Who else loves their CX-5?

[vroom]

^ Ok, just found it:

http://www.edmunds.com/mazda/cx-5/2014/long-term-road-test/2014-mazda-cx-5-first-service.html

Not exactly official info though...

 

[Tuktanuk]

I'm comparing apples to apples here. Coming from a 2012 CR-V; The differences are very stark. The CR-V was just ho-hum to drive whereas the CX-5 is so much more alive. I just drove from NY to NC and back with my new CX-5 and BOY! am I impressed. The seats are comfy, the steering is awesome, the brakes are great. I had an "oh s***" moment going through DC where a guy was stopped in the middle of the road at night with no lights on at all. I had to jam on the brakes and quickly swerve around him. The CX-5 took that on with confidence and I was left needing a change of shorts but, I've had those moments in the CR-V as well and it seemed like I and the CR-V needed a change of shorts. There are some minor gripes in regards to TomTom but that's been covered and beaten here on the forums; so no need to go over them again.

The Bose system IMHO; is really one of the best sounding systems to grace a factory system. Is Bose 100% no but then again; nothing really is unless it's custom tailored to you. People seem to get very critical and forget that among the factory blah sound systems; the Bose system really shines.

@ about 2500 miles; I find the MPG's on par with the CR-V but they have been inching up with each fill up. I also have the AWD version which is never going to get very high anyway. If I see 30+ MPG's I'll be more than pleased. I bought my Honda based on previous ownership and the Honda reputation. After owning the CX-5 for 1 month; I can honestly say that Honda and Toyota better start taking note! They have more than a serious contender on their hands for certain.

The cabin is much more quiet than the CR-V is and that is one of the things that Honda claims to have addressed. The seats are comfortable and supportive and the side bolsters do a fine job at making you feel cradled. My one gripe with the cabin is the need to remove the rear headrests to fold the seats flat. I think Mazda should take queues from Honda here. The CR-V has headrests that fold down when the handle is triggered. Something so small and easy; it makes me wonder why or even if Mazda thought about it. I don't need to fold the seats flat very often and it's not a big deal but it is an extra step.

Again, we will all have some gripes about any car out there... perfect does not exist in this price point. Having said that, The Mazda CX-5 comes damn close in my book.

 

[b_scott]

I've had it for one week and almost 500 miles and I do like it a lot- its added torque, agility and shiftable 6 speed makes it an able and willing companion on the daily slog- and an upgrade in most departments vs my departed CRV. I want to love it but man its not without its flaws. The bluetooth and ipod interfaces are beyond my wildest dreams on a 2014 car bad. Lot of cheap plastics and pronounced mirror shake- I knew about these and I really hope they can fix the mirror and make it so I can call from the car, hang up and not have the whole screen basically lock up. Voice button frequently doesn't work at all, sometimes audio button doesn't either. Despite these pretty simple things that I still can't believe they got this wrong- the car is a pleasure to drive and it rewards with great steering and quick (for a CUV) reflexes.

I've noticed my driver's side vibrates on the highway, and also if I'm playing music with bass. I might take mine in.

 

[redblueyes]

After having a red car in 1992 that faded badly after 3 years despite lots of TLC, I promised I'd never buy red again. BUT, having seen soul red I have to agree with you it is the best red I've ever seen. If they had that on the 2013 cx-5 I would have gone for that. The zeal red is a bit too sombre for cloudy wales!

Yeah I thought I was done with reds (my first three cars were various shades of red) but saw this and it melted my heart.
But you bring up a good point about paint fading/chipping. I've had 2 cars with major problems and I don't know if it's me or just crappy paint overall. (Once I was told it was acid rain, but c'mon then every single car I see on the road would have that.) One was my black Mitsz. Talon, and the other my recently traded-in blue 2004 Santa Fe. Granted I don't spend time waxing etc, but I asked my dad (who's paint on a 2003 GMC Envoy still looks spectacular) and he said he's never waxed either. I don't get it. Am I just unlucky? Would waxing guarantee my paint lasts longer? I didn't buy the package where you take it in every 3-4 months for treatment in and out, because that sounds like a pain in my ***. But I might consider waxing if it'd keep it beautiful. Another thing someone told me once is car-washes are awful for pain because they recycle the water. Is this true? I don't have a house with a hose (I'm on a 3-4 floor) so I don't have the luxury of washing car in my driveway. Do I have to find a friend with a driveway??? haha

Another question for you guys. I know there was a lot of talk about the ipod/iphone stuff. I almost didn't get the CX 5 specifically because of it!!!!! Wrote to corporate to complain and tell them I was buying a different vehicle because of it. Then, when I went test driving other vehicles I was very depressed doing that, because I knew what I wanted. At that time I decided to make a decision one way or the other, and I decided I'd deal with whatever ipod problems came with the car, to get the car I wanted. So, I got the car and I'm VERY HAPPY I DID. I was thrilled how well the Bluetooth just pulls my songs out of the phone and I don't have to do anything! I think the stereo sounds awesome. However, my question is this (as I'm partly forgetting what all the problems were with the ipod/iphone), perhaps I've just pushed them out of my brain. I can only remember the one that takes sooooo long to plug in the ipod and have the songs load. This is true. I have a lot of song. Anyway.. back to my question... the ONLY thing I've noticed that I don't like is ... when I shuffle songs randomly, it goes in alphabetical order. Is this the other problem everyone else was having? Phone shuffles fine when just using phone music (random artist/random song) but through the car its random artist only because it's pulling songs by name order. Any way around that?
Thanks!
But make no mistake... I LOVE MY CX5!!! More than any car I've ever had ever!!!!

