CX-5 potential buyer -questions

carfan1111

Member
:
thiningmazda
Hi, Im looking to buy a CUV for my daily driver. CRV is out because it has no soul. I like the forester XT but its too $$$, plus I stay away from CVT. New Rav4, maybe if it still have the old V6, pass. Ford escape, still considering.

I have focused on CX5, because: good gas, no cvt, fun to drive, I park in downtown garages so I want something that handles and is nimble.

Questions:
1) Are 2016 changes warrant to trump over getting a used 2015/2014? I prefer to keep my money down and not go for a new that approaches 30K
2) how is the road noise in the 2014/2015?
3) how does the cx5 handle wind, ie does it get knocked around?
4) are you satisfied with the awd system? my other car is a audi suv so that awd has me spoiled :/
5) how has the reliability been? I work 12 hour days so have no time to go back and forth to dealers.

thanks folks!
 
1) Yes
2) Not bad
3) I haven't noticed being blown around too badly.
4) dunno, mine is FWD.
5) The infotainment sucks on the pre-2016, I assume the 2016 and after is better?? Other than that, reliability has been fine so far, but, I still have less than 9,000 miles so far.
 
1) The infotainment is better: larger screen, better GPS, better functionality.
However, owning both infotainments (the other in a Mazda 3), I can tell you the pre-2016 is not that bad IMHO. Bluetooth / Pandora works well for me and I have an external GPS unit. Perhaps the GPS (which can be had in the Toruing as well) is the best aspect. That said, if I had to buy now, I would try to get the 2016.
2) No complaints about road/wind noise.
3) No real problem with wind, except its effect on gas millage, when driving against it.
4) Unfortunately, 3rd year of drought, I had very little chance to tell. This year's snowfall was just sad. While driving on dry pavement, I can feel the rear axle pushing the car forward while applying power in a turn (and no real slip to speak of). From a stop, I can feel the lag of the rear when the front slips a tiny little bit.
5) I had hood and driver-side mirror shake, both taken care of. Based on this forum, almost no issues were reported. Very few people reported transmission related issues, a fraction of those had valve body replaced. Some people reported mysterious windshield cracks.
 
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Hi, Im looking to buy a CUV for my daily driver. CRV is out because it has no soul. I like the forester XT but its too $$$, plus I stay away from CVT. New Rav4, maybe if it still have the old V6, pass. Ford escape, still considering.

I have focused on CX5, because: good gas, no cvt, fun to drive, I park in downtown garages so I want something that handles and is nimble.

Questions:
1) Are 2016 changes warrant to trump over getting a used 2015/2014? I prefer to keep my money down and not go for a new that approaches 30K
2) how is the road noise in the 2014/2015?
3) how does the cx5 handle wind, ie does it get knocked around?
4) are you satisfied with the awd system? my other car is a audi suv so that awd has me spoiled :/
5) how has the reliability been? I work 12 hour days so have no time to go back and forth to dealers.

thanks folks!

1. Can't answer that - mine's a 2015.
2. Road noise is not bad at all.
3. The CX-5 does pretty good in the wind - much better than the 2010 CRV I had.
4. The AWD did just fine this Winter - its performance exceeded my expectations. My other SUV is a Mercedes Benz GLK 350 4Matic.
5. Reliability has been fine so far.

Regards:
Oldengineer
 
Hi, Im looking to buy a CUV for my daily driver. CRV is out because it has no soul. I like the forester XT but its too $$$, plus I stay away from CVT. New Rav4, maybe if it still have the old V6, pass. Ford escape, still considering.

I have focused on CX5, because: good gas, no cvt, fun to drive, I park in downtown garages so I want something that handles and is nimble.

Questions:
1) Are 2016 changes warrant to trump over getting a used 2015/2014? I prefer to keep my money down and not go for a new that approaches 30K
2) how is the road noise in the 2014/2015?
3) how does the cx5 handle wind, ie does it get knocked around?
4) are you satisfied with the awd system? my other car is a audi suv so that awd has me spoiled :/
5) how has the reliability been? I work 12 hour days so have no time to go back and forth to dealers.

