Thoughts on 16 vs 17

My wife bought a 2016 GT CX-5 two years ago. I fell in love with it. So much so that when the lease on my Mazda 3 was up last week, I bought a 2017 GT CX-5 w/premium package. Oh, and I had to have the soul red.

I've only had the 17 for a week, but here are some thoughts on a couple of differences.

The 17 is MUCH quieter, driving the 16 on the highway (now) I notice just how much wind noise there is.

I loved the interior of the 16, but now it looks cheap and bland compared to my 17. The interior of the 17 uses significantly higher quality materials and is more stylish. It's a big step up from the 16.

I prefer the ride and handling of the 16. The 17 doesn't feel as buttoned down to me as the 16, the ride is plusher, and I prefer the stiffer, sportier ride of the 16. The 16 feels more dialed into the road to me, and the steering is a bit heavier, which I like.

One last observation... The hood/front end of the 17 feels longer than the 16, and it slopes down, so you can't see the end of it. I'm finding I'm having trouble judging where the front bumper is. I almost hit a lamp post the other day. The bumper was just inches from it when I parked, and I thought I had plenty of room. I've been totally misjudging where the bumper is.

I guess it's just personal preference, I prefer the 16 interior with the screen integrated into the dash rather than the tablet look, the 17 interior focus on the the two center air vents way too much.....and that break in the air vents for the hazard lights.....looks like a robot eyes and nose Johnny 5 from 80's movie short circuit.... also theres a HUD hump now in front of the driver even if you don't opt for the HUD option it's still there and it blocks some (not much) but still there, the 16 had a clear view which was useful to help judge front bumper location

snoissea said:

I prefer the ride and handling of the 16. The 17 doesn't feel as buttoned down to me as the 16, the ride is plusher, and I prefer the stiffer, sportier ride of the 16. The 16 feels more dialed into the road to me, and the steering is a bit heavier, which I like.

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That's strange because the 2017 is 15% stiffer thanks to more high-strength steel, which Mazda claims improves handling and safety.

Xeler8ing said:

That's strange because the 2017 is 15% stiffer thanks to more high-strength steel, which Mazda claims improves handling and safety.

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Well, what does "improved" mean? If improved means "plusher" or "lighter" and you prefer stiffer and heavier (all subjective terms in this context) than it's not "improved."

RDK006 said:

Well, what does "improved" mean? If improved means "plusher" or "lighter" and you prefer stiffer and heavier (all subjective terms in this context) than it's not "improved."

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All subjective wording.

Reviewers here pretty much say feels better but has lost none if its handling prowess.

I drove my '15 GT for 3 years and the 2017 GT now for 3 days. It's a vastly different vehicle. Haven't had enough seat time to do a full comparison but the addition of the radar cruise and the active display sold me on upgrading. I liked the HIDs on the '15 over halogens but the LED headlights and auto high beam seems pretty impressive.

The Commander knob is easy to get to but more cumbersome to navigate the many choices/settings.

The 2015 wouldn't charge my Samsung Galaxy S7 via the USB port. Haven't tested the function on the '17. Will take many weeks for me to settle in to where I'm comfortable.

Pipemajor said:

I drove my '15 GT for 3 years and the 2017 GT now for 3 days. It's a vastly different vehicle. Haven't had enough seat time to do a full comparison but the addition of the radar cruise and the active display sold me on upgrading. I liked the HIDs on the '15 over halogens but the LED headlights and auto high beam seems pretty impressive.

The Commander knob is easy to get to but more cumbersome to navigate the many choices/settings.

The 2015 wouldn't charge my Samsung Galaxy S7 via the USB port. Haven't tested the function on the '17. Will take many weeks for me to settle in to where I'm comfortable.

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Halogens should be retired permanently in all new vehicles

The rear ports are 2.1A, so if the fronts don't charge, the rear should.

Xeler8ing said:

Halogens should be retired permanently in all new vehicles

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Hey, I can remember back when halogens WERE the optional upgrade. They were a noticeable upgrade over the plain jane tungsten sealed beams.

The rear ports are 2.1A, so if the fronts don't charge, the rear should.

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I take my first 'trip' tomorrow - about an hour north of here. Will see then, perhaps.

Pipemajor said:

Hey, I can remember back when halogens WERE the optional upgrade. They were a noticeable upgrade over the plain jane tungsten sealed beams.I take my first 'trip' tomorrow - about an hour north of here. Will see then, perhaps.

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Hope it works

Xeler8ing said:

All subjective wording.

Reviewers here pretty much say feels better but has lost none if its handling prowess.

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Nonono...if a car doesn't jar you as much, the skidpad numbers don't matter, it's not handling as well. Period.

Unobtanium said:

Nonono...if a car doesn't jar you as much, the skidpad numbers don't matter, it's not handling as well. Period.

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We don't do skid pan tests here. We prefer actual road tests. That is how handling is assessed. Not by numbers.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

snoissea said:

My wife bought a 2016 GT CX-5 two years ago. I fell in love with it. So much so that when the lease on my Mazda 3 was up last week, I bought a 2017 GT CX-5 w/premium package. Oh, and I had to have the soul red.

I've only had the 17 for a week, but here are some thoughts on a couple of differences.

The 17 is MUCH quieter, driving the 16 on the highway (now) I notice just how much wind noise there is.

I loved the interior of the 16, but now it looks cheap and bland compared to my 17. The interior of the 17 uses significantly higher quality materials and is more stylish. It's a big step up from the 16.

