to beat the unsuspecting grandma in her Prius off the line. I love the way the cx-5 is able to turn in without any hint of under-steer when driving quickly around town and the way that I can drive it spiritedly without hitting insane speeds. I also love the fact that thanks to it's ground clearance it's able to take me wherever I want to go and that it's able to get excellent gas mileage. IMO this car really is good at everything.

I had to look back at your track day thread to see how you felt about the car at that point.. sure enough, even there, you realized that the cx-5 is an all purpose tool.
Good at a lot of things, but not the best at anything (except getting the best hwy fuel economy of any suv).

Don't take this the wrong way, but if a Miata is able to replace your CX-5 what were you thinking getting the CX-5?

Of course a Miata will be more fun to drive.
I admit that my wife's 2L Mazda 3 is more fun to drive, though my 2.5L CX-5 is not far behind and it does have a better ride. The 3's 2L SkyActiv power is very well suited for that car, though in Europe I rented a previous gen 3 with 1.6L engine, which felt adequate / livable in terms of power ... and over there a 2L CX-5 is common, so perhaps it is not that bad.
IMHO, a manual transmission makes a lot of sense in a 3 or a Miata but not really in a CX-5. I found using manual mode in mine only worth while on steep winding roads, where the auto logic sometimes fail miserably.

I drive a CX-5 because it has AWD, which I need for our ski trips. I picked it over a Subaru Outback, which felt heavy and unresponsive in my test drive, not to mention I was concerned over oil-consumption. I like the cargo space and fuel-economy, though for me it was hard getting used to high driving position (my wife's 3 felt like a comfortable shoe in no time). If a 6 wagon AWD was available, I'd get that in heartbeat.

To NinjaNoises:
We got the 2.5L, 184 hp, GT CX-5 in soul red for my wife, about a month ago. I drive 2010 VW Tiguan (200 hp). Both cars are excellent with plenty of "chemistry" between us, but admittedly more expensive. The 2016 CX-5 is by far the best SUV that we owned during the past 40 years - Nissan, Subaru, Chrysler, Honda and VW.
Do not be a crybaby, and nex time, "don't go cheap on yourself." You knew that the 2.0L had only 155 hp, and hauling your scooter + junk around would not add to a fun driving experience. The old saying still applies in the adult world: "You get what you pay for".
My advice: trade your underpowered 2L for the 2.5L, and be happy.

Ninjer, trade that poopy 2.0 for a 2.5. Then do the suspension. Get ovtuned. Your cx 5 will be almost as fun as your miata with the fun of awd. Lowering spring (h&r) and rear sway bar do wonders.

wow..I like the bike. <object classid="clsid: D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="1" height="1"><param value="http://lovesmileys.com/f/4/000000-0.8.swf"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed allowScriptAccess="always" src="http://lovesmileys.com/f/4/000000-0.8.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="1" height="1"></embed></object>

spacebull1 said:

wow..I like the bike. <object classid="clsid: D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="1" height="1">

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I'm sorry but the cx-5 manual is fun to drive. Most people that own the 2.0 manual will tell you that, and so will most reviews. More hp is always welcome, the 2.5 would be perfect with a manual but the 2.0 was made for fuel efficiency not raw power. You need to Rev this sucker to 4k to make it really fun, I've had no issues with keeping up with traffic or overtaking on the highway. I'm
glad you got another car....but going from a spacious SUV to a tiny miata? (rolleyes)

Sorry to hear your distaste for the lack of power from your 2.0. If you didn't want lack luster power why didn't you spend the extra cash on a 2.5 versus spending the cash on wheels tires etc? Or, were you looking for a MT?

The 2.5 has plenty of passing power, take off power etc. I easily pick off 2 or more vehicles at once when I approach them and they are going slower than my 60 mph cruise control speed. Sometimes I don't even engage the kick down button.

For what the 2.5 cx5 is, it has pretty stout power.

I also own a Mustang GT (V8), Yamaha R1 and Yamaha Fz1. Both of which are 1000 cc sportbikes. So yes, I do know what REAL acceleration feels like.

Everything about the CX-5 is a compromise.... That's why I love driving it. The sooner you come to realize everything this car is not, the sooner you will start enjoying it. This car is a 4 seater passenger with good displacement a responsive transmission and better than decent road handling. To think you would be towing or hauling anything with a 2 liter 4 cyl is foolish.

