2014 CX-5 GT owner thinking of buying a new one -- anyone done that?

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CeeEx5

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2014 CX-5 Grand Touring
I'll be spending a good part of this year looking at new SUVs, buying one later this year or early next year. Maybe my last new car as I may be retiring in 3-4 years sand it'd be nice to not have a car payment then. Strongly looking at the Audi Q5, and I can afford it, but I'm all about value and bang-for-the-buck, and I've been reeeeally happy with my 2014 CX-5 Grant Touring. Zero mechanical issues, and only minor other issues -- like no open switch from the drivers' seat for the rear door, and no foot-swipe ability to open the back door when standing back there. I do believe though that the 2018s have that, plus some other updated features like a heated steering wheel, etc. I know US News has the CX-5 as the top-rated non-luxury compact SUV and it's been a highly rated vehicle for many years -- that's why this former Toyota owner went to the CX-5 from the RAV-4. I have 93,000 miles on this baby, by the way, and routinely get between 26-27 MPG combined and with fairly aggressive driving.

Anyway, anyone else who's "upgraded" from an older CX-5 to a newer one, or anyone else with any relevant comments, please chime in. Happy with your decision? Did you look at other brands/models?

And by the way, will my 2014 roof rack and rails fit onto a 2018? If I can save a buck, I will!

Thanks in advance...
 
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I upgraded from a 2016 GT to a 2017 GT, I'm not sure how relevant it'll be. The biggest thing is the quietness, they did a great job with that. The new models do have a power liftgate which is nice, some people don't like it because they like to control how fast or slow they open and close. Mazda does not have the sensor that opens it with a wave of your foot. The technology is much better, even more so if you're coming from a 14, and the interior is beautiful. The 18 has full automatic windows so that's nice. Not sure how your mpg will change, the new model is heavier than yours and the ground clearance is lower. I love my new one, glad I pulled the trigger
 
The heated steering wheel is only available by getting the GT with premium package. It’s nice.

If your waiting til the end of the year look at what the 2019’s bring to the table as the new Mazda 6 got AC seats and 360 camera that might make its way to the CX-5
 
Pretty sure its a no on the roof rack..for me, for now (2014 gt also..82k on mine) idk the new one isn't doing enough to get me in the door just yet. If the diesel ever says good morning America that changes instantly. Funny I was looking at q5 tdis today, found some 16s new still believe it or not but didn't see any sizable discounts and I'd like to stay in the low 30s...
 
I went from not really enjoying my 2016 Touring to absolutely loving my 2017 grand touring. The differences between these two cars is staggering. I could drive 1,000 miles a day in this car and be happy Im absolutely in love with it

Also OP theres no foot mechanic for opening the lift gate. You can open it using a button on the key fob, a button in the cockpit, or the lift gate itself
 
Coming from a 2016 to a 2017 I can say the 2017 is a totally different vehicle.

It's much quieter, night and day difference. The interior is more refined. The vehicle is more comfortable to drive, especially on long trips.

I have the 2017 Touring which doesn't have the HUD or heated steering wheel but I do have the Premium Package which has the power liftgate. I also have AWD

Test drive the 2017/2018. Like some mentioned, when the 2019 comes out, it will probably have A/C cooled seats and a froward camera.
 
CeeEx5 said:
I'll be spending a good part of this year looking at new SUVs, buying one later this year or early next year. Maybe my last new car as I may be retiring in 3-4 years sand it'd be nice to not have a car payment then. Strongly looking at the Audi Q5, and I can afford it, but I'm all about value and bang-for-the-buck, and I've been reeeeally happy with my 2014 CX-5 Grant Touring. Zero mechanical issues, and only minor other issues --
⋯
Anyway, anyone else who's "upgraded" from an older CX-5 to a newer one, or anyone else with any relevant comments, please chime in. Happy with your decision? Did you look at other brands/models?
Click to expand...
Originally we planned to get a 2018 CX-5 GT AWD until Mazda announced cylinder deactivation "feature" out of nowhere which stopped us getting another CX-5. Compounded the reliability rating on Mazda has been dropping from #4 as a brand when we bought our 2016 CX-5 to #12 for 2018 and reliability rating on 2017 gen-2 CX-5 has also dropped significantly to "Average" from "Much Better than Average" on 2016 CX-5 based on Consumer Reports. We keep our new vehicles forever, so design simplicity、efficiency、and long-term reliability are my top priorities. Although I'm not afraid of fixing cars by myself, but I still prefer a vehicle with less issues in the long run to save my time for something more important at this stage.

