Got my CX-5, First Mazda!

Just bought a crystal white pearl AWD Touring


I went outside this morning to take a couple of photos and realized it was covered in bugs, and the lawn guys had blown dirt and grass all over it!


I hosed the car off only to have the lawn guys come by with blowers a second time... (eek2)

We've had the car 5 days, overall very impressed and happy with it!

I think white looks great. Very pretty.

Man, I've got to get some of those roof rails on ours.
Looks sweet, and lots of functionality.

Welcome! I am glad you're enjoying it so far.

So, was it an easy decision, choosing the CX-5? Or, was there another potential vehicle or two to choose from?
Why'd you decide of the CX-5 in the end?

I initially hated the white. At the dealership, there was a black and a silver CX-5, but the only white cars were 3s, etc. I didn't know that there was a lot of black trim on the white model, kinda hard to tell from the stock images I'd seen. So I assumed it was completely white, and I've never liked white cars. But my fianc liked it, and I figured I could live with the color. We got it, and found that the paint actually has tiny sparkles embedded beneath the clear coat, barely visible until you get close but I guess it's why they call it "crystal", it's like it almost shimmers.

Because it's AWD, and apparently there's not too many of them out there, it was a dealer trade. The dealer I got it from thought it wasn't going to have rails, so that came as a freebie (I'm guessing the other dealer didn't include their price in the trade invoice) We're outdoors a lot, esp. in the mountains so both the AWD and rails are going to come in handy!

We began our search with Hondas, which will always be my favorite brand. We looked at Ridgelines and Pilots, loved the former but not the latter. Then we gave the CR-V another look, since we'd passed it up months ago. We really liked it, but we wanted to see what its competition was. We looked at the CX-5, RAV4 (not even close), and the Tuscon (nice clone but not worth the lack of a deal), but after testing them all and doing our research, the CX-5 was the clear winner. The lower price point, the deal we got ($2500 off MSRP plus a nice trade-in value), blind-spot monitoring, sporty ride, and quality interior were really what tipped the scales for us. The mechanical quality vs. Honda is comparable, the newer engine tech may or may not be better but it can't hurt, and the CX-5 handles better than the CR-V, IMO.

Plus, we got the after-factory leather seats installed, which are nicer than the stock leather, for the same price as the stock leather! Skipped the tech package since we like some of the features but don't need them all right now, and the moonroof/Bose combo can be added later as well. I just wish the trailer receiver had come on it...

armydrum3 said:

I just wish the trailer receiver had come on it...

Click to expand...

Boy, you said it. I need one too!

I like white cars, generally. Sometimes white can be boring. I personally think the CX-5 pulls it off nicely, and indeed it is a nice color white. Not just paper, I mean.

The RAV4 is very ho hum. But, the power out of the optional 6cyl is...well...something I am more accustomed to. If we didn't get the CX-5 for whatever reason, it I'm sure the Toyota was runner up. My wife liked it a good deal more than I did, however.

The Honda's are swell. I mean, they're Honda's. Good vehicles. I just find them to be rather bland and...souless.

I really like that Mazda engineers a passion into their vehicles. They really aren't like anything else on the road, at least in their comparative market.

Nicely done fetching $2500 off! Surprised it could be done, given they are selling so well. My dealer wouldn't yield to my demands for a discount on MSRP. However, was reasonable when it came to trade in on the piece of junk we handed over the them.

We managed to get some manufacturer's discount, and then the dealer took off more because the color he had promised us from another dealer wasn't available, and then another wasn't, etc. We were getting pretty irritated and feeling yanked around, so he dropped the price. Of course, we ate the tag, which took away part of our discount. We also handed him a 2002 Suburban with airbag, ABS and traction lights on for $4k, something he'll have to eat at wholesale.

Toyota was out of the question...not only are they years behind in design innovation, but at the dealership we went to, the salesman personally insulted my fianc's intelligence to her face, didn't even try to disguise it as something other than! We walked out with him talking to our backs. Plus, I like the gas savings of the 4-cylinder

Another thing I like about the CX-5 is that the engineers designed the interior Apple-style: simple, efficient, and functional but beautiful at the same time. Toyota is too featureless, Honda is a bit more complicated, and the Ford Escape is like a power plant operation switchboard in comparison!