At my wits end... *May contain complaints 😉

[Boby@]

I'm a retired electrical engineer. I worked in consumer electronics for over 40 years and helped design a wide range of very successful products, including working on ergonomics for user-interface design and service/maintenance procedures, as well as quality control.

I've also owned 20 new cars (between my Wife and I) over the years, from just about every major manufacturer. No car I've owned has been as frustrating as my 2021 CX-5 and I am contemplating trading it in with 23,000 miles on it.

I expect I may be scolded for posting this, but I need to let off steam. There is a lot I really like about my CX-5, but there is more I hate about it.

There are so many non-ergonomic, counter-intuitive things about it that seem to have been done differently from every other car I've owned, not because it was a better (or even as good an) idea, but just to be different. I discovered this within the first few weeks of ownership, but decided to live with it. This isn't counting the things I didn't even imagine were missing on such an expensive car (such as no side mirror memory and no tire pressure display).

Since then I've had two (very expensive) wheels permanently damaged to the point where the tires leaked constantly as a result of typical Northeast Pennsylvania road conditions (never happened on any other car I've owned on the same roads under the same conditions), I have constant problems interacting with my cell phone (never happened on any other car I've owned) and the automatic headlight dimming is a joke (routinely dimming just when I need it on full, as a result of the roadway ahead of me being lit by the high beams, not by oncoming cars).

The last straw was today when the keyfob reported the battery needed to be changed. I should start by saying I have always hated the key fob. Putting the buttons on the side of the keyfob (rather than recessed on the front face of the fob like every other car I've owned) means I routinely lock or unlock the doors, open the trunk or set off the panic alarm, just by bending over to pick something up when the fob is in my pocket. Changing the battery, however, turned into an ordeal.

Changing the keyfob battery on every other car I've owned was always a quick and easy exercise--release the metal spare key, use it to pop off the cover, change the battery, snap the fob back together, The CX-5 keyfob made me want to take a blow torch to it. Pushing the release button did nothing at all to release the cover. I had to keep the button pushed while simultaneously prying the cover off with a small screwdriver.

In the process I locked and unlocked the doors and set off the panic alarm several times because, since you are prying the faceplate off the fob, you have no choice but to hold the fob by the sides (where the buttons are stupidly located). While trying to keep the release button pressed and also prying with the screwdriver, the screwdriver slipped and stabbed my finger, drawing blood. This is the exact opposite of ergonomic!

I would also say the AWD system isn't nearly as sure-footed as other AWD cars I've owned (once I was slipping on snow at the edge of my driveway and instead of allowing me to pull back onto the driveway, the AWD system powered me right off the drive and into a shallow ditch along the side of it). Again, something that never happened to me with any of the other AWD vehicles I've owned under much worse conditions.

While the drivetrain is certainly peppy, gas mileage is really mediocre (22-23 MPG average). So I hate to say it, but I think my relationship with Mazda is at an end...

 

[ruthrj]

Are the tires still stock from the factory? Just a guess on the subpar AWD observation. Haven’t read many complaints on the AWD performance here. My ‘23 auto high beam works better than my ‘21 RAV4, so just a heads up if you shop Toyota.

 

[Conrad 16.5]

While I sympathize with you, I fail to understand how it's Mazda's fault that you ruined your wheels.

"I would also say the AWD system isn't nearly as sure-footed as other AWD cars I've owned (once I was slipping on snow at the edge of my driveway and instead of allowing me to pull back onto the driveway, the AWD system powered me right off the drive and into a shallow ditch along the side of it). Again, something that never happened to me with any of the other AWD vehicles I've owned under much worse conditions."

The AWD system powered you into the ditch? You're the one pressing the accelerator pedal, right? I'm not following you here.

I've had my CX since new in 2016 and I've had zero issues with it. Well, other than a faulty nav card that is.

 

[stickerbush]

I agree about the lack of tire pressure display and the huge fiddly key fob but those are the only complaints I can muster about the CX5 and I really love mine.

 

[Sig cx-5]

The newer fob sounds like a bad design. Our 2019 had the buttons on the front and worked fine. The AWD was great in Chicago winters, but the stock tires were replaced early with CC2's. If you're still on the OEM's, dump them!

You may not have individual tire pressure readings, but you do have sensors that inform you when one is low. Why would it help if you could read them independently? The sensors will notify you when any of the tires drops below a few pounds of its optimal setting. Having the readings available is also not a replacement for an actual tire gauge.

