How Close is the Cx-5 to your previous LUXURY CAR!?

V

Visuals

Member
:
Honda CRV 2007 EX-L
Hi guys,

2-3 years ago I posted my Honda CRV 2007 wanting advice from the masses about if I should trade or not. Well I didn't then, and I'm sure glad I didn't, because the 2013, 2014, 2015 versions of the CX5 came and went and now we have the 2016 Mazda CX-5 and it's amazing. But I can't help but think I'd like to have a BMW x3 or Audi Q5.

So my question is, in terms of handling, interior, and performance, how close or far is the CX-5 away from the luxury vehicle you may have traded in for your new CX-5

Thanks peeps
 
Actually, my wife and I acquired a "luxury GT" in the form of a 2 year old BMW Z4 a couple of years after I got my 2013 CX-5 Touring. I have to say, the Mazda pales in comparison. Not that I had any illusions when I bought it (like some opinions I've seen voiced here), but the body structure and materials of the BMW are superior in most ways (not so much fit, but finish-yes!) to the CX-5. I'm not sure how the Germans do it because I'm sure everyone uses more or less the same gauge sheet metal for lightness these days, but doors, deck lid and hood close like a bank vault on the Z4 and when you rap a knuckle on the body panels they sound much different than the Mazda. So no, this isn't a direct comparison to a luxury SUV, but if Mazda still intends to move upmarket like their management alluded to a couple of years ago, they've got a ways to go yet IMHO.
 
Not too close. CX-5 (in the US) doesn't offer memory seat, rear AC vents, power liftgate, liftgate release buttons near driver seat and key fob, and even covered dead pedal which are all available from other compatible CUV's. Not to mention comparing to those luxury cars or compact CUV's in terms of bells and whistles. The color choices for interior is lacking on CX-5. The audio system, even the Bose system, is not on par with those luxury cars. The material used for plastic and leather still needs improvement. The fit and finish are not as good as Audi and BMW. But you have to pay the price for those luxury features on BMW X3/X5, Audi Q5, Acura MDX, and Lexus RX's. But overall I believe Mazda CX-5 Skyactiv 2.5L GT AWD with Tech Package is the best choice for a CUV for the price, fuel efficiency, advanced technologies, performance, handling, quality, and reliability.

Although Honda CR-V used to be a great compact CUV and we currently have one too. But the 2015 CR-V, although Motor Trend selected it as the SUV of the Year, has problems on its CVT. And overall Honda is falling behind in design and quality during recent years.
 
Last edited:
Visuals said:
Hi guys,

2-3 years ago I posted my Honda CRV 2007 wanting advice from the masses about if I should trade or not. Well I didn't then, and I'm sure glad I didn't, because the 2013, 2014, 2015 versions of the CX5 came and went and now we have the 2016 Mazda CX-5 and it's amazing. But I can't help but think I'd like to have a BMW x3 or Audi Q5.

So my question is, in terms of handling, interior, and performance, how close or far is the CX-5 away from the luxury vehicle you may have traded in for your new CX-5

Thanks peeps
Click to expand...
I don't know if a grand jeep cherokee limited is luxury or not but...

Jeep was mechanically a pos. However it was quieter. It was significantly faster. It handled much worse. It got much worse economy. It was a higher trim level than my cx5 and the leather and on star and whatnot demonstrated that but thats a trim level thing.

My 370z sport with touring and nav package wasn't really luxury either but it was louder inside. Had much nicer interior (fame suede, everything was soft touch or leather, nav was nice. Xm radio. Etc.)

All in all th3 cx5 touring I have wins only at the gas pump and for reliability...and that's fine in my book!
 
my trade in was a 2011 lexus CT200h. granted to call that car "luxury" is a bit of stretch although it is a luxury brand. i think the CX-5 blows it out of the water. the interior is just as nice if not nicer. the only things i miss from the CT (aside from the gas mileage) are the keyless entry receptacles on the front-door handles (just touch a small indent, no need to push a button like on the CX-5), the micro-super-cabin filtering button when u get those strange car smells (skunk spray, etc.), and my remote engine start (all-in-one-keyfob). that's about it and they are all minor in comparison to the extra features on the CX-5.
 
yrwei52 said:
Not too close. CX-5 (in the US) doesn't offer memory seat, rear AC vents, power liftgate, liftgate release buttons near driver seat and key fob, and even covered dead pedal which are all available from other compatible CUV's. Not to mention comparing to those luxury cars or compact CUV's in terms of bells and whistles. The color choices for interior is lacking on CX-5. The audio system, even the Bose system, is not on the par with those luxury cars. The material used for plastic and leather still needs improvement. The fit and finish are not as good as Audi and BMW. But you have to pay the price for those luxury features on BMW X3/X5, Audi Q5, Acura MDX, and Lexus RX's. Bur overall I believe Mazda CX-5 Skyactiv 2.5L GT AWD with Tech Package is the best choice for a CUV for the price, fuel efficiency, advanced technologies, performance, handling, quality, and reliability.

