Undecided: CX-5 vs Escape/Edge

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littlebear

Member
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2017 Mazda CX5
I currently own a 2014 Mazda3 hatchback but will need an AWD CUV and the CX-5 is in my sights but the Ford Escape/Edge have a lot more HP.

Price wise they are about the same. Appreciate any input...
 
Edge is nice but more. Escape is more Similarly priced.

When I talked to dealers the Mazda was about 1500 cheaper with similar options on the escape . That being said the ford has come options that the 5 did not. However I just liked the look better. Seems more masculine. Both are nice cars. Reviews of the 5 are generally better. My other car is a ford and has served me well
 
littlebear said:
I currently own a 2014 Mazda3 hatchback but will need an AWD CUV and the CX-5 is in my sights but the Ford Escape/Edge have a lot more HP.

Price wise they are about the same. Appreciate any input...
Click to expand...

Drive them both and make your decision,

But I'm curious why you might need more than 184 HP in such a small, efficient vehicle. Will you be towing heavy trailers over high mountain passes? I find the 155 HP of the little 2.0L to be more than satisfactory, even loaded with 4 adults, all their gear and climbing a steep mountain pass. Under such conditions the motor might be at 3500 rpm's (or up to 4000 rpm's' for brief periods) but it's very smooth and sounds quite composed under such conditions. Maybe if I had a roof-top sports box or was towing a trailer AND I liked to cruise at 80 + mph and/or pass every car in sight I might want more HP but otherwise I find the 155 HP to be more than adequate. The 184 HP of the 2.5 seems like an unnecessary extravagance in such a circumstance. Because of the design philosophy termed "Skyactiv", the CX-5 does better than the HP numbers would normally indicate.
 
When I was trying to decide on my next vehicle, I talked to the shop where previous car was being serviced and they said without hesitation don't get a Ford.
 
littlebear said:
I currently own a 2014 Mazda3 hatchback but will need an AWD CUV and the CX-5 is in my sights but the Ford Escape/Edge have a lot more HP.

Price wise they are about the same. Appreciate any input...
Click to expand...

The CX-5 is comfortable at sustained speeds in the 100s. I just drove to The Eagle's Nest last week. I wouldn't call it a "Bahn-stormer," but at US speeds, it's more than adequate. Next week is Schloss Neuschwanstein.(yippy)
 
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There should NEVER be a question between American or Japanese unless your buying a truck or muscle car.

End of story.
 
No way I'd go the Ford route. The Forester 2.0XT is a a legitimate option, though, IMO!

One of my friends just leased one, and gets near identical mileage to my 2.5L CX5. The only point he's down on is it takes premium vs. 87.
 
boandlkramer said:
The CX-5 is comfortable at sustained speeds in the 100s. I just drove to The Eagle's Nest last week. I wouldn't call it a "Bahn-stormer," but at US speeds, it's more than adequate. Next week is Schloss Neuschwanstein.(yippy)
Click to expand...
Never got to the eagle's nest, did go to the castle though it was tight.
 
DBLXX said:
There should NEVER be a question between American or Japanese unless your buying a truck or muscle car.

End of story.
Click to expand...

You can get a Japanese muscle car.. they just start at like 45k lol
 
Depending on how much weight you give crash tests, the Escape got a "Poor" on the small partial overlap. It's a newer test, but I think I read that car manufacturers new about it in 2007-2009, so I question a company that sells 2016 model cars that can't pass it.
 
Never a Ford these days!

mackworth said:
Depending on how much weight you give crash tests, the Escape got a "Poor" on the small partial overlap. It's a newer test, but I think I read that car manufacturers new about it in 2007-2009, so I question a company that sells 2016 model cars that can't pass it.
Click to expand...

The CX-5's excellent crash tests are way to difficult to ignore!!!

Especially the Escape...Way too many recalls!

The only company I trust LESS than Ford, is Fiat/Chrysler.
The way of the world these days is cost management...In other words, if I know and don't fix it, the fines later, will cost less than the immediate recall/repair! Fiat is a prime example! I don't think that Ford has really been caught yet (these days that is)
 
Unobtanium said:
The Forester 2.0XT is a a legitimate option, though, IMO!

One of my friends just leased one, and gets near identical mileage to my 2.5L CX5. The only point he's down on is it takes premium vs. 87.
Click to expand...

A car that requires premium to get the same mpg as a car that takes regular is not even in the same ballpark in terms of operating expense.

