Finally... and Australia review of the Diesel

Omfg i thought there might be a difference between australian and US dollars but there isnt. and to think im waiting for the diesel to come to the states....not at those prices

i thought it would be nice to have a powerful diesel in a small auto like the cx5, but thats just not worth it at all.

and im wondering is it an NA diesel or turbo diesel?
 
Omfg i thought there might be a difference between australian and US dollars but there isnt. and to think im waiting for the diesel to come to the states....not at those prices

i thought it would be nice to have a powerful diesel in a small auto like the cx5, but thats just not worth it at all.

and im wondering is it an NA diesel or turbo diesel?


Those prices aren't the same as we pay in the US. The AUS base price is $7k higher.

It is a sequential turbo design that uses a small turbine for low RPMs and a larger turbine for higher RPM duty.

My WAG is that we'll pay $32k for a fully loaded GT diesel.
 
Hope you are right DougNuts. If it gets into the $40k-$50k range then we are getting into the price range of some larger diesel cars/trucks.

iNodes, does diesel cost more than your premium (high octane) gas over their?
 
anything over $30k is a little off putting to me. and im sure the diesel option here won't be available unless you get a certain trim level, which may in fact mean the gt.
 
Omfg i thought there might be a difference between australian and US dollars but there isnt. and to think im waiting for the diesel to come to the states....not at those prices

i thought it would be nice to have a powerful diesel in a small auto like the cx5, but thats just not worth it at all.

and im wondering is it an NA diesel or turbo diesel?

Firstly, don't look at ours prices. Just like UK, Europe and even to a lesser degree Japanese prices - we're all more than the US at the moment.
The actual price when it comes to the US will be probably $2000 extra for the diesel.

The diesel is a twin-turbo. There is a turbo for the low end and high end. Torque is more than double the petrol engine.

Regarding prices you see.... Australians pay these prices and barely worry about it. If you're earning $50,000/year in Australia, you're on a very basic starting salary and earning below the average. If you're working at Mc Donalds and you're a high school student, you're earning about $18/hour.
The price of the CX-5 isn't much by comparison.
 
The Diesel model was released today "Down Under". The first media review has become available. Although I'll be sure to post my opinion when I test drive (hopefully in the next few days).
http://www.caradvice.com.au/164145/mazda-cx-5-diesel-review/

By the way....don't eat food while looking at prices. You'll choke.

From the review. "The high starting price for the diesel models will exclude a number of prospective buyers from the outset – Mazda Australia has no plans to introduce a cheaper Maxx diesel". Major bummer (boom06)

"Its on-the-road starting price of $40,000-plus will put it out of the reach of many Australians after a medium SUV, but for those who can stretch the budget beyond the underpowered petrol, the diesel is the pick of the Mazda CX-5 range and one of the best all-rounders in its class". Bummer * 2
 
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i can't wait to read your review. if you see a hitch on any car on the lot, please snap a pick or two, and i'd love to see the attachment points. please stand by while i drag my dead horse outside. i won't bring it back in until i read your review.
 
The following is a list of all 4 diesel versus petrol reviews in Australia. If you read both reviews, you'll note that they comment favourably on the transmission in the diesel compared with that in the petrol as well. Seems the gear ratios make for a better drive.

I have summarised though, for the people who don't want to read reviews in full.

Caradvice.com.au

Diesel http://www.caradvice.com.au/164145/mazda-cx-5-diesel-review/
Petrol: http://www.caradvice.com.au/160584/mazda-cx-5-review/

Steering:

The steering is well weighted, provides consistent feel regardless of the vehicle speed, and has an unrivalled ability to negotiate tight corners and hairpins with intoxicating ease.
Mazda’s mastery of steering also strikes again, with an electric-powered helm that is gifted in its weighting and linearity. It’s superior even to the steering of the similarly sized – but certainly not similarly priced – BMW X1.

Diesel Engine:

There’s some initial lag and a bit of a torque hole just above 1500rpm, but with an extra 222Nm over the petrol engine, the diesel feels much stronger and more responsive through the mid range up to its unusually high 5200rpm redline.

