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- 2014 QX70 AWD
New civic ads on TV tout the new sport mode feature. Dumb lemmings then rejoice.
Sad.
Sad.
How do you find your CX-5 highway acceleration to be?
- Thread starter Avoidin Deer
- Start date
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- Central Virginia
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- 2019 CX-5 Reserve
I took the second [extended] test drive today and tested all the various ways of shifting. I also played with the electronics a little more.
There were none of the issues I noticed on my first test drive. I did find out that the Automated Speed Limiter is not an option in the states. There was no such setting on the CX-5 I drove (it was a fully loaded Grand Touring) and the sales guy did an internet search and said that all the ASL examples and instructions were in KM, not MPH. That explains how I was able to find two English language CX-5 manuals on the Mazda website yet only one of them included ASL references.
I did not notice any delays or performance issues when using the Manual Mode that some of the "professional" online reviewers alluded to. I was surprised at how long it stayed in gear in the Sports Mode...it really wound out more than I was expecting. (That's not a judgement, just an observation). Acceleration at highway speeds was fine. Any reservations I had are gone.
After we were through with the drive and the subsequent conversations, on my way to my car I walked around the parking lot looking at the different colors and potential chipping. I saw a little minor chipping (maybe a few flecks) on some of the Soul Reds (mostly on the doors) and not much on any of the other colors...but I did not have access to odometer readings to see which had even been driven. I'm still capitulating over paint color. *sigh* But the silver (which folks say is the most durable color) is nicer looking than I thought, so it's back on my list.
I then went to a paint film/ceramic coating guy and we talked for nearly 2 hours. He charges $1,700 to wrap the entire hood, the bumper, the front fenders, the A pillars and the leading edge of the roof (I forgot to ask about mirrors). That price includes film on the headlights. Everything but the pillars and the leading edge of the roof is seamless...it's fully wrapped around the edges. 10 year guarantee.
Professional glass coating is a whole other issue (eek2), and would have no real effect on protecting against chips.
I told the film guy I would send him pics of some of the Soul Red chipping folks here and on other forums have posted. He Googled it while we were talking and was curious to learn more. He'll be a good sounding board for making my color selection.
I'm getting closer...
There were none of the issues I noticed on my first test drive. I did find out that the Automated Speed Limiter is not an option in the states. There was no such setting on the CX-5 I drove (it was a fully loaded Grand Touring) and the sales guy did an internet search and said that all the ASL examples and instructions were in KM, not MPH. That explains how I was able to find two English language CX-5 manuals on the Mazda website yet only one of them included ASL references.
I did not notice any delays or performance issues when using the Manual Mode that some of the "professional" online reviewers alluded to. I was surprised at how long it stayed in gear in the Sports Mode...it really wound out more than I was expecting. (That's not a judgement, just an observation). Acceleration at highway speeds was fine. Any reservations I had are gone.
After we were through with the drive and the subsequent conversations, on my way to my car I walked around the parking lot looking at the different colors and potential chipping. I saw a little minor chipping (maybe a few flecks) on some of the Soul Reds (mostly on the doors) and not much on any of the other colors...but I did not have access to odometer readings to see which had even been driven. I'm still capitulating over paint color. *sigh* But the silver (which folks say is the most durable color) is nicer looking than I thought, so it's back on my list.
I then went to a paint film/ceramic coating guy and we talked for nearly 2 hours. He charges $1,700 to wrap the entire hood, the bumper, the front fenders, the A pillars and the leading edge of the roof (I forgot to ask about mirrors). That price includes film on the headlights. Everything but the pillars and the leading edge of the roof is seamless...it's fully wrapped around the edges. 10 year guarantee.
Professional glass coating is a whole other issue (eek2), and would have no real effect on protecting against chips.
I told the film guy I would send him pics of some of the Soul Red chipping folks here and on other forums have posted. He Googled it while we were talking and was curious to learn more. He'll be a good sounding board for making my color selection.
I'm getting closer...
Glad your driving reservations have been resolved
Colour - you know my position (wink)
As for the coating etc, that is up to you. All I got done on mine was tinted windows.
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- Central Virginia
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- 2019 CX-5 Reserve
The guy uses a high-end brand: Modesta.
The BC-08 is a Neosilica Matrix Coating. 3 year life. $850 plus $250 prep. Total $1,100.
The BC-04 is a Nano-Titanium Glass Coating. 7-10 year life. $1,500 plus $250 prep. Total $1,750.
He did say that the prep for a brand new vehicle brought right in from the dealer lot may be less...but you're just picking at the margins of the cost.
The guy has been doing this for a while. He and his partner went through various tests of laying out different brands & flavors of the coatings and allowing the solvents to evaporate to see which left the most amount of material behind. He showed me some of the "left behind" material. It was nearly glass-like. He told me that some of the popular brands that come up to the top of internet searches are only popular because of marketing and not quality. (Yeh, I know. He is a sales guy).