The CX-5 is also not an expensive vehicle. It tries to play in the same category as the likes of Lexus and Acura, but is quite a bit less expensive. I actually preferred our CX-5 over our Lexus at the time. It didn't drive like a boat and the interior quality was better overall.

All that said, life is short. Don't drive something that makes you unhappy. Just do better research and move on.

 

[GFrosty]

No car I've owned has been as frustrating as my 2021 CX-5 and I am contemplating trading it in with 23,000 miles on it.

Since then I've had two (very expensive) wheels permanently damaged to the point where the tires leaked constantly as a result of typical Northeast Pennsylvania road conditions (never happened on any other car I've owned on the same roads under the same conditions) ...

Every situation's different, even on the supposedly "same" roads, routes, conditions. No telling when a given spot's going to have impediments that'll ding the heck out of a wheel or two. In 40+ years of driving on all manner of roads and conditions, I've had a few strikes. And when you do there's little that can be done about it. Modern aluminum wheels aren't the toughest things made; they dent, ding, scrape, etc, given the wrong conditions. IMO, it's not Mazda's fault that a typical aluminum wheel happened to get damaged. All the "major" automotive players basically select such wheels for most of their offerings.

The last straw was today when the keyfob reported the battery needed to be changed. I should start by saying I have always hated the key fob.

In my own experience, key fob batteries are one of those things that are best replaced annually, just as with a home's fire/CO alarms. Helps avoid little inexplicable strangeness and eventual failures from such devices.

Can't help with dislike over the disassembly procedure required to open the fob for battery replacement. It is a bit more subtle than others, sure. But it's easily enough done.

I would also say the AWD system isn't nearly as sure-footed as other AWD cars I've owned (once I was slipping on snow at the edge of my driveway and instead of allowing me to pull back onto the driveway, the AWD system powered me right off the drive and into a shallow ditch ...

Ditto on others' suggestions that that problem was most likely due to tires. It's tires that provide the grip of course. AWD merely helps in adjusting within the confines of the drivetrain's abilities.

In inclement weather, I've driven mid-80s vintage Subarus, a couple of late-model Subarus, early-2000s vintage VW with their 4Motion/AWD, various Audis with their Quattro/AWD, and my current 2016 CX-5 AWD. With similar tires and similar conditions, I'd say that the Mazda CX-5 has roughly comparable ability as that of those other AWD systems. Presupposing one doesn't get overly-reliant on the fairly crummy "all-season" factory tire choices made. (But then, most makers put on sub-par "all-season" tires that really are merely average 3-season units.) With proper, condition-appropriate tires, the Mazda AWD system is quite good.

While the drivetrain is certainly peppy, gas mileage is really mediocre (22-23 MPG average).

That's the primary thing I wish were improved, on these vehicles. Of course, any "SUV/crossover" type vehicle isn't going to be reliant on typical sedan-like airflow control underneath the car, let alone anything like "ground effects." Isn't that sort of category of car. IMO, the CX-5 as a platform really ought to be capable of another 5-8mpg average, but likely that'd take a different engine. Many of the other makers seem to be able to squeeze high-20s to low-30s out of their similarly-equipped SUV/crossover vehicles.

Still, fuel efficiency is always heavily impacted by driving style. My own 2016 CX-5 comes with a "Sport" mode, and it's decidedly zippy when selecting it. But, dang, doing so for an entire tankful of gas cuts the MPG by a serious amount. My own car gets about ~18.5-19.5mpg city-only, 22-23mpg average, and about 28-29mpg highway-only (over 30mpg if I "baby" it). A bit under what I'd prefer, but doing better would take a more fuel-efficient engine, say something on the order of one of the typical 2.0T rigs many makers have on several of their models, which deliver more power but better fuel-efficiency.

Lots of more fuel-efficient vehicles out there. Just not with the combination of upscale interiors, handling, quality.

One search @ FuelEconomy.gov, seeking gas-fuelled cars with MPG of 25+ city, 30+ hwy:

Fuel Economy

Fuel economy of the . 1984 to present Buyer's Guide to Fuel Efficient Cars and Trucks. Estimates of gas mileage, greenhouse gas emissions, safety ratings, and air pollution ratings for new and used cars and trucks.

fueleconomy.gov

 

[Boby@]

I'm just going to reply to things randomly here.

Yes, I have the OEM tires and they have plenty of tread on them. I am also used to replacing my OEM tires with something better as soon as possible, but I actually have less then 20K miles on the car at this point, so I can't justify that.