We're postponing our purchase right now, and like you, is looking for a new CUV within a year or two. At this time 2019/2020 Toyota RAV4 is at the top of our list with new 203/206 hp naturally-aspirated 2.5L I4 and 8-speed automatic. Fuel efficiency should be the best among all compact CUVs, with always the best reliability rating to boot. I'm interested this new Dynamic Force 2.5L I4, which will have Toyotas D4-S port and direct fuel injection as well as electrical thermostat and water pump. Its 40% thermal efficiency pushes the boundaries of gas-engine's thermal efficiency and should help RAV4's fuel economy greatly with its 8-speed automatic.

Like others have said, 2018 CX-5 doesn't have foot sensor for its power liftgate, and your 2014 roof rack and rails won't fit onto a 2018 CX-5, not to mention you need to find a way to cover cut-offs on the roof trims after you remove the roof rail. Audi Q5? Although its reliability rating now is at #4, but I still dislike VW's products due to my past experience on poor reliability and more expensive maintenance cost; and I used to be buying only VW vehicles.
 
yrwei52 said:
Originally we planned to get a 2018 CX-5 GT AWD until Mazda announced cylinder deactivation "feature" out of nowhere which stopped us getting another CX-5.

At this time 2019/2020 Toyota RAV4 is at the top of our list with new 203/206 hp naturally-aspirated 2.5L I4 and 8-speed automatic. Fuel efficiency should be the best among all compact CUVs, with always the best reliability rating to boot. I'm interested this new Dynamic Force 2.5L I4, which will have Toyota’s D4-S port and direct fuel injection as well as electrical thermostat and water pump. Its 40% thermal efficiency pushes the boundaries of gas-engine's thermal efficiency and should help RAV4's fuel economy greatly with its 8-speed automatic.
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Not dissing you at all, so please don't interpret this comment that way. I just find it interesting that you are so against Mazda's cylinder deactivation feature because it is new and will cause you problems, and yet you seem to fully embrace a whole host of new and unproven technology features on the RAV4. I'm not sure that you are looking at things without bias. Just an observation.
 
Enjoying a couple more years of no car payments. Will hold out for Skyactiv 2 (2nd or 3rd year model) or new Rav4. Essentially sometime after 2021.
 
minnesotaart said:
Not dissing you at all, so please don't interpret this comment that way. I just find it interesting that you are so against Mazda's cylinder deactivation feature because it is new and will cause you problems, and yet you seem to fully embrace a whole host of new and unproven technology features on the RAV4. I'm not sure that you are looking at things without bias. Just an observation.
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Cylinder deactivation is nothing new and has design flaws which can't be overcome by improved material for better reliability like turbo charger and CVT. The sudden imbalanced thermal dynamics on disabled cylinders and the wasted energy on pushing idled pistons all can't be improved in any ways. To use CD on already efficient I4 is mind boggling to me, and it's been proven by EPA ratings where there's only 1 mpg improvement on 2018 CX-5 FWD and 0 mpg on AWD. The real-world experience on CD is not pretty either. Just google cylinder deactivation you'll find so many complaints on CD for a higher mileage vehicles. Honda's 3.5L V6 with Variable Cylinder Management (VCM, a cylinder deactivation system) has been involved class-action lawsuit for damaged piston rings、burning oil、and fouled spark plugs. As the result now we see Honda has dropped its V6 on Accord and use a 2.0L turbo instead.

Toyota's new 203/206 hp 2.5L I4 uses no new technology like Mazda's Spark Plug Controlled Compression Ignition, SPCCI (although SPCCI is based on an old HCCI technology but it can never be successful). No turbo, no super charger, no CD; everywhere you look at it's like a traditional naturally aspirated gasoline engine. But its thermal efficiency has reached to 40/41% which is the highest for a mass-production gasoline engine, hence the horsepower is high but fuel consumption is low.

I also want to mention that Toyota's new 8-speed automatic actually copied the philosophy mostly from Mazda's SkyActiv-Drive but with 2 more gears. The torque convertor in this 8-speed auto is only used in the 1st gear, and gets locked up for the rest of 7 gears.

