Mazda CX-5 Vs. Acura RDX

A good friend of ours had the previous gen Acura RDX. In year five, the rad failed and coolant got into the transmission. Irreparable they said. Needs a new trannie. Went with her to the dealership and they were just awful. Yes, it was out of warranty, but it's a known problem with this gen RDX, and Acura wouldn't help in any way. Tough bananas was their response. Suck it up.
All they wanted to do was get her into a new RDX, taking her old one in on a trade, and deducting the retail value of a new transmission on the value of that trade.
We walked of course.
Just one of many examples of why I detest Honda/Acura.
My friend traded the RDX for a BMW, and they gave her $5,000 more for her RDX, even knowing it was broken.
Mazda replaced my rear diff in my 2015 CX5 under warranty even though I had very obviously flooded it. They discovered it mid-way through the repair (I truthfully did not know I had), and they still paid 100% to handle it. $2800. I got a $0.00 bill. That played heavily in my decision to buy a 2019.
 
Mazda replaced my rear diff in my 2015 CX5 under warranty even though I had very obviously flooded it. They discovered it mid-way through the repair (I truthfully did not know I had), and they still paid 100% to handle it. $2800. I got a $0.00 bill. That played heavily in my decision to buy a 2019.
IMO, this particular case of yours had everything to do with your Mazda dealer based on your reports on many warranty services by your dealer, but had not much to do with Mazda North American Operations. In most circumstances MNAO trusts findings by the dealer, to honor the warranty repair.
 
IMO, this particular case of yours had everything to do with your Mazda dealer based on your reports on many warranty services by your dealer, but had not much to do with Mazda North American Operations. In most circumstances MNAO trusts findings by the dealer, to honor the warranty repair.
Yes, but some brands do not give the dealer that latitude. GM, for example, is known to send factory inspectors for many claims.
 
Much of the variability in how willing dealers are with warranty repairs has to do with their month-to-month variation in claims. Dealers prefer to keep their claims relatively “flat” at a level that brings in enough warranty money to fill in the gaps in their costumer-paid service (which has better profit margins), but not so high as to raise suspicion at MNOA that they’re doing unnecessary warranty work. A month without many warranty claims and open service bays: “Yes, we’d be happy to fix the problem under warranty!” A tough month with high claims and busy service bays: “Sorry, that’s normal.... they all do that.” Luck of the draw.

- Mark
 
Although I personally don’t want a turbo, but the 2.0L VTEC® turbo with 272 hp @ 6500 rpm and 280 lb-ft @ 1600~4500 rpm, and 10-speed automatic transmission on 2019 / 2020 Acura RDX definitely is my preferred powertrain on paper than the SkyActiv-G 2.5L turbo with 250 hp @ 5,000 rpm and 320 lb-ft @ 2,000 rpm (93-octane), and 6-speed automatic transmission on 2020 Mazda CX-5 GT-R / Sig. I always believe Mazda made a mistake adding the turbo to a big block 2.5L I4 while others use 2.0L for the turbo and is getting more horsepower. Front 16-way power seats on RDX are much nicer than CX-5’s 8-way power driver (only) seat. Rear camera washer on RDX is a nice feature too and it’s just mentioned in another thread.
Same question here. I dont know why mazda 2.5 turbo have less power than Acura/Honda 2.0T?
 
For street driving it's not the horsepower, it's the torque that is most important. In this regard, Mazda came up with a gem.
They did the same thing with my old 1989 MX6 GT Turbo. It had only 145 HP but 190 lb-ft of torque which was very impressive at that time for a 2.2 liter 4-banger engine.
This is also why pushrod engines are still revered with their higher torque compared to double overhead cam engines. Torque wins.
 
Same question here. I dont know why mazda 2.5 turbo have less power than Acura/Honda 2.0T?

To further illustrate @concept's point above:

2021 CX-5 Signature AWD specs as tested by Car and Driver:
21 CX5.JPG


2019 RDX A-Spec SH-AWD as tested by Car and Driver:
21 RDX.JPG



Despite "less power", the CX-5 beats out the RDX in pretty much every performance metric. I didn't realize this, but even with Mazda's larger engine and 6-speed transmission, the fuel economy is better than the RDX with the smaller engine and more gears. This is likely due to the fact that the RDX weighed almost 200 lbs more.

The RDX has plenty of other stuff going for it, like a better AWD, longer warranties, and luxury features that aren't available on the CX-5.
 