As far as AWD--every car I've owned since 1987 has had either 4WD or AWD, including a Dodge Raider (aka Mistubishi Montero), Ford Explorer, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Volvo XC-70, Jeep Liberty, Chrylser Town & Country AWD Minivan, Audi A6 Quattro, Mercedes C240 4-matic, Lincoln MKX, Suzuki Grand Vitara, Kia Sportage, Jeep Cherokee and Hyundai Tucson. When the CX-5 started sliding off the drive, I backed off the pedal and it began to slide even more sideways, so I got back on the pedal and the car sent me into a ditch regardless of how I was steering. This was in maybe 4-5 inches of snow. I've powered through 6-8 inches of snow with the other cars with no problem, so yeah, I was shocked. Maybe I didn't respond appropriately, but that was a result of like 20 years of experience with other vehicles which absolutely straightened out when I applied a modest amount of power. I no longer trust the "Sky-Active" system to work well in low-traction situations.

As far as the wheels, I consider the Chinese-made (Lizhong) Mazda wheels on my particular CX-5 sub-par. I've put the alloy wheels of every one of my previous cars through much worse, without a problem other then a minor blemish. NEPA roads suck, but I've never had another car where a wheel was damaged to the point where it needed to be replaced--everything was purely cosmetic. I wouldn't be upset if it was only one wheel--that's a random event--but two wheels in two years--sorry that is a quality issue.

As far as tire pressure indicators... I'm sorry I don't want to have to go around checking every tire to see which one is low. I haven't owned a car in a decade which didn't tell me which tire was low. There is no justification in a smart car with a graphics display for not supplying that info--the TPMS knows the tire pressure for all tires and transmits that info, there is no reason the information shouldn't be displayed (I bought an aftermarket receiver to show me what the pressure sensor data is--it is absurd Mazda doesn't show you the information a $25 add-on display can). Seriously, we are talking about a $40,000+ car here (more than I paid for the Mercedes C240 I bought for my wife in 2006 ($38,000) and more than my previous 2017 Hyundai Tucson ($33,000), both of which were better cars than my CX-5 in most ways I care about).

I don't feel like listing all of the odd things about the car compared to most--the locking system which won't do what you want if one door or the hatch is open when you press lock or unlock, the stupid horizontal floor net in the trunk which is useless compared to a vertical net, the inconvenience of putting the rear seat heater switches in the fold-down armrest in the rear seat so if someone is sitting in the middle seat, you can't access the seat heaters--all of these issues have been addressed much better by other car companies offering less expensive products...

I have to say I *do* love the "Soul Red" paint job (reminds me of my "Hot Wheels" as a kid in the 60's), but the "Caterra Brown" leather might as well be black, as can also be said of the wood trim in the interior--both my Audi A6 and my Wife's Mercedes C240 were FAR more attractive and classy for less money at the time...

 

[Sig cx-5]

20k on the OEM tires? No wonder you slid off the driveway.

You seem set in your mind, so please do yourself a favor and buy something else. Remember to do more research next time. And. $40k for a vehicle is on the low end nowadays.

 

[AL Cx5]

I hope the OP finds his dream car below 40K. I'm new to Mazda, 2024 CX5 T. I agree the fob buttons need to be on the face. I walk up the the car and press the button on the door and open it and never use the fob. I use the phone app to start the car or unlock the doors from time to time.

I like that idea of changing the fob battery annually. I'll do that.

I love it, blame the car for driving into a ditch. That gave me a chuckle.

If I check one tire pressure, I check all FOUR. It would be nice to know which one is low, I agree. And I always check all four to get ahead of another low tire pressure light. Not knowing which one is low is not a deal killer.

Comparing todays car prices to 2017, really? I would like to buy a gallon of milk at 2017 prices too.

I'm a mechanical engineer and have built several drag racing cars and modified many others. While installing performance Anti Roll Bars on the CX 5 I got to see the suspension and under body. I'm impressed with the quality of the sub frames, quality of the wire looms and supports of the wiring. The fasteners are equal or better than any other car I've owned. Even the bushings on the sway bars are embossed to the bars and high quality. The market doesn't understand these details. It's price, MPG, warranty and how many gulper cup holders...