I prefer the ride and handling of the 16. The 17 doesn't feel as buttoned down to me as the 16, the ride is plusher, and I prefer the stiffer, sportier ride of the 16. The 16 feels more dialed into the road to me, and the steering is a bit heavier, which I like.

One last observation... The hood/front end of the 17 feels longer than the 16, and it slopes down, so you can't see the end of it. I'm finding I'm having trouble judging where the front bumper is. I almost hit a lamp post the other day. The bumper was just inches from it when I parked, and I thought I had plenty of room. I've been totally misjudging where the bumper is.

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We echo your observations. We drove a 16.5 GT and a 17 GS (here in Canada) back to back to back to back to really judge the difference for ourselves. I never actually drove so as not to waste time - my wife did as it was to be her car if we were to choose one.

The 16.5 very much reminded me of my Mazda 3 in the way it felt on the road. I didn't mind it at all, but my wife instantly preferred the noticeably smoother and quieter ride of the '17 to the point where the '16.5 was out of consideration.

As a passenger, and knowing my Mazda 3 (both past and present) I was a little surprised how significant the difference was between the '16.5 and the '17. All those little tweaks and changes really did add up to a more pleasant ride for those who aren't pure handling buffs while at the same time not loosing that zoom zoom. I had never seen my wife brake late into a corner or accelerate quickly out of one until the second drive of the '17. That smile on her face was priceless - again not something I'd seen her have while driving since her first car (A '00 Subaru 2.5RS).

Neither of us preferred the exterior styling of one of the other. We would've been perfectly happy with either. Even though relatively close in styling language the look like they have different personalities and the last gen is still a good looking car to both of us.

However, the interior is another story. We completely agree that the interior is a step up over the last gen. The taller dash in the older car felt like it was more in your face where the new interior, although roughly the same physical size, definitely felt better appointed and more open to us.

When combining my wife's preference of the ride in the '17 with our combined preference of the interior and quieter ride it was the sure winner for us.

Now if it were me buying for myself, I'd be perfectly happy waiting for a little better incentive on the clearout 16's and jumping into a GT instead of the GS we got in the '17... but alas I already have my new 3 and it's a perfect companion for me.

We get to pick up the new CX in exactly 1.5hrs . I couldn't sleep I'm so excited to get rid of our previous car LMAO. Been up for hrs already waiting like it's Christmas.

Short Circuit, lol. Great movie and I totally see it now that you mention it. Observations are spot on...

snoissea said:

My wife bought a 2016 GT CX-5 two years ago. I fell in love with it. So much so that when the lease on my Mazda 3 was up last week, I bought a 2017 GT CX-5 w/premium package. Oh, and I had to have the soul red.

I've only had the 17 for a week, but here are some thoughts on a couple of differences.

The 17 is MUCH quieter, driving the 16 on the highway (now) I notice just how much wind noise there is.

I loved the interior of the 16, but now it looks cheap and bland compared to my 17. The interior of the 17 uses significantly higher quality materials and is more stylish. It's a big step up from the 16.

I prefer the ride and handling of the 16. The 17 doesn't feel as buttoned down to me as the 16, the ride is plusher, and I prefer the stiffer, sportier ride of the 16. The 16 feels more dialed into the road to me, and the steering is a bit heavier, which I like.

One last observation... The hood/front end of the 17 feels longer than the 16, and it slopes down, so you can't see the end of it. I'm finding I'm having trouble judging where the front bumper is. I almost hit a lamp post the other day. The bumper was just inches from it when I parked, and I thought I had plenty of room. I've been totally misjudging where the bumper is.

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Thanks for the comparison review!

NelsonLewis said:

Short Circuit, lol. Great movie and I totally see it now that you mention it. Observations are spot on...

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Yup. #5 is alive.

banjos-n-beer said:

Yup. #5 is alive.

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Haha.

I think that anyone who prefers the old interior to the 2017 hasn't actually been in the new one. The increase in quality is so apparent, but I don't think the photos do it justice. And we think the ride is much more responsive.

Studum said:

⋯ The 16.5 very much reminded me of my Mazda 3 in the way it felt on the road. I didn't mind it at all, but my wife instantly preferred the noticeably smoother and quieter ride of the '17 to the point where the '16.5 was out of consideration.

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Strangely my wife made similar comments during the Dallas Mazda CX-5 Ride & Drive Event, and 2017 CX-5 definitely is the one she preferred over 2016.5 CX-5!

snoissea said:

The 17 is MUCH quieter, driving the 16 on the highway (now) I notice just how much wind noise there is.

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I have a 15 and the noise is what got me to look at the 17. When I test drove it I could tell in the dealers lot that it was quieter than my 15. On the road, yes, it's quieter but it's still a crossover.

I prefer the ride and handling of the 16. The 17 doesn't feel as buttoned down to me as the 16, the ride is plusher, and I prefer the stiffer, sportier ride of the 16. The 16 feels more dialed into the road to me, and the steering is a bit heavier, which I like.

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The 15 scoots around corners, turns in the parking lot on a dime, etc. The 17, which I'll admit that I've never cranked on, seemed quieter, smoother, more refined and, yes, even a little bit heavier.

I have to admit that I'm not a fan of the look, I prefer my version, and the commander knob bother's me because it seems awkward and likely to get a beverage spilled on it. But those aren't very big negatives.

Mattyredsox said:

I think that anyone who prefers the old interior to the 2017 hasn't actually been in the new one. The increase in quality is so apparent, but I don't think the photos do it justice. And we think the ride is much more responsive.

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You thought wrong...