I know, it's the honeymoon period, but...I LOVE IT!

My husband and I just bought the MT Sport CX-5 and I love it! We had two trucks, a Ford F-150 and a Toyota Tacoma. We're giving the F-150 to his son and keeping the Tacoma. Though we definitely wanted to keep a truck (we camp a lot), we HAD to have something with some reasonable mileage. We looked at Chevy Eco Cruises and Sonics (ick) but a car just doesn't "suit" us. I drove a used Ford Escape Hybrid and found it very uncomfortable - plus most of our driving is highway and the mileage was actually worse highway versus city, of course. The Equinox caught our eye but too many people said they couldn't get the promised 32 mpg, even with the manual transmission. Can't remember how I found it...Edmunds or something...but up popped the CX-5 and voila. We had our vehicle, and I love it. I wish I could've gotten one with more bells and whistles (something for Mazda to consider for the future), but for the price and the mpg you just can't beat it.

Especially important to us was the ground clearance, which in the CX-5 was a good inch at least higher than the Equinox. Critical for us given our...rustic...driveway.

I'm always nervous buying a brand new model. Once that worked out extremely well for me - I bought an Eagle Summit the first year, adored that car and drove the wheels off it. However, my Saturn Ion was an utter disaster. Hoping this one swings the pendulum the other way!

Congratulations. Keep us informed with how it goes.

Everyone is reporting excellent economy. But being the 3rd Mazda I've owned, and being a part of a family who has had Mazda's since the 60's - I can state that if reliability is a must, then your conversion to the brand is certain to be a long one. The Japanese reliability and build quality is on par with Japanese Toyota's and Hondas. Very low fault rate.

And if anything is out of the ordinary, the factory warranty replaces anything without an issue.

That's great to hear...thanks! We do our homework (I didn't on the Ion, which probably explains the disaster), and Mazda does have a great rep.

You are right!!! Nothing not to love about this vehicle!!! For a CUV, it just feels bigger overall from the outside and inside....

Yes, it's good-sized. Just look at older Jeep Grand Cherokes and older RX300's for example. They were considered to be mid-sized SUVs back in the day, but the CX-5 is about same length and actually wider which helps interior roominess.

Had my CX-5 for a month now, still honeymoon period I guess, runs great.(boom01)

I will make no comparisons to Saturn, not applicable.

Yep, the size of the CX-5 is perfect.

I remember a number of years ago I was eagerly awaiting the release of the Nissan X-Terra. I was on Nissan's mailing list and was hoping for a lightweight, 4 cylinder Suv that would deliver good fuel economy, that I could use for a daily driver. When it finally came out, i was really let down. It was an overweight, poor handling, slug, with terrible gas mileage. I car pooled with a co-worker who had one, and I was glad it was hers, and not mine. When Nissan came out with with the Rogue, I thought that maybe they would hit the sweet spot, but no. A CVT, are you kidding? Then, the Juke. If I went out to my garage in the morning and saw that, I would puke up my Cherios (Inodes, that's a breakfast cereal).

The CX-5 is the perfect blend of form and function, and I will bet that other car makers are in panic mode right now trying to figure out how to make a similar lightweight vehicle that can deliver competitive fuel economy with comparable interior room at a similar price point. My current daily driver, a Honda CRZ, gets about 39 miles per gallon, but it weighs 2600 lbs, and only holds 2 people. If the CX-5 had been available when I was shopping for a commuter car, the CRZ would have not even been considered.

Thankfully, the CX-5 arrived.

Lando said:

Yep, the size of the CX-5 is perfect.

I remember a number of years ago I was eagerly awaiting the release of the Nissan X-Terra. I was on Nissan's mailing list and was hoping for a lightweight, 4 cylinder Suv that would deliver good fuel economy, that I could use for a daily driver. When it finally came out, i was really let down. It was an overweight, poor handling, slug, with terrible gas mileage. I car pooled with a co-worker who had one, and I was glad it was hers, and not mine. When Nissan came out with with the Rogue, I thought that maybe they would hit the sweet spot, but no. A CVT, are you kidding? Then, the Juke. If I went out to my garage in the morning and saw that, I would puke up my Cherios (Inodes, that's a breakfast cereal).