I like that Mazda thinks outside the box. They miss the mark on a few things but overall do better than the others. I'm STILL amazed Mazda can run a mass market NA engine at 14:1 and 13.1( USA) compression ratio on 87 octane. That is an engineering feat. 14:1 is in diesel territory. Any other gas burner engine I know of at 14:1 or 13:1 burns 100% Methanol or $15/gallon race gas.

This engine has forged crank shaft and connecting rods. It has an internal balancer. This means the engine has race engine parts and idles silky smooth.

https://www.motorreviewer.com/engine.php?engine_id=96

Judging from the number of different cars the OP has owned, he has not found any to his liking. I research my car and keep them 10 to 15 years and expect keep the CX-5 10+ years as well.

I wish the OP the very best finding his perfect car at an affordable price. As one friend suggested, if we took the best from each manufacture and put them together we would have the perfect car!

 

[Boby@]

20k on the OEM tires? No wonder you slid off the driveway.

You seem set in your mind, so please do yourself a favor and buy something else. Remember to do more research next time. And. $40k for a vehicle is on the low end nowadays.

Sorry, I don't actually have 20K on the tires yet (more between 15-16K) and have NEVER had OEM tires wear out that fast (nor are these tires in fact worn out at all, they have plenty of tread on them). The tires simply aren't very good and while that may be true of most OEM tires, these are pretty poor in terms of traction compared to most OEM tires I've had in the last 20 years).

I thought I did a enough research--I never imagined a mainstream Japanese car for $2000 to $4000 more than most of the other cars I was looking at would be inferior to them. I thought there was a fault in the car when the side mirrors wouldn't return to their memory positions, until I discovered the car does NOT store the mirror positions.

This is something I would never have bothered to check, because every single car I've owned which had seat memory (including cars for under $30,000) always had mirror memory as well--it's just something that everybody expects! Without it, the seat memory isn't much of feature, since you still need to waste time adjusting all the mirrors every time someone else has driven the car.

Then there's the AWD "lock" function. Every AWD car I've owned let me manually lock the car in AWD when I knew traction conditions were poor, instead of waiting for the system to determine the wheels were slipping and, hey, maybe AWD should engage. These systems would automatically disengage when the car was traveling at higher speeds (under the reasonable assumption traction must be good if I'm driving that fast), then would re-engage when my speed dropped low enough--perfect for NEPA weather were some roads can be snow-covered and others not. While the CX-5 does have a form of AWD lock, they tell you to make sure you *manually* turn it off when driving at higher speeds or on dry roads.

Don't worry, I am planning on buying something else, as the CX-5 really has been the least satisfying car I've owned in the last 20 years. I realize some of those cars were even more "premium" than the CX-5, but they were nonetheless cheaper and many others of those cars weren't premium either... I suggest Mazda stop wasting time and money on gimmick features like a heads-up display or a built-in cellular hotspot (really, my cell phone can do a hotspot if I need it to) and concentrate on useful features people really want and can already get on cheaper cars.

Oh, and since you got me started--I never would have guessed or bothered to "research" that the driver's seat on the CX-5 is offset to the right, instead of being centered on the steering wheel. No big deal...except the heads-up display can only be adjusted up and down, not left and right, so all I need to do is lean slightly to the right and the side of the HUD gets cut off (also, the brightness of the HUD is unreliable, as it has gone dim on me in bright sunlight and the only way to restore proper operation is to turn the car off and restart it).

No, $40K is not the low end of cars these days. There are plenty of cars under $40K, many of which are superior to the CX-5 in my opinion...

 

[N7turbo]

Then there's the AWD "lock" function. Every AWD car I've owned let me manually lock the car in AWD when I knew traction conditions were poor, instead of waiting for the system to determine the wheels were slipping and, hey, maybe AWD should engage. These systems would automatically disengage when the car was traveling at higher speeds (under the reasonable assumption traction must be good if I'm driving that fast), then would re-engage when my speed dropped low enough--perfect for NEPA weather were some roads can be snow-covered and others not. While the CX-5 does have a form of AWD lock, they tell you to make sure you *manually* turn it off when driving at higher speeds or on dry roads.

You don't want to lock the differentials into a pseudo-4WD mode. Mazda's system is better than that.

No, $40K is not the low end of cars these days. There are plenty of cars under $40K, many of which are superior to the CX-5 in my opinion...

Cars are personal and your choice depends on what you're looking for a car to do. I'd like to know which vehicles are on your list.