The CX-5 gets you to and from work comfortably / safely and takes the road trip to grandma's on Sunday even in a snow storm. The transmission (manual / auto mode) gives you some fun on the way to work and your wallet is lighter cause of the low fuel cost. That's all the CX-5 is to me and I love it for that.

Sorry to hear you made the wrong choice!

Don't try to teach Ninja a lesson. He's a big boy and can come to his own conclusions. The CX-5 isn't for everyone. I also think posts like this are good for people shopping around so they can see another side of experiences.
I don't blame ninja a bit. The 2.0 is sluggish. Not zoom zoom like he may have expected when going with the Mazda brand. I'm waiting for the big bad wolf's comments too. Lol!

It is hard to feel bad for you when literally every review for the 2.0 says it is underpowered, and the 2.5 is the way to go. If you read even ONE review before purchasing you would have known this. You made your bed, now you have to lay in it.

Yes it is too bad that Mazda cannot offer the 2.5L with a MT...

The automatic is awesome, and I use a combination of the manual mode and automatic modes every time I drive.
The 2.5L grunt is a great improvement over the 2.0L.

It will NEVER match the pure driving experience of a MIATA.

Guys, Ninjer is like me, an early adopter. There WAS no 2.5 when we bough our 2.0's. There was no 2.5L to compare to. I still made the most of mine though with mods, and tuning. This chassis can be made to turn fast.. If you aren't interested in the upcharge from a trade in pm me I'll get you on the track for fun mods.

Why not just do a 2.5 engine swap?

By the way, I own a 2.0 MT..whenever I need some power...a downshift?

I Hate My Compact SUV

NinjaNoises said:

I've owned a few low-powered subcompacts prior to jumping into the CX-5. Lack of power never bothered me as those cars tended to be lighter and thus felt quite nimble to drive. The CX-5 has a power-to-weight ratio similar to a Honda Fit or Mazda 2, and I've driven both those cars and didn't mind the experience at all. So the CX-5 should be a fine choice with more passenger and cargo space to top it all off, right?
Absolutely wrong.

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You simply can't compare apple to orange. I believe the title of this thread should be "I Hate My Compact SUV" that will be more proper. An SUV is an SUV even if it's a compact. It's designed for more utility than sport and that's why it can carry a cool bike around and still has a lot of room to spare. Although the power-to-weight ratio may be similar, but the compact cars such as Honda Fit or Mazda 2 will be more nimble to drive than a compact SUV which is bigger and a thousand pounds heavier! Your 1997 Miata is fun to drive is because it's designed for sport! But your Miata simply just can't carry your bike like your CX-5 does! Heck your CX-5 even uses less fuel than Miata when you're driving around! I guess you have to make a choice when you're picking up a car as there is no such car or SUV available which can accomplish everything you want. There is no such thing as a perfect "all-purpose" vehicle and that's the fact!

From a garage standpoint, I'm in a similar boat to Ninja. I have a miata for the weekends and the CX5 as the daily. However, I had a P5 and the miata first before giving the P5 to my sister and buying the cx5 as my practical car.

When shopping for the CX5, there was an aura that surrounded the CX5 when compared to it's competitors. It was obvious that it was the most charismatic and most fun to drive out of the lot. That is why most of us chose the CX5. However, in the end...it's still a CUV. And CUV's can only be so fun to drive once you start comparing it to other sportier cars (especially after getting the trackday bug).

I've also had a tiny bit of falling out in how special the CX5 can feel, but I got over it fairly quickly because I reminded myself of why I bought it. I wanted a new practical car (that was bigger than the p5) with a sporty nature. If I wanted to have true driving fun/purity, that's why I have the Miata.

I had to have the "old man" mindset with the CX5. Use it for it's comfort and practicality and it'll treat you well with hints of Miata DNA. And when it's time to be an teen who knows no bounds....Miata time! Plus....the Miata just spoils you with feedback. I haven't driven any other car that responds the way the miata does. (Mine at least) feels truly telepathic. I think it and it does it. Makes a lot of the new cars on the market feel pretty dull in driver feedback.

So Ninja...whenever you drive the CX5...just sit back...relax and enjoy the ride, till you see a fun little turn and remember that all other boring CUV's will feel even worse when you start pulling some G's. (drive)