Definitely interested in this. I've only driven my 2022 CX-5 ~500 miles and I already hate the throttle response & inconsistent behaviour when I press down on the accelerator pedal. Unless I quickly jab down on my pedal, or depress it a significant amount, the CX-5 does NOT downshift at all, as it's constantly trying to save fuel & trying to stay in the highest gear possible AT ALL TIMES
. A slight but quick jab will induce a downshift of 1 gear. However, if I OVER-jab it'll shift down 2 or 3 gears, and then you look like you're a wannabe Fast & Furious racer.
Maybe my leg/foot will accurately learn the proper jab amount in time, but until then this "jab guessing" is my only option because a GRADUAL depressing of the pedal will NOT do anything until you've gone down maybe 50-60% (just base on feel), at which point the CX-5 MIGHT downshift a gear, but often times it downshifts TWO+ gears and you look like the Fast & Furious racer again.
Drive in Sport mode, you say? No, I HATE SPORT MODE because it's more stupid than the accelerator pedal. Sport mode will downshift only 1 gear like I want, but that's only because it CAN'T downshift 2+ gears because the revs are already way too high. Even on light throttle (no longer accelerating), this stupid mode holds on to the gears like they're diamonds.. and it won't let go! Sometimes I lift my foot completely OFF the pedal cruising on a FLAT road and it STILL WON'T UPSHIFT.
ALL I WANT is to be able to press down 10-20% on the accelerator, no matter how fast or gradual I do it, and have my CX-5 downshift ONE GEAR every time.
I love everything else about the CX-5 and so does my wife, which is why we bought it. But this pedal/throttle issue is the worst thing about this car and I'm willing to pay a lot of money to find a "fix" for this, including but not limited to getting an engine tune.
The slight delay when accelerating from a stop is annoying too. Normal, Sport or manual mode makes no difference, there's just a split-second delay after depressing the accelerator until the car gets going. It's more noticeable and more annoying the more I drive it.