Modern Mazdas are more for car-people who appreciate the look and function of the car more than someone who doesn't care what it looks like or whether the interior is plastic as long as it gets you from A to B. As a "car guy" I find myself appreciating Mazda design and build more than many other carmakers. Still, the remote is a ridiculous design and I want the old one back...I sincerely hope they are working on something different.

 

[Boby@]

I hope the OP finds his dream car below 40K. I'm new to Mazda, 2024 CX5 T. I agree the fob buttons need to be on the face. I walk up the the car and press the button on the door and open it and never use the fob. I use the phone app to start the car or unlock the doors from time to time.

I like that idea of changing the fob battery annually. I'll do that.

I love it, blame the car for driving into a ditch. That gave me a chuckle.

If I check one tire pressure, I check all FOUR. It would be nice to know which one is low, I agree. And I always check all four to get ahead of another low tire pressure light. Not knowing which one is low is not a deal killer.

Comparing todays car prices to 2017, really? I would like to buy a gallon of milk at 2017 prices too.

I'm a mechanical engineer and have built several drag racing cars and modified many others. While installing performance Anti Roll Bars on the CX 5 I got to see the suspension and under body. I'm impressed with the quality of the sub frames, quality of the wire looms and supports of the wiring. The fasteners are equal or better than any other car I've owned. Even the bushings on the sway bars are embossed to the bars and high quality. The market doesn't understand these details. It's price, MPG, warranty and how many gulper cup holders...

I like that Mazda thinks outside the box. They miss the mark on a few things but overall do better than the others. I'm STILL amazed Mazda can run a mass market NA engine at 14:1 and 13.1( USA) compression ratio on 87 octane. That is an engineering feat. 14:1 is in diesel territory. Any other gas burner engine I know of at 14:1 or 13:1 burns 100% Methanol or $15/gallon race gas.

Judging from the number of different cars the OP has owned, he has not found any to his liking. I research my car and keep them 10 to 15 years and expect keep the CX-5 10+ years as well.

I wish the OP the very best finding his perfect car at an affordable price. As one friend suggested, if we took the best from each manufacture and put them together we would have the perfect car!

Uhm, it's a 2021 CX-5, so it's not unreasonable to compare late 2017 prices to late 2020 prices...

I'm not looking for a "dream car" for less then $40K, but for over $40K, the CX-5 isn't even close to my dream car.

I do actually blame the car for driving me into a ditch, because it responded so poorly under the conditions--to deceleration, acceleration and braking--than any AWD car I've ever owned (and never once lost control of despite worse road conditions). Maybe it was a fluke or maybe it was the tires, but it was wretched performance in 4"-5" of snow compared to anything I've driven.

I also use the door buttons, not the fob, to open the doors. That doesn't stop the fob from doing things I don't want it to do almost every time I bend over or lean against something...

Please don't think I didn't like any of the previous cars I've owned. I loved a lot of them. My Audi A6 was sweet. My Wife's Mercedes C240 wagon was incredible, but when it came time to trade it in, Mercedes had discontinued the C240 wagon and replaced it with the ugly, uncomfortable GLK SUV series.

So far the only car that has come close to the comfort, features and performance of our C240 was my 2017 Hyundai Tucson, but I sold it to my son when his car died and I had to quickly replace it with something. The only thing I found which a dealer was willing to give me a decent price on and a decent trade-in on for my Son's old car was the CX-5. I think now that things have settled down post-COVID, I can make a less hurried, stressed-out selection and get something which I feel is worth $40K+.

As an engineer myself, I appreciate your respect for the unique qualities of the brand, but so far for me, their approach has not translated into a satisfying ownership experience. I, too, think it's amazing if I put high-octane gas in the CX-5 I can get 250 HP, but I'm never going to do that nor do I care. It's peppy enough on regular gas--I don't fault the engine at all, it's the rest of the car, especially the electronics/ergonomics, that I find unsatisfactory for the price...

 

[Boby@]

You don't want to lock the differentials into a pseudo-4WD mode. Mazda's system is better than that.


Cars are personal and your choice depends on what you're looking for a car to do. I'd like to know which vehicles are on your list.

Modern Mazdas are more for car-people who appreciate the look and function of the car more than someone who doesn't care what it looks like or whether the interior is plastic as long as it gets you from A to B. As a "car guy" I find myself appreciating Mazda design and build more than many other carmakers. Still, the remote is a ridiculous design and I want the old one back...I sincerely hope they are working on something different.

