OK, so I went to the Houston auto show yesterday, and here are my thoughts (did a little comparison "shopping").
First the competition I was considering (even if vaguely):
CR-V - pretty comfy to sit it, though I did pick up on the utilitarianism that folks are using as a distinction on the cockpit. The driver's seat memory feature is nice and I wish the Mazda has it, but no big deal. I'd be the driver like 90% of the time. The top of the center point console slides forward and back (to extend out more elbow room if you like), which is good and bad. Good in that you GET more elbow room, but bad in that if you use that thing as a leverage point for getting in and out of a car (like I do) it's completely unstable and shifts around when you don't want it to. We couldn't "turn on the electronics" so I wasn't able to tell how much of the real estate taken up by the infotainment screen surface was actually in us. It's pretty obtrusive right in the middle of the dask. Moonroof felt or is smaller.
RAV4 - pretty easily determined this is not for me. It's a smaller car (narrower), though I do like the overhanging/protruding dash. Seats weren't as comfortable. Didn't quite "get" the vents on the very top of the dash, right near the windshield. Though the rotating spherical vents near the doors are easy to open/close/redirect, that design overall looks dated and "cheap" compared to normal louvres.
Escape - bleah, no. I completely dislike what Ford has turned the Escape into, both inside and out. There didn't appear to be a Navi in the one we sat in, though at the top of the cockpick console (which was just COVERED in buttons) recessed way back further than I could reach, was a tiny screen (maybe 3" diagonally, if I'm feeling generous) and above it said SYNC. That's a Ford thing, but I'm not sure what the screen was. Too small for navi -- maybe a backup camera?? Again, couldn't turn on the electronics, so no way to tell. The one positive thing is the seats felt like maybe they were memory foam? They were actually squishy. Interesting. Entire inside was trimmed in plastic.
Didn't bother with a Rogue or Jeep. Both ruled out for either looks, size or mileage.
OK, so on to the CX-5.
I test drove it. It really is quiet. We drove around a few blocks outside, so I didn't get up on the highway, but roads immediately around NRG are not the greatest, and I didn't notice sound from tire drone, from going over bumps or cross traffic. All I heard was the Mazda rep talking the whole time, haha. It handles well though I did notice what otehrs said about the steering wheel - it was different. Apparently slightly oval! Felt good in my hands, though smaller than what I'm used to. Pretty responsive at red lights, and I really like that feature of holding at a stoplight without using the parking brake or the brake pedal (forget what it's called). Enjoyed the ride.
When I moved over to take a look at GT on display, the only thing that really made me go "uh, stupid?" is the front USB... it's not out in the open, it's down INSIDE the center console armrest. I assume cables can snake out of it under the lid, but still. I literally had to hunt around for it. The cigarette lighter was out in the open, but the USB was hidden. no idea why they wouldn't put that out easy to find for true "plug and go." I guess it'll keep cables from being out and about, though, so that aspect of it wasn't bad. They didn't have any CX-5 models with HUD on them, but when I got back from my test drive, there was a CX-9 that did have it, so the rep let me sit in it and take a look at it. Pretty cool - it looked like it was floating out in front of the car, rather than right there "on" the windshield. That's a feature I think I would definitely like to have.
Moving from a small true SUV to a crossover, I noticed for sure the lack of visibility out the back on the sides. The sloping back drops it to nearly zero... so those blindspot detection systems are not only a nicety, but almost a MUST for safety now. I don't mind, just it'll take some getting used to. The seat recline in the back is small but will make things more comfortable for back seat passengers on longer trips, so that's a nice plus. I definitely like the parchment leather over the leatherette "sueded" seats in the Touring package.
Lighting in the building was crappy for getting an idea of what certain colors look like. The red was spectacular as usual, but the Eternal Blue - which I have loved in photos - looked like a muted powder blue. If THAT were its true outdoor color, I'd think anyone buying it was an idiot. So... gotta take a look at these on a dealer lot. In contrast, the one I spent the time poking around in was the machine grey metallic. I liked that a LOT more than I thought it would. Like, a LOT. I never would have thought I'd ever *consider* a "grey" car, but this is nice.
So... still undecided on color, but at least if I go Red or MGM, I know parchment interior is a factory option.
Anyhow, my preference is still a CX-5. So, hopefully this fall (once bonuses come in at work... had to deal with bedbugs at home last week, so all living room and one bedroom set of furniture got replace... that puts off buying an new car for a bit) I'll be ordering a new ride. Not sure what color yet, but plenty of time to decide.
