How's the CX-5 bumper absorbing bumps and scratches?

[mikeee2]

Hi all,

I am in the midst of waiting for the 2014 cx-5 with the 2.5 engine. Unfortunately, it will not come with the m/t along with the 2.5 engine so looks like I will be getting the slushbox and this should turn into my wife's commuter car/weekend car. Don't get me wrong, it's still an awesome looking suv just wish that they have more of an option for folks that want the m/t. With that being said, I wanted to know how good that plastic gray bumper is when it comes to every day bumps and bruises. Once we get the cx-5, it will be parking on the streets during the weekdays. I know people will bump on it, yadda yadda. If this was a regular sedan, I am sure the corners of the bumper would be all scratched up when cars pull out from behind. Now, because the cx-5 is higher and most of the bumper is the gray plastic, when someone bumps it or pulls their car out behind you and scrapes the corner, what kind of damage am I look at? There shouldn't be any paint that peels off.

This is what usually happens to my current commuter car (Sentra) when someone pulls out the spot behind me and scrapes it.

Also, I noticed the front chip spoiler sticks out further than the bumper. If someone backups up, do they hit the chin spoiler first?

 

[rmac]

So far so good. No dents or searches on mine yet and I enjoy owned it for 4 months now. I did hit a bird as it flew in front of my car a few days ago and I cannot find any damage.

 

[plemieux]

I can't comment on dents, but if you look at the car the wrong way the paint will scratch. If you read back through some of the threads you'll find numerous comments about how easily paint scratches/chips/pulls away. I think one of the threads one guy had large patches of paint pulled away from his hood.

 

[Shniest]

Here is a extreme close-up of a scratch i found on my rear bumper... probably from one of the kids loading something in the back. The scratch is quite small so the picture makes it look a lot larger than it is but I was showing how it pushed and buckled the paint...

 

[MikeM.]

Here is a extreme close-up of a scratch i found on my rear bumper... probably from one of the kids loading something in the back. The scratch is quite small so the picture makes it look a lot larger than it is but I was showing how it pushed and buckled the paint...
View attachment 199835

Sorry for your misfortune. Looks like it's time to trade it in. No new shoes for the kids this year, LOL!

My CX-5 is too dirty to see how well her skin is holding up. I guess I'll give her a good bath in the spring and see how she weathered the winter.(lol2)

 

[IHeartGroceries]

Mazda's paint is thin. Alot of Japanese makes have thin paint. It doesn't hold up too well to stones, sand, rocks, etc. The front end of my Speed6 is peppered. If you want the front end's paint to endure, look into 3Ms invisible bra coating.
As for the rest of the vehicle, just always be vigilant in protecting it, cause it doesn't fair well to the punishment of park lots, garages, neighborhood kids, etc.

Cars are overly plasticy and thin these days. Structurally, they are better than ever. But, they are covered in eggshells. lol!

 

[MikeM.]

Cars are overly plasticy and thin these days. Structurally, they are better than ever. But, they are covered in eggshells. lol!

Actually it's a good thing to not layer on the weight. It's not the thickness of the paint that provides protection, it's the hardness. And modern paints are harder than ever, have primers that are more rust resistant and they don't fade under sunlight nearly as fast as the autos of my youth did. Rust protection is better than ever too.

And I like high quality plastic. It tends to spring back and look good instead of getting ugly dents like the heavy cars of yesteryear. Nothing looks worse than dented heavy chrome.

 

[IHeartGroceries]

Plastic parts do pop out easily, and that's a bonus. But, in my experience, they crease easily as well. Alot of times creases can be easily mended by a good auto body shop, though.

I owned a 1986 Mazda B2000. Paint was crap. I own a 2006 MS6, and the paint is decent enough. UV fade protection has improved for sure. My 1972 C-10 isn't even close to its original color, faded badly on vertical panels which face upward, toward the sun. My Speed 6's plastic parts have faded badly in comparison to its sheet metal components. But, overall it is not the same color it was 6 years ago.
I’m no paint/autobody expert, but I still say Japanese makes have paint that chips easily. The experience I have had with Subaru’s, Mazda’s, and Mitsubishi’s lends me to believe this.

 

[CX-SV]

Haven't noticed any paint (white)/plastic problems in first 12K miles/9 months. Paint seems no less durable than my German Porsche and MB cars past and present.

