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- Fmr CX5 Touring
So, I took a couple of rides today: CX5 and CRV. It was closer than I thought between the two vehicles, and I have a mystery that maybe someone can answer later.
The Mazda dealership pulled out a Sport model, not touring like I'd hoped. It caused problems because I never got comfortable in the seat and was constantly hitting my head on the roof handle. I figured it out near the end but it may have soured me a bit. On the other end, I was in EX-L AWD, which is more car than I would want.
The first thing I'll mention is that apparently I'm old school in my 2015. I've never used lane assist or any of the things you kids use in your fancy cars. The Honda quite effectively made turns for me on the freeway. I did not know they could do this. I didn't like the lane warning because it seemed to trigger too easily, and it was annoying, but maybe it would be good if it forced me to turn on the signal when I changed lanes? I really don't know what I think of it.
In regards to handling, the Mazda wins going away. It's a better ride, it's quieter (more on this later), turns cleaner, overall, it's just a better ride. But, the Honda isn't a terrible ride. It's perfectly functional, it's just not as tight as the Mazda, a bit more roll and so forth.
The CRV was faster. The Turbo kicked in and it merged on the freeway, well, better than the Mazda did when I had to punch it. It also wanted to drive at 75 much more easily than the Mazda did, which I'm not certain is a benefit. These aren't perfect tests, I don't know the 0-60 times but the Honda was the faster vehicle for what I did and I think it was quieter at speed than the Mazda.
In regards to the interiors, I was biased by the damn Sport edition and hitting my head on the roof. The Honda seemed more spacious, and probably is, but that was probably the reason why. When I test drove a Touring last week I had no problem with the fit. I don't like the Mazda spin the dial radio control. Maybe I would eventually but not yet. On the other hand, I couldn't really figure out the CRV radio during a 20 minute drive. I didn't notice anything one way or the other regarding the interior quality that would favor one car, but if I had to pick, maybe the Mazda. I thought the Mazda had more visual range. The Honda, especially the rear view mirror, seemed very narrow, I'm not sure how easy it would be to see out of. I didn't back up so I don't know about the rear view cameras.
The CVT seemed absolutely fine to me. In fact, I liked it. I liked it better than the Mazda 6-speed.
Mazda has a $500 loyalty and 1.99%/60 months. Honda is .99%/60 months and from what I'm reading is a bit more willing to shave a bit off the price. The Honda dealer network is a lot stronger in these parts too, mostly because of a single dealer that if I make a move that I might need to make, is more accessible. The Honda, with leather, is more expensive than a Touring edition which includes leather.
Overall, I would have no problem owning either one of them, and to be honest, I kind of liked the Honda better. Of course, base vs. near top end Honda, so not entirely a fair comparison.
Finally, the noise level. Both of these cars are quieter than my 2015. The DB meter however behaved strangely. If you were to ask me which car was quieter I'd say the Mazda. I think it was clearly quieter, although a bit whinier when trying to push it, even against the turbo. But, the DB app on my phone awarded the contest to the Honda, by 2 to 3 DB. Possibly, I wasn't holding it the same, possibly I didn't check at precisely the same time but the Mazda ran 81/82 and the Honda was at 79. I think it had something to do with the type of noise. I need that Mazda graph from the Ars Technica article because I think that's part of the mystery. The other part is probably engine noise at speed which the Mazda may have had more of. Any ideas?
The Mazda dealership pulled out a Sport model, not touring like I'd hoped. It caused problems because I never got comfortable in the seat and was constantly hitting my head on the roof handle. I figured it out near the end but it may have soured me a bit. On the other end, I was in EX-L AWD, which is more car than I would want.
The first thing I'll mention is that apparently I'm old school in my 2015. I've never used lane assist or any of the things you kids use in your fancy cars. The Honda quite effectively made turns for me on the freeway. I did not know they could do this. I didn't like the lane warning because it seemed to trigger too easily, and it was annoying, but maybe it would be good if it forced me to turn on the signal when I changed lanes? I really don't know what I think of it.
In regards to handling, the Mazda wins going away. It's a better ride, it's quieter (more on this later), turns cleaner, overall, it's just a better ride. But, the Honda isn't a terrible ride. It's perfectly functional, it's just not as tight as the Mazda, a bit more roll and so forth.
The CRV was faster. The Turbo kicked in and it merged on the freeway, well, better than the Mazda did when I had to punch it. It also wanted to drive at 75 much more easily than the Mazda did, which I'm not certain is a benefit. These aren't perfect tests, I don't know the 0-60 times but the Honda was the faster vehicle for what I did and I think it was quieter at speed than the Mazda.
In regards to the interiors, I was biased by the damn Sport edition and hitting my head on the roof. The Honda seemed more spacious, and probably is, but that was probably the reason why. When I test drove a Touring last week I had no problem with the fit. I don't like the Mazda spin the dial radio control. Maybe I would eventually but not yet. On the other hand, I couldn't really figure out the CRV radio during a 20 minute drive. I didn't notice anything one way or the other regarding the interior quality that would favor one car, but if I had to pick, maybe the Mazda. I thought the Mazda had more visual range. The Honda, especially the rear view mirror, seemed very narrow, I'm not sure how easy it would be to see out of. I didn't back up so I don't know about the rear view cameras.
The CVT seemed absolutely fine to me. In fact, I liked it. I liked it better than the Mazda 6-speed.
Mazda has a $500 loyalty and 1.99%/60 months. Honda is .99%/60 months and from what I'm reading is a bit more willing to shave a bit off the price. The Honda dealer network is a lot stronger in these parts too, mostly because of a single dealer that if I make a move that I might need to make, is more accessible. The Honda, with leather, is more expensive than a Touring edition which includes leather.
Overall, I would have no problem owning either one of them, and to be honest, I kind of liked the Honda better. Of course, base vs. near top end Honda, so not entirely a fair comparison.
Finally, the noise level. Both of these cars are quieter than my 2015. The DB meter however behaved strangely. If you were to ask me which car was quieter I'd say the Mazda. I think it was clearly quieter, although a bit whinier when trying to push it, even against the turbo. But, the DB app on my phone awarded the contest to the Honda, by 2 to 3 DB. Possibly, I wasn't holding it the same, possibly I didn't check at precisely the same time but the Mazda ran 81/82 and the Honda was at 79. I think it had something to do with the type of noise. I need that Mazda graph from the Ars Technica article because I think that's part of the mystery. The other part is probably engine noise at speed which the Mazda may have had more of. Any ideas?
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