When we're looking for a new CUV back in 2015, Mazda's SkyActiv Technology did catch my eyes with the same reasons: simplicity and efficiency. The result was we bought our first Mazda at the time. Now Toyota has caught up with the same philosophy, and I like it!
 
My understanding was Acura (Honda) was the first to copy Mazda's approach to automatic transmission torque convertor. Something around 2015 if I recall.

I found this regarding Skyactiv 1 (2.0 engine)
Benchmarking
A steady state map consisting of over two hundred test points between idle (750 rpm) and 4500 rpm were taken. The brake thermal efficiency (BTE) of these points are given in the map shown in Figure 2. The engine exceeds 36% BTE over a broad range of operation. There is also a small region that exceeds 37% BTE. These are very impressive efficiencies for a production gasoline engine. Figure 3 shows that the SkyActiv engine has better peak BTE than any of the referenced engines including the Ricardo predictions for a 2020 engine (described in the Technical Support Document for the LD GHG rule) [8].

https://www.epa.gov/sites/productio...hmark-hil-operat-2014-mazda-skyactiv-2.0l.pdf

That said, for Skyactiv II Mazda is aiming at a whopping 56% efficiency.
 
CX-5um said:
That said, for Skyactiv II Mazda is aiming at a whopping 56% efficiency.
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I read somewhere SkyActiv-X will have very impressive 44~45% thermal efficiency. But do you want to be a guinea pig testing a brand new technology which is based on a never been successful HCCI? Not to mention Mazda has to add spark plugs and a super charger in the process of developing its SPCCI engine. The complexity of constant transition between compression ignition and spark ignition would make me worried.
 
To the OP, putting the negative Nellie comments aside, the 2017 -18 models will be a huge improvement in driving comfort and technology. Getting the GT with the Premium Package not only gives you the heated seats front and back but the wheel and also the HUD. The cabin quietness will really be noticeable from the older years as Mazda added soundproofing.

As for the cylinder deactivation, sure it adds complication but proper maintenance including regular oil changes will go a long ways to keep things running proper. Mazda is not the only company going in this direction as Ford is also coming out with CD in their four cylinder engines too.
 
Hey, great stuff, everyone; thank you. I in fact came to the CX-5 after owning a RAV-4 and being very happy with it. Can't remember what about the car then or maybe the dealer, made me start to look elsewhere, but I did and the CX-5's very impressive reviews (this was March or so of 2013) caught my eye and I've been really happy, as I said, with this care. I've also gone by the book with maintenance from my dealer. I read recenty that the RAV-4 has been unchanged for the most part for a number of years now and is due, more than any of its competitors, for a major refresh. Sounds like Toyota is doing just that with it. Toyota of course makes great cars and I won't hesitate to look at the RAV 4s too but I do like most of what I'm reading about the latest CX-5s. Although I have to do some more homework to see what this cylinder deactivation thing is about. I'm guessing that it's like my wife's Mercedes, where the engine literally shuts down at stop lights, etc., to save fuel. Anyway, yes, better quietness in the cabin would be a welcome feature, and I forgot that the heads-up display is available. I drove my in-laws' Audi with that and it was pretty cool. Anyway thanks all, again -- great info, and I'll be checking back for more....
 
What I also feel is MZD will introduce a 48 volt mild hybrid system with the Sky II. If we have additional gas taxes - that push gas prices north it would be well worth it.
Imagine a combined mpg of 35 on CX5.
I have driven the sky I for 20K miles - I love its balance of torque and mpg. This week the first week of new moly - my cheeks hurt seeing the mpg gauge. Hitting 35 for morning commutes and 30 for evening. That is stunning.
 
yrwei52 said:
I read somewhere SkyActiv-X will have very impressive 44~45% thermal efficiency. But do you want to be a guinea pig testing a brand new technology which is based on a never been successful HCCI? Not to mention Mazda has to add spark plugs and a super charger in the process of developing its SPCCI engine. The complexity of constant transition between compression ignition and spark ignition would make me worried.
Click to expand...

Nah I hear you, waiting for it to mature hence why I'd opt for a 2nd,3rd year model of that new engine. That said Rav4 is the safety net. Between the two are really efficient NA engines. Now to Mazda's defense they've been working on the HCCI tech for a long time now. Since like 2010 or so if I recall. It's nearing that 10-year mark. Just waiting for what other early adopters are going to say about real-world application.
 
