Prospective CX-5 owner. Which model year/trim do I want?

First, a little about myself. I've driven a Pontiac Vibe for the last 10 years (188k trouble free miles!) but it recently met its untimely demise. I had been eyeing the Honda HRV as a good replacement, but it's pretty underwhelming for the price. Now I've mostly narrowed the field down to a lightly used CX-5 or a 2008 Vibe (that was the last year before they redesigned/ruined it).

What model years should I be looking at? I'd like 20k-40k miles on it, so I'm thinking something in the 2014-2016 range. What are the key differences between those years? Do any of the years have known issues I should be aware of?

It kills me that Mazda hasn't jumped on board with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. It looks like replacing the 2016 unit with an aftermarket unit is a real bear. Can it be done with a 2014/2015 and still retain the other functionality? Should I just quit complaining and be happy with what it has?

I'm annoyed that the seats in the Sport don't lie flat, but $3k is a pretty big jump to the Touring (used prices). What are the other features that make the Touring worth that much more, or should I just go with the Sport and cope with the lame non-flat seats?

Things that are important to me:
- Price. Part of my satisfaction with a car is not paying much for it
- Fuel economy. I have a long commute and gas won't be this cheap forever
- Apple CarPlay
- Non-crappy user interfaces

Any help you can provide would be much appreciated.

EDIT: I found another thread with most of the answers to my question (http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123855456-New-to-forum-getting-cx-5)
but feel free if you have anything to chime in specific to my case

I'd get the 2.0 in a heartbeat coming from a Pontiac Vibe, especially if it was sufficient for you in the performance dept. I think the Touring is the lowest practical trim level for a non-fleet vehicle. It was a huge downgrade in luxury from what I used to drive, but it still has all of the things that actually matter to me, more or less.

Unobtanium said:

I'd get the 2.0 in a heartbeat coming from a Pontiac Vibe, especially if it was sufficient for you in the performance dept.

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For the record, my Vibe could do 0-60 in 10 flat! (With no one else in the car, on a slight decline.)

Werechull said:

For the record, my Vibe could do 0-60 in 10 flat! (With no one else in the car, on a slight decline.)

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Sounds like my G20, 2002 (Sentra Spec V). It was actually a fun little car because it handled so well after I replaced all the shocks/struts. It did leave a lot to be desired though, and I felt uncomfortable in it many times. The 2.5L CX-5 is the second slowest car I've ever owned, and it's right on that borderline of being uncomfortable (for me) in safety due to slowness.

Best bang for the buck is 2014+ Touring with Tech Package. If you can afford it though, I feel that the most enjoyable choice is a 2014+ Grand Touring with Tech Package. With that choice, other than the average engine performance, you will wonder why you would even consider a luxury brand CUV/SUV. If money is not a problem, I would get a 2016 Grand Touring with Tech Package. The 2016s have a more premium interior in GT trim and those LED headlights/taillights look great.

Edit: Yes there is no Apple Carplay support. However unless Carplay will support the Waze app, I won't even consider using it for navigation. That said, the navigation piece is better than the tom-tom navigation I have on my 2013 Mazdaspeed3. For other stuff, like playing music, it does fine and connects to Bluetooth pretty quickly. It can be buggy at times though.

finch204 said:

Best bang for the buck is 2014+ Touring with Tech Package. If you can afford it though, I feel that the most enjoyable choice is a 2014+ Grand Touring with Tech Package. With that choice, other than the average engine performance, you will wonder why you would even consider a luxury brand CUV/SUV. If money is not a problem, I would get a 2016 Grand Touring with Tech Package. The 2016s have a more premium interior in GT trim and those LED headlights/taillights look great.

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What am I missing out on without the Tech Package?

The GT has leather standard, right? I'd prefer fabric. (Leather sucks in Phoenix as it stays hot longer than fabric.) I notice the GT has larger rims. Does that mean they're low profile tires? If so, I'd worry about punctures on dirt roads.

