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- 2019 CX-5 Signature Soul Red Crystal Metallic
Hey guys - this post is probably more for those of you out there who are on the fence, or wondering how owners feel about their new vehicles after half a year of driving.
Overview
I picked my new car up at the beginning of April. I chose the 2019 Signature in Soul Red Crystal Metallic.
The day after picking her up, I took her in to have the two front windows tinted to match the back ones, and also to have PPF (Paint Protection Film) put on the front end. I had PPF but on all the painted surfaces on the front of the vehicle and up about 20" up the hood.
I was able to significantly reduce the cost of the vehicle through negotiations and was able to get the Sig for about the same price as the GT-R Reserve (Base price). I was also able to get a 7 year front to back warranty for 50% off. I was able to utilize some of the benefits afforded to me (500$ Car show credit, 1500$ dealer credit, low interest rate returning customer) to get a SERIOUSLY good deal.
I did not add any bells and whistles (door sill stuff, chrome on the outside, etc. The vehicle is 99% stock the 1% being the PPF and the tint.
This was a huge upgrade for me. I previously owned a 2009 Mazda 6 GS with comfort package. While a lot of the features from the '09 M6 GS comfort translated over to the '19 Signature, I can say that I am hugely impressed with the refined features of the Signature.
I didn't think initially that the visual differences between the GT-R and the Signature would matter to me, but... they do! The black cloth A-pillars and the black headliner MATTER. To me, they're very rich looking. The Abachi wood trim is an eye-catcher. Almost every person who's either ridden in my car, or looked in has commented on how rich the interior of the CX-5 is compared to other vehicles in this class. The seats with the contrasting leather interior is attractive. The seats are comfortable to ME. I know others on here have complained about them, but I've found them to be sufficiently comfortable.
As for the ride and engine, this is where my thoughts are: The ride is most definitely "stiffer" than an automobile, however it's NOT uncomfortable at all. The engine is most-definitely one of the joys of this vehicle - there's PLENTY of Torque when you need it, and there's nothing like that Turbo feel when it kicks in when you need it as well. Its' a great vehicle to drive. I've found myself out cruising around a lot more just simply because I love the way the vehicle drives.
Some pros and cons:
Pros
- Peppy Turbo engine is a pleasure to drive
- Fit and finish is impeccable.
- The tech is pretty useful, including the Radar Cruise Control, Emergency Brake assist, Blind Spot monitoring, lane departure warning, Heads Up Display is VERY well designed and executed compared to other manufacturers (who have that awful glass panel that sticks up).
- Creature comforts are amazing such as: Folding side mirrors, multi-driver seat positioning, auto-climate control is intuitive and "just works well", auto-high bean and Adaptive front lightning system are really cool!!, LED's are bright and accurately highlight the right parts of the road.
- Entertainment system is easy to use *** (see cons below)
- Apple CarPlay is really useful and adds to my driving experience.
Cons
- Entertainment system is both a pro and con. It's easy to navigate and use, however it is extremely slow and the interface is very outdated compared to other options on the market. I've had issues with my SiriusXM not working at all (see the threads on it in the forum) off and on occasionally. Mainly, my complaint is how SLOW it is.
- I've had issues with the rear lift-gate randomly opening. I believe it's actually a mistaken key-press in my pants pocket causing it, and i have had to eliminate having anything attached to the keyfob (keys lol) and having anything else in the pocket I carry the FOB in. Not really a 'issue', but moreso just a localized issue that I've been experiencing.
- Small gas tank. This is by far, the smallest gas tank I've ever had in a vehicle. Its a 58 litre tank, and my old mazda 6 had a 70 litre tank in it. Therefore, I am filling this vehicle up a LOT more than I used to the old one.
- The transmission in stop and go traffic is terribly herky-jerky. I believe through discussions on here, as well as reading up on the Skyactive transmission that this might be by design. Otherwise, I've had no issues with how it drives at speed or in 'normal' traffic.
- I've had an odd issue with the auto-headlights turning off at a traffic light when I'm stopped and the auto-windshield wipers are going. I've reported it here and also to the dealer (who was ZERO help), and i am trying to understand the logic if it's not a 'bug' in the system. Having your headlights turn off when you're at a traffic light in the rain is probably not the best safety measure.
My biggest concern with the vehicle has been the dealer. I took the vehicle in for service and was just totally unimpressed with the post-sales experience. This same dealer used to be impeccable. When I had purchased my last vehicle, at my first service I was thanked for purchasing a vehicle from them and also thanked for choosing them for my service. They asked me how I liked the car, and if I had had ANY issues of any significance whether large or small. This time, the service advisor didn't appear to care too much about my business, and really didn't care about the small issues I had raised.
Summary
In summary, I am very happy with my purchase, and wouldn't hesitate to do it again. The vehicle is a solid vehicle, with little minor annoyances. I am glad I picked the Signature over the Reserve as I mulled that over for a few months.
My largest issue has been so far my post-sales experience with the dealer.
