CX-5 Longevity

HI all. I am new to the group, but not new to Mazda. My first car was an 86 RX-7. Never should have sold that car...

Fast forward a few (15 or so years).. I am looking at a CX-5. I currently have a Honda insight, and drive 150 miles a day, round trip to work. THe kids HATE my car.. I HATE when the kids are in my car, and there is no room in general.

I have read mostly good - great reviews about the overall driving experience and other perks of the CX-5, that's what has drawn me to it. The gas mileage is pretty good for a small SUV, and I just overall like the car. I do have one area of concern though.

I put 262K on my previous car (a prius), and currently have 130K on the insight, and feel pretty good about doing the same with it.

I have not seen and high mileage cx-5's out there? Is it a car that I can reasonably expect to get that, or am I better looking elsewhere. Are the engine and trans up to that. Most of the miles I drive are highway, so there is that?

Please let me hear your thoughts. I'm looking to purchase in hopefully the next 3-6 months.

I have 50k on my cx5, and nothing about it makes me nervous for the future.

This thread may be of interest:

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123843539-High-Mileage-CX-5s-report-in

I come from a Toyota Scion family - I got a new CX-5 last month - the 2.5L engine is one of the main engines Mazda has gained lot of sales so far - Its in the 6, some trims of 3 and CX-5, Sold to fiat for the 124, Miata etc. I think it will hold up very well. Better than a Rav4? Well not sure but consider the driving fun characteristics and more features for the same $$ you get CX-5 is one of the best bets. If you drive 150 miles a day - Seat fit should be very high on your list. Check the ergonomics of the car - do an extended test drive if a dealer lets you - do a typical day in life and see how the CX-5 fits you.

I have an all original 2009 Mazdaspeed3 that was driven 40k a year by the previous owner...over 280k miles on it now.

There are so many factors when it comes to longevity, it really is hard to say... Area where the car is used, the driving habits, the maintenance cycles, luck, etc..

When a tight, well handling car gets a bit worn and loose, you tend to notice it a bit more than you would with a more isolated and luxurious type of car.

That's funny, I had a 86 RX-7 purchased new. Loved that car. If I had a 3 car garage I would of kept it. Traded it in after 12 yrs with only 92,000 miles on it.
Got $1,800 (very limited Internet back then to find used car prices) on the trade, dealer turned around the next day and put it on their lot for $4,500. Car was super-clean and maintained. Only problems I ever had was the drivers door lock would stick occasionally and I had to periodically replace the rubber clutch and brake pedal. I used to wear them down pretty quick. Also, in extremely cold weather the gas pedal used to take a lot more pressure to depress until the car warmed up.

Anyway, have owned two Mazda's before the CX-5 and both of them were dependable. I've had my CX-5 for about 16 months and no problems.
I'm pretty sure the CX-5 will be problem free or close to it for the first 100,000 or more miles. Just take care of the routine maintenance and you shouldn't have any problems.

I have one of the early 2013's. It was used by Mazda to promote the car when it was brand new before I bought it from the dealer with about 5K on it. I'm now at 68K and have NEVER had any repairs. I do all of the routine maintenance myself. I love this car!!

gunguy05 said:

... I put 262K on my previous car (a prius), and currently have 130K on the insight, and feel pretty good about doing the same with it.

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If your only concern is longevity, your best bet is still getting a Toyota or may be another Honda. Mazda's reliability is a hit and miss IMHO. I have friends bought RX-7 like you did but swears he'll never get another Mazda due to the oil-burning rotary engine. Another good friend of mine had a 626 and a RX-7, but he also refuses to have another Mazda due to all the problems he had had. On the other hand, there're many people here who like CX-5 due to its excellent reliability. But we've also seen a few unhappy CX-5 owners here who're having major transmission or engine issues and dumped their CX-5 afterwards. For myself, we bought our first Mazda not because of its quality and reliability, but its SkyActiv design! So far our 1-year-old, 13K-mile 2016 CX-5 is holding up well, but weak windshield, and "buggy" infotainment system do turn out to be true as our cracked windshield got replaced and sudden non-functional navigation is still waiting to get fixed.

Thanks for all the input folks. I wouldn't say that my only concern is longevity, but it's high on the list. Mainly my issue is that I put so many miles on a car so quick, that I'm upside down in value very, very quickly. SO... I when I purchase a car I either have to get a really good deal on it, or I have to drive until after it's paid off. I drove the prius for 7 1/2 years, and it was still going strong when I sold it. THought I like the Insight that a friend had for sale, but meh.. not so much.

I'm spoiled in a sense, the last 3 cars I've owned, I've replaced NOTHING but oil, a battery or 2 and a few sets of brake pads. (Previous to the insight and prius was an accord) I never replaced the brakes on the prius, still could stop on a dime.

The thing that is selling me on the cx-5 is the driveability, the techie stuff, and the ROOM for the KIDS! I would also like to be able to tow (for short distances) a couple small trailers that we have if I need to every now and then.

I will keep searching and see if there is something out there that better fits my needs/wants, but for now it's the cx-5. Like I said, I am still looking at a 3-6 mo window before I'm ready to purchase.

Thanks again for all the info, and keep it coming.

Brian

gunguy05 said:

... I will keep searching and see if there is something out there that better fits my needs/wants, but for now it's the cx-5. Like I said, I am still looking at a 3-6 mo window before I'm ready to purchase.

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Getting a CX-5 seems to be a good compromise between good handling and reliability. Since the new 2nd-gen CX-5 is going to be at LA Auto Show this November, and should be available in late spring / early summer next year, I'd suggest you wait until November and see if you like the 2nd-gen CX-5 or not. The most important components for your longevity concerns are still unchanged, same SkyActiv engine and transmission with additional turbo 2.5L. Hopefully it offers better infotainment systems which supports live traffic, Apple CarPlay, or Android Auto; and more amenities on par with competitions such as memory driver seat, and rear AC vents. Even if you prefer the older 2016.5 CX-5, the selling price should be lower with newer model coming out!