 

[cmceleste]

A parallel parked car, with a trailer hitch and ball, in front of me backed up and and 'kissed' my car. It was enough to dent in the plastic. I easily just popped it back. There is a little white crease mark on the top side of the plastic trim, but nothing that makes me cringe when I see it. If it was a painted piece I would have had to call a body shop and deal with that nonsense.
Overall I find that the plastic trim is in all the right places.

 

[Gregx-5]

I've got a small rock chip on the front bumper. I decided its absolutely necessary to get a clear bra. Car manufacturers or dealers should put them on stock. I've never seen a good looking front bumper after a few years. The front headlights could probably use protection too.

The back bumper paint is protected somewhat by the plastic valence. However someone (probably slightly drunk) decided that they need to get extra extra close and their license plate screws dug into that plastic valence some. I just cut away with a utility knife the little hanging bits.

I'm carrying my air stem tool to enact revenge on that kind of nonsense from now on. The complete lack or care people exhibit sometimes..

 

[mikeee2]

Here is a extreme close-up of a scratch i found on my rear bumper... probably from one of the kids loading something in the back. The scratch is quite small so the picture makes it look a lot larger than it is but I was showing how it pushed and buckled the paint...
View attachment 199835

The paint does look very thin. I am more concern about the plastic bumper part. The paint I know it'll look horrible with any dent. But most of the hits will be on the gray bumper itself. So if the gray bumper is not that noticeable when it comes to small bumps then I am good since it doesn't peel off like paint.

 

[mikeee2]

A parallel parked car, with a trailer hitch and ball, in front of me backed up and and 'kissed' my car. It was enough to dent in the plastic. I easily just popped it back. There is a little white crease mark on the top side of the plastic trim, but nothing that makes me cringe when I see it. If it was a painted piece I would have had to call a body shop and deal with that nonsense.
Overall I find that the plastic trim is in all the right places.

How you pop it back out? You can easily get your hand into the inner part of the plastic bumper?

 

[snadboy]

The only thing I have on my CX-5 is a ding in the paper thin hood from an acorn while waiting in traffic. When the weather warms up I will pull out the ding.

The front fender holds up fairly well to a deer collision - a $5K-$9K insurance payment for repairs. More on it here from Automobile Magazine.

 

[IHeartGroceries]

Mine didn't like the rear end of a Honda Pilot...

It did pop out, though and looked much better. I just reached up in front of the well and fender liner and poped it out. Creases and missing paint only thing left behind...

 

[mmitsch]

Dented Rear Bumper

A parallel parked car, with a trailer hitch and ball, in front of me backed up and and 'kissed' my car. It was enough to dent in the plastic. I easily just popped it back. There is a little white crease mark on the top side of the plastic trim, but nothing that makes me cringe when I see it. If it was a painted piece I would have had to call a body shop and deal with that nonsense.
Overall I find that the plastic trim is in all the right places.

My daughter has a 2013 CX-5 and it looks as though a person "kissed" her car as well -- probably with a trailer hitch. The unpainted part of the bumper (the lower part) is dented in the middle. It seems like it can be popped out. How hard was this to do on yours?

 

[arnolj25]

I live in NYC and always have it in a parallel parking spot.I can tell you that I know its been hit.The rear grey bumper just has a lot of chips,no discoloration,couple of scratches but hey it's NYC,people cant park to save their life.Also someone recently dented and scratched the passenger door and the lower part of the fender close to the door.Im really mad about this one,going to try the hair dryer and compressed air trick but im not sure how itll work,its on a door seem.Im also going to buy the spray kit from scratch wizard because I also have large scratches on my hood,looks like someone keyed it but i doubt it,the lines are too straight.I have a 13 cx-5 Touring with 54,330 miles.

 

[arnolj25]

My daughter has a 2013 CX-5 and it looks as though a person "kissed" her car as well -- probably with a trailer hitch. The unpainted part of the bumper (the lower part) is dented in the middle. It seems like it can be popped out. How hard was this to do on yours?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljMEHbBxq54
This video should help you,just use a heat gun,hair dryer,or boiling water(not too much maybe a small pot used to boil eggs) and it'll be malleable so you can move it back to how it was by pressing on the inside.