Thinking of a 13-14' CX5 6MT Sport

Hey all,

Here's my current situation. I have a 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT 6MT Hatchback with the premium/leather package. Love the car -- It's fun to drive, has a decent amount or storage, upgraded the speakers to Polk and can get 30-32 in mixed driving (I'm much more conservative on my shifting with my day-to-day driving).

Unfortunately, I DJ on the weekends and I'm playing tetris. I can get everything in, but it's packed to the gills. I believe the Elantra has 51 cubic feet of storage with the seats down vs 65 for the CX5, so a 28% increase in volume, plus the ability to tow up to 2,000lbs (useful for a small trailer, if needed).

I went to the dealer and he said the 2016.5's don't come in a 6MT anymore (which I still see they are available online...), nor the 2.0, so I had to test drive the Sport 2.5 with an auto. It seemed fun to drive and I actually did enjoy the auto with the sport mode somewhat, but it's still not the same at actually rowing your own, and the gas mileage is worse. Anyways, I'd assume if I can find a 13-14' CX-5, I could do a near even swap (+ a few thousand on my end) to get something slightly bigger.

Initial upgrades I'd think of is:

• Speakers
• Head Unit
• Heated Seats

Questions though: How has the cloth interior held up on your sport models? It didn't seem super durable. I've currently got leather, but absolutely hate getting into the car in the summer (scorching) and it's freezing in the winter. How bad is the acceleration with the 6MT and 2.0? I really don't "race" my Elantra GT at all, but I have fun from time to time. The 2.5 Auto seemed fine and somewhat peppy, but it's hard to tell with autos, due to the delay in shifting. Any additional upgrades you'd recommend?

The other car I'm considering is the Forester with the 6MT as well. It looks like it gets a little more interior volume over the CX-5, but during the drive, the engine seemed a lot more "whiney" and the cabin was louder. But you gain AWD, which could be helpful for Colorado winters when I move out there in the summer.

Manual should still be available.

http://www.mazdausamedia.com/2015-1...rd-Features-to-Best-Selling-Compact-Crossover

dont hesitate to get the 2.0 MT CX-5, its a superb vehicle in every way. i thought the 155HP 2.0 wouldnt be enough, but trust me this is an excellent peppy engine thats connected to a beautiful smooth and crisp manual tranny, on top of that this vehicle has excellent handling characteristincs and fuel economy, you will have lots of fun driving this car!

here are links from this forum that talk about the 2.0 MT

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123840266-New-owner-of-2015-CX-5-Sport-Manual

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123844389-Thoughts-on-2-0-Manual-vs-2-5-Auto

I just got a 2016 6-speed and it was hard to find. The gearing is shorter that what I am used to, but it sure loves to rev. I find that it has enough power for normal driving. I still lose to the modern soccer mom van (Odyssey, Sienna, T&C, etc) going on the on-ramp though. Those things are pretty fast.

I found my 2016 2.5L AT also lose to other SUV/CUV going up the ramp, until switching to Sport mode. In Sport mode, I usually get to 80mph before I know it, and other cars are just in my way. I'm trying to use the manual shift to simulate the sport mode, but still experimenting as it's not as smooth yet. So far, switch to Sport mode entering the ramp, switch it off once I got to 70-80mph.

I wonder, for the 2.0L MT, can you try to hold the rev at its optimized range (4-4.5K?) and see if you can beat the soccer mom van? That's what the Sport mode on AT does: keeping the RPM around 4,000 so that the max torque is readily available. You will have to try out the Sport mode on the 2.5L to see what I mean, I can easily zoom past other cars at 60-70mph when I'm in a hurry.

EDIT: I should clarify that in normal mode, I can still punch the gas pedal harder and it would have no trouble climbing up the ramp faster. However, I only have to hold the gas pedal slightly in Sport mode.

I love to row my own, but the auto in the CX-5 is very competent, and I feel like in an SUV, auto is the only way to go. YMMV, and I get that it's "by preference". If you're okay with the "acceleration" offered by the 2.0, all indications are that it's a great vehicle from a mechanical standpoint, so if you drive and like it...I'd buy with confidence.

