Hello,
My name is Ryan. I am new to the site. I have actually never owned a Mazda in my life (35 years old) lol. So this CX5 will be the first.
I am nearing the end of my lease with my 2013 Ford Fusion SE 1.6T, and am looking for a small suv with good fuel economy for commuting to work and just being an everyday car. I have a 4 year old son, so SUV makes sense on many fronts. But I also like the higher seating level, i find its easier on my back than lower to the ground cars. ... My GF has a 2015 Honda CRV, so i have gotten used to that car highth. In fact i have been using it for my 25 minute (each way) commute to work a decent amount lately because I have to keep my miles down at this point in my lease. .. I enjoy the car, but like the styling of the CX5 more. I have test drove the 16 Grand Touring and everything was smooth driving. I liked the infotainment system also. ... I will probably be getting the touring with the 2.5L.
anway, enough rambling from me. not sure if i even posted this in the right place. lol ... but i am hear to learn more about this car.
Thanks!
I am exactly in the same boat as you. Reasons why I purchased CX-5 are below:
1. My price range was up to $34,000 OTD
2. I do NOT want American cars due to reliability factors
3. I wanted the latest technology like blind-spot, lane departure, advanced safety features, NAV. Why? Since these days, features which are high-end now become standard in 3 to 5 years thus adds to resale value.
4. Needed a SUV or a CUV, period.
With these I set out. Toyota was out (due to lack of #3). Honda CRV with #3 crossed my #1. I was basically left with Subaru, Mazda and Nissan. I didn't like Nissan Rogue based on my friend's car issues he's facing constantly. Subaru was really good, it was almost a toss. But after extensively test driving both I found CX-5 to be SUBSTANTIALLY better in road handling and acceleration. But Subaru Forrester Eyesight was definitely better and also better - off-road capabilities. What came down to: fuel economy. CX-5 is much better. Thus CX-5 : won!! Frankly - there's not a single car which matches up to CX-5 right now based on the conditions above.
What you MIGHT be sacrificing:
1. Mazda's are tough to DIY repairs in comparison to Honda/Toyota. Thus, if you want to keep this long time your mom-pop trusted mechanic may charge you substantially more than a CR-V repair.
2. Mazda's reliability reputation took a severe hit under Ford. The after-effects are still there and you'll find Mazda resale value today is least in comparison to Toyota/Honda/Nissan. Purists here in this forum might disagree - but its a fact. I am looking at the % drop from MSRP with # of years and mileage. Not the actual drop in CAD or USD.