Although Honda CR-V used to be a great compact CUV and we currently have one too. But the 2015 CR-V, although Motor Trend selected it as the SUV of the Year, has problems on its CVT. And overall Honda is falling behind in design and quality during recent years.
Click to expand...
I agree with everything you say about the CX-5 and I'm curious as to what problems you're referring to with the CVT on the CR-V. My understanding is that Honda's CVT is every bit as good, if not better than Subaru's. Having spent a couple of days in an Imprezza last week, IMO there is nothing wrong with these transmissions for the majority of drivers. It certainly would not be a deal killer for me. In a Prius, now that's another story (but then so is a Prius)!
 
paris1 said:
I agree with everything you say about the CX-5 and I'm curious as to what problems you're referring to with the CVT on the CR-V. My understanding is that Honda's CVT is every bit as good, if not better than Subaru's. Having spent a couple of days in an Imprezza last week, IMO there is nothing wrong with these transmissions for the majority of drivers. It certainly would not be a deal killer for me. In a Prius, now that's another story (but then so is a Prius)!
Click to expand...
After received so many complaints on CR-Vibration problem for 2015 Honda CR-V with new direct-injection Earth Green engine (5 years behind many Japanese auto makers) and CVT, Honda released a video, A Message Regarding the Vibration in the 2015 CR-V, on 4/7/2015 to explain the issue. To me, it can be as simple as match-up issue between torque converter and CVT itself. But Honda apparently has not yet figured out the resolution.

I drove a rental Nissan Altima (with CVT of course) while we're in LA for son's graduation and San Diego for friend son's wedding in June (excellent weather BTW), it had great gas mileage at about 35 mpg overall. You have to drive the CVT equipped cars gently to achieve good gas mileage like under EPA test environment. When you push gas pedal hard, the response and the upshifting from CVT is weak and slow. If you study the design of the CVT, these will be naturally inherited issues by the CVT. The longevity and reliability of the CVT are still my major concerns. And should be by everybody else. CVT used to use a belt moving around on two drums which was a joke for reliability. The newly developed chain is more reliable, but it loses the flexibility of belt to contour the slope of the drums. I believe newly developed 10 or even 11-speed automatic transmission is better in drive feels, upshifting, fuel economy, and more importantly, better longevity and reliability! If these trannies can utilize "SkyActiv-Drive" way using the torque converter only below 5 mph, that'd be even better!
 
jcpharm said:
my trade in was a 2011 lexus CT200h. granted to call that car "luxury" is a bit of stretch although it is a luxury brand. i think the CX-5 blows it out of the water. the interior is just as nice if not nicer. the only things i miss from the CT (aside from the gas mileage) are the keyless entry receptacles on the front-door handles (just touch a small indent, no need to push a button like on the CX-5), the micro-super-cabin filtering button when u get those strange car smells (skunk spray, etc.), and my remote engine start (all-in-one-keyfob). that's about it and they are all minor in comparison to the extra features on the CX-5.
Click to expand...
Just happened to drive a 2014 Lexus CT200h recently. I was shocked to see how poor the car is equipped. I totally agree with you that it is a stretch to call it a luxury car! I certainly don't like the feels of constant electrical motor and gasoline engine changing-over (hybrid) and lifeless of the CVT. But the quality of plastics and interior materials are still better than CX-5's.
 
Visuals said:
But I can't help but think I'd like to have a BMW x3 or Audi Q5.
Click to expand...

Maybe you would like the BMW or Audi if you're a glutton for punishment.

Personally, I like the fact that I never have to add engine oil and the CX-5 has one of the lowest returns to the dealer for repairs.
 