Petrol Engine:

Mazda may be using a computer-generated Cheetah, the world’s fastest land animal, in its CX-5 TV ads, but performance is best described as adequate, even with just two on board. Overtaking manoeuvres will need to be considered efforts.
The 2.0-litre remains a civilised motor, though, even when pressed into the upper reaches of its rev range, which you’ll need to do if you’re looking for any meaningful momentum.

Petrol + Auto Transmission:

More frustrating is the six-speed auto, which although is sufficiently quick with downshifts when inclines are met is far too hasty to change up gears.
The auto is missing an intelligent shift mapping system that can recognise when the driver is clearly asking for more revs, frequently picking a gear that is not just one but sometimes two gears higher than ideal for the driving situation.

Diesel + Auto Transmission:

We were critical of the automatic for changing up gears too hastily in the petrol variants, but it seems better behaved when teamed with the diesel engine. Shifts are smooth and generally well timed, and the engine’s extra torque makes it more forgiving of any tardy down changes.

Carsguides.com.au

Diesel: http://www.carsguide.com.au/news-an...da_cx_5_diesel_first_drive_review?origin=hpc1
Petrol: http://www.carsguide.com.au/news-an...road-tests/2012_mazda_cx_5_first_drive_review

Steering:

...a new steering system adjusts feedback according to speed and conditions.
Although they remarked negatively (and in contradiction to other reviews):
Even with all-wheel drive the vehicle lapsed into understeer when hustled on fast bends so this is no sporting SUV.

Petrol Engine/Auto Transmission:

On a drive in the Snowy Mountains (sans snow) an all-wheel drive 2.0-litre petrol automatic (the diesels are yet to arrive here), putting out 113 kW at 6000 rpm and 198 Nm at 4000 revs, was tentative off the mark and soon ran out of breath on all but the shallowest incline.

Diesel Engine/Auto Transmission:

The extra weight of the AWD system doesn't help but it is the only option with the oilburner. The six-speed auto is crisp and, despite a stutter off the line, the turbodiesel engine has a great midrange and pulls until close to the 5200rpm redline.

Carsales.com.au

Diesel: http://www.carsales.com.au/news/2012/medium-4x4/mazda-cx5-diesel-the-premium-option-29361
Petrol: http://www.carsales.com.au/reviews/2012/medium-4x4/mazda/cx5/mazda-cx5-local-launch-28991

Steering remarks (damn lot of positive just for steering):

The MacPherson strut (fore)/ multi-link (aft) arrangement ... improves steering response.
Mazda says its electrically assisted rack and pinion steering arrangement is tuned to deliver sharper response at low-to-medium speeds and milder response at higher speeds. The upshot is fewer turns when maneuvering around town. On the open road torque feedback is increased with the amount of steering angle to bolster feel. CX-5 offers a turning circle of 11.2 metres.
It only took a couple of kilometres to realise Mazda had pulled out all stops with the CX-5. It feels immediately familiar and responsive to input.
Steering the CX-5 is a pleasure. The car is easy to place and the rack quick enough to allow the driver more chance to enjoy the breadth of handling available.
Turn-in is sharp, the car settling to the rear, while tending to modest oversteer only when backing off the throttle mid-corner. Even in front-wheel drive variants we never found ourselves short of control.

Petrol Engine/Auto Transmission:

The downside to all this “Zoom Zoom”, as Mazda would put it, is that the car ultimately wants for more torque. The engine, whilst smooth and happy to rev, just doesn’t offer enough gumption for hilly highway cruising, and it can struggle with overtaking maneuvres. That said, the car is reasonably peppy around town, with the SKYACTIV transmission making short work of sub-80km/h speeds. The auto transmission itself is an interesting piece of kit. It offers velvety shifts and speedy take up from a standing start. While always ready to downshift to maintain pace, on occasion it feels too eager to upshift, perhaps in a bid to conserve fuel.

