Test drove an awd touring and a fwd manual sport today. My opinion.......
- Thread starter mikeee2
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PhoenixINX
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- 2013 Mazda CX-5 GT
Exactly... See signature.
Leave the car as it is - Continue to invest in further lightening of the chassis!
Agreed, that's the reality of the market for this vehicle, despite the hoopla on the internet.
Mazda has the intentionally designed CX-5 for best-in-class fuel efficiency and the resulting demand for this vehicle in US (as well as ROW) is very strong, well beyond original forecasts.
Well depending how you look at it. Car and driver's review was a comparison between 6 suvs (cx5, ford something, tucson, kia sportage?, crv, rav4). Mazda is the newest of all yet it's anywhere from approximately 10 to 25 horses shy (not counting torque) vs all the older competitors. So that to me, doesn't make that much sense. Of all the reviews from magazine / websites, everyone said it was under power. So it's a pretty broad analysis. This is a suv, a heavy car 3200+ for manual or something and 3400+ for awd auto.
Zoom zoom is more than 0-60 times, especially when the goals is best fuel efficiency available. Excellent handling, strong brakes, sharp steering response is also part of zoom zoom=CX-5. CX-5 has zoom zoom too.
Example is the 100 mile drive I drove through challenging Santa Cruz mountain roads on Saturday w/CX-5, plenty of power and long as I used some revs and gas mileage near 30mpg. I could have driven my sport sedan with twice the power but did not.
Plenty of choices in that test in C&D September issue. Despite having lowest horsepower (with best fuel economy), CX-5 came out on top.
In short, only the CRV came close to matching fuel efficiency of the CX-5 and it was 2mpg less than CX-5 over the 200 mile trip. The others weren't even close in fuel efficiency.
Yes, CX-5 is a heavy SUV (because it is a awd SUV), but it's at least 200 pounds lighter than competing SUV's, due to Skyactiv engineering. What doesn't make sense is those looking for something lighter, shopping SUV's.
Maybe I am just expecting a little too much from the cx-5. I've driven miata and rx8s and although they are no power house, they do have zoom zooms. Cx-5 at least from my quick test drive is, anything under 4,000 rpm was really weak. I am sure it handles better than most of the suvs out there but it's also the slowest not just 0-60. Once it goes onto highway speed, it actually gets pretty bad. I forgot which suv it was comparing to. I think maybe the tucson but 0-60 was only half to 1 sec but 0-100 was 11 SECOND difference. That makes night and day if you are on the highway and merging in and out at highway speed (say 70 or whatever). This is one of the very few m/t suvs out there and it's hell alot of fun to drive vs other suvs but I guess you can't have everything.
0-100 is not very useful in US, nobody cares. Yes, you were expecting too much comparing it to 2 pure sports cars. I drive a 306hp sport sedan and still don't expect CX-5 to compete.
But I observed similar sluggish behavior during "quick test drive" of new vehicle. What happens after serveral hundreds of miles of a more aggressive driver is the transmission adapts to driver behavior. Shift points change and downshifts happen quicker with less pedal pressure. Yes, you will have to exceed 4000 rpm to get strong acceleration, just like most sub 2.5L 4 bangers. Using rev range of 4-6K gives plenty of power for merging.
Note: the auto tranny has a excellent manual mode too, very BMW-like, for really taking control.
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Here are just a few I can think of off the top of my head - Nissan, Toyota, and Honda.
300zx
Supra
3G Integra (Both USDM and JDM)
WOW...didn't know there were so many!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The odd thing is the CX-5 didn't feel all that different than my RX-8 in casual driving, as below 5,000 rpm the RX-8 doesn't make much power either... and in normal driving I rarely push it above 5,000 rpm.
Of course the difference is if I DO need power to merge onto a highway, it's available in the RX-8 if you let the revs climb, where with the CX-5... well, it is what it is
Maybe it's because my brother drives a 2012 mustang gt m/t with 412 horses...and I really enjoy driving his v8 whenever I get a chance. Anyway, what really brings me to this forum is I am looking to swap out my beater car (nissan sentra). I want something with more room and suv comes to my mind but the transmission is very important as well. I wanted to get a m/t suv and aside from vw tiguan I am not sure what small suv makes m/t anymore. Even x3 doesn't. If I am getting the automatic cx-5 then this would probably go to my wife. If it's m/t then I would be the one driving it because she doesn't know how to drive m/t.
