Cx-5 vs Santa fe sport

[npannu]

I am really interested in the mazda cx-5 (wanting a 2016) however i recently started looking at the santa fe sport and walked away impressed!

Anyone know why I should pick the mazda over the hyundai? or vice versa.

Cheers.

 

[tibimakai]

To me, it felt big, heavy and I wasn't impressed with the pickup speed. No backup camera, no blind spot monitoring system. I don't know now, though how they compare.

 

[Snacks]

recently test drove a 2014 santa fe (2015's weren't in yet) and it was very nice, it is slightly bigger and wider feeling. Bigger infotainment/ radio screen option (lower end has a smaller screen than the cx5), back up cam, blind spot, 2.0 turbo and 2.5 engines had good pick up. Most importantly was the ride, it was MUCH smoother in the santa fe than the CX5.

 

[socalcx-5]

I looked long and hard at the 2014 Santa Fe Sport before going with the Mazda. I was mainly attracted to the turbo engine and the looks. You can get a ton of bells and whistles on that thing - panoramic sunroof, memory seats, LED taillights, seat heaters/coolers in the front and back . . and it's a tad more spacious than the CX-5. Two big problems though - 1) it, like most Hyundais from what I hear, has really loose steering that provides little road feedback and requires constant correcting. It would drive me crazy on a road trip 2) Fully optioned, with the turbo, you're in the mid $30s. Too much for a Hyundai IMO. The standard engine is cheaper of course, but I didn't drive it. From what I understand though it's underpowered for that size car. Nearly every review I read said you need to get the turbo otherwise it's sluggish.

 

[xtrailman]

I drove the 2013 santa fe, it was the worst car I had driven looking for a new car at the time, I couldn't get out off the car quick enough.

CRV, xc60, bmw x3, are all better to drive.

 

[npannu]

I drove the 2013 santa fe, it was the worst car I had driven looking for a new car at the time, I couldn't get out off the car quick enough.

CRV, xc60, bmw x3, are all better to drive.

What about it did you not like specifically ?

 

[SomeGuyFromNYC]

You should definitely wait until the 2016 cx5...it is going to have so much more technology and will still be fun to drive.

 

[JOE MAMA]

You should definitely wait until the 2016 cx5...it is going to have so much more technology and will still be fun to drive.

The Infotainment system is the only real technology upgrade and even at that its not much of one. The Infotainment systems in the 2014 Mazda3 and 2016 CX-5 won't be around long now that Car Play and Android Auto are in full swing with most vehicle manufacturers......Mazda has recently partnered with both. I believe Car Play has already been integrated into the 2015 Santa Fe.

 

[SomeGuyFromNYC]

The Infotainment system is the only real technology upgrade and even at that its not much of one. The Infotainment systems in the 2014 Mazda3 and 2016 CX-5 won't be around long now that Car Play and Android Auto are in full swing with most vehicle manufacturers......Mazda has recently partnered with both. I believe Car Play has already been integrated into the 2015 Santa Fe.

It is also going to have improved smart city braking, cross traffic alert, improved AWD, speed adjusted cruise control, adjustable transmission selector control....

 

[JOE MAMA]

It is also going to have improved smart city braking, cross traffic alert, improved AWD, speed adjusted cruise control, adjustable transmission selector control....

Fair enough.....smart city braking and AWD are minor programming changes and radar cruise control is definitely cool, but none of these changes are really substantial, especially in the lower trim levels where SSB and radar cruise control options aren't available.

I think there will be some substantial changes when the complete re-design happens in 2017-2018, but the difference between the 2015 and 2016 model years isn't enough to justify waiting for. Any benefits in the modest refresh are negated with initial interest rates which will be higher. This is especially true if someone is considering a touring/GS model without AWD. IMHO the major selling point of the 2016 over the 2015 is the Infotainment system which is the most significant upgrade (though it too will soon be replaced, likely when the complete re-design is done).

 

[NorCal_MP3]

Fair enough.....smart city braking and AWD are minor programming changes and radar cruise control is definitely cool, but none of these changes are really substantial, especially in the lower trim levels where SSB and radar cruise control options aren't available.

I think there will be some substantial changes when the complete re-design happens in 2017-2018, but the difference between the 2015 and 2016 model years isn't enough to justify waiting for. Any benefits in the modest refresh are negated with initial interest rates which will be higher. This is especially true if someone is considering a touring/GS model without AWD. IMHO the major selling point of the 2016 over the 2015 is the Infotainment system which is the most significant upgrade (though it too will soon be replaced, likely when the complete re-design is done).

I only buy the top of the line trim, and the upgrade from 15 to 2016 is substantial. Better infotainment, better seats, better headlights...

The upgraded smart braking is worth it alone...