CeeEx5 said:
Hey, great stuff, everyone; thank you. I in fact came to the CX-5 after owning a RAV-4 and being very happy with it. Can't remember what about the car then or maybe the dealer, made me start to look elsewhere, but I did and the CX-5's very impressive reviews (this was March or so of 2013) caught my eye and I've been really happy, as I said, with this care. I've also gone by the book with maintenance from my dealer. I read recenty that the RAV-4 has been unchanged for the most part for a number of years now and is due, more than any of its competitors, for a major refresh. Sounds like Toyota is doing just that with it. Toyota of course makes great cars and I won't hesitate to look at the RAV 4s too but I do like most of what I'm reading about the latest CX-5s. Although I have to do some more homework to see what this cylinder deactivation thing is about. I'm guessing that it's like my wife's Mercedes, where the engine literally shuts down at stop lights, etc., to save fuel. Anyway, yes, better quietness in the cabin would be a welcome feature, and I forgot that the heads-up display is available. I drove my in-laws' Audi with that and it was pretty cool. Anyway thanks all, again -- great info, and I'll be checking back for more....
Click to expand...

Cylinder deactivation is the process of shutting down combustion on some of the cylinders in the engine. For Mazda it means under certain criteria the computer will deactivate two of the four cylinders. This happens when the engine is cruising at light or no load like going down a city street.

You were thinking of engine start/stop in which the engine stops after a few seconds when the vehicle stops.
 
Puyapim said:
Cylinder deactivation is the process of shutting down combustion on some of the cylinders in the engine. For Mazda it means under certain criteria the computer will deactivate two of the four cylinders. This happens when the engine is cruising at light or no load like going down a city street. You were thinking of engine start/stop in which the engine stops after a few seconds when the vehicle stops.
Click to expand...

Yes, I am, but the whole concept and purpose is the same, no? -- to save/optimize fuel? That's what I was assuming by the "deactivation" term (assuming it's intentional!)..... Kinda self-explanatory; I just wasn't sure about the finer details. Thanks.
 
CeeEx5 said:
Yes, I am, but the whole concept and purpose is the same, no? -- to save/optimize fuel? That's what I was assuming by the "deactivation" term (assuming it's intentional!)..... Kinda self-explanatory; I just wasn't sure about the finer details. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Cylinder deactivation on 2018 CX-5 is a totally different concept from ECO Start/Stop system on your wife's Mercedes (why wife always drives a nicer vehicle? ;)). ECO Start/Stop system on Mercedes-Benz can automatically shut off the entire engine when it's not needed, like when you're waiting at a red light, to save fuel and reduce emissions. When you're ready to go, the engine instantly restarts. Mazda has a similar system, i-stop, but unfortunately it's not available for US customers.

On the other hand cylinder deactivation disables some cylinders while the engine is runnng when full power is not needed. For Mazda it "shuts down" 2 outer cylinders, cylinder 1 and 4, for CD. But the problem is these 2 cylinders are not really completely "shutdown" like people always say. CD disables fuel injectors and closes valves to "shut down" these cylinders. Unfortunately the pistons of these disabled cylinders are still have to move compressing the air, which wastes energy. The sudden cool-down on these disabled cylinders are having changing thermal effect, which causes difficulty to design a proper piston rings and cylinder itself to handle these constant changing environment on thermal dynamics. That's why the history of CD has always been problematic on long-term reliability since GM started to implement CD technology in 1980's.
 
CX-5um said:
Nah I hear you, waiting for it to mature hence why I'd opt for a 2nd,3rd year model of that new engine. That said Rav4 is the safety net. Between the two are really efficient NA engines. Now to Mazda's defense they've been working on the HCCI tech for a long time now. Since like 2010 or so if I recall. It's nearing that 10-year mark. Just waiting for what other early adopters are going to say about real-world application.
Click to expand...
The benefit of HCCI is simple (without spark ignition) and efficient in theory. But in the process of developing HCCI Mazda has to add the spark ignition system back, and also add a super charger to control the instability. The constant changing of spark ignition and compression ignition with a super charger on Mazda's new SPCCI indeed adds more complexity which defies the original concept of simplicity on HCCI!
 
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