Yes, a Mustang GT is sweet. I owned one, the effortless power is intoxicating. But I didn't use it as a daily driver, it was my weekend car (convertible).
CX-5 versus old Sentra, no problem with horsepower gap, lol.
The odd thing is the CX-5 didn't feel all that different than my RX-8 in casual driving, as below 5,000 rpm the RX-8 doesn't make much power either... and in normal driving I rarely push it above 5,000 rpm.
Of course the difference is if I DO need power to merge onto a highway, it's available in the RX-8 if you let the revs climb, where with the CX-5... well, it is what it is
Like what you are saying "casual driving". Rx8 is much lighter (lighter and more horses) which explains to why it pulls. It's no v8 but gets the job done. My friend had a s2000. I drove it a couple of times. It's not really fast but it's light and the combination of revving it so high...it gives you the impression that it's fast NO MATTER WHAT. It's weird.
Merging into highway is pretty crucial. At least in big city's like mines (NYC). You only have so much time to merge before the person in back of you walks over with a shotgun. (eek) It can be dangerous if you don't have the torque to pull you onto the lane and merge. Even cutting lane. More horses does not necessary mean you have to drive very fast.
Ok, now let me bring in my scenerio. I have a 05 g35 and a 01 sentra. Both are auto (I don't even want to go through the reason why I have two autos when all my previous cars were m/t). Maybe wife and daughter? Anyway.........
my sentra needs to go so I need to get wife another car. I want to get back to m/t cars so I need a fun to drive car with some pick up and needs to have some room. Which brings me to the cx-5. If I get the fwd m/t cx-5 then that becomes my car and my wife will take over my g35. What I am afraid of is giving up the v6 pull. If I get a cx-5 automatic then it goes to my wife and I will stick with my g35 until I find something I like. So far the 155 horses is what is pulling me back to my seat and not going to dealer to ink the paper.
The odd thing is the CX-5 didn't feel all that different than my RX-8 in casual driving, as below 5,000 rpm the RX-8 doesn't make much power either... and in normal driving I rarely push it above 5,000 rpm.
Of course the difference is if I DO need power to merge onto a highway, it's available in the RX-8 if you let the revs climb, where with the CX-5... well, it is what it is
So you own both a cx-5 and rx-8? Why is it that rx-8 is very precise when you shift gear while the cx-5 sure feels smooth but it's got this buttery feel. It's so smooth that it's not even funny. Tsx/s2000/miata/mustang etc...the ones I've driven is short, precise and clicks in. Cx-5, no clicks, but rubbery super soft and smooth feel. LOL
Yes, if you don't drive a lot of miles then fuel economy shouldn't be at the top of your priority list. You will have many choices in SUV's with considerably more power and less fuel efficiency.
Note: Past years my weekend car and my commuter car were both sticks too, now both are auto-trannys, no big deal for me either way.
Nah, I only own an RX-8 (and a Civic) and I'm looking for something a little less stressful and more efficient, lol. Considering the CX-5, as I love the handling, but I dunno how to give up nearly 100 hp
Have you looked at the Kia Sportage SX? I forget the power and price, but I think it's really fast...
Agreed. But what other SUV or decent size car that is fun to drive, m/t, has power, doesn't cost me my bank account? For SUV, besides vw tiguan and cx-5 I don't think there is another other choice, is there? tiguan has no handling from the reviews I've read...
Nah, I only own an RX-8 (and a Civic) and I'm looking for something a little less stressful and more efficient, lol. Considering the CX-5, as I love the handling, but I dunno how to give up nearly 100 hp
Have you looked at the Kia Sportage SX? I forget the power and price, but I think it's really fast...
Not sure about really fast. (shrug) But don't think it has any handling. Sure dont' want to tip over the suv.