To further illustrate @concept's point above:

2021 CX-5 Signature AWD specs as tested by Car and Driver:
View attachment 299747

2019 RDX A-Spec SH-AWD as tested by Car and Driver:
View attachment 299748


Despite "less power", the CX-5 beats out the RDX in pretty much every performance metric. I didn't realize this, but even with Mazda's larger engine and 6-speed transmission, the fuel economy is better than the RDX with the smaller engine and more gears. This is likely due to the fact that the RDX weighed almost 200 lbs more.

The RDX has plenty of other stuff going for it, like a better AWD, longer warranties, and luxury features that aren't available on the CX-5.

You see that even with the Kia Sorento, which has a 281 hp engine but is, for the most part, slower than CX-9 in all metrics.
 
It just goes to show you how people have been trained to look at horsepower above all else when judging a motor. Mazda has never been about having the highest hp:liter numbers. That is Honda's game. All I can say is the 2.5T in the CX-5 certainly is fun to drive.
 
This interesting thread found its way into my Google search results. I bought both CX-5 GT and now a few days ago got a '21 CX-5 GTR. My prior car was an Acura MDX. As with Lexus and Infiniti and other "luxury" brands - you're paying a brand premium. Making comparisons in specs and features while leaving out the price tag is not comparing apples to apples. A lot of people out there have brand loyalty and/or are concerned about their image based on what brand badge is on their grill. I'm a car guy, have no brand loyalty, this is my 29th car and I'm 52 years old. I like a rewarding driving experience, good features and good value. I don't need a car brand name to help me with my feeling of self worth.

All I can say is for the price, nothing beats the overall package of the CX-5 including features, driving experience, looks inside and out, and utility. Some may be a little more cargo space, some may have a pano roof, some may have a few more HP, whatever, but staying within 15% of the price, there's no mid-size crossover that can compete all things considered IMHO (especially if driving pleasure is important to you.) CX-5 is more a competitor to the CR-V not an RDX. Mazda is sort of a funny brand, it's sort of inbetween Honda and Acura or Nissan and Infinity or Toyota and Lexus. But in general it is more of a direct competitor of the lower of those brand pairs. Hence it's such a good deal, you have to compare it to an RDX, not a CR-V. CR-V is good value, but Honda drops the ball on styling and driving dynamics.

What drives better than a CX-5? Go to the Porsche site and price out their base model Macan with 248HP (what would be the CX-5 competitor) but with all the same features as a CX-5 GTR... 19" wheels, yada yada. $65K. Hmmm, what do you get for $30K more? Primarily, marginally better handling, nicer quality leather, and the Porsche brand name labeled on your car. More features? Nope. Quieter ride? Nope. More power? Nope. Nicer looking interior? Nope. I don't think the Macan even has Android Auto as an option (gotta wait until 2022.)

So you ask, why would someone pay 80% more for a 20% better car? Because they are buying a status symbol as much as they are buying a machine that takes them from point a to point b.
 
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I've spoken to more than a few people who are mesmerized by brand names. A good example is Tesla. Consumer Reports rates then 25 out of 26 on CR's list of most to least reliable brands.
Yet somehow people neglect reliability if their friends, coworkers, and family are ignorant of this aspect. BMW, Audi, and Mercedes are other unreliable-yet-always-viewed-highly brands.
Acura and Infinity are not very impressive in this regard, either.
The top 3 - Mazda, Toyota, and Lexus are consistently solid as far as quality and reliability. Mazda also snags the #1 spot on the overall best list.
 
This interesting thread found its way into my Google search results. I bought both CX-5 GT and now a few days ago got a '21 CX-5 GTR. My prior car was an Acura MDX. As with Lexus and Infiniti and other "luxury" brands - you're paying a brand premium. Making comparisons in specs and features while leaving out the price tag is not comparing apples to apples. A lot of people out there have brand loyalty and/or are concerned about their image based on what brand badge is on their grill. I'm a car guy, have no brand loyalty, this is my 29th car and I'm 52 years old. I like a rewarding driving experience, good features and good value. I don't need a car brand name to help me with my feeling of self worth.

All I can say is for the price, nothing beats the overall package of the CX-5 including features, driving experience, looks inside and out, and utility. Some may be a little more cargo space, some may have a pano roof, some may have a few more HP, whatever, but staying within 15% of the price, there's no mid-size crossover that can compete all things considered IMHO (especially if driving pleasure is important to you.) CX-5 is more a competitor to the CR-V not an RDX. Mazda is sort of a funny brand, it's sort of inbetween Honda and Acura or Nissan and Infinity or Toyota and Lexus. But in general it is more of a direct competitor of the lower of those brand pairs. Hence it's such a good deal, you have to compare it to an RDX, not a CR-V. CR-V is good value, but Honda drops the ball on styling and driving dynamics.