The CX-5 is the perfect blend of form and function, and I will bet that other car makers are in panic mode right now trying to figure out how to make a similar lightweight vehicle that can deliver competitive fuel economy with comparable interior room at a similar price point. My current daily driver, a Honda CRZ, gets about 39 miles per gallon, but it weighs 2600 lbs, and only holds 2 people. If the CX-5 had been available when I was shopping for a commuter car, the CRZ would have not even been considered.

Thankfully, the CX-5 arrived.

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Thanks Lando for the clarification there. In Australia we consider Cherios to be an American confectionary (*joke* there by the way).
You might be interested to learn that the longest continuous annual car award is run by one of the main car magazines in Australia. It's a massive award process in which every new vehicle for the calendar year is tested vigorously. The car award is run by a magazine called "Wheels".

To be included the car must:
* Sell over a certain number of units to be considered (so an Aston Martin might not make cut, but 5 series BMW would)
* All models must include stability control and have lapsash seat belts in all seats
* Manufacturer has to supply vehicles

Vehicles are rated on their own form & function - so a Mercedes C class can easily be compared to a Mazda 2 - because they serve different functions.

Earlier this year, the winner was the Honda CR-Z:
http://motoring.ninemsn.com.au/spec...ctionid=7803067&subsectionname=wheelscoty2012

Previous winners include:

2003 Mazda RX-8 (Japan)
2004 Ford Territory (Australia)
2005 Mazda MX-5 (Japan)
2006 Holden Commodore (Australia)
2007 Mercedes-Benz C-Class (Germany)
2008 Honda Accord Euro (Japan)
2009 Volkswagen Golf (Germany)
2010 Volkswagen Polo (Germany)
2011 Honda CR-Z (Japan)

inodes said:

Thanks Lando for the clarification there. In Australia we consider Cherios to be an American confectionary (*joke* there by the way).
You might be interested to learn that the longest continuous annual car award is run by one of the main car magazines in Australia. It's a massive award process in which every new vehicle for the calendar year is tested vigorously. The car award is run by a magazine called "Wheels".

To be included the car must:
* Sell over a certain number of units to be considered (so an Aston Martin might not make cut, but 5 series BMW would)
* All models must include stability control and have lapsash seat belts in all seats
* Manufacturer has to supply vehicles

Vehicles are rated on their own form & function - so a Mercedes C class can easily be compared to a Mazda 2 - because they serve different functions.

Earlier this year, the winner was the Honda CR-Z:
http://motoring.ninemsn.com.au/spec...ctionid=7803067&subsectionname=wheelscoty2012

Previous winners include:

2003 Mazda RX-8 (Japan)
2004 Ford Territory (Australia)
2005 Mazda MX-5 (Japan)
2006 Holden Commodore (Australia)
2007 Mercedes-Benz C-Class (Germany)
2008 Honda Accord Euro (Japan)
2009 Volkswagen Golf (Germany)
2010 Volkswagen Polo (Germany)
2011 Honda CR-Z (Japan)

Click to expand...

We have something similar in the US (but not as exhaustive, unfortunately), but the results tend to be useless - many auto magazines take massive kickbacks from manufaturers on the backend. You, the consumer, read a glowing review for Car X - all the while the reviewer got free hotel suites, catered meals, and tickets to sporting events, among other things ($$$). So, the overall results are to be taken with a grain of salt...and chocolate sauce...and sprinkles...with a cherry on top.

Sounds like a trip to Columbia for some, among other things, lol.

BaronVonAwesome said:

We have something similar in the US (but not as exhaustive, unfortunately), but the results tend to be useless - many auto magazines take massive kickbacks from manufaturers on the backend.

Click to expand...

It's the reason I read this particular magazine and the reason it's being going on so long.
One thing Australians don't put up with is bullcrap. We read, we think and we throw stones at anything that doesn't read as "fair dinkum" (honest).

This particular magazine is known for calling a spade a spade, and that's what we like. They'll be very blunt about negatives (of all brands), and equally the positives (of all brands).

