My 2014 Touring thoughts at 3,000 miles

1. Exterior<o></o>
a. Could have done better with foglights. <o></o>
b. Soul red & White are outstandingcolors in my opinion.<o></o>
c. Overall a great looking vehicle<o></o>
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2. Interior<o></o>
a. Seats OK but, Bolsters are too pronounced.<o></o>
b. Not enough places to store things.
c. Bose radio deleted the mute option onthe steering wheel which was a great feature.<o></o>
d. The inches removed in the interior make it feel considerably smaller than the CX7, it is supposed to replace.<o></o>
e. Overall it is a very nice interior<o></o>
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3. Engine & Transmission 2.5L<o></o>
a. Engine has ample power which makes driving fun. I miss the passing power of my CX7 but, in my daily drives, I notice not much difference.<o></o>
b. Fuel consumption is low and I am averaging~ 29.6 mpg measured. My measured mileageis even slightly higher than the dash value.<o></o>
c. The AT is a joy in its operation. Sorry to see that it has no recommended change interval or a convient dip sticks to check level.<o></o>
<o></o>
4. Driving experience<o></o>
a. Acceleration is good to very good for my local suburban driving. Brakes are excellent and modulate very well. <o></o>
b. Chassis dynamics are excellent andare better than the CX7.<o></o>
c. The chassey appears to have great tonsorial stiffness which is reflected in the overall excellent handling.<o></o>

Thanks for the review!
I just went over 1400 miles and have to say that the highway passing power is non existent. Although I came from a 360 HP AWD turbo car that you barely had to touch the throttle to gain 20 MPH. It seems like this car wants to get to 6th gear even before I get across an intersection. Kinda wish it has a sport/econ button.

So far my mileage is just 24.** but the weather is around freezing here.

davesxx01 said:

Thanks for the review!
I just went over 1400 miles and have to say that the highway passing power is non existent. Although I came from a 360 HP AWD turbo car that you barely had to touch the throttle to gain 20 MPH. It seems like this car wants to get to 6th gear even before I get across an intersection. Kinda wish it has a sport/econ button.

So far my mileage is just 24.** but the weather is around freezing here.

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You'll learn to "manage" the transmission with your right foot, but I agree that sport/eco (such as the 3/6 have!) would have been nice.

I am at about 1200 miles and share some of your sentiments. I have a silver GT without the tech package. If I did it again, I would have gone red or white with the tech package. The Silver is nice but those others are much nicer in my mind.

The interior is nice but could use more - and larger - storage and arm-rests. The trunk and interior lighting also leave a bit to be desired. I actually like the seats and feel they have a nice feel to them. The heated seats are great.

From a performance stand-point, I am happy. I came from a 2003 CRV which had nothing redeeming about it. It was not fast or fun to drive in any way. Gas mileage was terrible at 19 city and 23 (at best) on the highway. But it was reliable and I got 180K miles out of it. On the other hand, the CX-5 has spirit to it. Fast (enough) when you want it to be and good gas mileage. I have gotten 23-26 MPG with mostly suburban driving so I am happy. The cold weather has hurt this a bit and I feel pretty confident that come spring, I will be able to push this up to 25-26 MPG, which would make me very, very happy.

I also like the MT mode a lot. I use it a lot and find it quite fun. I hope this is OK.

Overall, this car is a winner. Fun but frugal with a little wickedness thrown in.

erhayes said:

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I understand about lack of mute button. However, you can push the speak button on your steering wheel and say either "mute" or "pause", or you can just turn audio off for a moment at the headunit.

Never thought about the speak button. I will try it. Ed

For comparison here are my comments > on the base iSport Hatch:
1. Exterior>
a. Could have done better with foglights. > Could use fog lights may upgrade headlights.
b. Soul red & White are outstandingcolors in my opinion.> My Grey color would look better with window tint. Red is a better color but was not available and I had concerns with any body shop being able to match the red multi layer reflective paint if the car was ever hit.

c. Overall a great looking vehicle> Plastic hub caps look stupid - cant wait to upgrade wheels. Hatch does not look as good as 4 door version. Front license plate spoils grill.
2. Interior>
a. Seats OK but, Bolsters are too pronounced.>Seats ok, bolsters less pronounced on base model.
b. Not enough places to store things.> agreed
c. Bose radio deleted the mute option onthe steering wheel which was a great feature.> Base stereo needs some bass.
d. The inches removed in the interior make it feel considerably smaller than the CX7, it is supposed to replace.> More room than 2013 model I initially considered.
e. Overall it is a very nice interior> Needs leather covered steering wheel bad but other than that am satisfied.
>
3. Engine & Transmission 2.5L>
a. Engine has ample power which makes driving fun. I miss the passing power of my CX7 but, in my daily drives, I notice not much difference.> Even the 2.0 has ample power with the exception of passing power is weak.
b. Fuel consumption is low and I am averaging~ 29.6 mpg measured. My measured mileageis even slightly higher than the dash value.> 36 mpg combined city mostly highway.
c. The AT is a joy in its operation. Sorry to see that it has no recommended change interval or a convient dip sticks to check level.> Manual is great and one of the easiest to shift cars I have ever driven. Hill assist is a welcome feature.
>
4. Driving experience>
a. Acceleration is good to very good for my local suburban driving. Brakes are excellent and modulate very well. > Agreed even on 2.0.
b. Chassis dynamics are excellent andare better than the CX7.> Sometimes a bit choppy on freeway modulations but overall satisfied. Solid structure.
c. The chassey appears to have great tonsorial stiffness which is reflected in the overall excellent handling.> Agreed but base tires need to be reserved for winter and replaced with new wheels/summer tires in spring.
d. Hatch has big blind spots - Never thought I would say this but wish I had blind spot monitoring. Have to adjust the mirrors out so you do not see the sides of the vehicle. Initially thought I would hand this car down to teen daughter in two years but because of blind spots and the fact that I really like the car I think I will keep it.

caf2461, it looks like you're comparing a 3 to a CX-5.

I wish for a mute button. Just a small minor wish.

paris1 said:

You'll learn to "manage" the transmission with your right foot, but I agree that sport/eco (such as the 3/6 have!) would have been nice.

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What about shifting in Manual mode to a lower gear? That's what you would have done with a manual/standard transmission. In less than 2 weeks I've put 1,200Km on it with most of it in highways and zero problems manually shifting to, let's say 4th gear, and passing slow cars.

camellochapin said:

What about shifting in Manual mode to a lower gear? That's what you would have done with a manual/standard transmission. In less than 2 weeks I've put 1,200Km on it with most of it in highways and zero problems manually shifting to, let's say 4th gear, and passing slow cars.

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Manual mode is fine; I'm just saying it would have been nice to have a third option. I'm sure it would come in handy for many.