Btw... the reason we didn't buy the Santa Fe Sport was the scary electronic steering...google it...

 

[xtrailman]

What about it did you not like specifically ?

Quite a few things, especially the steering.

 

[xtrailman]

Fair enough.....smart city braking and AWD are minor programming changes and radar cruise control is definitely cool, but none of these changes are really substantial, especially in the lower trim levels where SSB and radar cruise control options aren't available.

I think there will be some substantial changes when the complete re-design happens in 2017-2018, but the difference between the 2015 and 2016 model years isn't enough to justify waiting for. Any benefits in the modest refresh are negated with initial interest rates which will be higher. This is especially true if someone is considering a touring/GS model with

out AWD. IMHO the major selling point of the 2016 over the 2015 is the Infotainment system which is the most significant upgrade (though it too will soon be replaced, likely when the complete re-design is done).

I disagree, its unclear who gets what, but the Australian link says extra sound proofing including thicker glass, and a sport selection mode for petrol models.
Other links say suspension improvements, and LED lights, so the end product hopefully will be a much improved but heavier car.

 

[socalcx-5]

"Btw... the reason we didn't buy the Santa Fe Sport was the scary electronic steering...google it..."



yeah, the funny thing is there are 3 different "modes" of steering. I could feel virtually no difference. Even in "Sport" mode it was light as a feather and totally numb feeling.

 

[npannu]

Quite a few things, especially the steering.

So glad you clarified....

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i'll go take it for a test drive and see how it steers. I sat in the santa fe last week and i was really impressed. That sunroof that goes all the way to the back is really cool!

It is really good value for the price but the steering could be a deal breaker.

 

[SomeGuyFromNYC]

So glad you clarified....

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i'll go take it for a test drive and see how it steers. I sat in the santa fe last week and i was really impressed. That sunroof that goes all the way to the back is really cool!

It is really good value for the price but the steering could be a deal breaker.

Let me chime in....Although I have not driven the Santa Fe, I too was going to purchase one before I read the reviews about the power steering - an issue I know VERY WELL from owning a 2012 Ford Focus, which suffers from the same problem. Google "2012 Ford Focus steering wander" and you fill find hundreds of people complaining. Do the same for the Santa Fe. What the problem is,it takes NON STOP CORRECTING of the steering wheel, fractions of an inch, CONSTANTLY in order to keep the car going straight down the road.

This exact problem with my Focus is what lead me to trade it in, losing thousands of dollars in doing so - just so I wouldn't have to deal with the steering a moment longer.

You had to make the smallest corrections CONSTANTLY. every few seconds - left,right,left,right,left... to just go straight. It was as if there was no "center" for the steering wheel. It was physically and mentally exhausting to do this over just a 2 hour long trip.

This problem is well known on the Ford Focus, Ford Escape, Hyundai Santa Fe, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima.

 

[MikeM.]

This exact problem with my Focus is what lead me to trade it in, losing thousands of dollars in doing so - just so I wouldn't have to deal with the steering a moment longer.

You had to make the smallest corrections CONSTANTLY. every few seconds - left,right,left,right,left... to just go straight. It was as if there was no "center" for the steering wheel. It was physically and mentally exhausting to do this over just a 2 hour long trip.

This problem is well known on the Ford Focus, Ford Escape, Hyundai Santa Fe, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima.

I'm currently renting a Nissan Altima and it has the exact same crappy steering issue.

I think all of us CX-5 drivers are spoiled by the excellent steering system!

 

[mentalcase]

My wife needed a new car and after test driving we wound up with a 2015 Nissan Rouge. While it's lightyears ahead of the cx-5 interms of interior styling and fanciness, it is a complete bore to drive. The pickup sucks and it has the same steering problems that you all were mentioning on the other cars. It feels like you are driving a boring SUV. Our CX-5s are still fun to drive while maintaining the usability of a crossover.

We also test drove the Santa Fe sport and noticed the same things. My wife couldn't tell and honestly wouldn't care if she could tell, but overall she felt the Santa Fe's ride to be harsher then the Rogue. Which is much, much better then the cx-5.

I do wish Mazda would design more exciting interiors though.

 

[MikeM.]

I do wish Mazda would design more exciting interiors though.

I can really appreciate the clean functional design of the CX-5 dash. Designing it to be more "exciting" runs two risks;

1) Reducing the simple intuitive operation of all the controls.
2) Making it look dated. Overly stylized things tend to look ridiculous in a couple of years (if not immediately). Of course, it's personal preference. I have a hard time finding athletic shoes that don't look like a futuristic spaceship or an awful Sci-Fi cartoon. But apparently consumers like this or they wouldn't all look like this.


The CX-5 dash is classy looking.

 

[tibimakai]

They should hire somebody from Audi, then it would be a winning combination.