Drag race : Mazda Cx5 2016 vs 2018

Ok, I have to ask. Is this the Aussie way of saying "to each their own"? This forum is the only time I have ever seen it said in this order of words. (thumb)
Maybe but it's essentially the same thing
 
Last edited:
Interesting observation.
I'm a little late to the party, but my following .02C worth is not scientifically or technically based.
It is based purely on my butt dyno:
When shopping for a new ride last fall, I/we were already leaning towards a sedan vs. CUV.
To be fair though, I test drove the CX-5 as well as the 6, back to back.
The difference was noticeable.
The CX-5 felt heavier (which it is), slower (which it probably is), less athletic and spirited.
The 6 is also not as tall, so it's centre of gravity is lower, which makes a big difference turning corners.
The 4 banger in the 6 is more than adequate, but the CX-5 somehow felt underwhelming after driving the 6.
I really wanted to love the CX-5, and would still choose it over the competition if I was buying a midsize CUV, but compared to the lighter 6, it left me wanting for more.
Like others have said, if Mazda could somehow be convinced to drop the turbo in the CX-5, it would put the competition to shame.

I am coming from the opposite direction to you.

I've owned sedans for a while now and as you know I just sold my 6.
Yes the 6 is faster and lighter than the CX-5 and I can tell the difference between the 2.
But I know that I won't be throwing the CX-5 around all that frequently like I did my 6. It can still be done when needed which is a good thing.
The main selling point for me is how much quieter the CX-5 is than the 6 and not to mention being seated higher up which allows easier ingress/egress for my family members who found my 6 more difficult in this regard.

I agree with 2.5T into CX-5
 
I honestly don't notice much difference in daily driving with similar hp vehicles with over 100# torque difference. I was quite shocked. My 370z and ws.6 felt darn near the same when driven the same way. The only difference is the 370 was geared much more aggressively , so shifting was more frequent when puttering around.

Naturally aspirated 4cyl gas engines have very little torque at the low RPMs they cruise at for best fuel economy. So IMO their throttle response when cruising feels really soft. And even light acceleration to adjust for traffic often involves a downshift. Same for going up hills.

The diesel cars I've driven have some torque reserve on tap even at cruising RPM, so the throttle feels more responsive and there is less hesitation and downshifting. Some of the gas turbos tuned for low end are like that too, e.g. CX-9.
 
Naturally aspirated 4cyl gas engines have very little torque at the low RPMs they cruise at for best fuel economy. So IMO their throttle response when cruising feels really soft. And even light acceleration to adjust for traffic often involves a downshift. Same for going up hills.

The diesel cars I've driven have some torque reserve on tap even at cruising RPM, so the throttle feels more responsive and there is less hesitation and downshifting. Some of the gas turbos tuned for low end are like that too, e.g. CX-9.

Yeah, agreed, but I'm still impressed with the 2.5 SA g making max torque at 3200ish rpm. That's v8 style.
 
Yeah, agreed, but I'm still impressed with the 2.5 SA g making max torque at 3200ish rpm. That's v8 style.

That may have been the case for Gen 1 for you guys.

Over here it's always been 4000rpm for AWD (Gen 1 & Gen 2)

3200rpm is for FWD for you guys and AWD is 4000rpm like the rest of us
 
Last edited:
Still v8 ish. Most of my v8 cars hit peak torque well after 4k.

DbncdEc.gif
 
Well I'm an old fart, but it wasn't that long ago I was driving MINI's for the fun factor. Gave up a bit of the zig-zag for a Mazda 3 s GT, then just recently traded that for a (2017) CX5. Meanwhile, my wife stepped back into the MINI world with a new Countryman around the same time. I thought maybe I might get a little jealous, because damn that big MINI drives like a much smaller car and is definitely quicker, but I'm not jealous at all -- to my own surprise, I much prefer driving my Mazda. I do drive a bit aggressively at times, and my car does have to be fun to drive, but I really do prefer and appreciate that extra bit of refinement they added to the '18 CX5, even at the expense of a little quarter mile time. In real world driving, I don't think you really notice that small difference between the '16 and the '18 anyway. I do wish mine had a bit more oomph getting on the highway, but there's not much better out there in that class without paying a lot more than I'm willing to part with, so that's a compromise I had to make. Just my preference -- I'm glad I got the one I got.
 
Last edited:
There's no market. Disproportionate or not. Manual transmissions make up 3% of the US Market. 3...percent. Face it, dinosaurs...the writing is on the wall.
The disappearing stick shift: Less than 3% of cars sold in the U.S. have manual transmissions

http://www.latimes.com/business/aut...-disappearing-stick-shift-20161115-story.html

Though I agree, they should. You can't blame them.

The last few manuals I've owned (the last was a 2012 MINI Paceman), they screwed with 1st and 2nd gear tuning, dropping the power so that idiots wouldn't dump the clutch and shred up the low gears. And I've heard from numerous drivers that most manufacturers do that now. One car I had tuned that mostly got rid of it, but not completely. Totally ruined the 3-pedal experience for me. That combined with hitting parking lots on the interstate every day on my work commute just killed any desire I had to bang gears. And believe me, up until then I loathed slush-o-matics. I'd still much rather be able to enjoy driving a stick, but I don't where I do most of my driving.
 
The last few manuals I've owned (the last was a 2012 MINI Paceman), they screwed with 1st and 2nd gear tuning, dropping the power so that idiots wouldn't dump the clutch and shred up the low gears. And I've heard from numerous drivers that most manufacturers do that now. One car I had tuned that mostly got rid of it, but not completely. Totally ruined the 3-pedal experience for me. That combined with hitting parking lots on the interstate every day on my work commute just killed any desire I had to bang gears. And believe me, up until then I loathed slush-o-matics. I'd still much rather be able to enjoy driving a stick, but I don't where I do most of my driving.

The LS1 fbodies actually had restriction orifices in the clutch hydraulics in an attempt to preserve the anemic 7.5 diff.
 
Back