Ended up going with the Acura RDX...

I recently had some brake work done at my Mazda dealer, which has a Maserati/AR dealership right beside it. The Stelvio definitely looks better than the CX-5 IMO, and I think part of it has to do with the painted cladding around the wheel arches. RDX's reliability ratings may be overblown due to common first MY issues.

IMO the best way to suss out reliability or quality concerns is to find an online social community or two made up of owners/potential owners (like an online forum or a FB group). That way, you can potentially get real world feedback from owners while also considering the info provided from other publications/reviewers.
 
Congrats on your purchase! I own a 2017 MDX and a 2019 CX-5, non-turbo however. I love the new design language Acura is putting out, very sporty looks, especially with that red interior!
I also think the complaints about the Acura infotainment are overblown. Anything new takes time to get used to and after you own a car for two weeks, you get accustomed to how everything works. There's not a single infotainment system in the world that everyone universally likes, I'm glad you found something that works for you.
Build quality of the Mazda exceeds that of my Acura, though both feel tight as drum while driving, and neither let out a squeak or rattle. Never had a mechanical issue with either car.
I will also say my experiences with Mazda dealerships have been subpar. I do my own maintenance on the CX-5 now to spare myself the frustration of visiting them and I'll leave it at that. My local Acura dealer (Mission Viejo) has always gone above and beyond for me even though I didn't even purchase from them. Obviously dealerships are a reflection of the dealership owner and not the manufacturer so I wouldn't let a dealership experience dictate which car I purchase, but I will let it dictate where I get my service done.
 
why would a 2 year old give the driver and front seat passenger less elbow room?
I see very little space difference and issues with 2 kids in the back..plenty of room.
 
I really like the A-Spec's looks.

Stelvio>CX5>RDX for performance, but I couldn't get over the CX5's monstrous reliability lead, so went with that. I hate FCA.
 
why would a 2 year old give the driver and front seat passenger less elbow room?
I see very little space difference and issues with 2 kids in the back..plenty of room.
I think you took my phrasing too literally. I meant we wanted more interior volume.
 
My CX7 was the perfect size for me. The CX5, which I really like is short on elbow room and the CX9 is too large for me. Ed
 
2021 model year will be my new vehicle purchase. CX5 turbo or RDX. I really liked my CX7 and now my 2014 CX5 vehicle. Who will win my dollars? Ed
 
2021 model year will be my new vehicle purchase. CX5 turbo or RDX. I really liked my CX7 and Now CX5 vehicles. Who will win my dollars? Ed

CX-50 is rumoured to be slightly larger than the current CX-5. No idea when it will debut, probably not until 2023, but it may be worth holding off until then if you can. Otherwise both cars are pretty solid choices.
 
New Genesis gv70 seems like solid choice on paper, should be available in 2021 with staring price around RDX's price. Next generation cx50 will probably see good spike in price also based rumored specs, RWD layout.
2021 model year will be my new vehicle purchase. CX5 turbo or RDX. I really liked my CX7 and now my 2014 CX5 vehicle. Who will win my dollars? Ed
 
CX-50 is rumoured to be slightly larger than the current CX-5. No idea when it will debut, probably not until 2023, but it may be worth holding off until then if you can. Otherwise both cars are pretty solid choices.
I like the RDX as a current leader of its class. I think the next CX-5 (CX-50) with inline 6 engine and RWD layout would be very interesting to watch.
 
My CX7 was the perfect size for me. The CX5, which I really like is short on elbow room and the CX9 is too large for me. Ed
Arm rest on my daughter's 2015 CX-5 sits much lower that the one on my 2011 CX-7. CX-5, not so comfortable height.
 
Arm rest on my daughter's 2015 CX-5 sits much lower that the one on my 2011 CX-7. CX-5, not so comfortable height.
Agreed. I assume its for access to the Command knob over comfort while resting on the steering wheel.
 
I like the RDX as a current leader of its class. I think the next CX-5 (CX-50) with inline 6 engine and RWD layout would be very interesting to watch.
I don't really view the RDX as its class leader. Performance is lacking compared to Mazda. Reliability is "meh". If money isn't a big deal, I'd say the M40i or GLC43 AMG would be the class leaders, but once you start tacking "money" into the equation, I automatically must say that reliability is in there, too. Frugal and all. The Mazda takes the cake AND outperforms the RDX, here. They trade shots with each other for amenities.
 
I'm in the same boat, but for me #1 is Alfa Romeo Stelvio(~20-25% off MSRP !!), then CX5 and last the RDX. RDX is worse in reliability, than the Stelvio. The best is the CX5.
 
Howdy,

I'm a longtime Mazda fan and have posted here quite a bit off-and-on. After putting off a decision on my next car for as long as I could, I finally pulled the trigger on a 2021 RDX A-Spec SH-AWD. I test drove the CX-5 an CX-9 one last time the week before buying and it affirmed that Mazda just doesn't make the right sized car for me. We have a 2-year old and plan to have another, and the idea of having some elbow room on looooong road trips to my hometown was a priority, but a 3-row SUV is just too much car for our lifestyle (and our garage!).

To be honest, when I saw the RDX reveal a few years ago I wasn't impressed enough to seriously consider it. It just seemed like another Acura and the price was out of reach. But on a whim I test drove one at a dealership, and I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. It really did bring a smile to my face to drive, which put it in rare company with the CX-5. The next thing that won me over was the ridiculous discount I learned you can get on Acuras in some areas, which made it far less of a stretch budget-wise. I managed 17% off MSRP over Black Friday weekend, putting the car under $40k.

First impressions are that the stance and driving position are perfect, complaints about its infotainment trackpad are overblown, the power is great, and Acura/Honda production lines still have poor attention to detail (defective stitching, scuffed parts, etc.), and the sound system is very good. I'm typically drawn to minimalistic designs and think the RDX's interior is not a great fit on the mainstream trims, but the NSX-inspired cues work much better with the sportier A-Spec trim. So I went all-in on the faux sports car vibe with the crystal white exterior with red interior. One of my big concerns with buying the RDX was its average fuel economy, especially with PHEVs and BEVs going mainstream. But I'm averaging 22-23 with suburban driving and this week I'm excited to see how close to 30 mpg I can get during a 1,000 mi road trip back home for the holidays (EPA is 26 hwy).

Anyhow, it might seem strange to post about the RDX here, but after watching online discussion the past couple of years I noticed a lot of folks are in the same "I love the CX-5 but its too small for my family" boat. So I figured folks might be interested in what I ended up choosing. So if you're comparison shopping and have any questions, ask away!
Great write up thanks for posting this!

Do you happen to know how much more room your new car has compared to the CX-5?
 
Enjoy it.
I still miss my Acura Integra.

It's amazing how many people on the RDX forum were praising the CX-5.
A lot said they would of purchased the CX-5 over the RDX if the CX-5 was just a little larger.
Hopefully Mazda will listen.
I like that the CX-5 is a bit smaller than some of the other cars in its class.
 
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