For example, in Oklahoma City regular can be had for $1.99/gal. but premium costs 2.87/gal. That means your fuel bill would be 44% more if your vehicle requires premium. Source:

http://www.oklahomagasprices.com/OnCue_Express_Gas_Stations/Oklahoma_City_-_NW/144491/index.aspx
http://www.oklahomagasprices.com/7-Eleven_Gas_Stations/Warr_Acres/178384/index.aspx

In my area, premium costs $.30 more/gallon which would increase my fuel bill by 10%.

Of course not all areas of the country have premium priced so much higher (it's almost like these Oklahoma City stations are trying to punish anyone with the gall to drive a car so "uppity" that it requires premium). So I designed a cross-country trip, from Seattle to El Paso to NY and back to Seattle and learned that a driver of a car requiring premium would need to get over 34 mpg in order to have the same fuel bill as the driver of a 30 mpg car that only required regular. That's a 4 mpg differential just because your car required premium.

Also, in rural areas every station will have regular but some don't even offer premium. I've had this problem quite a bit as I ride my premium only Ducati around the American West. It's not very convenient and causes me to fill up well before I've used up my 280-300 mile range. Regular is ubiquitous.

Even if the Forester 2.0XT could equal the MPG of the CX-5, that's a big price to pay for a little extra power, power that's hardly ever necessary or needed. And I don't think the Forester 2.0XT is EVER going to equal the CX-5 in terms of MPG assuming they are both driven the same way.
 
MikeM. said:
The 184 HP of the 2.5 seems like an unnecessary extravagance in such a circumstance. Because of the design philosophy termed "Skyactiv", the CX-5 does better than the HP numbers would normally indicate.
Click to expand...

What was your last car a bike?

I kid but really? 184 hp is an extravagance in a 3600 lb vehicle or way over 4000lbs the way you described it loaded.
 
do yourself a favor and read the user reviews on edmunds for the ford escape. literally almost every person complains about issues and warns you not to buy that car. They've had a TON of recalls as well. One of the more troubled vehicles, in terms of reliability, in recent years. Not trying to be a jerk, but I don't know how any rational person could justify buying one.
 
Throttle Steer said:
What was your last car a bike?
Click to expand...

I don't think I'm following you here. You're comparing a CUV with a motorcycle (or bicycle)? Even kidding, I don't see your point. I mentioned the Ducati as a vehicle that was limiting because it required premium (so I know what it's like to be in the middle of nowhere trying to find a pump that says at least 91 octane). No fun.

I kid but really? 184 hp is an extravagance in a 3600 lb vehicle or way over 4000lbs the way you described it loaded.
Click to expand...

Yes. I spent the first 10 years as a driver, driving cars that made anywhere from around 43 HP to 120 HP, a couple of them weighed as much as the CX-5. The only one that felt too gutless was the 43 HP VW Diesel Rabbit w/4 speed stick shift. It just took too long to get up to speed and couldn't make a pass unless it had a long downhill straight. Severely underpowered! I drove that thing every day during my after school job delivering for a pharmacy to customers who were too old to get out and about on their own. It worked (and had low fuel cost which was important if my boss was going to pull a small profit after the free delivery) but it was not ideal. Still, I don't think more power would have helped me make my daily rounds any quicker.

The Mazda CX-5 in comparison does great (which is not unexpected with four times the HP). And of course the 6 speed transmission puts that power to use better than any 4 speed could. Of course I have the 2.0L and AWD, the 2.5L has almost 30 more HP. Neither one is a race car, they are CUV's.
 
Keep in mind the Edge is 400 to 600 lb heavier so you really need this extra power to get it moving. So perhaps you have more powerful engine, but it is strapped to this heavy body which will limit your agility, MPG and handling.
 
I didn't realize the Ford Escape/Edge had so many issues. I really like the Mazda it terms of looks and reliability and the infotainment is better than the Ford system.

It was mainly the HP issue but if the 2.5L CX-5 can do a decent job of moving up a hill or grade with 2-3 people in the car with 185HP, I am all for the CX-5
 
I didn't realize the Ford Escape/Edge had so many issues. I really like the Mazda it terms of looks and reliability and the infotainment is better than the Ford system.

I like naturally aspirated engines for long-term reliability and ease of maintenance. Turbos are great power adders but I cringe at the 80k miles mark when things can start breaking and turbo systems are complex and expensive to fix.

It was mainly the HP issue but if the 2.5L CX-5 can do a decent job of moving up a hill or grade with 2-3 people in the car with 185HP, I am all for the CX-5
 
0 to 60 in 7.7 seconds in the 2.5 seems plenty fast to me, especially considering the mpg of the CX5. My 2013 2.0 averaged 29 mpg over 35,000 miles, my 2015 2.5 is currently at an average over 14,000 miles of 28.0.
 
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