EDIT: I did my own homework and looked up the tech package. Looks like moonroof, Bose audio, headlights, and some additional safety features. Does this mean if I don't get that package, it doesn't have a moonroof? I'd assumed it was standard. The moonroof is actually a negative for me--I'd rather have the 2" additional headroom. Bose would be nice to have, but if I don't get it I probably won't miss it. I've seen a lot of praise for the LED lights, so those must be a nice bonus. Are the additional safety features all that worthwhile?

finch204 said:

Best bang for the buck is 2014+ Touring with Tech Package.

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I just bought a 2016.5 Grand Touring and I specifically wanted one without the tech package. $1,500 for LED lights? Lol... I'll pass thanks...

The Grand Touring has the Bose, Moonroof and 19" wheels. The tech package is just lights and something else that I can't recall...

finch204 said:

Best bang for the buck is 2014+ Touring with Tech Package. If you can afford it though, I feel that the most enjoyable choice is a 2014+ Grand Touring with Tech Package. With that choice, other than the average engine performance, you will wonder why you would even consider a luxury brand CUV/SUV. If money is not a problem, I would get a 2016 Grand Touring with Tech Package. The 2016s have a more premium interior in GT trim and those LED headlights/taillights look great.

Edit: Yes there is no Apple Carplay support. However unless Carplay will support the Waze app, I won't even consider using it for navigation. That said, the navigation piece is better than the tom-tom navigation I have on my 2013 Mazdaspeed3. For other stuff, like playing music, it does fine and connects to Bluetooth pretty quickly. It can be buggy at times though.

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I think it'll be a long while before Carplay allows non-Apple navigation apps. Only just now in iOS 10 are they letting some third party access to Siri!

Werechull said:

What am I missing out on without the Tech Package?

The GT has leather standard, right? I'd prefer fabric. (Leather sucks in Phoenix as it stays hot longer than fabric.) I notice the GT has larger rims. Does that mean they're low profile tires? If so, I'd worry about punctures on dirt roads.

EDIT: I did my own homework and looked up the tech package. Looks like moonroof, Bose audio, headlights, and some additional safety features. Does this mean if I don't get that package, it doesn't have a moonroof? I'd assumed it was standard. The moonroof is actually a negative for me--I'd rather have the 2" additional headroom. Bose would be nice to have, but if I don't get it I probably won't miss it. I've seen a lot of praise for the LED lights, so those must be a nice bonus. Are the additional safety features all that worthwhile?

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The GT has leather yes, which is something the wife and myself really wanted. It does get hot in the Texas summer, but as long as you mind how you park, it has not been a problem for us. Yes the GT also has 19 inch wheels, with the 2016 having a really good looking wheel design. The GT comes with 225/55/19 tires, so they are not low profile tires. The GT comes standard with the moonroof and Bose system, otherwise they are a package option for the Touring trim. If you get a Touring with just the Tech Package, there shouldn't be a moonroof on it.

The LED headlights on our CX-5 seem to light up the road better than the Xenon headlights on my Mazdaspeed3, but I don't think the difference is significant enough to sway your decision. That said, the design of the LED headlights, tail lights and DLRs available on the 2016 with Tech, looks awesome.

Whether the safety features are worthwhile totally depends on how you value safety features. In Touring trim, the CX-5 already has some pretty good safety features, like blind-spot monitoring and a backup rearview camera. I purchased our CX-5 mainly as my wife's daily driver, which will also mainly transport our kids, so I wanted as much safety features as I can get. I would have even got the iActive-sense package, but it was out of our budget. So I settled for the GT with Tech Package, which gets the Smart City Brake Support system. This helps prevent common low speed accidents, like bumping into the car ahead on a stop sign, or looking left while trying to make a right turn when you think the car ahead of you already made the turn.

Below are the tech package options for the various model years.