 

[garyd9]

Would waxing guarantee my paint lasts longer?

No, but it could help...

Another thing someone told me once is car-washes are awful for pain because they recycle the water. Is this true?

Sometimes. Personally, I avoid any car washes with brushes or anything else that rubs against the car. This includes "brushless" car washes that use ANYTHING that physically touches the car. Not only do those mechanisms leave very faint marks in the paint/clearcoat (which are more noticeable on darker colors), but if the car before yours was really dirty, you can be confident that some of that dirt is still stuck in the brushes (or whatever) and scraping your car.

Many car washes also use recycled water (including the "touchless" ones.) Usually (but not always) the water is filtered enough that it won't cause problems. However, every now and then, it's not clean enough and those high pressure jets are blasting your car with dirty water. Some people compare it to sandblasting your car (but I personally think those people are being a bit extreme.)

I don't have a house with a hose (I'm on a 3-4 floor) so I don't have the luxury of washing car in my driveway. Do I have to find a friend with a driveway??? haha

There are many "no rinse" car wash products that are good for washing a car that isn't too dirty. Personally, I use "Optimum no rinse" but there are others. (Here's a product link: http://www.autogeek.net/optimum-no-rinse.html) No hose required.

However, if your car is more than just a "little" dirty, I wouldn't rely on the no rinse solutions alone. In that case, in your shoes, I'd at least drive through a "touchless" car wash that's reputable (to get the bulk of the dirt off) before using the NoRinse wash. (Hint: If there's a big sign saying that they aren't responsible for ANY damage no matter what, I'd avoid them.)

Finally... as for waxing.... an entire forum could be dedicated to the subject (and there are several out there.) It's worthwhile to do, it usually looks good, and Mazda could (in theory) void parts of the sheet metal warranty if they determine that normal waxing (as suggested in the owner's manual) would have prevented some damage.

Take care
Gary

 

[piotrek91]

Excellent trip report and thanks for sharing! Looks like a lot of fun. I love the Sierras.

You seem to focus on important vehicle attributes that really matter in the real world. And your observations show how misguided the observations of those who think the 2.0L engine is under-powered become in the real world as you were fully loaded and the fact that you "only" had 155 hp didn't matter in any tangible way. Very refreshing after all the nit-picking about super minor stuff that don't matter one hoot to most people. And it goes to show that AWD is not necessary to do traverse rugged roads. Driving skill is far more important.

I love my CX-5 too. It has a combination of solidness and nimbleness that is not found in any of the competition. I wish all cars were engineered with such quality and detail to structural engineering and suspension tuning. Cars were meant to drive and the driving attributes are what defines the car, not how big the video display is, how well the exhaust pipes fill the bodywork cutouts or whether the heated seats are so hot they need to be turned down within 5 minutes.

Thanks Mike glad you liked the "report". The trip was a blast and my CX-5 really is an amazing car. The whole car felt very solid (no rattles) and composed over all kinds of bumps, dips and pot holes with an extremely full load and the speed was only limited by the numerous blind corners.

By your post, I can tell that you would enjoy reading the following article (and the article belongs in this "CX-5 love" thread):
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/20...ich-our-author-falls-in-love-with-a-cute-ute/

 

[Inferno2ss]

I love my CX-5, I wish the Nav and iPod features worked a bit better, but those are really small complaints, that hopefully they can address through software updates down the road.

 

[MikeM.]

Still loving my CX-5! After 11,000 miles loving it more than when new. As close as it gets to the perfect car for me.

 

[fbangie]

I've had my 2013 Touring for almost a week and put on 600 miles. I drive 45 miles to work one way, 90 miles a day. I'm love'n the CX-5. So far haven't had any issues.

 

[Seminole]

I have the mirror and hood vibration, but aside from those two issues it's been solid through 8k miles. I'm not thrilled to death with the vibrations, but those are more of an annoyance then a serious issue. If those are the only two things that ever go wrong while I own the car (knock on wood) I'll consider myself very happy, especially after all the issues I had with my BMW.

 

[sylvia777]

I have the mirror and hood vibration, but aside from those two issues it's been solid through 8k miles. I'm not thrilled to death with the vibrations, but those are more of an annoyance then a serious issue. If those are the only two things that ever go wrong while I own the car (knock on wood) I'll consider myself very happy, especially after all the issues I had with my BMW.

You mentioned that you are having these issues, but I thought I read that they can fix them. Will you be doing this?

