First test i've read that sees the cx-5 beaten.

[tibimakai]

If Mazda would make this 5 I would be all over it:

 

[Chris_Top_Her]

that's pretty sick

 

[Latitude Adj.]

The Forester is probably the one vehicle I would've chosen over my CX-5, but the lone Subaru dealership would not budge on their rates and finance term length.

Before I bought my previous Mazda, a CX-7 I wanted a SAAB 92-X Aero which is basicly a Subaru WRX with a SAAB grille but my divebuddy had a Forester and I was always chasing rattles on her car and co-workers with Subaru's told me the same thing, after 50k miles things start to fall apart.

 

[ALafya]

For me the main reason I stayed away from a Forester and the Impreza is the oil consumption thread, which has much activity for a long time.
I don't care how good the AWD system is if I need to now watch for oil consumption on a new engine and hear that "it's normal" from Subaru.
An added bonus is that the CX-5 is more fun to drive, looks better and has a superb 6AT, not a CVT which many people need to get used to.

 

[ALafya]

The Turbo version of the Forester is even more hideous than the NA model, especially in the front.

 

[dad of jon]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzWCd4l__iw

maybe with an 'standard' auto vs cvt transmition, but not with a manual I reckon.

also in the uk only the 2.0xt is quicker than the 150ps diesel I have. and none of them have the torque. plus the xt is 197gm/co2 and urban of 25mpg whereas I get 45mpg urban.

the 2.0 diesel is a closer match but slower less torque , worse mpg and more emissions. plus I think it's ugly compared to the CX5.

I'd love the exclusivity of the subaru brand and the attraction of the car being built in japan, but they don't have anything in their line-up that appeals to me.

CX-5 still #1 IMO

nice link to the test tho' xtrail.

 

[athiker]

I thought Subaru sales were way up? Something like 30% over last year?

I also looked at the Forester 2.0 turbo and loved almost everything about it. It just didn't have the upscale interior like the CX-5 Touring, so the Mazda won.

They are, Subaru sales are way up over last year with the Forester leading he charge with Forester sales up 63% YTD thru November 2013 vs thru November 2012. Their stock share price?....up 400% since 2012!

I test drove the Outback and Forester. I thought the Outback was a bit under powered but the lighter Forester was fairly peppy. I loved the open feeling and sight lines. Yeah, not as stylish as other CUVs but the driving visibility made up for it, especially with a teenager about to get behind the wheel soon. Its biggest drawback for me at 6' were the short seat bottoms. Some don't mind them but they just plain bugged me (Outback and Legacy seats are very nice however). Also an annoying bump on the center console that hit the bone on the outside of my upper shin when wearing shorts.

I really enjoyed driving the 2014 CX-5 and the new Mazda3. I felt a little claustrophobic in the 6 sedan coming from a larger SUV and mini-van. I'm hoping the 2015 CX-5 picks up a few tech features from the 3 and I will likely pull the trigger. I have some quality concerns, which is why I'm hanging out in some online forums...so far I've mostly read about cracked windshields on the CX-5 and some rust issues on older Mazdas.

Both the Mazda and the Subaru felt more substantial then the Hyundai Tuscon...it felt tinny and much less refined in comparison. The Rav4 felt surprisingly good as well, a little funky looking inside though. It also flunked the new "overlap" crash test with a "poor" rating....the CX-5 was "marginal" and the Forester was "good".

 

[CX-SV]

Forrester is nice enough, but no way would I own it (the style, droning flat 4 and CVT is not to my taste).

And btw - how did they get that $33K as-tested MSRP for this non-turbo Forrester?

 

[Kelly_A]

I traded a 2010 Forester in on my CX-5. Only thing I miss is the AWD, since the weather here has been uncharacteristically snowy the last few weeks. I hated (really hated) driving the Forester, just no fun at all. Mileage sucked, and a reflash/recall that was supposed to address the mileage only made it worse. That was my first and last Subaru.

 

[Stringer]

Before settling on the cx-5 (which i pick up sunday), the forester was at the very top of my list. On paper it looked great. But after some digging, it turns out subaru has some huge problems with leaking head gaskets on it's 2.5L engine. ALL years, ALL models. The 2.0T is too expensive and there are much better options in this price range.

 

[Perusal]

They are, Subaru sales are way up over last year with the Forester leading he charge with Forester sales up 63% YTD thru November 2013 vs thru November 2012. Their stock share price?....up 400% since 2012!

Not in the UK, they aren't. Very much a niche brand over here. Very few dealers and usually small family concerns rather than large motoring groups.

 

[Frisco CX-5]

If you were to average a number of different road tests made by different organizations (examples: Autos.ca, Motor Trend, Autoweek), the CX-5 is at or near the top in these comparison tests. I have a 2013 GT with the 2.0 liter engine and I'm happy with it (even though the latest Consumers Reports rankings do not recommend the CX-5 with the 2.0 liter engine; only the 2.5).

 

[tibimakai]

It seems like Ford Escape has issues, Nissan Pathfinder has CVT issues. Anybody knows anything about Honda CRV, RAV4 or other CUV issues?

 

[xtrailman]

In diesel form in the UK, the CRV, Kuga and Rav4, subaru come nowhere near the CX-5 in terms of torque, or driving pleasure.

 

[maxwax]

"A car with cloth seats, in the top 3, how can it be?"
--autoguide.com

The most notable thing about this video is the clear enthusiasm the presenter has for the CX-5. I notice that they presented the CX-5 last, the position usually held out for the top car. The opening comments that "you know the CX-5 will be in the top 3" suggests it's earning a reputation as one of the best CUVs on the market. They report on its good fuel economy, that it's fun to drive and features like a touch screen, rear view camera and blind spot monitoring that aren't found on other models.

I was a faithful Honda driver until I bought my CX-5 and it was reviews like this that spoke so highly of the CX-5 that made me change. If you line up 10 reviews of the CX-5 you consistently see the same praise for the same features. The negatives towards the CX-5 were pretty minor and its nice to see nobody complaining about the 2.0L engine the way they initially did with the 2013 models.

I watched this video twice. The first time was fun, but the second time I really noticed how much they jumped around on pros and cons. Why are they dissing cloth seats so much? Do they not understand that a lot of people *want* cloth seats to avoid leather on hot summer days? I think if you watch the video again you'll actually be a little surprised the CX-5 didn't get more out of line negatives, but then again, they really seem to like it.