With this particular award, the magazine tends to include 1 or 2 judges. The remaining judges are from all walks of life with an involvement somewhere with with automotive. Whether it be experts on safety, or racing car drivers, members of government or journalists from competing magazines.

I think if you read some of their articles, you'd see the difference is clear.

The CR-Z was not flawless. They highlight the problems with the vehicle. They highlight problems with all vehicles. But to win it did the job it was designed for better than any other vehicle.

It was the tightest final group I've seen for this award in the last 10 years.
The final group included Ford Focus, Range Rover Evoque, Audi A6, Skoda Yeti and the VW Scirocco R.

But the other end of the spectrum, the first to be instant thrown out were the Holden Cruze (Australian built GM/Chev Cruze), Audi A7, Hyundai Elantra (Avante/i35), Jeep Grand Cherokee, Kia Optima, Lexus CT200h, Mercedes CLS, Mercedes SLK, Mini Countryman. Suzuki Swift and VW Passat.

That still left a massive list of competition.....

But you can see for example, if they were biased towards a brand like for example, Audi.... then they wouldn't put one at one end, and the other exiting early. The A6 and A7 are on same platform, but one was given big marks while the A7 had to prove it was really worth twice the price of the A6.

But they count money for what you get. One year the S Class Merc won the award with the price being considered excellent for its function and intended market. Where as the Mazda 2 almost toppled the Mercedes C Class one year (by 1 point), on the basis of just how good they both were for their intended market.

But you get the picture of the variance of vehicles.

Looking forward to seeing how CX-5 goes next year (it's only for models sold in the previous year for first time).

Our CX-5 honeymoon started yesterday with a Zeal Red Mica Touring Automatic. I hope the honeymoon last for several years, it's our first new car in 15 years. The CX-5 makes me feel younger, no, not that young just younger.

^ I feel younger just reading that, thanks.

I hit 2000 miles recently, no problems. 26.6 mpg calculated by hand. Still impressed by the mostly premium car feel, at a regular price.

drmoll2011 said:

My husband and I just bought the MT Sport CX-5 and I love it! We had two trucks, a Ford F-150 and a Toyota Tacoma. We're giving the F-150 to his son and keeping the Tacoma. Though we definitely wanted to keep a truck (we camp a lot), we HAD to have something with some reasonable mileage. We looked at Chevy Eco Cruises and Sonics (ick) but a car just doesn't "suit" us. I drove a used Ford Escape Hybrid and found it very uncomfortable - plus most of our driving is highway and the mileage was actually worse highway versus city, of course. The Equinox caught our eye but too many people said they couldn't get the promised 32 mpg, even with the manual transmission. Can't remember how I found it...Edmunds or something...but up popped the CX-5 and voila. We had our vehicle, and I love it. I wish I could've gotten one with more bells and whistles (something for Mazda to consider for the future), but for the price and the mpg you just can't beat it.

Especially important to us was the ground clearance, which in the CX-5 was a good inch at least higher than the Equinox. Critical for us given our...rustic...driveway.

I'm always nervous buying a brand new model. Once that worked out extremely well for me - I bought an Eagle Summit the first year, adored that car and drove the wheels off it. However, my Saturn Ion was an utter disaster. Hoping this one swings the pendulum the other way!

Click to expand...

Honeymoon period is well over, I hope CX is running good.

How about a followup report now that several months have passed....

drmoll2011 said:

My husband and I just bought the MT Sport CX-5 and I love it! ...

Click to expand...

Welcome!! Great to have another woman here who loves this car and all things car-related!

Its nice to see more folks opting for the manual. Cheaper+better mpgs= why buy the auto?

Mistersix said:

Its nice to see more folks opting for the manual. Cheaper+better mpgs= why buy the auto?

Click to expand...

Well, there are as many reasons as there are buyers. I'm almost 65 years old and this is the second automatic I've ever owned. Just don't see the need to "stir my own" on a practical vehicle like this crossover. Especially when the mileage is as stellar as it is with either tranny. Oh yea, plus the fact that my wife just had knee replacement surgery (clutch leg) and won't be able to drive her beloved Miata for a while. Is that enough reasons?

Why buy the auto?

