Cargo & kid-hauling with the CX-5. Ned experience from current owners

JMJinNC

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2012 Mazda5 Sport 6-speed
I was a few days away from putting a down payment on a 2015 Golf TDi S Sportwagen. I need an inexpensive car that can handle 3 kids in the back seat (1 car seat, 1 booster) and I wanted a manual transmission and FWD with room for a dog in the back. The Sportwagen was the only car that came even close to the performance (torque and cargo room) of my current car - 2002 Saab 9-5 Aero wagon with 5-speed. The Saab has 223k on the odometer and is still a great driving car. Very tough to give that one up...

So now no TDi's can be sold in the USA, and I'm back to looking at the CX-5 Sport 6-speed. Less expensive and better financing rates, but no leatherette, and a lot less torque.

Anyone out there getting 3 kids in the back seat of their CX-5?

FWIW, the 2nd car in our household is a 2012 Mazda 5 Sport, 6-speed. Great car, but we need a wagon to handle kids & cargo at the same time. Sticks in my craw that Mazda will not sell the Mazda 6 wagon in the USA!!!!!


JMJ
 
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I would check the ease of access for the backseat, especially if you have a child seat. The wheel arch is a little close. It might not bother you or be any worse than the S-wagen, but sometimes to me it feels a little tight loading a piece of luggage in through the side.
 
Cargo & kid-hauling with the CX-5. Need experience from current owners

Yeah station wagon is a rare breed in the US you're not going to find too many selections. You missed a few days for a VW Golf TDI S Sportwagen (I thought it's "Jetta" Sportwagen?) that's unfortunate. While Sportwagen may have better performance and fuel economy, but CX-5 will have a lot more cargo room. If you feel the rear seating in Sportwagen is big enough for your three kids, CX-5 definitely have even more space than Sportwagen for your kids. Getting a CX-5, you'll have bigger interior, comparable handling, and better quality and reliability than Sportwagen. Fuel economy is also the best among all CUV's. I do believe CX-5 is the best alternative for people who prefer a station wagon. Go to a Mazda dealer and check it out and you won't regret it. Although you're looking for a manual CX-5 Sport, LED lighting system with AFS on Touring is the best option you can get so make sure to check out the Tech Package.
 
Great feedback - thanks.

FYI - the Jetta wagon became the Golf wagon in 2015. And despite the name change, it actually got a bit bigger. I was looking at older Jetta wagons as well. Moot point now if I want a new one or CPO, as VW dealers cannot sell any new or used TDi's in the USA until the software trickery is sorted out.

I test drove a TDi SE 6-speed the other day and it was pretty good. I test drove a 2014 or 2015 CX-5 Sport 6-speed many months ago while my Mazda 5 was getting an oil change, and I was, shall we say, underwhelmed at the time. Frankly, I thought my Mazda 5 Sport was more fun to drive. However, there is a local dealer who has 2 Sports on the lot with the 6-speed, so I'll go drive it again and see.

I still might consider a VW TSi S or SE model (gas), but the engine in those is pretty anemic. I get a feeling that they also might become scarce as the gas engine becomes the only option to buy a Sportwagon.

Damn you GM for killing Saab!!!!! I've owned 3, and there is nothing out there quite like them. Mini-rant over.

JMJ
 
Hmmm. With VW emission problems, you may be purchasing a TDI vehicle on a recall list before you even drive it. Something to follow up on. Ed
 
Damn you GM for killing Saab!!!!! I've owned 3, and there is nothing out there quite like them.
Many years ago I though I'd eventually get a SAAB due to its uniqueness. I knew some SAAB owners who keep buying SAAB's. Yeah, it's unfortunate GM killed it.

I believe one of the problem you have driving a CX-5 Sport stick-shift is it has less powerful 157 hp 2.0L I4. Try a CX-5 Touring with 184 hp 2.5L I4 and see what you feel. I used to buy stick-shift only but it became harder to find one I really liked with everything considered. I settled for automatic during recent years and keep one stick-shift car in the family for enjoyment. With automatic, at least you'll get much better resale value, and you can drive with ease in the traffic especially if you're at older age.
 
I have 4 kids in the house, 9, 2 12yo and a 14 yo. My second car is a Suburban so if we are going any distance, that's the ride. The CX-5 easily accomodates 3 across in the back seat but would be noisy if it's a long ride.

The CX-5's suspension handles a load very well. I usually have a few hundred pounds of gear in the back for work and have loaded it to the roof on a number of occasions. Much better than my previous "light-duty" cars, (07 Mazda 6s, 98 Volvo v70). I've added lighter wheels and slightly smaller diameter tires which aids acceleration and increases the handling to make it more fun to drive when empty.

I have the 6MT Sport with the 2.0 engine and find it adequate. Highway passing is the weakness but if you anticpate and get in the right gear before your move, it steps out fine. In town it is plenty quick and has a nice feel to the clutch and shifter. I've found I have to short shift on hard, fast 1->2 changes. It shifts very harshly when going to redine in 1st. The folks who complain about the 2.0 being slow, just don't like to have their foot on the floor. Would I like it to be faster, sure but I'll take the extra mileage and lower cost of the manual every day.

