2019 CX-5 Reviews

Really odd that the Canadian Signature doesn't come with parking sensors or the 360 camera because the value prop for just a nicer interior isn't that great. If it came with the parking sensor and the 360 camera then I'd happily pay the diff of $2000-2500. I've pinged Mazda Canada on Twitter to see what they have to say about it.

I totally agree. This is very disappointing. Obviously it's to cut corners to get the cost down, but my goodness, now we are the only country with a gimpy Signature model? The camera is low-res anyway and not a huge deal, but I have one on my 3 year old Nissan Rogue that I wanted to upgrade, and now I really have to think if I want to upgrade or keep my current 3 year old car that has a handful more features than this 'luxury' CX-5.

Don't get me wrong the CX-5 has a lot I'd like to have also, but was really hoping it at least wouldn't be gimped for the Canadian market...seems really odd to me and a poor decision. Why not include it all in the top model and let people who want it, pay for it??

Edit: Could you please post any info or response you get from Mazda Canada? I'd like to hear what they have to say about this decision...thanks. I just called them myself and the rep I spoke with didn't even know they had released a 2019 CX-5 yet...NOT EVEN JOKING. He said they only have info for the 2018 model. I told him to check their own website...smh.
 
My numbers are from tfl. It seems 7 with 87 and 6.5 with 93. 23 mpg was from tfl.
CD if you have a GT it's 3550 but Sport Touring are lighter. So a 91 tune on a gen1 will do it in 7 seconds with the added advantage of getting about 27-28 mpg vs 2.5T which is 23. Just goes to say what a superior drivetrain 2.5NA was/is.

I had a Gen 1 Touring and the '19 Sig. is dramatically faster/torquier. I seriously doubt a tune on a Gen 1 could ever come close to matching the 2.5T.

I'm still anxious to see credible numbers on the 2.5T in a true apples to apples comparison with other cars.

C/D says CX-9 is 7.1 seconds. (it weighs about 400 lbs more then CX-5.) That should put CX-5 in the mid to high 6's all other things being equal. (maybe low 6's with premium)
 
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My numbers are from tfl. It seems 7 with 87 and 6.5 with 93. 23 mpg was from tfl.
CD if you have a GT it's 3550 but Sport Touring are lighter. So a 91 tune on a gen1 will do it in 7 seconds with the added advantage of getting about 27-28 mpg vs 2.5T which is 23. Just goes to say what a superior drivetrain 2.5NA was/is.
At some point I'll spring for a tune for sure.
 
I had a Gen 1 Touring and the '19 Sig. is dramatically faster/torquier. I seriously doubt a tune on a Gen 1 could ever come close to matching the 2.5T.

A 91 tune of Gen1 will match a stock 87 running 2.5T, cost to run won't be higher as 2.5T has 24 mpg whereas tuned Gen1 will do 27~28. more so if its a Touring or Sport which are lighter.
It seems Mazda only focused on features as this is exact same engine as CX9. Does it need 310 lbft of torque? No. does it need more hp? Probably yes. Not saying they should have designed it ground up - but should have set it up to Match CX-5's size. Its cheaper for Mazda and its a good alternative to NX/RDX/XC60 or XC40 if moneys is a concern.
If someone is buying a GT-R / Signature : 70% for the features and 30% for the drive train - that is a perfect blend. I was with the signature till I saw the mpg # on TFL. Its just pathetic.

I would have given the 2.5T more credit if it was setup for CX-5 but that probably would cost money - most Luxury buyers would not mind this Signature as an option.
 
My numbers are from tfl. It seems 7 with 87 and 6.5 with 93. 23 mpg was from tfl.
CD if you have a GT it's 3550 but Sport Touring are lighter. So a 91 tune on a gen1 will do it in 7 seconds with the added advantage of getting about 27-28 mpg vs 2.5T which is 23. Just goes to say what a superior drivetrain 2.5NA was/is.

Yeah, but even if you got the same 0-60 times in a gen 1 or a 2019Sig, they would be completely different cars with complete different feel. The gen1 with ECU tune with be edgy and rough like the 2.5NA is when pushed while the 2019sig will be refined and smooth. Neither one is bad and it all depends what you want.
 
I know that Coleman is still trying to sell me something but I like to hear him talk. Best video yet.

Agree! Hes very frank and casual, which comes across as much more authentic than other spokespeople. I laughed when he was exasperated recounting the supply order bottlenecks for apple carplay upgrade. Most companies treat that kinda stuff as a big secret, but that was a really relatable explanation. Great stuff.
 
Also another good point was made. The color of the Signature leather does not do justice to the vehicle. A rich saddle brown would be really sharp. As for the wood trim, there is a fine line between sharp looking and gaudy. I would have to see it in person to make a real judgement.
 
Also another good point was made. The color of the Signature leather does not do justice to the vehicle. A rich saddle brown would be really sharp. As for the wood trim, there is a fine line between sharp looking and gaudy. I would have to see it in person to make a real judgement.

The brown color they used is the exact same brown color you find in the trim pieces on a Mazda 3 with the black interior. What I don't understand is why the Mazda CX-9 has one color for the Signature, the CX-5 has another color for the Signature and the Mazda 6 has a different brown or the Nappa parchment - again, a different color of Nappa leather.
 
But have you actually driven a gen 2?

I didn*t find it dramatically different except for the more sensitive throttle which is surely noticeable.


Agreed and when you turn it into a corner, the Gen2 car is much more stable.
 
Dave Coleman @ 4:22

"If we were focused on high RPM power, if this was a sports car, for example, we would use a smaller displacement with more space between the cylinder bores, so we could do some more cooling between the bores, because with that high RPM and high output, you have a lot of cooling needs. At low RPM, we don't necessarily need that. So we can use a bigger cylinder that has more exhaust energy that will spool the turbo up more quickly. So right off the idle, we can light that turbo up and come on boost as soon as you step on the gas. That's really where our focus is for this engine."
 
Agreed and when you turn it into a corner, the Gen2 car is much more stable.

Yeah, granted I wasnt wringing it out but it felt pretty well planted. I thought the seats heated up much faster as well. Rearward visibility felt a bit better too, but its been almost two years since I drive my old Gen1. So that might be my imagination.
 
Yeah, granted I wasn*t wringing it out but it felt pretty well planted. I thought the seats heated up much faster as well. Rearward visibility felt a bit better too, but it*s been almost two years since I drive my old Gen1. So that might be my imagination.

My old CX-5 is great but my new CX-9 handles much better. Very flat around corners and feels wonderful when pushing through a turn. The Gen1 was fantastic but Mazda has improved their cars.
 
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