What drives better than a CX-5? Go to the Porsche site and price out their base model Macan with 248HP (what would be the CX-5 competitor) but with all the same features as a CX-5 GTR... 19" wheels, yada yada. $65K. Hmmm, what do you get for $30K more? Primarily, marginally better handling, nicer quality leather, and the Porsche brand name labeled on your car. More features? Nope. Quieter ride? Nope. More power? Nope. Nicer looking interior? Nope. I don't think the Macan even has Android Auto as an option (gotta wait until 2022.)

So you ask, why would someone pay 80% more for a 20% better car? Because they are buying a status symbol as much as they are buying a machine that takes them from point a to point b.
Interesting - I too am 52 yrs of age and recently traded a '19 CX-5 GT for a '21 CX-5 GTR....

Your comments about the CR-V and RDX are interesting. The CX-5 rely competes with both cars as they have the Sport, Carbon and Touring trims which are more CR-V and then the GT/GTR/Signature can compete with the RDX.

As for the Macan- I agree about the P-car tax in some ways, but having owned both a 944S and Boxster along the way I can attest to the fact there is a lot more to a Porsche than a badge. Sure the Macan with all the features of a GTR will be 65k, but there is a world of difference in the handling/brakes and overall feel of the SUV which you get with the Porsche (the refined handling and ride control of a Porsche is simply sublime- it makes you feel like you are a formula one champion). The CX-5 is amazingly good for the price though and I agree you certainly can't beat it. I was recently at the local Porsche dealer looking at Caymans with my nephew. They had a CPO Macan GTS in White/Red on the lot for 75k and I thought seriously about test driving it. If I had I likely would have been writing how I had traded in my CX-5 GT for the P-car. I am glad I didn't do it...
 
Interesting - I too am 52 yrs of age and recently traded a '19 CX-5 GT for a '21 CX-5 GTR....

Your comments about the CR-V and RDX are interesting. The CX-5 rely competes with both cars as they have the Sport, Carbon and Touring trims which are more CR-V and then the GT/GTR/Signature can compete with the RDX.

As for the Macan- I agree about the P-car tax in some ways, but having owned both a 944S and Boxster along the way I can attest to the fact there is a lot more to a Porsche than a badge. Sure the Macan with all the features of a GTR will be 65k, but there is a world of difference in the handling/brakes and overall feel of the SUV which you get with the Porsche (the refined handling and ride control of a Porsche is simply sublime- it makes you feel like you are a formula one champion). The CX-5 is amazingly good for the price though and I agree you certainly can't beat it. I was recently at the local Porsche dealer looking at Caymans with my nephew. They had a CPO Macan GTS in White/Red on the lot for 75k and I thought seriously about test driving it. If I had I likely would have been writing how I had traded in my CX-5 GT for the P-car. I am glad I didn't do it...

Yeah, I learned how to drive on a 928 and spent lots of my teenage years in a 944 turbo. My first car I purchased myself was an E-type but I learned that it was a maintenance nightmare and replaced it with a MGB. The current Mazda's are a lot like the MG's of the past. They have the nice look, the slightly sportier feel of more expensive and sporty cars, but are not 100% there. Mazda, like the MGs of the past, are aiming to hit a price point.

If you have spent any time in a high end European car, you know that when the going gets serious, those cars are in a different league. Honestly, I loved my MGB more than I loved that E-type (one of the worst financial decision I ever made!) and I really do believe that Mazda is this generations MG car company.
 
One of the things many folks fail to realize is that 90% of any "sport" advantages expensive German vehicles have over some above average Japanese vehicles like some Mazdas and Lexus vehicles tend to fade away when driving to work, getting stuck in rush hour traffic and driving at or slightly above speed limits.

Car mags tend to separate small differences in vehicles by driving them at 10/10ths on a track. The funning thing is that very few of us regularly track our vehicles.
I recall quite a few Car & Driver issues in which a 911 was directly compared to a Corvette of that era. The Corvette was almost always faster but on the track, the 911 was a bit more stable at 10/10ths. To many a Corvette owner, the "German feel" was not nearly significant enough to ofset the massive price difference.

Yes, the Macan handles like a sports car on a high speed track so it does earn bragging rights when it comes to handling. Still many testers have equated recent Mazda with Audi and BMW models of the same size. That says a lot about how far Mazda has come.

Side note: In the last two years I have driven:
2019 McLaren 570 S Spyder
2020 Porsche 911 4S Cabriolet
2018 Jaguar F-Sport convertible
2018 Lexus LC500
2015 BMW i8
2015 Corvette Z51 coupe

Believe it or not, I felt that the best daily/long trip drivers were the Lexus LC500 and the Jaguar F-sport.
The Porsche was certainly comfortable and handled well but was not as quiet as the above two.
 
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