GT worth the extra cost? Having a hard time justifying it

[Bopper]

And a roof rack too! May as well dip it in gold while your at it. Seems a little excessive.
Just kidding, nice car, good luck.
You won't be sorry.

 

[CX-SV]

Nicely loaded, congrats! You will enjoy just about everything about it.

 

[loximoto]

Nice color, congrats!

 

[Okeano]

Don't feel bad Evan, this engineer bought the same trim and color as you! Minus the roof racks . I would say our engineering intuition is correct!

 

[CX5 in winnipeg]

Have not heard of a $ 450 NAV module. I would be interested in that, anyone have info about this?

 

[exbauer]

Great choice, I really like how the roof rack looks in the CX-5. I think it is a must.

 

[BillB15]

I too started out with the mindset that the Touring was all I needed and the GT features were not worth the price. The GT ended up as my choice for a few reasons. I have not had a car for the last 20 years that did not have auto climate control and it seems prehistoric to me to have to constantly adjust heating or A/C fan levels while driving. The heated mirrors are a huge plus also in the Northeast and a major safety issue if the blindspot warning system is of any value to a buyer and the mirrors are frozen over. I also think the 19 inch wheels on the GT gave a better road feel than the 17s on the Touring. Throw in a better stereo, better driver seat controls (which is a plus when there are multiple drivers in the house), and enhanced head light systems, and the uptick in price does not seem so painful.

 

[b_scott]

I like the GT options, but my wife doesn't want to spend the $1600 on the Tech package options:

Grand Touring Technology Package
- TomTom Navigation System
- Mazda advanced keyless entry system
- Smart City Brake Support System
- Bi-Xenon HID headlamps with auto leveling
- Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFS)
- Auto dimming mirror with Homelink

That's all there is, right? The only thing I think I might care about is the HID lamps but I'm still not sure the difference. Can someone who has them explain why they're better?

 

[STE92VE]

The only thing I think I might care about is the HID lamps but I'm still not sure the difference. Can someone who has them explain why they're better?

The adaptive lighting system is great since it follows the curves of the road and illuminates where you need to see. The HID is a whiter, cleaner light than the standard halogens. Personally, I wouldn't own a vehicle without them unless you only drive in the daytime.

 

[MATR6]

Also the Advanced Keyless is worth it.
Just keep the key in your pocket & press a button on the door to lock/unlock.
You can also set it up to lock as you walk away.
I bought mine from Biggers Mazda in Elgin.
$29,200 b/f T,T&L: GT w/tech AWD White Pearl. Had a trade in ('06 Mazda 3 hatch) & $500 off for Mazda Loyalty.
Ask for Franco.

Franco Ruffolo
Internet Sales Consultant
Biggers Mazda
1320 E. Chicago St.
Elgin, IL 60120
847-628-6724 - voice
847-628-6001 - fax
fruffalo@biggersmazda.com

 

[vroom]

None of that was worth it for me. Did I want the options of the GT? Sure did: man would I love the advanced keyless entry. But here in Canada (Quebec), the Touring is already about 37000$ when accounting for taxes. In 2014 in Canada, there was no "Tech Package", all options were dumped in the GT, which came at a 4000$ premium (again, accounting for our 15% taxes). 41 grand for a car was just too much.

 

[ALafya]

IMHO there is pretty much nothing in the GT or the extra packages that really appeals to me.
In fact, the worth-while features that make the Touring my choice was first and foremost the 2.5L engine, but also the Bluetooth, rear-view camera and 6 speakers to some extent. It's still remained to be seen if the fog lights are any good (occasionally, I have early morning trips through valley-filled fog).
The headlights of the Touring are very good and very bright, the sounds system is pretty good. I definitely prefer having no leather seats and much prefer the higher ceiling and extra headroom which comes with having no moon-roof. I prefer my own GPS unit and actually lock and verify doors are locks manually (without them being re-opened).

Keep in mind that a car is losing it's value, so buying 'more' means you lose more. If not for AWD, I'd definitely be looking at something less expensive and more fuel-efficient, like perhaps a Mazda 3. If you finance your car every additional cost at purchase is multiplied as a result of the interest rate you got. And don't forget insurance and other additional costs.

 

[b_scott]

Also the Advanced Keyless is worth it.
Just keep the key in your pocket & press a button on the door to lock/unlock.
You can also set it up to lock as you walk away.
I bought mine from Biggers Mazda in Elgin.
$29,200 b/f T,T&L: GT w/tech AWD White Pearl. Had a trade in ('06 Mazda 3 hatch) & $500 off for Mazda Loyalty.
Ask for Franco.

Franco Ruffolo
Internet Sales Consultant
Biggers Mazda
1320 E. Chicago St.
Elgin, IL 60120
847-628-6724 - voice
847-628-6001 - fax
fruffalo@biggersmazda.com

Seems like you got a good deal - I'm assuming the $29,200 was after trade-in though, right?

 

[b_scott]

Keep in mind that a car is losing it's value, so buying 'more' means you lose more. If not for AWD, I'd definitely be looking at something less expensive and more fuel-efficient, like perhaps a Mazda 3. If you finance your car every additional cost at purchase is multiplied as a result of the interest rate you got. And don't forget insurance and other additional costs.

Totally agree, if you're one to sell and buy a lot. For me, if I buy a car it's for 10 years probably - so I get what I want personally. In the grand scheme, $1k here or there isn't much spread out over a 6-7 year loan with a down payment.

 

[MATR6]

Seems like you got a good deal - I'm assuming the $29,200 was after trade-in though, right?

No. That's the purchase price of the car before Tax, Title & License. They gave me $6300 for my trade in & listed it for almost $11k.
There's 0.9% financing available right now. That's the deal I got. Only ~$200 in interest for 36 months for the ~$13k I financed. Pretty much free $$ cause I'll make just as much interest with the cash in the bank & more in investments.

 

[b_scott]

No. That's the purchase price of the car before Tax, Title & License. They gave me $6300 for my trade in & listed it for almost $11k.
There's 0.9% financing available right now. That's the deal I got. Only ~$200 in interest for 36 months for the ~$13k I financed. Pretty much free $$ cause I'll make just as much interest with the cash in the bank & more in investments.

Wow that's awesome. Thanks

 

[dad of jon]

Are you 100% sure it will absolutely always actually lock when it beeps? If there is a malfunction it could beep without locking, so the only sure way to tell is to check the handle ... if it will not open it back up LOL (lol)

Yeah, I'm OCD too!

I'm CDO ! - it's like OCD but the letters are in order , as they should be

 

[cwstnsko]

I would have gladly paid for the Tech package if it was available without the Bose/Moonroof package. To me, the tech package is good value, but it's bundled with features I don't want making it a bad value :|

 

[ALafya]

Note that the invoice price difference between AWD T and AWD GT + Tech Package is $4362, if I am not mistaken.
If you finance it over 6 years @ 4%, it will cost you close to $5K in reality. $5.2K @ 6%. Pretty sure insurance will also cost you more.

Also take a look at "Never Buy A New Car" section here:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/how-to-afford-anything.htm

 

[MATR6]

The Tech Package has Smart City Brake Support, I'm sure that'll lower insurance rates. You must have really bad credit to be financing at +4%. There's a 0.9% APR promotion right now, if you don't qualify, don't buy the car.