Just a short "review" of the CX 5 in its early days......in case prospective buyers are curious.
I have the GT w/ Tech package and (as documented in a thread in the Running Gear forum) I swapped the 19" wheels for 17s and put on Goodyear Comfortred Touring tires on, in hopes of smoothing out the ride a bit. (We live in NJ, land of endless potholes....)
in the last year, for a variety of boring reasons, I've spent time in the Jeep Cherokee Limited (horrid, esp if you expect a transmission to respond basic forward/reverse commands!) and Honda CR-V. was about to buy a CRV for my daily driver, as the new version of it is a very tight solid car. on a whim I went to Mazda to look at the 2016 -- I'd driven the 2014 CX and didn't love. this one is a different beast in every way.
it's quieter and the interior has been very thoughtfully updated. didn't like the Nav and info interface before -- this one is very straightforward and easy to use while driving. excellent in full sunlight.
the road noise improved w/ the goodyears but there is still wind noise, I think coming from the side mirrors. the audio system is good not great -- Bose centerpoint thing does seem to offer a surround-like experience.
driver view of the road is tremendous, the seats are way more comfortable than those in the Honda. front of cabin feels spacious.
it handles/corners brilliantly, even with the less sporty wheel/tire config. I completely trust the brakes and have already gotten spoiled by the steering feel -- nothing else in small SUV category responds like this vehicle. unlike the Toyota and the Honda, Sport mode offers a true change in driving dynamic.
the engine is not super-quick but it does go when asked. I notice a slight vibration under acceleration right at 60 mph -- I plan to ask dealer about it but it doesn't appear all the time and goes away after an increase in 5 mph or so. actually like the engine note. wish there was a full-time gauge for temperature; I don't like the blue icon for cold engine (luckily haven't seen the red one for hot engine yet!)
safety stuff is great but not too much of a babysitter...actually like the Rear cross traffic alert and the blindspot monitor is where it should be -- in the mirror, not on the info screen. I didn't get the I-Assist package.
pleasantly surprised by the depth of the cargo area and the cargo cover design is really smart. I keep it pulled over to hide contents all the time.
overall, I am tremendously impressed by the design and execution. I am not one of those who needs all the tech in a car (was looking for a nice mostly analog vehicle and think the Scion xB might be the last one out there) but have to admit that Mazda has integrated the tech very nicely here. it's a joy to drive and I can only hope it's a joy to own in terms of reliability as well.
I have the GT w/ Tech package and (as documented in a thread in the Running Gear forum) I swapped the 19" wheels for 17s and put on Goodyear Comfortred Touring tires on, in hopes of smoothing out the ride a bit. (We live in NJ, land of endless potholes....)
in the last year, for a variety of boring reasons, I've spent time in the Jeep Cherokee Limited (horrid, esp if you expect a transmission to respond basic forward/reverse commands!) and Honda CR-V. was about to buy a CRV for my daily driver, as the new version of it is a very tight solid car. on a whim I went to Mazda to look at the 2016 -- I'd driven the 2014 CX and didn't love. this one is a different beast in every way.
it's quieter and the interior has been very thoughtfully updated. didn't like the Nav and info interface before -- this one is very straightforward and easy to use while driving. excellent in full sunlight.
the road noise improved w/ the goodyears but there is still wind noise, I think coming from the side mirrors. the audio system is good not great -- Bose centerpoint thing does seem to offer a surround-like experience.
driver view of the road is tremendous, the seats are way more comfortable than those in the Honda. front of cabin feels spacious.
it handles/corners brilliantly, even with the less sporty wheel/tire config. I completely trust the brakes and have already gotten spoiled by the steering feel -- nothing else in small SUV category responds like this vehicle. unlike the Toyota and the Honda, Sport mode offers a true change in driving dynamic.
the engine is not super-quick but it does go when asked. I notice a slight vibration under acceleration right at 60 mph -- I plan to ask dealer about it but it doesn't appear all the time and goes away after an increase in 5 mph or so. actually like the engine note. wish there was a full-time gauge for temperature; I don't like the blue icon for cold engine (luckily haven't seen the red one for hot engine yet!)
safety stuff is great but not too much of a babysitter...actually like the Rear cross traffic alert and the blindspot monitor is where it should be -- in the mirror, not on the info screen. I didn't get the I-Assist package.
pleasantly surprised by the depth of the cargo area and the cargo cover design is really smart. I keep it pulled over to hide contents all the time.
overall, I am tremendously impressed by the design and execution. I am not one of those who needs all the tech in a car (was looking for a nice mostly analog vehicle and think the Scion xB might be the last one out there) but have to admit that Mazda has integrated the tech very nicely here. it's a joy to drive and I can only hope it's a joy to own in terms of reliability as well.
See you on the Jersey turnpikes!