Does Mazda have sales at generally predictable times?
Thanks for reading.
First the competition I was considering (even if vaguely):
CR-V - pretty comfy to sit it, though I did pick up on the utilitarianism that folks are using as a distinction on the cockpit. The driver's seat memory feature is nice and I wish the Mazda has it, but no big deal. I'd be the driver like 90% of the time. The top of the center point console slides forward and back (to extend out more elbow room if you like), which is good and bad. Good in that you GET more elbow room, but bad in that if you use that thing as a leverage point for getting in and out of a car (like I do) it's completely unstable and shifts around when you don't want it to. We couldn't "turn on the electronics" so I wasn't able to tell how much of the real estate taken up by the infotainment screen surface was actually in us. It's pretty obtrusive right in the middle of the dask. Moonroof felt or is smaller.
RAV4 - pretty easily determined this is not for me. It's a smaller car (narrower), though I do like the overhanging/protruding dash. Seats weren't as comfortable. Didn't quite "get" the vents on the very top of the dash, right near the windshield. Though the rotating spherical vents near the doors are easy to open/close/redirect, that design overall looks dated and "cheap" compared to normal louvres.
Escape - bleah, no. I completely dislike what Ford has turned the Escape into, both inside and out. There didn't appear to be a Navi in the one we sat in, though at the top of the cockpick console (which was just COVERED in buttons) recessed way back further than I could reach, was a tiny screen (maybe 3" diagonally, if I'm feeling generous) and above it said SYNC. That's a Ford thing, but I'm not sure what the screen was. Too small for navi -- maybe a backup camera?? Again, couldn't turn on the electronics, so no way to tell. The one positive thing is the seats felt like maybe they were memory foam? They were actually squishy. Interesting. Entire inside was trimmed in plastic.
Didn't bother with a Rogue or Jeep. Both ruled out for either looks, size or mileage.
OK, so on to the CX-5.
I test drove it. It really is quiet. We drove around a few blocks outside, so I didn't get up on the highway, but roads immediately around NRG are not the greatest, and I didn't notice sound from tire drone, from going over bumps or cross traffic. All I heard was the Mazda rep talking the whole time, haha. It handles well though I did notice what otehrs said about the steering wheel - it was different. Apparently slightly oval! Felt good in my hands, though smaller than what I'm used to. Pretty responsive at red lights, and I really like that feature of holding at a stoplight without using the parking brake or the brake pedal (forget what it's called). Enjoyed the ride.
When I moved over to take a look at GT on display, the only thing that really made me go "uh, stupid?" is the front USB... it's not out in the open, it's down INSIDE the center console armrest. I assume cables can snake out of it under the lid, but still. I literally had to hunt around for it. The cigarette lighter was out in the open, but the USB was hidden. no idea why they wouldn't put that out easy to find for true "plug and go." I guess it'll keep cables from being out and about, though, so that aspect of it wasn't bad. They didn't have any CX-5 models with HUD on them, but when I got back from my test drive, there was a CX-9 that did have it, so the rep let me sit in it and take a look at it. Pretty cool - it looked like it was floating out in front of the car, rather than right there "on" the windshield. That's a feature I think I would definitely like to have.
Moving from a small true SUV to a crossover, I noticed for sure the lack of visibility out the back on the sides. The sloping back drops it to nearly zero... so those blindspot detection systems are not only a nicety, but almost a MUST for safety now. I don't mind, just it'll take some getting used to. The seat recline in the back is small but will make things more comfortable for back seat passengers on longer trips, so that's a nice plus. I definitely like the parchment leather over the leatherette "sueded" seats in the Touring package.
Lighting in the building was crappy for getting an idea of what certain colors look like. The red was spectacular as usual, but the Eternal Blue - which I have loved in photos - looked like a muted powder blue. If THAT were its true outdoor color, I'd think anyone buying it was an idiot. So... gotta take a look at these on a dealer lot. In contrast, the one I spent the time poking around in was the machine grey metallic. I liked that a LOT more than I thought it would. Like, a LOT. I never would have thought I'd ever *consider* a "grey" car, but this is nice.
So... still undecided on color, but at least if I go Red or MGM, I know parchment interior is a factory option.
Anyhow, my preference is still a CX-5. So, hopefully this fall (once bonuses come in at work... had to deal with bedbugs at home last week, so all living room and one bedroom set of furniture got replace... that puts off buying an new car for a bit) I'll be ordering a new ride. Not sure what color yet, but plenty of time to decide.
Does Mazda have sales at generally predictable times?
Thanks for reading.