2014 Tech Package:
The Technology package available on both Touring and Grand Touring models tacks on the Smart City Brake Support System, automatic and adaptive bi-xenon headlights, an auto-dimming mirror, satellite radio and a TomTom-powered navigation system. The latter two items are available as stand-alone options. The Touring version of this package includes automatic wipers, while the Grand Touring version gets keyless ignition/entry.

2015 Tech Package:
Available on both the Touring and Grand Touring, the Technology package tacks on the Smart City Brake Support System, automatic and adaptive bi-xenon headlights, an auto-dimming mirror, satellite radio and a navigation system. The latter two items are available as stand-alone options. The Touring version of this package also includes automatic wipers.

2016 Tech Package:
Available on both the Touring and Grand Touring is the Technology package. It features a navigation system, the Smart City Brake Support System, adaptive LED headlights, LED running lights, LED foglights, LED taillights and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. On the Touring, it also includes automatic headlights and automatic windshield wipers.

Oncebitten said:

I just bought a 2016.5 Grand Touring and I specifically wanted one without the tech package. $1,500 for LED lights? Lol... I'll pass thanks...

The Grand Touring has the Bose, Moonroof and 19" wheels. The tech package is just lights and something else that I can't recall...

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The adaptive headlights, which are LED headlights on the 2016 are a pretty awesome option. Some manufacturers don't even offer the option of adaptive headlights and you have to spend a lot to get this option in a luxury car. It lights up the road when you turn and generally just helps you spot things better, like bikes on the road, animals, kids, etc... Everytime I go back to driving a car without adaptive headlights at night, I always miss the feature. Now I'm not saying it is a must have for everyone, but after driving a car for years with one (the Mazdaspeed3 also has this), it has become almost a must have option for me. You also get the Smart City Brake Support system, which is a safety feature I want, plus the auto-dimming mirror which is nice. You also get NAV, which I don't use, but I assume other people will want to use it. Lastly, I love the headlights, tail-lights and DLRs on the 2016. They are one of the reasons I chose a 2016 GT with Tech Package over a 2015 GT with Tech Package. I think Mazda's Tech Package for the 2016 CX-5 is worth $1,500.

craigo said:

I think it'll be a long while before Carplay allows non-Apple navigation apps. Only just now in iOS 10 are they letting some third party access to Siri!

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You are right and it is unfortunate, but Apple will be Apple.

finch204 said:

The GT has leather yes...

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Very informative post, particularly the breakdown of Tech Packages by year. Thank you!

Did the Vibe have mods on it?

Werechull said:

...Now I've mostly narrowed the field down to a lightly used CX-5 or a 2008 Vibe (that was the last year before they redesigned/ruined it)...

Things that are important to me:
- Price. Part of my satisfaction with a car is not paying much for it...
[/B]

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There's bound to be a significant difference in price with these choices? The best car ever made is a paid for car with some life left in it. If you can cash the Vibe but need to finance the CX-5 I think I'd go with the Vibe.

As for year and model CX-5. The only important choices are 2.0L or 2.5L, manual vs auto trans and 2WD vs AWD. The rest is fluff. What's your budget? Find the lowest milage, best condition, within your budget and live with the truly unimportant bling and doo-dads it comes with or live with what it lacks. Who cares! I mean really isn't the longevity of your money more important than 17" or 19" wheels, tracking headlights and auto-sensing brakes? (Tesla anyone?)

You should wait for 2017 cx-5 and see what Mazda upgrade on. I think in 2017 cx-5 they might add apple auto and maybe they add led headlight as standard option. I have 2015 cx-5 touring, the center console is very slow and boring. Even on my touring 2.5L engine, I still think cx-5 is a under power car. Sure you can drive it around town and highway fine, but I am the guy that like floor the car at red light.

hek8560 said:

You should wait for 2017 cx-5 and see what Mazda upgrade on. I think in 2017 cx-5 they might add apple auto and maybe they add led headlight as standard option. I have 2015 cx-5 touring, the center console is very slow and boring. Even on my touring 2.5L engine, I still think cx-5 is a under power car. Sure you can drive it around town and highway fine, but I am the guy that like floor the car at red light.