Watching a recent video that, I believe, consumer reports did about mazdas and they compared the upper trim levels of mazdas as sort of a bridge between your mass market brands (Honda, Toyota, ford, Chevy) and the luxury brands (bmw, Audi, Mercedes, etc). Mazdas don't have quite have the fit and finish and premium interiors of something like the X3 or Q5 does but they are pretty darn good for the price point. Before buying the CX-5 for me we were looking at luxury cuv's for my wife. We drive the X3, Q5, XC60 and Evoque. For us, we liked the x3 the best but the interior was a bit Spartan similar to the CX-5. The XC-60 was odd feeling inside and the Q5 felt "old". Like we should have grey hair be in our 60's and taking it to dinner at the country club or something. As far as driving and handling goes we felt the X3 again won and felt the most sporty and handled the best. Q5 felt a bit mushy and xc60 felt "safe" but didn't wow us and the stadium seating in it was a bit weird and limited visibility some. When we changed gears and started looking at cars to replace my protege5 we drive the cx-5 and even my wife thought it drive the closest to the X3. It just doesn't have the same power or 0-60 times. But was still responsive and handled great. We liked the heavy steering feel in both the cx-5 and X3 and the taught suspension. But for almost 20k more then the CX-5 we could justify the added cost for the few extra bells and whistles one got with the X3. The panoramic sunroof was nice and the memory seats would have been appreciated. All in all I feel like the cx-5 is sort of the poor mans X3. It handles better then any other cuv in this class should short of the X3. There's no turbo to mess with so no premium gas required. It's not as fast 0-60 but the high torque makes it feel quicker then it is and goes well enough when asked.
 
Maybe I'm out in left field, but to make a CUV as luxurious as "luxury" vehicles, you would need to damp the ride, increase stability, increase power (all of this means upping weight...downing efficiency...increasing cost), and basically, you end up with an X5 or GLK350 at the least. That also means $50K-ish. Which to me, all of this defeats what I think of as the goal of a CUV: Very low initial cost, low operating costs, efficient fuel management, nimble handling similar to a slightly top-heavy car.
 
I came out of a Lexus IS250 and I find my CX5 better in some ways. We go to Michigan every summer on vacation and we found the overall confort level quite a bit higher. In the Lexus after the 11 hour drive we stiff and sole. We hopped out bright & chipper in the CX5. We do miss some features that I think could be added to the CX5 for not a lot of money, a all autodown option for the windows even with the remote. It was nice in the summer to be able to open all the windows before getting in. I think the all-wheel drive in the CX5 is a better system. Winter travel did seem better with the CX5.
The dealer service experience with Lexus was at a different level than Mazda. The waiting lounge was nicer with free drinks & food. Loaners were easy to get. WHen the car was brought in for a recall, they filled your gas tank for free. They would have customer appreciation get togethers with free food, drinks & even free cigars.
 
The Volvo dealer near us gives free haggen das ice cream to everyone that comes thru the door! The Mazda dealer has crappy coffee and bottled water and didn't offer us any until we asked. The dealer experience when looking at the luxury brands spoiled us a bit but the Mazda dealer we went to was exceptionally bad. I hate when a salesman come running out of the dealership and stands at your car before your even out of the vehicle! Like vulture to prey.
 
I just traded my '13 Q5 3.0 with 30K miles, on a '16 CX-5. Cost me $10K for two years. Not bad, If I kept it another year and sold it, I'd probably loss another $7K plus maybe $2K in service (major service/tires/breaks etc). CX-5 was $28k, and I'll probably sell it for a 5 or 6K loss after two years and 30K miles.. CX-5 is 3/4 as good as my Q5, I do miss the quiet interior and power, not the cost of ownership
 
gregbe said:
I came out of a Lexus IS250 and I find my CX5 better in some ways. We go to Michigan every summer on vacation and we found the overall confort level quite a bit higher. In the Lexus after the 11 hour drive we stiff and sole. We hopped out bright & chipper in the CX5. We do miss some features that I think could be added to the CX5 for not a lot of money, a all autodown option for the windows even with the remote. It was nice in the summer to be able to open all the windows before getting in. I think the all-wheel drive in the CX5 is a better system. Winter travel did seem better with the CX5.
The dealer service experience with Lexus was at a different level than Mazda. The waiting lounge was nicer with free drinks & food. Loaners were easy to get. WHen the car was brought in for a recall, they filled your gas tank for free. They would have customer appreciation get togethers with free food, drinks & even free cigars.
Click to expand...