The performance of the 2.0/MT will be a personal preference and you'll have to be the judge. I love mine. It will be hard to find so plan to shop dealers outside your area. Used will be even harder to find but they are out there.

Durability of the cloth seats has been solid. NO complaints and I use my extensively. Kids and gear, boxes going in and out multiple times a day plus my butt time of 25k miles/year. No rips, tears, sagging bolsters etc. Any stains are slight and due to my own neglect. I wish the Sport had the 40/20/40 seats and I also wish it was longer. Transporting skis and other long items inside requires folding/sliding the front passenger seat.

rjdee said:

The performance of the 2.0/MT will be a personal preference and you'll have to be the judge. I love mine. It will be hard to find so plan to shop dealers outside your area. Used will be even harder to find but they are out there.

Durability of the cloth seats has been solid. NO complaints and I use my extensively. Kids and gear, boxes going in and out multiple times a day plus my butt time of 25k miles/year. No rips, tears, sagging bolsters etc. Any stains are slight and due to my own neglect. I wish the Sport had the 40/20/40 seats and I also wish it was longer. Transporting skis and other long items inside requires folding/sliding the front passenger seat.

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I have cloth seats, and a Touring. I do not know if they are the same or not as the Sport, but I have around 40K on mine, and 27k of those were as a rental. The seats are in GREAT shape. No complaints. I will say that they are a bit firmer than American vehicle seats, though, just an FYI.

caverunner17 said:

Questions though: How has the cloth interior held up on your sport models? It didn't seem super durable. I've currently got leather, but absolutely hate getting into the car in the summer (scorching) and it's freezing in the winter.

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My cloth seats are over 3 years old and I can't see any wear on them yet. But I don't abuse them, I just sit on them and drive. The foam underneath is still firm and supportive, very little change since new.

How bad is the acceleration with the 6MT and 2.0?

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It's not "bad" at all. You do need to know how to drive a smaller engine with a stick though. Some people don't know anything about selecting the proper gear for the job will be disappointed. Drivers who enjoy rowing through the gears and driving in a sporty manner will be fine, more than enough to keep up with traffic flow, even in areas where people drive with a heavy right foot. It really only disappoints if someone expects it to be good at high speed passing on two lane highways or expects it to get up and go without selecting the proper gear.

rjdee said:

I wish the Sport had the 40/20/40 seats and I also wish it was longer. Transporting skis and other long items inside requires folding/sliding the front passenger seat.

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I agree the Sport model should come with the 40/20/40 seats. I bought the Touring primarily for this reason. With 40/20/40 I can carry four pairs of skis and four people to the ski area without needing a rack or sport box. Skis and bindings are kept out of the road grime and edges don't rust. I would not be a very happy owner without the 40/20/40 seats. I also appreciate the flat cargo floor when the rear seats are folded flat. That is probably the biggest disadvantage of getting the sport model.

If you want the 40/20/40 seats AND the 2.0L engine, I think you need to look at 2013 models in touring trim to get the flat cargo area.

Not sure if our 13 touring has the same material as the sport. No rips thus far. That said you can always buy waterproof scuba diving suit like material seat covers.

MikeM. said:

My cloth seats are over 3 years old and I can't see any wear on them yet. But I don't abuse them, I just sit on them and drive. The foam underneath is still firm and supportive, very little change since new.





It's not "bad" at all. You do need to know how to drive a smaller engine with a stick though. Some people don't know anything about selecting the proper gear for the job will be disappointed. Drivers who enjoy rowing through the gears and driving in a sporty manner will be fine, more than enough to keep up with traffic flow, even in areas where people drive with a heavy right foot. It really only disappoints if someone expects it to be good at high speed passing on two lane highways or expects it to get up and go without selecting the proper gear.

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The 2.5L feels like you could lug the hell out of without issue. Is the 2.0 a lot pickier?