We test drove a 2015 before buying our 2016 (Grand Touring with Tech Package). We prefered the looks of the 2016. I think the interior upgrades are a huge improvement as well.

The 2016 is noticably quieter than the 2015 we test drove. After driving the 2015 we were actually leaning towards the CR-V, but the CVT concerned me (wife didn't care one way or another). After testing a 2016 CX5, we were convince to buy.

Our commute and where we live are pretty consistently windy and while the wind is noticable in the CX5, I don't think it's any worse that our previous Mazda 3 or my Accord.

Ours in front wheel drive so I can't comment on the capabilities. We test drove an AWD and in our test drive here in Socal I can say it was completly invisible to us, though it did feel a bit heavier than the one we bought.

Reliability....2 months and 4000+ miles with no issues yet
 
1) Are 2016 changes warrant to trump over getting a used 2015/2014? I prefer to keep my money down and not go for a new that approaches 30K
Honestly, if I was in the market for a new vehicle, I would hands-down invest in a 2016 model. They've improved it greatly, especially the major complaint, being that of the infotainment system. I've seen posts where people have bought one for under 30K, so I guess it varies state-by-state and how good you are at negotiating. If you are not interested, or care about the infotainment, then I see no reason why you shouldn't get a used '14/'15.

2) how is the road noise in the 2014/2015?
Overall, not bad. It's not completely quiet but it's not so loud that I can't hear my music.

3) how does the cx5 handle wind, ie does it get knocked around?
No issues with this.

4) are you satisfied with the awd system?
I've heard that the AWD system is great - I've personally never tested its ability, but I am confident it would do well.

5) how has the reliability been? I work 12 hour days so have no time to go back and forth to dealers.
So far so good!
 
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My 2015 GT has been reliable, extremely good handling, comfortable and reasonably quiet. Now for the negatives, infotainment system is crap, but a fix is apparently available and am waiting for the new module. When it is warm out the car sounds and drives well. However when cold, the engine sounds terrible like it is straining, sounds OK when warmed up. Sound of the engine is ok not very sporty, sounds like typical 4 cylinder. In the cold weather the dashboard creaks and rattles horribly. When warm it goes away. Overall I don't think the body structure is anywhere as good as my 2009 Jetta Sportwagen or my 2012 Shelby Mustang. Build quality is OK, nothing exceptional. Electronics have some quirks which are annoying but livable. The auto climate control system will not retain your settings when shut off. As soon as you press on it sets what it wants to set. I use it manually. The auto door locks will lock the doors when I am putting gas in the car, again annoying but not a reason for not purchasing. The gas mileage has been generally poorer than expected. It is the first car I have recently bought that has not averaged its city number in the driving I do.
My previous Jetta with a 2.0 gas turbo was rated lower by the EPA but consistently had averaged 20% better mileage than the CX5. I have had many Mazda's in my life, currently an original 1990 Miata and my wife drives a Mazda 5 while both my kids have Mazda 3's. This is the first Mazda that has not exceeded my expectations, again mostly on its systems, not on its driving characteristics.
 
Fatboy, I really think there's something not quite right with your GT. My wife's GT only runs rough for the first 30 seconds to warm up the cat, which is expected and outlined in user's manual. Ours never creaks, cold or hot. Not even sure what are you talking about. Calling Skyactiv body structure inferior to 09 Jetta is kind of out of touch. Go read about both.
Climate control on ours always goes back to what it has been set to prior to shut off. That's the whole premise. And heated seats too. You can set your doors to not lock wen the key is out of range.
I find the gas mileage to be exceptional for the heavier AWD vehicle with high frontal and side profile.
We're just back from a 1000+ miles trip, and I'm not sure I'd be more pleased driving my '14 Tahoe. Very economical (7.2L/100 km or 32.7 MPG calculated at the pump, mainly at 60mph) and planted on the road.
Entertainment, eh? Just look around and talk to your loved one while driving. We're not kids anymore, who cares about BT streaming, gee...
I'm very impressed with the package overall. No VW for me, I've been in the car repair trade long enough...
 
