So I traded in my 2013 cx-5 gt last week for a 2014 rav4 xle(middle of the road rav). My main concern was the stalling issue that mazda wouldn't help me with. But on top of that, I've just never gotten to like the throttle response of the cx-5. IMO, it had none. It seemed to either lug along in 6th gear, when you gave it enough gas to finally do something it would downshift 2-3 gears and roar ahead. It was almost impossible to find the sweet spot for just mild acceleration to lane change into a hole etc. It seemed to change from day to day. It frustrated me to no end.
This comparison pretty much sums up my feeling of the two in driving dynamics as well. Read on from the "Driving the RAV4 and CX-5 Back to Back" header. And this review is for the cx-5 with the 2.5, not the 2.0 as I had.
http://www.torquenews.com/1083/upda...ving-report-changes-our-view-these-crossovers
My thoughts:
- the throttle response of the rav is waaaaaay better. It has a very predictable and peppy throttle response and feels quite a bit faster. A world of difference actually.
-The engine runs smoother, you can hardly tell its running. When you give it gas it has a very nice sound inside the cabin. It almost sounds like a v6 and has a bit of throatiness to it.
-the car warms up MUCH faster and blows much hotter air, which is very welcome in Winnipeg weather.
- so far fuel economy is about 1-2 mpg worse than the cx-5. But it only has 200kms on it.
_ I like the sport, normal and eco modes. I doubt I will use them much though. BUt I did find that in eco mode, the rav was still more responsive than the cx-5. If the cx-5 has a normal and sport mode, (and of course my mechanical problems Mazda didn;t care about) it would probably still be in the driveway.
-hard to compare handling in winter, just staying on the road is a good goal for winnipeg winter driving. So far so good. I do expect it to be a bit less "sporty" in its handling. But probably better than 90% of small suvs
-the AWD system is apparently more sophisticated and can provide power to the rear on accelleration and cornering BEFORE slip is detected, while the cx-5 requires slip to engage. It also has a 50/50 lock button that will lock the front/rear distribution up to 40km/h. Nice for big snow falls.
-the interior is nice. I really liked hte guage cluster in the cx-5. It was much nicer. THe rav guage cluster looks like an 80s luxury vehicle. The rav has a fair amount more room than the cx-5, the back seats fold totally flat and the headrests tilt forward so they don't' have to be removed for folding flat. But it does not have any means to fold them from the tailgate. I really like the dash. It had to grow on me but now I love it. All the controls, including the clock and climate controls are as nigh up as possible and I can still see the road while adjusting things. The A-pillars are narrower which is something I didn't really think about until I drove the rav and found how much easier it is to see pedestrians that would have been obscured by the cx-5. the fake carbon fibre in the rav is kind of goofy. Not sure what they were thinking, but it doesn't look too bad in the all black interior which is what I have. Any other interior and it looks very disjointed.
The stereo is quite good for the mid grade stereo with 6 speakers. Not as good as the bose cx-5, but I expected worse.
The infotainment and navigation seems to have more features and a better gui but I'm still getting into that. It is a lot to get used to and it's too cold to sit outside and play with it right now. One thing it doesnt have is a dedicated Navigation button, which I miss. Over all, I think the cx-5 had a nicer put together interior as well, that just "flowed".
-pushbutton start. Oh Golly I miss it. lol I didn't realize how nice it was to just hit a button on the door and then hop in and hit another button. Especially in winter with gloves on etc. The limited has PBS and passive entry but I didn't want the limited. Oh well. Can't ahve it all on a middle of the road car.
-The cx-5 is a beautiful looking car. THe rav is maybe a few notches below the cx-5 in the over all exterior look but still one of the best looking (affordable) cuvs out there IMO. I'd say the rav looks a bit more agressive than the cx-5. THe cx-5 has this beautiful flow to it though from front to back that is hard to match.
I guess that's about it for now. This turned out to be just a lot of random thoughts though instead of a real comparison. If there is anything anyone wants to know, I'll try answer.
I did love my cx-5, but mechanical issues and the lack of throttle response spoiled this car for me. So far loving my new rav.
This comparison pretty much sums up my feeling of the two in driving dynamics as well. Read on from the "Driving the RAV4 and CX-5 Back to Back" header. And this review is for the cx-5 with the 2.5, not the 2.0 as I had.
http://www.torquenews.com/1083/upda...ving-report-changes-our-view-these-crossovers
My thoughts:
- the throttle response of the rav is waaaaaay better. It has a very predictable and peppy throttle response and feels quite a bit faster. A world of difference actually.
-The engine runs smoother, you can hardly tell its running. When you give it gas it has a very nice sound inside the cabin. It almost sounds like a v6 and has a bit of throatiness to it.
-the car warms up MUCH faster and blows much hotter air, which is very welcome in Winnipeg weather.
- so far fuel economy is about 1-2 mpg worse than the cx-5. But it only has 200kms on it.
_ I like the sport, normal and eco modes. I doubt I will use them much though. BUt I did find that in eco mode, the rav was still more responsive than the cx-5. If the cx-5 has a normal and sport mode, (and of course my mechanical problems Mazda didn;t care about) it would probably still be in the driveway.
-hard to compare handling in winter, just staying on the road is a good goal for winnipeg winter driving. So far so good. I do expect it to be a bit less "sporty" in its handling. But probably better than 90% of small suvs
-the AWD system is apparently more sophisticated and can provide power to the rear on accelleration and cornering BEFORE slip is detected, while the cx-5 requires slip to engage. It also has a 50/50 lock button that will lock the front/rear distribution up to 40km/h. Nice for big snow falls.
-the interior is nice. I really liked hte guage cluster in the cx-5. It was much nicer. THe rav guage cluster looks like an 80s luxury vehicle. The rav has a fair amount more room than the cx-5, the back seats fold totally flat and the headrests tilt forward so they don't' have to be removed for folding flat. But it does not have any means to fold them from the tailgate. I really like the dash. It had to grow on me but now I love it. All the controls, including the clock and climate controls are as nigh up as possible and I can still see the road while adjusting things. The A-pillars are narrower which is something I didn't really think about until I drove the rav and found how much easier it is to see pedestrians that would have been obscured by the cx-5. the fake carbon fibre in the rav is kind of goofy. Not sure what they were thinking, but it doesn't look too bad in the all black interior which is what I have. Any other interior and it looks very disjointed.
The stereo is quite good for the mid grade stereo with 6 speakers. Not as good as the bose cx-5, but I expected worse.
The infotainment and navigation seems to have more features and a better gui but I'm still getting into that. It is a lot to get used to and it's too cold to sit outside and play with it right now. One thing it doesnt have is a dedicated Navigation button, which I miss. Over all, I think the cx-5 had a nicer put together interior as well, that just "flowed".
-pushbutton start. Oh Golly I miss it. lol I didn't realize how nice it was to just hit a button on the door and then hop in and hit another button. Especially in winter with gloves on etc. The limited has PBS and passive entry but I didn't want the limited. Oh well. Can't ahve it all on a middle of the road car.
-The cx-5 is a beautiful looking car. THe rav is maybe a few notches below the cx-5 in the over all exterior look but still one of the best looking (affordable) cuvs out there IMO. I'd say the rav looks a bit more agressive than the cx-5. THe cx-5 has this beautiful flow to it though from front to back that is hard to match.
I guess that's about it for now. This turned out to be just a lot of random thoughts though instead of a real comparison. If there is anything anyone wants to know, I'll try answer.
I did love my cx-5, but mechanical issues and the lack of throttle response spoiled this car for me. So far loving my new rav.
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