My Mazda dealer has free snacks and cokes and washes every car for free even if it's just in for an oil change. They are not a hybrid store with a higher nameplate brand either. Its probably just because I live where I do (northwest arkansas) and all the serious money around here(we have some gear heads too! I was out hiking on my property while listening to an lp640 tear it up on my little road, lol! Saw an evora yesterday and an exige with mods a few weeks ago. G55amg and the like are dime a dozen), but still. Datapoint.


*the mazda dealer here has a better experience than bmw, mercedes, or Porsche in the dump of a town I'm from. (Louisiana, nw corner)
 
Last edited:
paris1 said:
Actually, my wife and I acquired a "luxury GT" in the form of a 2 year old BMW Z4 a couple of years after I got my 2013 CX-5 Touring. I have to say, the Mazda pales in comparison. Not that I had any illusions when I bought it (like some opinions I've seen voiced here), but the body structure and materials of the BMW are superior in most ways (not so much fit, but finish-yes!) to the CX-5. I'm not sure how the Germans do it because I'm sure everyone uses more or less the same gauge sheet metal for lightness these days, but doors, deck lid and hood close like a bank vault on the Z4 and when you rap a knuckle on the body panels they sound much different than the Mazda. So no, this isn't a direct comparison to a luxury SUV, but if Mazda still intends to move upmarket like their management alluded to a couple of years ago, they've got a ways to go yet IMHO.
Click to expand...
+1 my 2011 BMW 328 has 97,000 miles on it and it is built like a tank! No comparison interior and exterior are like brand new. No hood flutter, mirror shake, or tin can feel. Tech is far superior and actually has cost less to own with free service up to 50,000 miles. Brakes lasted 95,000 miles. Yes it cost a lot more, but as a person who keeps cars for a minimum of 10 years it's worth the extra cash. The cx5 is a good not great 30,000 dollar car, and if you want a luxury car spend your money elsewhere.
 
Heritage07 said:
+1 my 2011 BMW 328 has 97,000 miles on it and it is built like a tank! No comparison interior and exterior are like brand new. No hood flutter, mirror shake, or tin can feel. Tech is far superior and actually has cost less to own with free service up to 50,000 miles. Brakes lasted 95,000 miles. Yes it cost a lot more but as a person who keeps cars for a minimum of 10 years it's worth the extra cash. The cx5 is a good not great 30,000 dollar car, and if you want a luxury car spend your money elsewhere.
Click to expand...

Everything has a cost. I really think that the driveline is where Mazda's money went with the CX-5. I'm cool with that, but I agree. It's not very refined for the cost...but then, it's not UNrefined for the cost, either. I think it's a great case of "you get what you pay for", skewed toward the driveline a hair.
 
More of a direct comparison.

paris1 said:
Actually, my wife and I acquired a "luxury GT" in the form of a 2 year old BMW Z4 a couple of years after I got my 2013 CX-5 Touring. I have to say, the Mazda pales in comparison. Not that I had any illusions when I bought it (like some opinions I've seen voiced here), but the body structure and materials of the BMW are superior in most ways (not so much fit, but finish-yes!) to the CX-5. I'm not sure how the Germans do it because I'm sure everyone uses more or less the same gauge sheet metal for lightness these days, but doors, deck lid and hood close like a bank vault on the Z4 and when you rap a knuckle on the body panels they sound much different than the Mazda. So no, this isn't a direct comparison to a luxury SUV, but if Mazda still intends to move upmarket like their management alluded to a couple of years ago, they've got a ways to go yet IMHO.
Click to expand...

I own a 2011 Mercedes Benz GLK 350 4Matic and a 2015 both Mazda CX-5 AWD Touring. The M-B performs like a 60's muscle car, its AWD system is first rate, and its built like a bank vault. It will easily both out corner and outrun my CX-5. I very much like my CX-5. I think its a best buy for the money at its price point, but, its not a luxury SUV.

Regards:
Oldengineer
 
compared to 2nd gen X5, CX5 gets a lot better gas mileage and the handling is much better/nimbler also. I don't miss it a bit.
 
Please log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

J
How to make the beeps go away? 2023 CX-5
Replies
9
Views
2K
John B
J
B
Getting a P0507 on a 60k mile CX-5
Replies
2
Views
540
BlueReflex
B
O
From Xenon to Halogen headlight assembly (2013 CX-5)
Replies
1
Views
2K
sm1ke
sm1ke

Latest posts

Back