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Turns into a fuel grade and mileage vs. Power thing. A used glk 350 4matic...THE way to go for a peppy cuv

Yes the Toyota Vibe is a pretty reliable car...

Going by your comments and your list of needs and wants... low price, no leather, seats that fold flat, and cheaper gas...

To me, the BLIND SPOT MONITOR is the biggest important difference between the Sport/Touring

A 2013 Touring will give you your cheapest price, and fuel economy w 2.0L. (Downsides are some minor first year model issues like the door mirror and hood vibration.)

A 2014-2015 Touring will have less fuel economy because of the 2.5L. (Real world difference between 2.0, and 2.5 engines is ~ 3-4 mpg.)

A 2016-up Touring will be the best quality available because of all the updates and improvements in infotainment, sound deadening, center control knob.

Chris_Top_Her said:

Did the Vibe have mods on it?

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Well, I added an iPod (30 pin) adapter, then a few years later added a 30 pin to headphone adapter. That's pretty much it. I thought about adding a bike fork mount inside but then I got a bike with disc brakes so it wouldn't have worked. (http://fcdn.mtbr.com/attachments/ca...oof-hitch-experiences-kratekraigbike-back.jpg)

old-school said:

There's bound to be a significant difference in price with these choices? The best car ever made is a paid for car with some life left in it. If you can cash the Vibe but need to finance the CX-5 I think I'd go with the Vibe.

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Whatever car I get will be paid for in cash.

old-school said:

As for year and model CX-5. The only important choices are 2.0L or 2.5L, manual vs auto trans and 2WD vs AWD. The rest is fluff. What's your budget?

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Budget is around $20k. Automatic, FWD. I feel like the 2.0L would be too underpowered even for me. The HP/weight ratio is slightly better than the Vibe's, but since it's bigger I'd probably ask it to carry more.

hek8560 said:

You should wait for 2017 cx-5 and see what Mazda upgrade on.

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I can't wait. My Vibe is totaled (no my fault according to the police on seen and the witness who gave a statement, but the other driver's insurance disagrees). Also, if I waited for the 2017 I'd have to wait a full year so I could buy it used.

mazdadude said:

To me, the BLIND SPOT MONITOR is the biggest important difference between the Sport/Touring.

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What does Blind Spot Monitoring mean in a Mazda? Does it display your blind spot on the console? Does it chirp if you put your indicator on and it detects something there?

On an unrelated note, I tried to get the carpets out of my Vibe today in case I decide on a Vibe that doesn't have carpet. It turns out body shops are big believers in razor wire. I'll have to try again during regular business hours.

Right now I'm leaning toward a Vibe just to postpone the decision a bit. The problem is they're holding their value too well. I can't find one that's listed for less than a couple grand over blue book--ridiculous for an 8 year old car with 120k miles! Anyway, if all goes well we'll need to replace my wife's car (2007 Mazda 3s GT) with something bigger within a year and my wife really wants a fully loaded 2016 CX-5 GT, so it feels sort of redundant if I get myself a CX-5. We'll see. I'm doing an Avis Car Sales 3 day test drive tomorrow of a 2016 Touring (standard package, 30k miles, $20,300). I should have a better feel for what I want after that.

Werechull said:

Budget is around $20k. Automatic, FWD. I feel like the 2.0L would be too underpowered even for me. The HP/weight ratio is slightly better than the Vibe's, but since it's bigger I'd probably ask it to carry more.

What does Blind Spot Monitoring mean in a Mazda? Does it display your blind spot on the console? Does it chirp if you put your indicator on and it detects something there?

Test drive tomorrow of a 2016 Touring (standard package, 30k miles, $20,300). I should have a better feel for what I want after that.