Hmm, my experience with my CX-5 is their approach is not remotely as good as AWD lock. AWD lock has gotten me through many a bad winter on my previous cars and, to be honest, except for my first car (a horrid 1979 Chevy Citation), I have never lost control of a car on snow other than the CX-5. Maybe I'm using it wrong, but if that is the case, the "Sky-Active" system is not only non-intuitive, but is counter-intuitive. No matter what I did--deccelarate, accelerate or brake--the car would not go in the direction I was pointing it. The rear end just kept pushing the car off the road.

At the time (under pressure) I was planning on replacing my excellent 2017 Hyundai Tucson with a new 2021 Tucson, but the dealers were telling me the only way I could get one was above list price and with no choice in exterior or interior colors and they just sort of laughed regarding the trade-in on my Son's old car. The Mazda dealer was the only one I found who was actually willing to "deal".

I do consider myself a "car guy" in that I've owned a number of irrational performance cars in my life (I didn't list them, as I would never have driven them on NEPA roads, especially in the winter). I appreciate Mazdas seem to be higher performance cars than typical. My personal opinion, styling-wise, is the CX-5 looks a bit frumpy and unfinished, particularly in its' brightwork. The CX-3 looks so much better, but was simply too small and lacking the luxury features I was accustomed to.

 

[GFrosty]

Yes, I have the OEM tires and they have plenty of tread on them. I am also used to replacing my OEM tires with something better as soon as possible, but I actually have less then 20K miles ... When the CX-5 started sliding off the drive, I backed off the pedal and it began to slide even more sideways, ... in maybe 4-5 inches of snow.

3-season tires that are marginal on seriously cold/wintry surfaces don't mesh with the expectation of having tolerable grip in snow, ice, slush. Just doesn't work that way. Not on any car, when the grip of a given tire isn't sufficient for conditions.

I get the idea of having had a variety of other AWD/4WD cars and having previously had seemingly "better" grip in somewhat comparable conditions. But it's hard to directly compare apples to oranges across different tires from different eras. AWD/4WD simply doesn't provide the base grip; the tire does, and AWD merely is the "icing on the cake" (so to speak).

Now, some "all-season" tires do have a bit better material, a bit better cold-temp grip than others. But it's hard to expect a basic, bottom-end 3-season tire to perform, AWD or not.

With sufficient grip via good tires, the Mazda AWD system is better than most. Nobody's AWD system will ever ensure zero slippage, zero "adjustments" as the system is zapping slipping on each corner.

Anecdote -- I live in an area that nearly every winter has some serious weather. I live in a home up a hill, with several neighbors nearby. A year ago, most vehicles that attempted going up that hill during snow showers failed, and many of those vehicles were AWD. There were dozens of vehicles stuck mid-way up the hill, without the tire capability necessary. The little bit of ice and the good amount of snow defeated nearly all of them. Yet, my CX-5 went right up. Primarily due to having properly-selected tires correctly matched for conditions. (Nokian WR G4, in my case.) The few of those other vehicles that I looked at, to see if we could get them going again, had basic, marginal-grip 3-season tires or even (worse) summer tires. Even some of the AWD vehicles. Crazily, they too fully expected to be capable of driving on that road they'd driven a hundred times before, without slipping. Yet, no amount of wishing gave those non-winter-capable tires winter grip.

If the grip requirements in your area necessitate a cold-temp winter capable tire, I'd strongly suggest acquiring one. It isn't that the CX-5 has crappy AWD. It's that the tire you're expecting to have cold-temp grip doesn't have such. Sadly, this is the tire choice the maker determined was sufficient for this range of vehicle.

I'd strongly suggest acquiring a tire (at least for the winter season) that has the 3PMSF designation (not merely M+S), since your area's cold-temp conditions sure seem to need it. It'll be far safer.

A suggestion for a tire that might be sufficient, one with a decent all-weather tread pattern and the 3PMSF designation:

WeatherPeak | Bridgestone Tires

Get peak confidence for any season, any weather, any journey with the WeatherPeak Plus all-weather touring tire from Bridgestone, featuring superior grip in wet and dry conditions.

www.bridgestonetire.com

One suggestion for a 3PMSF tire capable of being driven year-'round yet still nicely handling all winter weather. These are the set I have on my own vehicle, and they're quite competent in cold temps and all sorts of weather. They come with a 60Kmi tread warranty, as well:

Nokian Tyres WR G4 SUV - Performance in all weather conditions / Nokian Tires

The versatile Nokian Tyres WR G4 SUV optimally combines high-performance, all-season handling and reliable winter grip to make it a true all-weather tire.

