2018 Low Mileage CX-5 w/ engine replaced...good deal?

I'm in the Ohio area and looking to find either a 2017 or 2018 AWD Red CX-5. My budget is less than 21k. I found a dealership that's close to my house that has the right specs but when I was reviewing the Carfax it looks like the engine was replaced. Is this something that I should be concerned or worried about? I'd hate to buy a vehicle that has already a new engine because that does raise some concern but then again if it's a new engine. Also it's not CPOed either. Here's the link:


What do you guys think?
 
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Not a good deal IMO. For reference there are a TON of slightly used 2019 CX5 GT's in the 25k range with 15-19k miles on them ($3k more then this car) This 2018 is a year older, Touring Trim, less warranty and an engine replacement.
Unless you can pick this up at an even further discount (under 20k) I'd pass. An engine replacement is a major repair, the most costly part of most cars....it will effect resale value.
 
Not a good deal IMO. For reference there are a TON of slightly used 2019 CX5 GT's in the 25k range with 15-19k miles on them ($3k more then this car) This 2018 is a year older, Touring Trim, less warranty and an engine replacement.
Unless you can pick this up at an even further discount (under 20k) I'd pass. An engine replacement is a major repair, the most costly part of most cars....it will effect resale value.

hey thanks for the heads up I will avoid this one. I have a friend who works at this dealership in Pittsburgh states that he can probably get me a new set of factory tires instead of the aftermarket ones but really will not be able to negotiate the price. It seems like everything else is brand new and replace. What do you guys think?

 
I'm in the Ohio area and looking to find either a 2017 or 2018 AWD Red CX-5. My budget is less than 21k. I found a dealership that's close to my house that has the right specs but when I was reviewing the Carfax it looks like the engine was replaced. Is this something that I should be concerned or worried about? I'd hate to buy a vehicle that has already a new engine because that does raise some concern but then again if it's a new engine. Also it's not CPOed either. Here's the link:


What do you guys think?
It’s a 2018 CX-5 Touring and I believe the engine replacement is caused by the fallen rocker arm due to cylinder deactivation. If you plan to keep the car long, go get the 2017 CX-5 Touring you listed the second as 2017 doesn’t have cylinder deactivation.
 
It’s a 2018 CX-5 Touring and I believe the engine replacement is caused by the fallen rocker arm due to cylinder deactivation. If you plan to keep the car long, go get the 2017 CX-5 Touring you listed the second as 2017 doesn’t have cylinder deactivation.

Is that a known problem with the 2018 models?
 
Is that a known problem with the 2018 models?
There was a recall to have the software updated for the 2018s (first year for cylinder deactivation). Fallen rocker arm was the worse-case scenario and required engine replacement. The universal software update appears to have fixed the issue. That same CD engine is being sold in current models.

In a sense, you can be reasonably assured that the engine did not fail due to owner abuse, so while not ideal, early design error is not the worse reason for it being factory-replaced.

But I'm not an expert on how these things affect the value of a car.
 
Is it 2017 or 2018?

It's a 2017 touring. He's really adamant that price cannot be any lower. Also there appears to be an imprint dents on the right rear from what looks like a car seat. That does kind of irk me. Not sure if they would replace it?

The other option is this but with higher miles. Also CPO. The seller stated that there was a dent from the bike rack in the back bumper. I asked him if they would fix it but they stated that they would put a privacy thing over it.
 

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It's a 2017 touring. He's really adamant that price cannot be any lower. Also there appears to be an imprint dents on the right rear from what looks like a car seat. That does kind of irk me. Not sure if they would replace it?
So I take back my last comment.

The cylinder deactivation feature was introduced in 2018. I'd worry as to what necessitated replacing the engine in a 2017 and how that treatment/event might affect the rest of the car.

I'll also throw out something I looked at when I first started looking at used and ended up buying new. Calculate your payments on a used car at the loan rates charged for used cars. Then compare that to what car payments would be for a new car at the promo rates (right now it's 0.9%). You might find that the monthly payments are close enough for you to opt for new.

I created a spreadsheet I put together when I was looking to compare payments, down payment options, etc. I was gonna attach it for you, but you can only attach pdfs and pics...apparently no Word or Excel files (that might contain viruses.) Can't attach these things in private conversations, either.
 
I created a spreadsheet I put together when I was looking to compare payments, down payment options, etc. I was gonna attach it for you, but you can only attach pdfs and pics...apparently no Word or Excel files (that might contain viruses.) Can't attach these things in private conversations, either.

I don't know which version you have, but you should be able to save an Excel sheet as a PDF, which can then be uploaded as an attachment or sent in a private message.
 
I don't know which version you have, but you should be able to save an Excel sheet as a PDF, which can then be uploaded as an attachment or sent in a private message.
Yup.

But then it's not a spreadsheet where the guy can enter his own figures (purchase price, rate, term, etc).

I was gonna give it to him to use as he shopped...compare the new car payments to the various used cars he was looking at.

Maybe I'll put together a matrix of representative data and post it.
 
Yup.

But then it's not a spreadsheet where the guy can enter his own figures (purchase price, rate, term, etc).

I was gonna give it to him to use as he shopped...compare the new car payments to the various used cars he was looking at.

Maybe I'll put together a matrix of representative data and post it.

Whoops, you're right, sorry about that 🤣 Disregard my previous post.

If you can host the file on DropBox or Google Drive, he could download it from there? Just another option.
 
Whoops, you're right, sorry about that 🤣 Disregard my previous post.

If you can host the file on DropBox or Google Drive, he could download it from there? Just another option.
Yeh, the internet has lots of file sharing options, huh?

It's still a miracle for us old guys...but then, so is color TV ;)
 
I don't want to beat this horse too much, or give financial advice to strangers...

A 2020 CX-5 GT MSRP = $31,710. A 60 month payment @ 0.9% = $541/month
Total Payments = $32,441 (assuming $0 down payment)

That 2017 is $16,500. A 36 month used car loan @ 5.26% = $496/month
Total Payments = $17,872 (assuming $0 down payment)

So you're looking at an extra $44/month for new, but you'd be making those payments for an additional 2 years (paying nearly twice as much in total). And there would be higher insurance premiums and possibly higher personal property tax where you are...but you'd save the cost/hassle of shipping.

The comparison was a "no-brainer" for me because I was looking for a lower mileage car, so the used prices were higher. And everyone's situation is different.
 
I don't want to beat this horse too much, or give financial advice to strangers...

A 2020 CX-5 GT MSRP = $31,710. A 60 month payment @ 0.9% = $541/month
Total Payments = $32,441 (assuming $0 down payment)

That 2017 is $16,500. A 36 month used car loan @ 5.26% = $496/month
Total Payments = $17,872 (assuming $0 down payment)

So you're looking at an extra $44/month for new, but you'd be making those payments for an additional 2 years (paying nearly twice as much in total). And there would be higher insurance premiums and possibly higher personal property tax where you are...but you'd save the cost/hassle of shipping.

The comparison was a "no-brainer" for me because I was looking for a lower mileage car, so the used prices were higher. And everyone's situation is different.
I agree. To me, getting a new car is always better off than getting a 2~3 years old car.
 
The plus about a used Mazda is the CX5's outstanding reliability.

Also new cars suffer steep depreciation especially the first 3 years. Pros/cons to each choice
 
The plus about a used Mazda is the CX5's outstanding reliability.

Also new cars suffer steep depreciation especially the first 3 years. Pros/cons to each choice

the problem is finding a red cx-5 does not appear to depreciate that much. It's been frustrating trying to find one. Otherwise there are tons of RAV4s in my area but barely any red cx-5.
 
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