Mazda going premium?
- Thread starter Kedis82ZE8
- Start date
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123373
Good luck to Mazda, the current CX5 is light years away from being a premium car in its current state.
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- RDX Aspec Adv.
They all but said it would get the 250hp motor from the CX-9. If they find a way in 2 years to tweak it to make more power, add about 30# of sound-deadening and 100-200# of thicker sheet metal (I'm sorry, but even my Corvette's body panels didn't flex and pop like a cheap pop-up-camper when I barely leaned against them) and a moon roof, and fix their crappy infotainment system, they would EASILY be in the "just below Acura because of the name..." segment, IMO.
That said, I like my CX-5 and would never trade for the new model. It's too small for me to spend that much money on as an SUV. It would be like the CX-9 competing with the Tahoe. Yeah...but no.
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- Plano, Texas, USA
I agree! Even our 16-year-old BMW 528i is having some features Mazda doesn't offer on its current lines! It's not easy to upgrade itself into a luxury brand, not to mention making the people think the "Mazda" name representing luxury!
"The upmarket move started with the 2016 Mazda CX-9 and it has moved to the Mazda MX-5 RF."
Now who is considering the 2nd-gen CX-9 a luxury mid-sized CUV? Featuring Nappa leather seating and genuine Rosewood interior trim on the top of line doesn't make the CX-9 suddenly became a luxury CUV! And this is a comment from a new 2nd-gen CX-9 owner. So much for the "upmarket move":
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The current Mazda3 has features far beyond those of your BMW: LED headlights, smart braking and lane management systems, traffic sign recognition, Bluetooth phone & audio - I could go on but I won't. Heck, even today, BMW makes a rear view camera an option! Like I said, BMW is a Mazda for the foolish.
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- Plano, Texas, USA
You're outlining those technologies didn't even exist in the year 2000 for any kind of vehicles - simply an unfair comparison! Just drove my old BMW 528i for 100 miles this afternoon to North Richland Hills near your area checking out the PDR repair on our CX-5 which got heavily beaten up by hail, including a broken windshield, earlier this year. The BMW didn't suffer any damages during the same hail storm even though it was parked near by! Driving it reminds me what the "luxury" is supposed to be! I hit my key fob to unlock the door, 12-way power adjustable driver's seat、headrest height、seatbelt height、steering wheel height and angle、left and right outside rearview mirrors、ALL are automatically adjusted to "my" preferred positions! The leather feels soft and real, the 4-way power lumbar support which uses an inflatable air bag feels so soft yet supportive and can be adjusted to a right position and height for my itching low back! This makes me feel the 2-way lumbar support on our CX-5 is non-existent and useless! The headrest on the BMW also reminds me how hard and forward the headrest is on the CX-5 which made my wife and me feel uncomfortable until we finally get used to it.
Yeah our 2000 BMW 528i cost more but we feel it's worth every penny we spent to make us feel it's a luxury vehicle. We're still enjoying it even though it's a 16-year-old car. People see it and know it's a legendary BMW E39, not a Mazda Millenia!
Speaking of Mazda Millenia, does anybody still remember Mazdas once proposed luxury brand "Amati"?
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123373
Sorry Doc, but not even close to being true. My 5 year old BMW 328 has twice the features than anything offered by Mazda 5 years ago and many they don't even offer today. Heck even my key fobs are individually programed to remember my seat, mirror, individual phones by driver, and driver and radio presets. Today's BMW has every feature you mentioned plus car play, auto park, wireless hot spot, internet service, I can go on an on as well, In fact my 5 year old infotainment system eats any new Mazda's for lunch. Not to mention better build quality. Case and point with 126,000 miles on my 328 I have had zero issues. It still is as tight as a drum, quiet, has body panels that don't flex, mirrors, and hood that doesnt shake, I can go on and on! I still have the original back brakes, and my fronts were changed at 95,000 miles. The cheap rotars warped on the CX5 at 24,000 miles and again at 40,000. The brakes didn't make it past 30,000. I have spent more money in maintenance on my CX5 than on my BMW. The Bluetooth is horrible in the CX5, I can't conference call on it because it's too noisy inside the car. You can't shuffle Bluetooth iPod music without doing it on the phone, and the USB connectivity is hit or miss. My 5 year old 328 never misses a beat with its Bluetooth or USB connections. My brothers 2015 CX5 had his driver side seat cover actually fall off, you can lift the bottom cushion right off the clips that don't hold!