I also shopped the VW and also prefer wagons but unfortunately the long roofs are dead due to CAFE and fleet mileage rules that favor "trucks". I would be first in line for a Mazda 6 wagon 2.5 manual if it was ever available in the US. VW is in a bunch of hurt right now. The deals on the gas versions will be pretty good the next couple of weeks since they need maintain the cash flow and the TDI problems will keep a lot of customers away.
 
You could always look at the Volvo V60 sport wagon. Nice looking car but upping to the T6 or R-Design it gets expensive quick.
 
I also shopped the VW and also prefer wagons but unfortunately the long roofs are dead due to CAFE and fleet mileage rules that favor "trucks". I would be first in line for a Mazda 6 wagon 2.5 manual if it was ever available in the US. VW is in a bunch of hurt right now. The deals on the gas versions will be pretty good the next couple of weeks since they need maintain the cash flow and the TDI problems will keep a lot of customers away.

I think VW killed off their inline-5 2.5L engines. They were pretty decent and actually reliable engines and were replaced by 1.8L turbos I believe. The 1.8L gas turbos have even better torque and mpgs. I'd look into those and tell the dealership to mark it down heavily if they want business.
 

Not likely.

I skimmed through the video. Looks like a winner. The car seat is for my almost 3 YO son, so all seats face forward. He has to be in the middle (or at least have a good view out the windshield) or I'll need to carry a bucket for all the puke. He sits behind the driver in our Mazda 5, and his view is good enough so that he doesn't get carsick (much). If I give him a tablet or hang up a DVD player, he'll be yacking like a freshman in about 3 minutes.

As for buying an automatic - that means my mother-in-law will be able to drive my car when she visits... not gonna happen. Besides, I love driving a stick. I told my wife to go to a scrap yard and rip the shifter knob off a Saab C900 when I die, make sure she throws it in the box with me before they torch it.

Anyway - driving slightly underpowered cars with a stick is not going to be a problem. I just got spoiled with 3 turbo Saabs.

JMJ
 
So now no TDi's can be sold in the USA, and I'm back to looking at the CX-5 Sport 6-speed. Less expensive and better financing rates, but no leatherette, and a lot less torque.

If you want leather seats ask your dealer about Katzkin seats. About a grand (includes the door panels), color will match OEM, and I think their leather is actually better quality than the factory leather, so it should hold up longer. Installation takes a day, so I had them do it the day before I picked up the car.
 
If you want leather seats ask your dealer about Katzkin seats. About a grand (includes the door panels), color will match OEM, and I think their leather is actually better quality than the factory leather, so it should hold up longer. Installation takes a day, so I had them do it the day before I picked up the car.

Interesting. Just curious. How much does it cost to do the entire interior?

Some side air bags are installed inside the seats. I wonder how they make sure air bag deployment is not affected.
 
Interesting. Just curious. How much does it cost to do the entire interior?

Some side air bags are installed inside the seats. I wonder how they make sure air bag deployment is not affected.

As I said, about a grand for the CX-5 depending on your negotiating skills and various design/stitching options. That includes all seats, headrests and door panels.

I had never heard of Katzkin before, but apparently they do some work for most OEMs, so the fit and color matches (other colors also available) are really good, and issues like airbag deployment don't exist. I asked them to stiffen up the driver's seat by adding extra padding to it, and they did that for me, too.
 
FWIW, the 2nd car in our household is a 2012 Mazda 5 Sport, 6-speed. Great car, but we need a wagon to handle kids & cargo at the same time. Sticks in my craw that Mazda will not sell the Mazda 6 wagon in the USA!!!!!

Maybe you want one of these:

http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1028330_production-version-of-mazda-koeru-concept-spied

new-mazda-crossover-spied--image-via-auto-sina_100529057_m.jpg
 
Well, I test drove another CX-5 Sport manual the other day. I actually installed my son's car seat in the center back seat position, and access is good. The shifter is short and crisp. Handling was okay, but I didn't push it too much. Visibility was good, but it will take some getting used to the side mirror shape. Of course, I drove my Saab 9-5 wagon to the dealer, and the contrast in performance was the most striking - I'm giving up 100 hp going to the CX-5 Sport manual. This was most evident when driving on the highway - I had t downshift 2 gears to get decent passing acceleration.

The other thing that was in stark contrast was the cloth seating - some kind of basic open-weave cloth that is going to inhale dirt. My 2012 Mazda 5 Sport has a much tighter weave cloth that does a good job combating dirt (plus I ScotchGarded it myself). Luckily, this dealer has a Katzkin installer nearby, so a leather interior is just $1000 away.

Financing is currently 2% until the end of September. I'm going to roll the dice and see if the rates drop in order to move inventory. I don't NEED a car now, so time may be on my side. FWIW, I bought my 2012 Mazda 5 in November of that year (0% - 60 months), so I'm hoping to get close to that rate again. Of course, 2% is still pretty darn good.

Please don't post more pix of the gorgeous but unobtainable-in-the-USA Mazda 6 wagon.

JMJ
 
Have you guys seen the new red 2016 cx-5 commercial where the guy drives home with a rear facing baby seat right behind him? Dude had tons of room driving what the heck?!?!?!. My rear facing baby seat is right behind my front passenger seat in the mazda6 (which has more leg front and rear vs cx-5). Whomever sits on the front passenger of my car is scooted forward. Either my Graco Snugride 35 is too big of a model car seat or Mazda did some nifty cgi effects lol. what kind of car seat are you guys using?
 
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