Reviews, Reviews

[Pitter]

As I wait impatiently for delivery of my new Blue Signature in Cali, Colombia I am reading and watching lots of reviews. Predictably I guess opinions seem to vary a lot. In one video the guy complained that engine noise was too load. In another the guy complained that he'd like to hear more sound. Then there are statements saying the new models have much improved sound proofing. There are also statements saying ride has been much improved over earlier models then another statement saying the ride is harsher with the stock 19" wheels. One opinion seems to be consistent among all the reviewers though including Consumer Reports and What Car: that the CX 5 has an excellent repair record. That is certainly good to hear although this forum seems to be mainly about problems that do occur. With my current car, a Romanian made Renault Duster 4x4, the one I'm trading in I"ve only had one component failure in four years and 53k miles. That was the rear shocks. I hope my new Signature wiil be equally trouble free.

 

[St1ngy]

If I was you, I'd stay with a Renault Duster. Great reviews. Thats a high bar to meet!

 

[Sig cx-5]

Reviews are, for the most part, people's opinions based on their expectations and not always relatable. I use reviews as a tool that helps me when I actually test drive the vehicle. Have you done that yet?

I also find it odd that your area already has 2020 models in stock. Example

You get a CD player down there?

 

[tibimakai]

That should be the Dacia Duster, no? I'm an ex Romanian. I'm pretty sure between the two cars, it is a major difference, in a good way.
I have a 14' and I had a few issues with it, two seat issues(broken welding, and noisy motor), driver side mirror still shakes at high speeds, cracked windshield(replaced under warranty), belt tensioner gave up(I had to replace it, no warranty) and I'm at 55k miles.

 

[Unobtanium]

As I wait impatiently for delivery of my new Blue Signature in Cali, Colombia I am reading and watching lots of reviews. Predictably I guess opinions seem to vary a lot. In one video the guy complained that engine noise was too load. In another the guy complained that he'd like to hear more sound. Then there are statements saying the new models have much improved sound proofing. There are also statements saying ride has been much improved over earlier models then another statement saying the ride is harsher with the stock 19" wheels. One opinion seems to be consistent among all the reviewers though including Consumer Reports and What Car: that the CX 5 has an excellent repair record. That is certainly good to hear although this forum seems to be mainly about problems that do occur. With my current car, a Romanian made Renault Duster 4x4, the one I'm trading in I"ve only had one component failure in four years and 53k miles. That was the rear shocks. I hope my new Signature wiil be equally trouble free.

All forums are about problems, but look at the frequency, severity, etc. of the posts. This forum is pretty complaint-light, honestly.

 

[ColoradoDriver]

Yeah I'd say most complaints on this forum are very minor.

Really only issue I have had with my 2014 has been the belt tensioner (common issue), and the shifter switch (gated shifter, not in newer models). My last issue I thought was major, ended up being that the battery terminal was loose (drunk).

Almost 84k miles, 6 1/2 years ownership.

Everything else was normal maintenance, though rear brake pads went kinda quick around 54k.

 

[Kaps]

Gen1 had a lot of issues and in general Mazda build quality is lower than most Japanese marquees though material used is better. I heard a rattle from my hatch and the rear Wing was loose (3 years / 30K miles), my windshield rear mirror is loose.
I googled for rear Wing loose + Mazda and there was a 2010 Mazda 3 that had the same issue: 2010 - (nervous) 8 years with the same rear wing and still you cant get it to stay on. You don't expect stuff like that to wobble in 3 years - specially since the Hatch is going to see a lot of opening / closing.
Gen2 solves a lot of Gen1 issues - like Seats / rear suspension on Gen1 is non existent at low speed bumps /breakers. Gen1 windshield has zero UV protection / filter - you can see an outline of air bags on my front dash which is lightish in color than my rest of the dash - sun damage in Texas. Gen1 was taller / lighter and not much fun during crosswinds - Gen2 fixes this as its more aero and shorter.

Overall I would say there are no current Mazdas that interest me, except maybe a super discounted 6 Touring w/ Tech - it has to be 20-25% off MSRP.

 

[Pitter]

Yes the Duster has been excellent the only exception being the ride on the 2 miles of rather rough unpaved road I have traverse pretty much daily. On that the ride is a bit harsh. I was actually planning to wait for the new 2020 model coming out in Colombia around March. It is supposed to have more power and improved ride. There's no question the 2wd, intelligent 4wd and 4wd lock system derived from Nissan is excellent. If it had a really low first gear it would be in Jeep territory.

However I think the CX 5 will have enough off/bad road ability for me judging from the videos I've seen especially if adding good tires as I plan to and it should have heaps of power. My daily drive home involves a nine mile drive on a twisting serpentine two lane road up a mountain with just a few short stretches where there is enough forward vision to pass the slow climbing dump trucks, student driver cars and other pokey types. Having the extra horses (my Duster has 138) will be a treat and the Mazda should be a joy on the constant curves.

