I've been lurking on the boards since the beginning of the year to try to educate myself on the CX-5 and finally landed a purchase, so I thought I would post the process that landed me in a 2019 GTR:
In January, in the olden days before pandemics and social distancing, I took my daughter to the local auto show. At the time we weren't really on the market for anything; our 2006 Honda CRV had continually served us well and, even at 215k miles, showed no signs of slowing down. We go camping every year and it fits all of our gear, has a folding table built into the trunk floor, and carries two bikes easily on the spare tire mount. We sat in almost every vehicle on the floor but the one that stuck with me the most was the 2020 CX-5 Signature. I had no idea Mazda had this level of quality available.
My wife and I had discussed what we would like for our next vehicle and had conflicting priorities. I wanted something a bit more high-end than the CRV and was willing to give up utility for luxury. She, on the other hand, felt it would be irresponsible to purchase something that was not electrified in some way, either hybrid or plug-in. We both agreed that $30k would be about as high as we felt comfortable going so that almost automatically excluded all new hybrid and most used hybrid CUVs. (note: our other vehicle, which she drives the most, is a fully electric Ford Focus)
Having owned a number of Honda vehicles, my wife immediately leaned towards the newer CRV. I mentioned the oil dilution issues that Honda has had in recent years and schooled her on the differences between a conventional automatic and a CVT, and pointed her to reviews that plainly rated the CRV as "the best toaster" (e.g. an appliance used to get you from point A to point B with the least amount of thought or enjoyment). We also considered the RAV4 hybrids and would have loved to get into a RAV4 Prime but these won't likely be available in our price range until well into 2022 or 2023.
After watching a handful of CX-5 reviews with me, she agreed to give the Mazda a test drive. A local dealer had a soul red Signature model they could bring by to test drive. Needless to say, after her first drive she stepped out with a robust "we'll take it!" (not really, but she did love it immediately). While that particular Signature model wasn't for us, we landed on a private sale of a Snowflake White GT Reserve with 3000 miles for under $30k. While my wife wasn't wild on the light interior color, now that it's officially ours she is in love with it.
At 3000 miles (now 3100) it is practically new and it is definitely the nicest car that either one of us have ever owned. The technology is head-and-shoulders above our previous vehicles, including the 2013 Ford Focus. The Active Display alone is an amazing feature I never knew I needed. Apple Carplay and Andoid Auto future-proofs the infotainment system. We're thrilled to be part of the Mazda family.
In January, in the olden days before pandemics and social distancing, I took my daughter to the local auto show. At the time we weren't really on the market for anything; our 2006 Honda CRV had continually served us well and, even at 215k miles, showed no signs of slowing down. We go camping every year and it fits all of our gear, has a folding table built into the trunk floor, and carries two bikes easily on the spare tire mount. We sat in almost every vehicle on the floor but the one that stuck with me the most was the 2020 CX-5 Signature. I had no idea Mazda had this level of quality available.
My wife and I had discussed what we would like for our next vehicle and had conflicting priorities. I wanted something a bit more high-end than the CRV and was willing to give up utility for luxury. She, on the other hand, felt it would be irresponsible to purchase something that was not electrified in some way, either hybrid or plug-in. We both agreed that $30k would be about as high as we felt comfortable going so that almost automatically excluded all new hybrid and most used hybrid CUVs. (note: our other vehicle, which she drives the most, is a fully electric Ford Focus)
Having owned a number of Honda vehicles, my wife immediately leaned towards the newer CRV. I mentioned the oil dilution issues that Honda has had in recent years and schooled her on the differences between a conventional automatic and a CVT, and pointed her to reviews that plainly rated the CRV as "the best toaster" (e.g. an appliance used to get you from point A to point B with the least amount of thought or enjoyment). We also considered the RAV4 hybrids and would have loved to get into a RAV4 Prime but these won't likely be available in our price range until well into 2022 or 2023.
After watching a handful of CX-5 reviews with me, she agreed to give the Mazda a test drive. A local dealer had a soul red Signature model they could bring by to test drive. Needless to say, after her first drive she stepped out with a robust "we'll take it!" (not really, but she did love it immediately). While that particular Signature model wasn't for us, we landed on a private sale of a Snowflake White GT Reserve with 3000 miles for under $30k. While my wife wasn't wild on the light interior color, now that it's officially ours she is in love with it.
At 3000 miles (now 3100) it is practically new and it is definitely the nicest car that either one of us have ever owned. The technology is head-and-shoulders above our previous vehicles, including the 2013 Ford Focus. The Active Display alone is an amazing feature I never knew I needed. Apple Carplay and Andoid Auto future-proofs the infotainment system. We're thrilled to be part of the Mazda family.