Best Alternative to CX-5

R

Rotish

Member
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Cx 5
I love my cx-5, currently leasing a 2015 model and was gonna swap out for the new one. But the lack of CarPlay is just a dealbreaker for me. Im too addicted to my phone in the car, and its going to kill me one day if I dont have something like CarPlay that forces me not to use it.

So Im admitting defeat, and wondering what the next best thing is. Crv? RAV4?
 
Best Alternative to Cx-5

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(The cleanest it’s been since I took delivery)
 
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Honestly, I would go with the VW Tiquan. Slightly bigger but with CarPlay and a livelier feel than the CR-V. More money but could be haggled down.
 
To be fair, I have a hang up about having two of the same make/model vehicles....I just think it’s a bit much for me. I tried to get a fully loaded CRV, but it was impossible here. Honda Military Sales only sells inventory and will not special order...I’m glad that happened. Certainly I would have had buyers remorse.
 
AA and carplay are advertised on top end models. Tucson or Sportage would be your best bet. Tucson drives well. I am ruling out Mitsubishi as their drivetrain is abysmal.
No AA coming to any 2019 or older Mazda cars.
 
CRV is probably your best bet or the Tucson. Tucson is just a little smaller but a bit better looking as well. Tucson coming out with a redesign for 2019 or 2020 I forget. Probably too long to wait but just letting you know.
 
You cant drive without using your phone? Shouldnt you not be driving while using your phone?

Sigh. The typical North American driver is nothing but a dissapointment these days.
 
GJ-Molestor said:
You can’t drive without using your phone? Shouldn’t you not be driving while using your phone?

Sigh. The typical North American driver is nothing but a dissapointment these days.
Click to expand...

Many people use the phone in place of the radio and mazda connect system. So if you are prepared to give up radio, nav and other features, then your point is understood. But most people are not willing to give up music or news. There is nothing wrong with preferring AA or Apple to what Mazda offered.

And with Apple car play and AA, you are not using your phone, you are using the same interface Mazda provided. Your phone is tucked away.

There are many other distractions that are just as bad - people eating, smoking, looking at others while talking and driving, etc. I would rather see cars with AA/car play then people trying to juggle things in their hands and drive.
 
GJ-Molestor said:
You cant drive without using your phone? Shouldnt you not be driving while using your phone?

Sigh. The typical North American driver is nothing but a disappointment these days.
Click to expand...

That comment is a real can of worms you're opening there, but hey, I agree with you.
I've been in Florida (Sarasota) the past month, and the distracted driving down here is 10 times worse than what I see back home in Ottawa.
I suppose I should google it, but I've been wondering if texting/talking on the phone is even illegal down here, given so many people are doing it.
I really have to be on my toes driving down here. It's nuts.

Speaking of opening cans of worms: some observations from a Canadian....
Helmets are not mandatory down here for motorcyclists. Unbelievable.
90% of riders drive without them, and there are motorcycle deaths every week here. What is wrong with people.!!

Last unrelated comment: Teenagers can buy assault rifles here, but they can't buy a beer.
And in other news, they have decided to ban plastic straws in restaurants. That's more important I guess. Priorities. Wow.

Cheers.
 
Buzzman12 said:
That comment is a real can of
Click to expand...

*Ignorance. Maybe if he add an ounce of knowledge of how AA and carplay works, he wouldn't of trashed another driver(country of drivers) about their driving. AA and carplay are the future. Car companies even in this year continue to develop mediocre systems. Google and apple can do much better software wise and they've proved that. That's why even Ferraris and Lamborghinis are being shipped with these platforms. They are the future.
 
Best Alternative to Cx-5

alphadog00 said:
Many people use the phone in place of the radio and mazda connect system. So if you are prepared to give up radio, nav and other features, then your point is understood. But most people are not willing to give up music or news. There is nothing wrong with preferring AA or Apple to what Mazda offered.

And with Apple car play and AA, you are not using your phone, you are using the same interface Mazda provided. Your phone is tucked away.

There are many other distractions that are just as bad - people eating, smoking, looking at others while talking and driving, etc. I would rather see cars with AA/car play then people trying to juggle things in their hands and drive.
Click to expand...
Agreed!
 
Best Alternative to Cx-5

Rotish said:
I love my cx-5, currently leasing a 2015 model and was gonna swap out for the new one. But the lack of CarPlay is just a deal breaker for me. Im too addicted to my phone in the car, and its going to kill me one day if I dont have something like CarPlay that forces me not to use it.

So Im admitting defeat, and wondering what the next best thing is. Crv? RAV4?
Click to expand...
I agree with jhu8 Honda CR-V probably is your best bet if the lack of CarPlay is a deal breaker for you. You should easily get a top-trim CR-V Touring for about $30K before TTL. Keep in mind though Honda's reliability is not as good as previous Honda's and for most people its design is dull.

Like others have mentioned, Toyota doesn't offer either Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.
 
Buzzman12 said:
That comment is a real can of worms you're opening there, but hey, I agree with you.
I've been in Florida (Sarasota) the past month, and the distracted driving down here is 10 times worse than what I see back home in Ottawa.
I suppose I should google it, but I've been wondering if texting/talking on the phone is even illegal down here, given so many people are doing it.
I really have to be on my toes driving down here. It's nuts.

Speaking of opening cans of worms: some observations from a Canadian....
Helmets are not mandatory down here for motorcyclists. Unbelievable.
90% of riders drive without them, and there are motorcycle deaths every week here. What is wrong with people.!!

Last unrelated comment: Teenagers can buy assault rifles here, but they can't buy a beer.
And in other news, they have decided to ban plastic straws in restaurants. That's more important I guess. Priorities. Wow.

Cheers.
Click to expand...

I live in Sarasota but I grew up in Italy. I've never seen so many accidents in 23 year of italian driving like I do here in Sarasota. I am not sure it's all because of cell phones but it's just terrible.
 
I've never had AA or ACP, so can't speak from experience. But can anyone explain to me why one couldn't just mount their phone and run AA or ACP on the phone? Then use the Mazda system for whatever you want, and the phone for whatever you want. Get sound out of the phone using the headphone jack to aux. Of course it would be better to have it all run from the head unit, but it doesn't. I don't understand how the lack of that feature is enough for anyone to disqualify the car from consideration. Educate me.
 
shadonoz said:
I've never had AA or ACP, so can't speak from experience. But can anyone explain to me why one couldn't just mount their phone and run AA or ACP on the phone? Then use the Mazda system for whatever you want, and the phone for whatever you want. Get sound out of the phone using the headphone jack to aux. Of course it would be better to have it all run from the head unit, but it doesn't. I don't understand how the lack of that feature is enough for anyone to disqualify the car from consideration. Educate me.
Click to expand...

My main reason is I want it is because I do just want to be able to put my phone down while driving. I can't now because Mazda system doesn't offer live traffic, or a useable poi search, or Spotify integration, or ability to voice text someone. AA at least would allow me to connect my phone and set it down and not touch it again until I'm at my destination.

Until AA is implemented, I will continue to have to use my phone on a phone dock. It works but it's still more distracting and not as intuitive.
 
I’d look at CR-V or Tiguan as
others mentioned. Also Alltrack is nice imo and a bit different.
 
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