Might buy a 2016 CX5 Touring....what should I know?

Transmissions are even more complex mechanically than engines imho. Some points:

One question I have when judging transmissions is how smooth is it? The smoother the transmission the more likely it would last longer. The rougher it is the less confidence I have in it lasting long.

Next question is how does the manufacturer abide by the warranty? People here did not have to fight Mazda (USA at least) to get warranty work. Mazda time and time again stepped up and provided new transmissions under warranty. That said the actual number is likely low. No issues for our two skyactiv mazdas for example. 3 MAzdas at my work and no transmission issues.

Next point is to try to be cognizant of your car. Get things repaired under warranty.

Last point is that certified Mazdas get a 7-Year/100,000-Mile Powertrain warranty. A lot of time to identify major issues and get it covered.

I like rougher transmissions. That means it's slipping less. My dad's work van (gmc 2500) has nearly half a million miles on it's transmission with no transmission maintenance. It has always "banged" shifts from time to time (as in, sounds and feels like a sledge hammer hit the arse of the truck. This is very extreme though and I'm not claiming all should do this, it's just an example to prove the point). Works great. His work cars (police crown vics) always had butter smooth shifts. They lasted 80k miles on average, and that's with getting trans-go and other crap when they began slipping. Wore the bands out fast slip sliding to facilitate that smooth shifting. The 4.6l v8s were usually good for 220 to 280k miles before they began consuming insane amounts of oil or a head gasket or other random failure. The 5.0 motors were good for around 200 to 240k miles of so before for knock, low oil pressure, or ring wear required a rebuild.
 
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That car complaints page has 198 problems with the CX-5. There are 2,232 for the CR-V. The main problem with the CX-5 is the windshield. Don't see much about the transmission.
 
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Next point is to try to be cognizant of your car. Get things repaired under warranty.

Last point is that certified Mazdas get a 7-Year/100,000-Mile Powertrain warranty. A lot of time to identify major issues and get it covered.
Where is the best place to get that 7-Year/100,000-Mile Powertrain warranty?
 
Hell yes it still has a warranty. Accidents don't void warranties.
 
But front air-bags deployed and the vehicle wasn't totalled? I dunno man, I'd pass on that for sure.
Agreed. I’d pass it too. There’s a reason why the previous owner traded it in with such a few miles on it - he/she got rid of it because the CX-5 involved a major accident. You’ll never know the quality of the repair. the parts used, and any potential problems may have in the future.

It’s harder to get totaled if the vehicle is newer. The repair bill can be up to $12,000~$15,000 for this particular vehicle before been totaled.

This still could affect the new car warranty. For example, if the headlights got replaced with CAPA certified or recycled parts under insurance during the repair, the headlights won’t get covered anymore under new car warranty. Any warranty claims if the Mazda dealer can verify the problem is related to the accident that they can easily deny the warranty service.
 
The BBB has 0 complaints about me, how many for Mazda mechanics/service?
But i promise I'm not the guy to do your motor swap.

Volume matters.
Exactly! Honda CR-V came out in 1997, and it has been the #1 seller in compact CUV segment for the most of years since. 20 years on CR-V and 5 years on CX-5, at least 3 time more volume each year, you do the math.

The CVT complaints on Honda CR-V mainly is vibration while the vehicle is stopped with brake applied but the gear is in Drive. It involved transmission re-programming by Honda and the problem has been resolved. On the other hand the transmission problem on mostly 2016 CX-5 is the delayed shift and the transmission replacement is required which would cost $5,000. The severity of the problem is not in the same league!

For earlier CX-5 theres a TSB on SkyActiv-Drive transmission about the whistling/whining noise from front input shaft bearing. Many people had reported this issue in early days and transmission replacement was required too. This problem of course is harder to get noticed and the owner may not know he/she is having issues on transmission. Mazda has since modified the front casing to prevent the bearing been wearing out too early.
 
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So the "good deal" cx-5 I found out has been in an accident. Here is the link to it and you can read the carfax:
http://www.midlandsmazda.com/invent...ouring-fwd-4d-sport-utility-jm3ke2cy8g0622452

Front airbags deployed. I think the title is still clean. If it has been in an accident, does it still have a warranty? Usually if a front airbag is deployed it was a pretty rough hit to the front or rear of the vehicle.

I think there were posts on these boards of how the carfax reports were selectively filled out and don't truly represent the history of the car. Honestly, if you still want the car, see if you can negotiate an extended warranty.
 
Agreed. Id pass it too. Theres a reason why the previous owner traded it in with such a few miles on it - he/she got rid of it because the CX-5 involved a major accident. Youll never know the quality of the repair. the parts used, and any potential problems may have in the future.

Its harder to get totaled if the vehicle is newer. The repair bill can be up to $12,000~$15,000 for this particular vehicle before been totaled.

This still could affect the new car warranty. For example, if the headlights got replaced with CAPA certified or recycled parts under insurance during the repair, the headlights wont get covered anymore under new car warranty. Any warranty claims if the Mazda dealer can verify the problem is related to the accident that they can easily deny the warranty service.

My 370z was side swiped by a driver going the same direction as me, at 40mph. It pushed me into the guard barrier. The left front fender and left headlamp assembly, and front bumper and 3 rims had to be replaced. A few other tidbits. Other than a flat tire, it was driveable at the scene. The bill was over $13k.
 
AWD tested again today. Ice covered side streets. This thing was planted to the ground. Exceeds my expectations.
 
So the "good deal" cx-5 I found out has been in an accident. Here is the link to it and you can read the carfax:
http://www.midlandsmazda.com/invent...ouring-fwd-4d-sport-utility-jm3ke2cy8g0622452

Front airbags deployed. I think the title is still clean. If it has been in an accident, does it still have a warranty? Usually if a front airbag is deployed it was a pretty rough hit to the front or rear of the vehicle.



Sounds to me like you have 'car fever' if you're going to try and justify buying a used car with it's front airbags deployed. Do yourself a favor, fix the RAV4, pay YOURSELF the car payment for another year and think about buying again in in late 2018/early 2019. Not only will a used CX-5 be even cheaper due to depreciation but you'll have more for a down payment+lower monthly payment.

Take some pride in driving your RAV4 with as many miles as it has. Not many Mazda's make it past 200k. I'm hoping my CRV will last me 250k or more.
 
I always have car fever, my wallet does not keep up though. I did not know it had been in a wreck. My initial conversation with the dealer resulted him sidestepping the question about the title. He said I could look at the carfax online. When I did, I was like nooooooo. A deal too good to be true. I think we are going to fix some of the issues on the rav 4 and wait a bit. Unless we find a "true" deal. I am happy with how long the rav 4 has lasted. We are the second owner and it has been so good to us even with high miles now. My wife wants the cx-5 now and she has less patience than me.
 
I always have car fever, my wallet does not keep up though. I did not know it had been in a wreck. My initial conversation with the dealer resulted him sidestepping the question about the title. He said I could look at the carfax online. When I did, I was like nooooooo. A deal too good to be true. I think we are going to fix some of the issues on the rav 4 and wait a bit. Unless we find a "true" deal. I am happy with how long the rav 4 has lasted. We are the second owner and it has been so good to us even with high miles now. My wife wants the cx-5 now and she has less patience than me.

What you will notice is 18s are much better. You might even be able to buy an 18 Sport with full on safety pack in 3 years time for 18-20K.
 
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