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- Denver, CO
It'll do great.
12,208 CX-5 Sales in USA for July.
- Thread starter VQ35DE
- Start date
I think it's important to bear in mind that Forums like this often present a skewed demographic. This forum is heavily male.......and to some degree, tech savvy male. To listen to a few here though, you'd wonder why Mazda even bothered making a FWD version of the CX5. The answer is that to many people, including a lot of non tech savvy men and women, AWD is what you get if you live in a northern climate with plenty of severe weather days, and where AWD would offer additional traction. It's more of a safety feature to those folks. As I drive around, I see plenty of soccer moms driving the FWD CX5 and CX9 vehicles, because more than 90 percent of those vehicles sold here are FWD, and many of those folks wouldn't pay an additional $1500 for AWD. I owned an AWD Jeep Grand Cherokee for 6 years......I loved it, but I don't miss the AWD functionality. My CX5 GT has the ride quality, exterior color, interior leather color, and the premium package that I wanted. It suits me.......as simple as that. (cheers2)
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- Denver, CO
Fair enough and I can understand that perspective.
Still, AWD serves more traction benefits outside of just weather, you never know where life might take you and at what time of year (when it does come to weather), and any number of other scenarios.
To me the benefits gained a cross the board make sense. Even if I didn't live in Colorado (which despite what people think we have very mild winters here in Denver for the most part), I just don't see a reason to not have it. Saving $1500 seems to be the only real reason to not get it. Or as you say, they tend to market it based on weather/climate for any given market area.
Edit: seriously a FWD CX-9? Now you've lost me. What's the point of an suv that doesn't have AWD or 4WD... Guess I will never understand that one.
Yes. We had a couple of snow events pop through this past winter. The CX5 handled it with not even a twitch. I also drove between bare pavement where the sun had melted and packed pavement not exposed to the sun. No slippage at all. I even drove one side on the packed and the other on the bare. All this while turning the wheel and giving some gas. No slippage detected.
Drive it with confidence
One thing that can play into the awd vs fwd decision is the value and demand for the vehicle. The awd should sell faster due to demand.
As mentioned above, the awd plays a big role in handling in situations you might not think of. Going up or down a winding hill, going around curves and corners in rainy weather, and etc. The system applies power to the wheels as anticipated by the computer making 200 decisions a second.
As mentioned above, the awd plays a big role in handling in situations you might not think of. Going up or down a winding hill, going around curves and corners in rainy weather, and etc. The system applies power to the wheels as anticipated by the computer making 200 decisions a second.
7eregrine
The man, the myth, the legend
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- Land of Cleve
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- 2016.5 CX5
Certainly are a lot of AWD myths...
https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/a3091/the-myth-of-the-all-powerful-all-wheel-drive-15202862/
https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/a3091/the-myth-of-the-all-powerful-all-wheel-drive-15202862/
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- San Antonio, Texas
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- '15 CX-5 Miata AWD
Article mentions nothing about the handling/power delivery advantage of the LSD(s) which typically accompany AWD cars. hm
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- San Antonio, Texas
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- '15 CX-5 Miata AWD
Yea article has good info for sure
Definitely see torque steer in my fwd CX-5 even when not WOT. I can imagine CX-5 AWD will have it but correct it without having to scale back throttle like I have to do. AWD has better passing ability than FWD. Fwd after 75 with adults just dies at 75 mph. Single occupancy cx5 fwds do okay.
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- Denver, CO
Didn't get a chance to read the article yet, but my point is that there are non weather related slippage scenarios that I'd imagine having AWD would still be an advantage on.
Anyway, as our friend Xeler8 always says, to each their own.
Anyway, as our friend Xeler8 always says, to each their own.
I'm not talking about the average buyer, about those, who wants a turbo in there CUV. If Mazda would put the turbo in the CX5, buyers who used to buy turbo Foresters, may come over to buy the CX5T.
...
Anyway, as our friend Xeler8 always says, to each their own.
Hi
and yes indeedPhilly Fly
Member
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- 2017 Mazda CX5 GT - Premium
I went with the FWD. The pros outweighed the cons.
1. Cheaper (AWD was up-charged because folks got suckerd into it)
2. Less moving parts= less stuff to fix
3. Better MPG
I live in FL but I grew up in Philly with a 95 fwd Corolla. Not 1 winter did that car get stuck or spin out. So I don't see the benefit of paying more for AWD (unless it was a quattro type setup or I drove on the beach often).
1. Cheaper (AWD was up-charged because folks got suckerd into it)
2. Less moving parts= less stuff to fix
3. Better MPG
I live in FL but I grew up in Philly with a 95 fwd Corolla. Not 1 winter did that car get stuck or spin out. So I don't see the benefit of paying more for AWD (unless it was a quattro type setup or I drove on the beach often).
I don't notice any torque steer with my awd but when mice chewed my awd systems wiring harness and i was effectively rendered fwd I did notice some and also some handling degredation. But..why would any awd vehicle have better passing ability than a like kind fwd? I'm fairly certain that the numbers would be quite close but if anything probably favor the fwd due to simply having less mass to move maybe some added driveline losses..no?
I have never driven an AWD - but seen few complaints about FWD, this could be a Texas thing where 85 mph is normal on most highways, add 4 people and their bags and you will not be able to do that on slight inclines in CX5. I have had moments where my foot is touching the floor and there is barely any increase in speed. AWD owners have never complained about this. I was in a rental RAV4 not sure AWD - 4 full grown guys, 4 carry ons and 4 laptop bags - 90 mph most of the time from OK City to Dallas. I am sitting in the car and thinking my FWD CX-5 never ever pulls this off. 70 mph is the cutoff for decent response when i drive a loaded CX5.
Nephrology
Member
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- 2015 CX5 GT AWD
When I bought my CPO CX5 in July, the salesman said they couldn't sell the FWD CX5s at all. They bought 3 by mistake - said they've sat on the lot without so much as a test drive in 4m. Also said fired the associate who bought them, lol
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- 2021 CX-9 Sig
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- 2021 CX-5 GT
My local dealer has 40 CX-5's on the lot. Nine are AWD and 31 are FWD. Their best seller is the CX-5 GT with AWD and premium package. And I live in the south where it gets below 40 three or four times a year.
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