I picked up a 2016 CX-5 Touring as a rental car on Thursday. My route that day would take me from Baltimore to Lexington Park, roughly a 1.5 hr drive. Unfortunately, the infotainment system was not functional so I have no input on the new system.
Interior:
Maybe I'm just used to my dashboard, but I'm not crazy about the new font on the speedometer. Nor did I like the silver/grey dash trim. I find the 2013 - 15 black trim to be classic and very MX-5ish. The leather on the wheel was quite a bit softer and more comfortable than what is offered previously. Seats are still just as comfortable for a 1.5hr drive. I had seen pictures of the interior and thought that the surround for the infotainment center was a piece of stitched leather or pleather but found out that it is plastic with fake stitching. I'm not a fan.
Exterior:
I found that the front end treatment grew on me. It looks better than in pictures and overtime I think it will age well.
Performance:
What I was a fan of was the Sport feature. Wow! If there was ever a feature I wish could be easily retrofitted into my vehicle over a weekend, that would be it. It holds the RPM around 3000 - 4000rpm and really makes the engine scream (in a good way!). The only downside was watching the MPG get zapped! I routinely hit 31MPG in my commute through very light driving and this feature would decimate my average quickly. Driving around town from light to light I found the Sport feature very helpful to scoot around traffic. On the same vein, the kick-down switch under the gas pedal was very helpful for reaching highway speeds.
Now, not all performance is directly attributed to these feats of electo-wizardry. The 2.5L definitely had a hand in it. I found highway cruising to be quieter than my 2013 (less engine noise) while at 70mph.
Overall, I liked it. Still very much a fan of my 2013 styling (inside and out) and the engine performance is perfect for me. I don't need the quick performance as 90% of the time I am in CC heading back and forth to work. But man, for 10% of the time...that would make the CX-5 just awesome. I think Mazda did the right additions to this vehicle. On the way back to Baltimore, I kept the driving mode out of Sport and light-footed it as I would in my CX-5. I easily hit 30MPG.
Interior:
Maybe I'm just used to my dashboard, but I'm not crazy about the new font on the speedometer. Nor did I like the silver/grey dash trim. I find the 2013 - 15 black trim to be classic and very MX-5ish. The leather on the wheel was quite a bit softer and more comfortable than what is offered previously. Seats are still just as comfortable for a 1.5hr drive. I had seen pictures of the interior and thought that the surround for the infotainment center was a piece of stitched leather or pleather but found out that it is plastic with fake stitching. I'm not a fan.
Exterior:
I found that the front end treatment grew on me. It looks better than in pictures and overtime I think it will age well.
Performance:
What I was a fan of was the Sport feature. Wow! If there was ever a feature I wish could be easily retrofitted into my vehicle over a weekend, that would be it. It holds the RPM around 3000 - 4000rpm and really makes the engine scream (in a good way!). The only downside was watching the MPG get zapped! I routinely hit 31MPG in my commute through very light driving and this feature would decimate my average quickly. Driving around town from light to light I found the Sport feature very helpful to scoot around traffic. On the same vein, the kick-down switch under the gas pedal was very helpful for reaching highway speeds.
Now, not all performance is directly attributed to these feats of electo-wizardry. The 2.5L definitely had a hand in it. I found highway cruising to be quieter than my 2013 (less engine noise) while at 70mph.
Overall, I liked it. Still very much a fan of my 2013 styling (inside and out) and the engine performance is perfect for me. I don't need the quick performance as 90% of the time I am in CC heading back and forth to work. But man, for 10% of the time...that would make the CX-5 just awesome. I think Mazda did the right additions to this vehicle. On the way back to Baltimore, I kept the driving mode out of Sport and light-footed it as I would in my CX-5. I easily hit 30MPG.