First I said the engine does not sound good when that cold, nothing wrong with the car. Might have to do with the direct injection. Motor trend noticed the same thing on their long term Mazda 3 with the same engine. Since I am pretty sure you have not owned a 2009 Jetta how can you same that the Mazda is better. In five years that car was as solid as the day I drove it out of the dealer. The car has not delivered good gas mileage in the type of driving I do compared to my Jetta which had more power and was much quicker. As the sticker says your mileage may differ. I am comparing it to what I had before. I'm sorry if you think the infotainment system is not important but to me it is. I prefer my own music and this car's system was worse than my Jetta and doesn't compare to my Mustang which has sync which has been panned by everyone.
I don't have kids much older than you are and these are my preferences and my experience with this car. Thank you for your advise but you go your way I'll go mine. By the way my VW was very reliable for the 5 years I owned it. Interior design far better and climate control would retain what I set!
 
First I said the engine does not sound good when that cold, nothing wrong with the car. Might have to do with the direct injection. Motor trend noticed the same thing on their long term Mazda 3 with the same engine. Since I am pretty sure you have not owned a 2009 Jetta how can you same that the Mazda is better. In five years that car was as solid as the day I drove it out of the dealer. The car has not delivered good gas mileage in the type of driving I do compared to my Jetta which had more power and was much quicker. As the sticker says your mileage may differ. I am comparing it to what I had before. I'm sorry if you think the infotainment system is not important but to me it is. I prefer my own music and this car's system was worse than my Jetta and doesn't compare to my Mustang which has sync which has been panned by everyone.
I don't have kids much older than you are and these are my preferences and my experience with this car. Thank you for your advise but you go your way I'll go mine. By the way my VW was very reliable for the 5 years I owned it. Interior design far better and climate control would retain what I set!

What are you experiencing for mileage? My typical is 27-28MPG which I have no issues with for a CUV with AWD. A straight out FWD sedan with similar engine is going to generally exceed that by a noticeable amount.
 
Fatboy, I didn't mean to offend you, and I'm sorry if I did, but that's what I said, gotta be something not right with the car. It is supposed to retain A/C settings, that's all...
Yes, the sound from the engine for the first 30 seconds is not pleasant. The ignition timing is way off on purpose to warm up the catalytic converter as fast as possible. The high engine efficiency combined with long exhaust mandates that. But you can start driving right away, and the sound will instantly become normal, the cat warms up as you drive.
If you don't mind me asking, why did you part with your VW in just 5 years? Honestly, I'd do the same, as soon as warranty is up. Every car would have its own gremlins, but I'd put much more trust in this new platform Mazda.
 
IMO...The startup noise from the CX-5 is the most unrefined aspect of the vehicle. :) I do not think about it now but realize the un-suspecting driver might think something is wrong. It really isn't a big deal once you drive the CX and realize what a fun & frugal rig it is.

Maybe this doesn't work for everyone but truly if you are an owner and not getting the MPGs you think you should.. turn on the real time MPG. This will give you a better idea on how to get the best MPG.
 
I have averaged about 22 mpg. Best was 28mpg on a mostly highway trip. On every tank I record the computer mpg and calculated mpg and my computer averages them. Usually not that far off so I believe my mileage is accurate. Now that I have 5000 miles on the car hope the mileage improves. It is not a bad car just a disappoint to me. Don't like the climate control although it heats and cools fine. In the winter I prefer driving with the defroster and floor vents both on. It resets itself to floor vents unless you use it manually. Again maybe nit picking but most cars are reliable today, it is the functioning of the systems within the car that make the car enjoyable or not. While I appreciate that the car handles well, in normal driving it is no better than my friends Forester. (Don't start telling me about its CVT and interior). I don't autocross this car it's basically a modern station wagon, I expect it to run reliably (it does) and function well (mediocre).
I drive alone 95% of the time and I enjoy listening to my IPOD or USB drive. In this case Mazda put the worst piece of garbage that would be out of place in a car half its price. Unforgivable to me! Hopefully it will be fixed next week.
With that said me older Jetta Sportwagen was a better car in almost all respects except seat comfort. Seats are far superior to the Jetta.
 