I hope this will help anyone who is struggling to make a choice between the two trim levels., I realize the review is uber long, but I wanted to be as thorough as I could.
Thanks!
Overview
I picked my new car up at the beginning of April. I chose the 2019 Signature in Soul Red Crystal Metallic.
The day after picking her up, I took her in to have the two front windows tinted to match the back ones, and also to have PPF (Paint Protection Film) put on the front end. I had PPF but on all the painted surfaces on the front of the vehicle and up about 20" up the hood.
I was able to significantly reduce the cost of the vehicle through negotiations and was able to get the Sig for about the same price as the GT-R Reserve (Base price). I was also able to get a 7 year front to back warranty for 50% off. I was able to utilize some of the benefits afforded to me (500$ Car show credit, 1500$ dealer credit, low interest rate returning customer) to get a SERIOUSLY good deal.
I did not add any bells and whistles (door sill stuff, chrome on the outside, etc. The vehicle is 99% stock the 1% being the PPF and the tint.
This was a huge upgrade for me. I previously owned a 2009 Mazda 6 GS with comfort package. While a lot of the features from the '09 M6 GS comfort translated over to the '19 Signature, I can say that I am hugely impressed with the refined features of the Signature.
I didn't think initially that the visual differences between the GT-R and the Signature would matter to me, but... they do! The black cloth A-pillars and the black headliner MATTER. To me, they're very rich looking. The Abachi wood trim is an eye-catcher. Almost every person who's either ridden in my car, or looked in has commented on how rich the interior of the CX-5 is compared to other vehicles in this class. The seats with the contrasting leather interior is attractive. The seats are comfortable to ME. I know others on here have complained about them, but I've found them to be sufficiently comfortable.
As for the ride and engine, this is where my thoughts are: The ride is most definitely "stiffer" than an automobile, however it's NOT uncomfortable at all. The engine is most-definitely one of the joys of this vehicle - there's PLENTY of Torque when you need it, and there's nothing like that Turbo feel when it kicks in when you need it as well. Its' a great vehicle to drive. I've found myself out cruising around a lot more just simply because I love the way the vehicle drives.
Some pros and cons:
Pros
- Peppy Turbo engine is a pleasure to drive
- Fit and finish is impeccable.
- The tech is pretty useful, including the Radar Cruise Control, Emergency Brake assist, Blind Spot monitoring, lane departure warning, Heads Up Display is VERY well designed and executed compared to other manufacturers (who have that awful glass panel that sticks up).
- Creature comforts are amazing such as: Folding side mirrors, multi-driver seat positioning, auto-climate control is intuitive and "just works well", auto-high bean and Adaptive front lightning system are really cool!!, LED's are bright and accurately highlight the right parts of the road.
- Entertainment system is easy to use *** (see cons below)
- Apple CarPlay is really useful and adds to my driving experience.
Cons
- Entertainment system is both a pro and con. It's easy to navigate and use, however it is extremely slow and the interface is very outdated compared to other options on the market. I've had issues with my SiriusXM not working at all (see the threads on it in the forum) off and on occasionally. Mainly, my complaint is how SLOW it is.
- I've had issues with the rear lift-gate randomly opening. I believe it's actually a mistaken key-press in my pants pocket causing it, and i have had to eliminate having anything attached to the keyfob (keys lol) and having anything else in the pocket I carry the FOB in. Not really a 'issue', but moreso just a localized issue that I've been experiencing.
- Small gas tank. This is by far, the smallest gas tank I've ever had in a vehicle. Its a 58 litre tank, and my old mazda 6 had a 70 litre tank in it. Therefore, I am filling this vehicle up a LOT more than I used to the old one.
- The transmission in stop and go traffic is terribly herky-jerky. I believe through discussions on here, as well as reading up on the Skyactive transmission that this might be by design. Otherwise, I've had no issues with how it drives at speed or in 'normal' traffic.
- I've had an odd issue with the auto-headlights turning off at a traffic light when I'm stopped and the auto-windshield wipers are going. I've reported it here and also to the dealer (who was ZERO help), and i am trying to understand the logic if it's not a 'bug' in the system. Having your headlights turn off when you're at a traffic light in the rain is probably not the best safety measure.
My biggest concern with the vehicle has been the dealer. I took the vehicle in for service and was just totally unimpressed with the post-sales experience. This same dealer used to be impeccable. When I had purchased my last vehicle, at my first service I was thanked for purchasing a vehicle from them and also thanked for choosing them for my service. They asked me how I liked the car, and if I had had ANY issues of any significance whether large or small. This time, the service advisor didn't appear to care too much about my business, and really didn't care about the small issues I had raised.
Summary
In summary, I am very happy with my purchase, and wouldn't hesitate to do it again. The vehicle is a solid vehicle, with little minor annoyances. I am glad I picked the Signature over the Reserve as I mulled that over for a few months.
My largest issue has been so far my post-sales experience with the dealer.
I hope this will help anyone who is struggling to make a choice between the two trim levels., I realize the review is uber long, but I wanted to be as thorough as I could.
Thanks!