He is in Charlottesville VA and has customers bringing vehicles from all over the state (100-150 miles away). As I said, I was there for nearly 2 hours just BS-ing about this stuff and life in general.
As an aside, he is emblematic of so many people in Charlottesville...a University of Virginia graduate (Government major) who never went home. If you can find a way to earn a living, it's a nice place to live.
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- Central Virginia
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- 2019 CX-5 Reserve
Glad your driving reservations have been resolved
Colour - you know my position (wink)
As for the coating etc, that is up to you. All I got done on mine was tinted windows.
You have good taste in colour.
The Mazda silver is bee-you-tu-full.
All kidding aside, I liked it. It has a deeper, more metallic hue to it than most silvers you see on the road.
But this daggone Soul Red Crystal Metallic. It's like a girl with a bad reputation, and I know what she's gonna do to me, but there's just something about her....
You have good taste in colour.
The Mazda silver is bee-you-tu-full.
All kidding aside, I liked it. It has a deeper, more metallic hue to it than most silvers you see on the road.
But this daggone Soul Red Crystal Metallic. It's like a girl with a bad reputation, and I know what she's gonna do to me, but there's just something about her....
Ultimately its your decision regarding SRC....
boandlkramer
US Specs in Europe
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- '17 CX-5 GT AWD; '18 BMW X3
Ill use a better example, my previous M4 was a totally different vehicle in sport+ mode.
On the flip side, eco mode is what I used in inclement weather, especially light snow.
You really have a problem with sport mode dont you?
boandlkramer
US Specs in Europe
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- '17 CX-5 GT AWD; '18 BMW X3
I never use the manual mode. I tried it once but it's just a novelty since the car shifts for you at a certain point.
SoulRed is hands down the most attractive color to me. My wife and I were tired of black and shades of gray/silver, which we found so unremarkable.
The Mazda 6 speed auto does a pretty good job by itself!
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- Central Virginia
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- 2019 CX-5 Reserve
You may have said before, but how's that paint holding up?
boandlkramer
US Specs in Europe
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- '17 CX-5 GT AWD; '18 BMW X3
I have chips. One on the hood and another on the left rear door.
NelsonLewis
Banned
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- 16.5 CX-5 GT AWD w/Tech BRMica
Don*t have a problem with it, I just know first hand and understand what it actually does. As stated, give me the softer ride and more aggressive shift points, not one or the other...It adds zero power is what I said, and that is correct.
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- Denver, CO
Agreed, however manual mode still comes in handy for the following:
- Driving down a mountain and maintaining a gear instead of riding brakes.
- Fun factor, it's a little more engaging to drive, kinda like being halfway between an auto and a manual.
- Some situations do actually confuse the auto in what gear it should be in, manual mode quickly takes care of that.
NelsonLewis
Banned
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- 16.5 CX-5 GT AWD w/Tech BRMica
^yep!^
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- 2021 CX-9 Sig
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- 2021 CX-5 GT
I will second this. I tend to take all round-abouts in manual mode and also use it when going up really steep inclines.
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- Denver, CO
Yeah, I imagine you are right.
That's why I loved having a manual when I lived in the mountains and first was learning to drive. It was fantastic for the inclines to just hold it at a certain speed. At least...that was the manual in the '97 Wrangler which I am kinda sad I don't still have. Lot better control in the mountains then an automatic for sure.
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- Central Virginia
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- 2019 CX-5 Reserve
- Fun factor, it's a little more engaging to drive, kinda like being halfway between an auto and a manual.
^^This^^
Back in 2010 I purchased a 1990 Volvo 740 Turbo Intercooler 4 speed with the electric 5th gear (just to have a beater commuter) and absolutely loved having a stick shift again. There are so many winding roads here, it was a blast to drive...you just gotta be careful of tractors when you round a corner.
Regarding the manual shift mode in the CX-5, I took another test drive yesterday and liked being able to downshift manually in order to pass. As you said, automatics do not always pick the right gear, so it's nice to know exactly what the car is going to do when I pull into another lane, and not hesitate (or give me whiplash) as it kicks into the lower gear. And in stop & go city traffic, I'd rather wind the engine out a little bit and use the gas pedal to regulate slowing down than have the transmission constantly upshifting/downshifting with me riding the brake.
One thing I noticed yesterday was that the gearing between 5th and 6th is closer than I expected. We were doing highway speeds (around 70MPH) and when I manually downshifted into 5th from 6th, the engine speed only went up about 250RPM. Conversely, when upshifting into 6th from 5th at those speeds, the RPMs only go down 250RPM. Don't know why I expected it be a bigger spread. Obviously, the ratios are closer between gears when spread over 6 speeds.