I bought the top of the line grand touring and for 30+ grand I expected better build quality from Mazda and sadly I was foolish to believe it as I was spoiled my BMW. True my back up camera was an option, but at least it works at night and in the rain lol. Mazda has a long why to go and it needs to catch Toyota first before it can compete with, Lexus, Acura, Mercedes Audi and BMW in the luxury department. No ones going to buy a 45+ luxury CX5.
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- RDX Aspec Adv.
Hell, the top of the line GT barely has equivalent features to my 2010 Grand Jeep Cherokee.
Things my 2016 CX-5 has that my 2014 228 BMW didn't:
Leather seats
Heated seats
Heated mirrors
Electric drivers seat
Smart city braking
Rear camera
Cross traffic warning
Moonroof
My Mazda is quite the luxuary car compared to at least that BMW. (But that bummer sure was fun to drive)
Leather seats
Heated seats
Heated mirrors
Electric drivers seat
Smart city braking
Rear camera
Cross traffic warning
Moonroof
My Mazda is quite the luxuary car compared to at least that BMW. (But that bummer sure was fun to drive)
Don't forget blind spot monitoring. Can't even get that on several BMWS for far more.
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- RDX Aspec Adv.
You got a stripped down 2-series. Why not compare it to a Mazda 3 base model?
No, wasn't really a stripped down 228. Was special ordered from the factory with sunroof delete, 6speed manual, adaptive headlights HK sound ($875 and not nearly as nice as what's in my Mazda) and MSport package. Over $38,000 over two years ago and nowhere near the features of my Mazda.
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BMW first and foremost is more expensive. Of course, everyone is entitled to spend their money any way they see fit, though I see many people around here making bad financial decisions on cars they should not drive and instead, should have used the money for college savings, better food for their kids, retirement savings etc. It does not end at the time of purchase. You still need to pay for insurance and to maintain it.
Despite what any one person writes here, BMWs can be hit or miss in terms of reliability and it is well known that $1000 is the standard bill for every little thing.
There is an older model Honda Civic in our household, completely devoid of any luxury amenities. However, it is extremely reliable, cheap to maintain, drives very well and the seat with manual 2-way adjustment is pretty comfortable. With my phone mounted on the dash and Google Maps on it, it is a very decent ride. There is no need for memory seats, because moving the seat takes exactly 1 second.
It was bought used for less than what people pay in optional packages for their BMW.
Then again, if you really want to get a BMW, the one to have is the new 2 series and X3. Before the 3 was increased in size, the 3 was the best in the bunch. Their 5s, 7s don't compete very well in terms of driving enjoyment (except for some pretty old 5s) for the price you pay for them.
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- 2016.5 CX-5 GT AWD
Do "features" really make a car "luxury" or not? My 2010 Ford Focus SES has: heated leather seating, moonroof, Bluetooth/USB/voice activated SYNC system, SiriusXM, 9-speaker sound with sub, automatic start, heated mirrors, interior foot lighting system. No way would I consider it a luxury car. The CX-5 GT I test drove was leaps and bounds more "luxury", and I'm sure a $40 or $50K BMW would be even more so
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- RDX Aspec Adv.
...well why? You can answer your own question by answering that.
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- RDX Aspec Adv.
So...you opted NOT to have the Premium package...
Like I said. How can you talk about a car that you chose to opt not to put the premium package on, and then complain about it not feeling premium? Of course it didn't. You chose for it not to. You lopped off $4K worth of amenities by not selecting that package.
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- RDX Aspec Adv.
Even on the BMW forums the MODERATORS will tell you "Look, if you want a worry-free car, go buy a Toyota, but if you want driving enjoyment and luxury...BMW is a good choice". I remember seeing a quote like that about the 335i and thought "NOPE!"
BMW isn't reliable compared to others, as a whole. However, they do bring a solid German feel, as it were, and you can load them up nicely. Yes it costs money. What part of "luxury" do people have trouble comprehending, lol!
Didn't complain about it at all. I loved that car. Hate that my needs changed and had to trade. Just pointing out that BMW does not necessarily equate to luxuary.