Also can someone tell me if these cars come with memory seating?

 

[Seminole]

You mentioned that you are having these issues, but I thought I read that they can fix them. Will you be doing this?

Also can someone tell me if these cars come with memory seating?

No memory seating, no matter the trim. I've had them attempt to fix the mirror vibration once, and the mirror assembly was replaced, but it didn't fix the issue. I haven't brought up the hood yet, possibly at the next service, but that doesn't bother me as bad as the mirror.

 

[sylvia777]

No memory seating, no matter the trim. I've had them attempt to fix the mirror vibration once, and the mirror assembly was replaced, but it didn't fix the issue. I haven't brought up the hood yet, possibly at the next service, but that doesn't bother me as bad as the mirror.

So, lets say the vibration of mirror, was this something that just all of a sudden occurred?
I wonder why it did not fix? Either way, I can imagine it can be frustrating since my rear view mirror just recently started to vibrate, and hate it. This is on my 99 4Runner.

 

[Seminole]

So, lets say the vibration of mirror, was this something that just all of a sudden occurred?
I wonder why it did not fix? Either way, I can imagine it can be frustrating since my rear view mirror just recently started to vibrate, and hate it. This is on my 99 4Runner.

It had it from the start. My car is past the cutoff date for when the 2013 fix should have been applied (adding an additional support bar inside the door) so the dealer only replaced the mirror.

I knew about the issue before even going for a test drive, but even with it when I compared the CX-5 to the competition it still won. The Ford Escape with the 2.0T was a distant second. The power was nice, but I'd rather have a mirror vibrate then all the issues they are having with MyFord Touch and Sync.

Let me also add, if I had to do it all over again, I'd still buy the CX-5. There is always the random chance you get a lemon, even with brands like Toyota (my fiancee's 2001 Corolla's engine seized up from sludge at ~80k miles, despite regular oil changes) so you can't worry too much. Even if the car is reliable in the beginning as my BMW was for the first 40k miles problems can develop. In the second 40k I had it I needed the head gasket replaced twice due to it leaking oil, I had another small oil leak somewhere else as well, the electronic trunk release stopped working and worst was my AC condenser was leaking and they wanted almost $3,500 to fix it.

 

[sylvia777]

It had it from the start. My car is past the cutoff date for when the 2013 fix should have been applied (adding an additional support bar inside the door) so the dealer only replaced the mirror.

OK, may I ask what date was your car manufactured? I know I have read people here recommending for me to buy the most current date vehicle. So wanting to know when yours was made.

 

[Seminole]

I'm fairly sure it was 12/12. I know the 2014's became available in very late January/early February and I bought mine in the middle of February. Plus I wanted white and my dealer had to trade for the only white CX-5 south of Orlando, so they weren't as plentiful as they were now. Some people on here say they have no mirror vibration at all, so test drive multiple cars equipped the way you want/color you want and if one of them doesn't have the vibration go with it.

 

[vroom]

I think most CX5s have a slight mirror vibration at highway speed. The reason why it seems to vary wildly when reading the forum is in my opinion mostly due to individual tolerances to the problem. I would not even have noticed without reading about it here. When I actually looked for it, i saw it, and though "hmmm... is this going to anoy me". Well, it doesn't. The image in the mirror is still clear enough to see if there is a car comming in on your left, and you just glance at the mirror once in a while anyway. I actually don't even see it anymore.

The car you test-drove probably had the problem to some degree. If it did not jump at you, you probably won't be bothered by it. Just don't make a point of looking for it too much! It is also a good idea to drive the actuall car you are buying before signing the papers. The dealer is more likely to promiss a proper fix if a sale is on the line. If you find a problem, insist on the support bracket fix, not a mirror replacement which will do nothing (it's the door's fault, not the mirror's).

 

[CX-SV]

I don't love my CX-5, but I do like my CX-5 very much. (I tend not to love anything that weighs 3400-3500 pounds and has 155-189 hp, but that's just my personal preferences)

 

[piotrek91]

I don't love my CX-5, but I do like my CX-5 very much. (I tend not to love anything that weighs 3400-3500 pounds and has 155-189 hp, but that's just my personal preferences)

I see where you're coming from, but you're just spoiled by your powerful sport sedans.

Compared to my old automatic protege5 the CX-5 almost feels like a rocket.

Personally, sometimes I am thankful for the rather modest power to weight ratio of the CX-5. I shiver when I think of how a few seconds of "fun" could get me into very unsafe speeds have I gotten something like the MS3 or WRX instead.

My 155hp 3126lb 6MT (according to C&D) still has enough horses that using all of them at the same time would quickly result in a very expensive ticket.

 

[CX-SV]

.

My 155hp 3126lb 6MT (according to C&D) still has enough horses that using all of them at the same time would quickly result in a very expensive ticket.

For sure, last April I received a speeding ticket via speed trap in my 155 hp 3438 lb awd CX-5 (according to C&D). $300+ and completion of online traffic violator school course later, thankfully no conviction, no points, pay to play.