Model release times seem to vary by country. For example before my CX 5 decision I was planning to wait for the new revamped Duster to be available in Colombia in March 2020. However it is already available and being purchased in South Africa (albeit not with the engines that might be available in Colombia). Whether my agent was just wrong in describing my car as a 2020 or they use some other criteria doesn't matter a whit to me since if it's registered as that then that's the model I will (hopefully never) be selling somewhere down the line.

(By the way if a new Renault/Dacia Duster with Nissan 4x4 system where for sale in the US at current peso/dollar exchange rate it would cost you $20,000.00)

 

[Chris_Top_Her]

My car had a bunch of problems some my fault, some just quality. But to me it doesn't matter because I'm driving this car into the ground. But I also do my own maintenece and care about driving dynamic over gimmicks.

 

[Monterra]

Not alot of data on the new turbos but my '14 NA was pretty good- brakes being the main disappointment and the tranny at the end but it probably wasn't major. Good enough to go again- diggin my cpo 16 GTT quite a bit- it does look and feel a bit more refined overall- its def quieter (backup cam sucks hard at night tho) but its got the all important sport mode! <-ok that last part was and is imo a joke! Manual shift mode definitely sweeter action and I use it more now.
Long live the swoop(guitar) ..and gen2 seats ain't got nothin on gen1s!

 

[hawaiian_bread]

I have a '19 Sig and I honestly don't hear much engine noise. I would actually enjoy a more throatier engine noise when stepping on it. Road noise on the other hand is there but nothing that doesn't get drowned out. Love driving the Sig and haven't experienced any issues with a harsh ride. First Mazda and I'm very pleased.

 

[Buzzman12]

in general Mazda build quality is lower than most Japanese marquees though material used is better.

I hate generalized statements like this coming from people without any statistics to back it up.
This is your personal opinion, and that's fine, but don't state this as fact. Your experiences with one or two Mazda's does not necessarily reflect the experiences of every Mazda owner, or on the entire quality of the marquee.
I can give you all kinds of examples of problems with other Japanese makes, both from personal experience (Nissan), and from anecdotal stories of other makes (Honda, Subaru) handed down from friends and relatives.
You can also go to other Japanese car forums and find stories on pretty much any kind of problem you wish to find.
Is Mazda build quality lower than other Japanese makes? Unless you're willing to dig really deep, and pull out mounds of statistics to prove (or disprove) your point, then I'd avoid making such blanket statements.

 

[Pitter]

Consumer Reports has given the latest model their maximum reliability score.

 

[Kaps]

I hate generalized statements like this coming from people without any statistics to back it up.
This is your personal opinion, and that's fine, but don't state this as fact. Your experiences with one or two Mazda's does not necessarily reflect the experiences of every Mazda owner, or on the entire quality of the marquee.
I can give you all kinds of examples of problems with other Japanese makes, both from personal experience (Nissan), and from anecdotal stories of other makes (Honda, Subaru) handed down from friends and relatives.
You can also go to other Japanese car forums and find stories on pretty much any kind of problem you wish to find.
Is Mazda build quality lower than other Japanese makes? Unless you're willing to dig really deep, and pull out mounds of statistics to prove (or disprove) your point, then I'd avoid making such blanket statements.

Of course its my opinion. If it was factual I would have given you data. If my Mazda craps on the road the Mazda brand for me is crap. I am not going to go asking all owners how satisfied they are at that point.
I bought one of the last 16.5 made cars and still have had fit and finish issues. Don't confuse between design, certain soft touch materials, build quality and reliability. They are different. Mazda build quality is lesser than Toyota and Honda.
If you have pieces wobble at 3 years, dash discoloration those are pretty bad.

 

[sm1ke]

Of course its my opinion. If it was factual I would have given you data. If my Mazda craps on the road the Mazda brand for me is crap. I am not going to go asking all owners how satisfied they are at that point.
I bought one of the last 16.5 made cars and still have had fit and finish issues. Don't confuse between design, certain soft touch materials, build quality and reliability. They are different. Mazda build quality is lesser than Toyota and Honda.
If you have pieces wobble at 3 years, dash discoloration those are pretty bad.

The problem is that you presented the statement quoted by Buzzman12 as fact. "in general Mazda build quality is lower than most Japanese marquees though material used is better," that's a blanket statement that implies it as fact. You might argue that prefacing that statement with "in my opinion" or "in my experience" might be a little redundant on a public forum, but it would prevent future misinterpretations like this one.

Speaking for myself, the build quality in my CX-9 is almost on par with what I would expect from a current Lexus RX350 (quiet interior, no rattles or squeaks, detailed interior stitching in most areas, even panel gaps, etc.).

 

[Jmaz]

My 2014 touring has been pretty problem free.No loose stuff making noise.Warranty fixed the drivers mirror vibration and any recall stuff.I have not found ANY flaws related to "build quality".When new, no paint imperfections,no oddball gaps in trim or anything related to assembly.Guess I lucked out.
To the OP, I'd be sure to get the turbo version if you're going to be passing on winding mountain roads.I wouldn't want the cylinder deactivation feature malfunctioning and causing loss of power at a critical moment.