Performance, convenience in real world urban/suburban driving conditions, AWD, plus ease of resale/resale value. BMW-like manual mode is best in class.

Mistersix said:

Its nice to see more folks opting for the manual. Cheaper+better mpgs= why buy the auto?

Click to expand...

I like manuals too but the purchase of the CX-5 was as my primary snow skiing car. I don't need AWD in a snow car (most of my previous ski cars have been FWD) but it does open up more parking options in the often rutted and hilly parking areas and a little less shoveling at the end of a powder day. Also, for some reason, there are a number of options that Mazda (for whatever reason) doesn't offer with the manual transmission.

Even if AWD was offered with the manual transmission I would have opted for the auto for it's better performance in the snow. There is no way a 6 speed could maintain traction as well under acceleration on slippery hills compared to a smooth shifting 6 speed auto like the one that comes with the CX-5. And the manual mode of the CX-5 auto transmission is perfectly suited, when needed, for downshifting.

MazdaDriverNJ said:

Welcome!! Great to have another woman here who loves this car and all things car-related!

Click to expand...

hehehehe I am here too! My husband is fond of the older Ford's and Holden's (70's) here in Australia but I have taken the role of the 'discerning' wise-one when it comes to newer cars (cabpatch)

paris1 said:

Well, there are as many reasons as there are buyers. I'm almost 65 years old and this is the second automatic I've ever owned. Just don't see the need to "stir my own" on a practical vehicle like this crossover. Especially when the mileage is as stellar as it is with either tranny. Oh yea, plus the fact that my wife just had knee replacement surgery (clutch leg) and won't be able to drive her beloved Miata for a while. Is that enough reasons?

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While the mileage is stellar compared to the competition, its not compared to its manual counterpart. 35>32 highway mpg's.

CX-SV said:

Why buy the auto?

Performance, convenience in real world urban/suburban driving conditions, AWD, plus ease of resale/resale value. BMW-like manual mode is best in class.

Click to expand...

Performance? Come on now. The sport manual would out perform that auto in every measurable aspect. And lol @ convenience in real world urban/suburban driving conditions. What convenience are you gaining really. For more money and less mpg's you can just select D? I've bought and sold many manual cars and never suffered a penalty that made me think, darn if only i bought the auto. I guess if i did buy the auto i could talk about how "BMW-like" it is.(scratch)

MikeM. said:

I like manuals too but the purchase of the CX-5 was as my primary snow skiing car. I don't need AWD in a snow car (most of my previous ski cars have been FWD) but it does open up more parking options in the often rutted and hilly parking areas and a little less shoveling at the end of a powder day. Also, for some reason, there are a number of options that Mazda (for whatever reason) doesn't offer with the manual transmission.

Even if AWD was offered with the manual transmission I would have opted for the auto for it's better performance in the snow. There is no way a 6 speed could maintain traction as well under acceleration on slippery hills compared to a smooth shifting 6 speed auto like the one that comes with the CX-5. And the manual mode of the CX-5 auto transmission is perfectly suited, when needed, for downshifting.

Click to expand...

I've driven auto's and manny's in the snow. Give me a manny any day. Of course i'm not driving up mountain sides such as yourself.

In other countries manual's dominate auto's in sell's. Not here in America though. I've gotta ask why? In a country were people cry about the price of gas on a regular basis, why would they opt for worse.

I just don't get it. More money, less efficient and almost every way. They're heavier, more parasitic, and this reflects in an engines overall efficiency. Yet Americans are ok with that. Because moving your leg and/or arm is just asking to much? Because the seats don't heat up in that model? Because it doesn't have the big rims? Or navigation?

I don't mean to be standoff-ish. But it seems anytime i post something about the manual option people on this forum feel they need to come and defend they're choice. There's nothing more to say than i just don't wanna shift such as paris1 did. Claiming that its the better choice because it comes with completely unnecessary options is just silly.

But what i do get is people buy different cars for different reasons. And thats beauty of it i suppose. So go ahead automatic drivers. Let me have it. Meanwhile, congrats to the OP on your choice of automobile. I'm past my honeymoon with the 5 and i still love it.