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Some important points on your comments quoted

BSM is a light that comes on your side rear mirrors, if you give an indicator with a car in blind spot it beeps at you. Very nice.
Buying a car from Avis is fine, I own a Hertz Corolla but be very careful your throttle response will be worse than a used car from a dealership (if it is not rental - dealers sell rental fleet too but don't openly declare it). This is because rentals are abused and people put their foot down too often. I am not saying don't buy a rental but be wary of this fact.
2nd thing is the Rental Avis car is worth about 500 to 1000 less than a similar used Touring and that little difference will be there forever - there is a reason Trucar / KBB asks this specific question that if your car has ever been used in a Fleet.

My corolla was 25K miles - I would say at 30K the 2.5 L is almost as reliable as Corolla engine and you should be good.

If you do not need a CX-5 for size and like you said have a long commute I would recommend the 6. At 20K you can get a 2016 Touring with 5-8K miles on it. Good amount of warranty - should be quicker than CX-5 with 38 mpg on highway.

Please do not consider a 2015 or lower for that $1000 or so - there is a huge difference in center console + noise insulation. 2016 CX-5 has seen lot of cross shopping from luxury owners - hence in most cities the GT trims will outnumber sport + touring at most dealerships.

Looking at a pdf of 2015 features and packages, I don't see a Safety Package listed. Was it not available then? What is my wife gonna miss out on safety feature wise if she goes with a loaded 2015 GT instead of a loaded 2016 GT?

BSM and SCBS are available on a '15. I have them.

'16+ can build on with quite a number more...

http://www.mazda.com/en/innovation/technology/safety/i-activsense/

IIRC....from the FSM this is also on any vehicle with SCBS

http://www.mazda.com/en/innovation/technology/safety/precrash_safety/at/

Kaps said:

Some important points on your comments quoted

BSM is a light that comes on your side rear mirrors, if you give an indicator with a car in blind spot it beeps at you. Very nice.
Buying a car from Avis is fine, I own a Hertz Corolla but be very careful your throttle response will be worse than a used car from a dealership (if it is not rental - dealers sell rental fleet too but don't openly declare it). This is because rentals are abused and people put their foot down too often. I am not saying don't buy a rental but be wary of this fact.
2nd thing is the Rental Avis car is worth about 500 to 1000 less than a similar used Touring and that little difference will be there forever - there is a reason Trucar / KBB asks this specific question that if your car has ever been used in a Fleet.

My corolla was 25K miles - I would say at 30K the 2.5 L is almost as reliable as Corolla engine and you should be good.

If you do not need a CX-5 for size and like you said have a long commute I would recommend the 6. At 20K you can get a 2016 Touring with 5-8K miles on it. Good amount of warranty - should be quicker than CX-5 with 38 mpg on highway.

Please do not consider a 2015 or lower for that $1000 or so - there is a huge difference in center console + noise insulation. 2016 CX-5 has seen lot of cross shopping from luxury owners - hence in most cities the GT trims will outnumber sport + touring at most dealerships.

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ROFL! No, rental cars are not slow or less responsible. Mine absolutely destroys half the cars on this forum if you listen to the wheedling about "mine won't go, I don't understand, I wish I had sport mode", and I've clocked it at 7.8 seconds 0-60, just like the auto mags are getting. Who told you that/how did you come to that conclusion/can I race you for money in my former rental CX-5? You can even use Sport-mode, and I'll drive to Dallas to do it (it's literally right on my way to San Antonio from where I live)

As to 30k miles proving anything about an engine, how? Nothing dies in 30k miles except legit factory defects.

If $1000 is the difference in year models of similar condition...DUDE! SPEND THE GRAND!

PS. My 2015 has BSM, and the NAV system is better than the 2016's from everything I've read. If I choose to install it, I will have live traffic, etc.

The safety package as far as I know is just idiot material. It keeps you from rear-ending someone at 15mph if you're dicking with your cell-phone in a traffic jam. So be smart and don't.