Bought the car about a month ago, just got back from a 1200 mile road trip and wanted to share my thoughts. It might sound like I'm complaining about a lot of things, but let me make it clear up front that I really like this car a lot and think it's about as fun to drive as a crossover can be.
-engine/transmission; this was my biggest issue with the car upon test driving it, but I'm happy to report that it's more powerful than I originally thought. It takes a little getting used to the pedal response/shift points, but once you do the engine feels sufficiently powerful. On the highway I still found it best to drive in 'manual' mode and downshift a gear or two when passing. One annoyance I did find in fully automatic mode, was cruising at 70-75 MPH the transmission couldn't decide between 5th and 6th gear. I would have my foot on the gas and the engine would hold 5th gear at 3500 or so RPM, and when I eased off just slightly it would go to 6th but then slow down. I couldn't find that happy spot of holding 73 MPH or so with the car in 6th gear. This car won't ever be mistaken for a 6 cylinder or a turbo, but it gets the job done.
-fuel economy; the manual doesn't lie - the best MPG is found cruising 65 MPH and under. I was using cruise control on the 10 FWY in the middle of the desert and had it pegged at 85 most of the way and my MPG was stuck at 24 for most of the trip. Cruising around highways at 60-70 MPH however, and you start to see 30+ MPG. One sort of annoying thing - even with the cruise control set, my 'Current MPG' would jump all over the place, changing drastically every few seconds.
-interior; nothing substantial except for some nitpicky things: the seat heaters are weak, no 2 ways about it. The max setting is equivalent to most cars' lowest or middle setting. The high side bolsters on the front seats do become a small annoyance when getting in and out of the car frequently. The placement of the clock and other readouts is really low compared to most other cars and takes some getting used to. You really have to take your eyes off the road to see what time it is. No compass on the auto-dimming rearview mirror is disappointing. I definitely have the driver side mirror shake - it is practically unusable on the highway.
-xenon headlights; if you're debating the cost of the tech package, the xenons alone are worth it IMO. They're fantastic.
-fuel tank; small compared to other cars in this class, which takes a little bit of the fuel economy advantage away in terms of frequenting the gas station.
-handling; the car's best asset, far and away. Our other car is a BMW 3-series, and the Mazda feels comparable, though definitely a little lighter in terms of the steering response. Light years ahead of my old Honda Accord and the other crossovers we test drove. Took the CX-5 through some mountain twisties and it was a blast. Car behavior is extremely predictable and inspires confidence.
-color; we went with Liquid Silver at my wife's choosing, and I couldn't be happier. I had wanted Meteor Grey, but now that I see some on the road, it's just too dark and a little blah (IMO of course). Liquid Silver should really be called Gun Metal Grey, as it's a very smokey, dark silver and not at all typical.
all in all I think this is a great car and am very happy with my purchase,
-engine/transmission; this was my biggest issue with the car upon test driving it, but I'm happy to report that it's more powerful than I originally thought. It takes a little getting used to the pedal response/shift points, but once you do the engine feels sufficiently powerful. On the highway I still found it best to drive in 'manual' mode and downshift a gear or two when passing. One annoyance I did find in fully automatic mode, was cruising at 70-75 MPH the transmission couldn't decide between 5th and 6th gear. I would have my foot on the gas and the engine would hold 5th gear at 3500 or so RPM, and when I eased off just slightly it would go to 6th but then slow down. I couldn't find that happy spot of holding 73 MPH or so with the car in 6th gear. This car won't ever be mistaken for a 6 cylinder or a turbo, but it gets the job done.
-fuel economy; the manual doesn't lie - the best MPG is found cruising 65 MPH and under. I was using cruise control on the 10 FWY in the middle of the desert and had it pegged at 85 most of the way and my MPG was stuck at 24 for most of the trip. Cruising around highways at 60-70 MPH however, and you start to see 30+ MPG. One sort of annoying thing - even with the cruise control set, my 'Current MPG' would jump all over the place, changing drastically every few seconds.
-interior; nothing substantial except for some nitpicky things: the seat heaters are weak, no 2 ways about it. The max setting is equivalent to most cars' lowest or middle setting. The high side bolsters on the front seats do become a small annoyance when getting in and out of the car frequently. The placement of the clock and other readouts is really low compared to most other cars and takes some getting used to. You really have to take your eyes off the road to see what time it is. No compass on the auto-dimming rearview mirror is disappointing. I definitely have the driver side mirror shake - it is practically unusable on the highway.
-xenon headlights; if you're debating the cost of the tech package, the xenons alone are worth it IMO. They're fantastic.
-fuel tank; small compared to other cars in this class, which takes a little bit of the fuel economy advantage away in terms of frequenting the gas station.
-handling; the car's best asset, far and away. Our other car is a BMW 3-series, and the Mazda feels comparable, though definitely a little lighter in terms of the steering response. Light years ahead of my old Honda Accord and the other crossovers we test drove. Took the CX-5 through some mountain twisties and it was a blast. Car behavior is extremely predictable and inspires confidence.
-color; we went with Liquid Silver at my wife's choosing, and I couldn't be happier. I had wanted Meteor Grey, but now that I see some on the road, it's just too dark and a little blah (IMO of course). Liquid Silver should really be called Gun Metal Grey, as it's a very smokey, dark silver and not at all typical.
all in all I think this is a great car and am very happy with my purchase,