www.nokiantires.com

Some suggestions for winter 3PMSF tires that'll easily handle conditions in your area during the winter:

VikingContact 7

continentaltire.com

Cooper Discoverer® True North® Tire | Cooper Tire

Explore the Cooper Discoverer® True North® tire from Cooper Tire. Visit us to find a Cooper Tire retailer near you to schedule a tire installation appointment.

www.coopertire.com

AltiMAX™ Arctic12

The AltiMAX™ Arctic12 is a studdable winter tire for passenger cars and crossovers. Developed with innovative compound and tread pattern technologies for superior traction on wet, snow and ice-covered roads, this tire carries the 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake symbol for severe winter conditions.

generaltire.com

Scorpion Winter tires price - For SUV and Crossover | Pirelli

Pirelli Scorpion Winter tires for Crossover and SUV: Maximum stability and control on snow, wet and dry. Buy now!

www.pirelli.com

https://www.vredestein.com/car-suv-tires/products/1583-WINTRAC-PRO.all/

Blizzak WS90 | Winter Tires | Bridgestone Tires

Handle the harsh winter conditions with Blizzak WS90 Winter Tires. Stop with confidence. The Blizzak WS90 provides confident control and secure handling.

www.bridgestonetire.com

 

[Odrapnew]

Sliding in snow, 95% sure it's the tires, 4% is the specific conditions and the last 1% is the car. (all those are made up, but I do believe it's very little to do with the vehicle and mostly tires).
I can say for certain the OE tires on my 14 Explorer and 18 Edge were terrible in the snow, even brand new.
After changing tires, snow traction was significantly improved. Even just getting better 'all season' tires were an improvement on the Explorer and the Edge is a beast with Blizzaks.

Also, I've never owned an AWD vehicle that had locking 4WD option so I cannot comment.
MazdaSpeed6, '09 CX9, VW Golf R, and the 2 aforementioned Fords above were all automatic AWD.
All of them do just fine in the snow with good tires....and all are terrible with bad tires.

Regarding the memory side mirrors, that is a bummer. I know my Explorer and Edge both have memory functions which include the mirrors. It really doesn't affect me since my wife drives the Explorer and I drive the Edge 95% of the time so we rarely have to spend the 10 seconds to adjust the mirrors anyway.

I have no comment on the key fob, but it sounds less than ideal.

 

[jakeuten]

Anyone complaining about AWD performance with inadequate rubber to grip the snow shouldn't be taken too seriously. I hang out with the 4x4s when the 2-foot snowfall events happen here. Not the Foresters. I've never had an issue with traction with nearly 100K miles between 2 CX-5s in northern Minnesota nor the UP of Michigan or anywhere in between. My mechanic is a die-hard Subaru fan who Drives an early 2000s 5MT Forester and had to admit that the CX-5 AWD was nothing like the "slip-then-grip" AWD systems of the past. There are plenty of threads and posts about how active the AWD system is. Get better tires.

Edit: interesting the response I got from a NEW CX-5 driver from Alabama, known for their massive snowfalls. Please.

 

[cz5gt]

Reminds me of those video clips of cars sliding on the road in the winter.. guess no winter tires.
I do agree Mazda has its cons in many areas vs some other cars but handling is not one of those. Assuming proper tires for the season. The biggest con is Mazda putting those crappy Toyos as default and the seats which are made by and for small asian folks.

 

[dunhillmc]

Mazda gets a lot of engineers as customers. I could have told you the OP was an engineer if he hadn't of mentioned it

 

[ruthrj]

Edit: interesting the response I got from a NEW CX-5 driver from Alabama, known for their massive snowfalls. Please.

The ice did suck this year I have to admit. Only takes an inch or two of snow to shut everything down which wouldn’t be a problem with three peak tires. But holy crap the inch or two of ice we got about six weeks ago was ridiculous. Stuck on our mountain for about 4 days!

 

[N7turbo]

Hmm, my experience with my CX-5 is their approach is not remotely as good as AWD lock. AWD lock has gotten me through many a bad winter on my previous cars and, to be honest, except for my first car (a horrid 1979 Chevy Citation), I have never lost control of a car on snow other than the CX-5.

I've honestly never heard of a car locking the differentials like a 4WD truck. Are you sure that's what is really happening? Because you will end up spinning tires that don't have traction.