Diesel: Nothing said - it's a short update

Sydney Morning Herald

http://smh.drive.com.au/motor-news/first-drive-mazda-cx5-diesel-20120321-1vimc.html
Petrol review: http://news.drive.com.au/drive/small-business-20120301-1u4fd.html

Steering remarks:

The steering has decent feel around town, although loads up a bit strangely to become heavy and then light while cornering on fast, sweeping bends.
Steering is sharp and communicative when needed but relaxed on the freeway and devoid of kickback on the rough stuff.

Petrol Engine/Auto Transmission:

Less impressive is the performance of the 2.0-litre petrol engine.... acceleration is adequate rather than outstanding. The engine feels refined and revs freely but lacks low-down torque, which means overtaking manoeuvres need to be planned. The six-speed automatic shifts smoothly but is too eager to change up a gear, which means you can find yourself needing the transmission to kick down to a lower gear more often than you'd like.

Diesel Engine/Auto Transmission:

The slightly higher power figure for the diesel engine may not look like much, but it's that torque figure - with most of it available just off idle - that sets the two apart.
It's just a little grumbly off idle, though, when you give the throttle a decent shove, but otherwise most owners will never notice it's a diesel until the engine gains a traditional, although surprisingly muted, growl higher in the rev range.
They won't notice it at the traffic lights, either. Stomp the throttle, and the Skyactiv-D launches the CX-5 away from a standing start with no noticeable hesitation - unless the engine is temporarily stopped by the clever "i-stop" stop-start system that saves fuel while the car isn't moving - and builds speed quickly.
...the six-speed automatic transmission is clever enough to hold gears on steep climbs, letting revs fall below 1200rpm and making the most of the deep well of pulling power before jumping down a cog, or snatching a lower gear on a long, steep descent to provide some engine braking.
 
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Um, mate, I'm worried about it.

Well, we're informed now about US prices. But generally speaking, Australians can afford a lot more than their US counterparts purely on the basis of currency and economy.

We're still the only advanced economy to have avoided recession, so lets pay the penalty for that with massive interest rates and new taxes. Argh!

Having been to Japan and US several times in the last year - A quick comparison in my mind shows we have absolutely nothing to complain about down here. We are extremely well off..... except for CX-5 prices :)
 
i can't wait to read your review. if you see a hitch on any car on the lot, please snap a pick or two, and i'd love to see the attachment points. please stand by while i drag my dead horse outside. i won't bring it back in until i read your review.

No worries mate. Photos at the back and underneath no doubt.
 
and what about all those hot beach type girls down there?

My wife is Japanese :) She's beautiful enough for me. (And no.... she's not the CX-5)
I'll leave all the beach types for all of you.
 
Man i want that diesel. if only it would come out before my inspection runs out next summer

if i can get the timing right and its under $30k i am sold
 
Man i want that diesel. if only it would come out before my inspection runs out next summer
if i can get the timing right and its under $30k i am sold

I am hoping it comes out next summer for you. If that's your Mazdaspeed 3 in the photo, savour that while you still have it. It's a wicked car to drive!
 
It is beastly for what it is, but it will never amount to a rwd. unfortunately the only real 4 door performance car that comes close to my budget is the sti, and thats still too much

thing is i still need 4 doors, i still need a small car (or in this case a cuv), and i need to start offsetting my truck's thirst for gas

ive already considered and dismissed the prius, i am considering the focus, and will never get a euro anything. i just really really like the cx5 and hope it works out
 
It is beastly for what it is, but it will never amount to a rwd. unfortunately the only real 4 door performance car that comes close to my budget is the sti, and thats still too much

thing is i still need 4 doors, i still need a small car (or in this case a cuv), and i need to start offsetting my truck's thirst for gas

ive already considered and dismissed the prius, i am considering the focus, and will never get a euro anything. i just really really like the cx5 and hope it works out

I think the CX-5 is quite practical and a good all-rounder. It's not a performance vehicle. But it will be reliable and easy to live with in a day to day basis.
 
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