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No VW for me, I've been in the car repair trade long enough...
By the way my VW was very reliable for the 5 years I owned it. Interior design far better and climate control would retain what I set!
As a used to be loyal VW owner and bought 3 new VW's, I have to agree with yugrus that VW's definitely have been infamous for unreliable. While your Jetta SportWagen may be trouble free for five years, wait until the next owner of your VW who will start to spend tons of money for repairs, especially the turbo charger which is known for failure. I guess you're lucky and smart getting rid of your Jetta SportWagen in five years! My VW Passat V6 is burning 1 quart of oil per 800~1K miles since new; had torn CV boots at 38K miles; flooded floorpan and trunk from leaky moonroof drains which almost killed Comfort Module sitting on the floor; now a broken water pump at 57 miles which requires expensive timing belt replacement! These were not just isolated incidents, the same issues happened to most of Passat owners!
 
I have averaged about 22 mpg. Best was 28mpg on a mostly highway trip. On every tank I record the computer mpg and calculated mpg and my computer averages them. Usually not that far off so I believe my mileage is accurate. Now that I have 5000 miles on the car hope the mileage improves. It is not a bad car just a disappoint to me. Don't like the climate control although it heats and cools fine. In the winter I prefer driving with the defroster and floor vents both on. It resets itself to floor vents unless you use it manually. Again maybe nit picking but most cars are reliable today, it is the functioning of the systems within the car that make the car enjoyable or not. While I appreciate that the car handles well, in normal driving it is no better than my friends Forester. (Don't start telling me about its CVT and interior). I don't autocross this car it's basically a modern station wagon, I expect it to run reliably (it does) and function well (mediocre).
I drive alone 95% of the time and I enjoy listening to my IPOD or USB drive. In this case Mazda put the worst piece of garbage that would be out of place in a car half its price. Unforgivable to me! Hopefully it will be fixed next week.
With that said me older Jetta Sportwagen was a better car in almost all respects except seat comfort. Seats are far superior to the Jetta.

My wife has had her 2016 CX-5 a few weeks, about 600 miles of combined city and highway driving. Her MPG is 22.
 
First of all, I have a fully loaded 2016 sole CX-5 and am loving every minute of driving it. I find reasons to take it out to run an "errand". In regard to noise; I guess it all depends on what car you are coming from. If you are coming from luxury, it might be noisy. Consumer reports documented that the class of SUVs is average for noise. I think my car is quiet, but I have always got my Bose vibrating.
Don't put yourself in a position of regretting not getting the bells and whistles. People usually don't buy cars that often.
There is no way you could get all the options available on this car in a Audi , BMW or Lexus and pay the same price. I tried and it would be much much more. I think the CX-5 IS caught between a luxury and an everyday small SUV. It's my first time buying a red car; it appears to have been a good decision. Being a rational,reasonable and contemplating guy, I tried not to buy it. Nevertheless, it was the best choice and i am glad I did it.
 
First of all, I have a fully loaded 2016 sole CX-5 and am loving every minute of driving it. I find reasons to take it out to run an "errand". In regard to noise; I guess it all depends on what car you are coming from. If you are coming from luxury, it might be noisy. Consumer reports documented that the class of SUVs is average for noise. I think my car is quiet, but I have always got my Bose vibrating.
Don't put yourself in a position of regretting not getting the bells and whistles. People usually don't buy cars that often.
There is no way you could get all the options available on this car in a Audi , BMW or Lexus and pay the same price. I tried and it would be much much more. I think the CX-5 IS caught between a luxury and an everyday small SUV. It's my first time buying a red car; it appears to have been a good decision. Being a rational,reasonable and contemplating guy, I tried not to buy it. Nevertheless, it was the best choice and i am glad I did it.

Love those last two lines! :)
 
Yes .....the practical pragmatic conservative guy said to himself that you don't NEED that exciting of a vehicle. If your looking at that class of SUV, a reliable vehicle with four wheels and a steering wheel is what you should buy. It is when I reminded myself that I would be driving the SUV everyday for YEARS that I came to my senses. I realize that I am still infatuated with the CX-5, but I bought it for my future and not for a quick thrill.
 
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