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- 2010 Mazda CX-9 GT Dolphin Gray
My family and I took a trip to Annapolis (from Western MA) this past weekend (720 miles total roundtrip) in the 5 so I figured Id give a quick bullet list of my impressions after the trip. We own a Red Mazda 5 Sport with a 5 speed. It currently has just over 10,000 miles on it.
Overall a great drive. Miles just seem to melt away when compared to the Honda Pilot we traded in. The 5 is very fun to drive, whereas the Honda was an absolute bore.
Fully loaded with 2 adults, two children and a back end full of luggage the 5 accelerated well. Slight grades did required downshifts to fourth if the engine revs dropped below 3K. Id say this is expected for a high revving engine like the 5. I never felt like the five lacked power. In fact downshifting made the drive more entertaining. Just like my 3 the 5s engine loves to rev and pulls like a train from 3500RPM up. Also love the exhaust growl.
Fuel economy for the entire trip (both city and highway) hovered around 28-30mpg. This is with a mix of cruise control and spirited driving. Overall impressive considering how entertaining this car is to drive. By comparison the Honda gobbled up about 23mpg city/highway.
My wife and both felt that the 5 was as quiet and tight (no rattles/buzzes etc) at 70mph as the Pilot. Pretty impressive considering the Honda is a larger, more isolated vehicle with a V6.
My kids were extremely comfortable. My 6 years old loves the fact that he can recline his seat when ever he wants. Of course this feature is pretty common to minivans, so the 5 isnt unique in this regard.
I drove straight through to Annapolis and in those 7 hours I found the front driver seat very comfortable. Unlike the Honda, I never had to shift my weight or adjust my position to compensate for discomfort. On the return trip however my butt fell asleep. Not sure if this was the fault of the seat or just fatigue on my part.
Cruise control worked very well, and rarely deviated more than 3-5/10s mph up moderate grades.
Brakes also worked very well. Driving along RT95 through NJ construction required quick steering corrections. The 5 never felt unstable or vague. Excellent road feel balanced with a very compliant ride. Only caviat is that my front brake rotors seem to be warping. Applying brakes would intermittently cause a shudder through the steering wheel. I just had to replace my 3s rotors (under warranty) after 28,000 miles for the same issue. Not sure why this is. Cheap rotors?
We hit a couple of pretty severe thunderstorms with torrential downpours and the 5 never had an issue with hydroplaning or puddle pulling. Of course my Michelin Pilot A/Ss probably had a lot to do with how well it handled puddles and drenched roads. I have the Michelins on my 3 as well and think they are an all around fantastic tire and are well worth the cost of $180/tire for the confidence they instill in dry and wet whether. Theyre also wearing really well (28,000 miles on my 3 with no sign of wearing out before 40,000). Both my Mazdas drive like they are on rails
.
We typically have the third row of seats folded but one day the 5s extra row flexibility came in handy when my Mother-in-law came with us for the day. All I needed to do was unfold one of the third row seats, move my 6 year olds booster to the back and viola! seating for 5! The 5s third row is definitely not for constant use, but it sure comes in handy for adding extra people in a pinch.
The sliding doors and ease of ingress/egress is fantastic. Mazda really hit the nail on the head when they decided to use sliding doors. I also love the extra clearance you can get when you push up on the 5s rear hatch. At 63 I constantly hit my head on the Honda Pilots hatch. The 5s hatch design is a welcomed change.
The 5 looks spectacular for a family car. And when I say spectacular I mean sexy and sporty. Like my 3 I find myself looking back on the 5 as I walk away from it. It really gets the blood moving. I also had more than one person give me a look on the highway (whats that?) as I passed them. One guy in a 2005 Honda Accord looked at me with amazement as I passed him. Zoom-Zoom!
The only real negative quality I experienced (other than my wife telling me to slow down (first) ) was an annoying engine drone that occurred at 65mph in 5th gear (45 in 4th). I first heard it when I had cruise control engaged through CT. The sound went away if I adjusted my speed +/- 2mph. Im going to mention it to my dealer along with the brake shudder on my next scheduled visit.
Overall my wife and I are very pleased with the flexibility and utility of the 5. In fact were already planning out next road trip!
Mazdas latest batch of models (3s CX7 and 5) make me wonder why anyone would bother paying a premium for a Honda or Toyota. Honda and Toyota certainly build solid transportation but I think my 3 and 5 are just as reliable while offering fantastic driving dynamics and personality. When people ask me to describe Mazda I tell them think of what would happen if Volkswagen and Toyota had a child.
Hope this was helpful
Overall a great drive. Miles just seem to melt away when compared to the Honda Pilot we traded in. The 5 is very fun to drive, whereas the Honda was an absolute bore.
Fully loaded with 2 adults, two children and a back end full of luggage the 5 accelerated well. Slight grades did required downshifts to fourth if the engine revs dropped below 3K. Id say this is expected for a high revving engine like the 5. I never felt like the five lacked power. In fact downshifting made the drive more entertaining. Just like my 3 the 5s engine loves to rev and pulls like a train from 3500RPM up. Also love the exhaust growl.
Fuel economy for the entire trip (both city and highway) hovered around 28-30mpg. This is with a mix of cruise control and spirited driving. Overall impressive considering how entertaining this car is to drive. By comparison the Honda gobbled up about 23mpg city/highway.
My wife and both felt that the 5 was as quiet and tight (no rattles/buzzes etc) at 70mph as the Pilot. Pretty impressive considering the Honda is a larger, more isolated vehicle with a V6.
My kids were extremely comfortable. My 6 years old loves the fact that he can recline his seat when ever he wants. Of course this feature is pretty common to minivans, so the 5 isnt unique in this regard.
I drove straight through to Annapolis and in those 7 hours I found the front driver seat very comfortable. Unlike the Honda, I never had to shift my weight or adjust my position to compensate for discomfort. On the return trip however my butt fell asleep. Not sure if this was the fault of the seat or just fatigue on my part.
Cruise control worked very well, and rarely deviated more than 3-5/10s mph up moderate grades.
Brakes also worked very well. Driving along RT95 through NJ construction required quick steering corrections. The 5 never felt unstable or vague. Excellent road feel balanced with a very compliant ride. Only caviat is that my front brake rotors seem to be warping. Applying brakes would intermittently cause a shudder through the steering wheel. I just had to replace my 3s rotors (under warranty) after 28,000 miles for the same issue. Not sure why this is. Cheap rotors?
We hit a couple of pretty severe thunderstorms with torrential downpours and the 5 never had an issue with hydroplaning or puddle pulling. Of course my Michelin Pilot A/Ss probably had a lot to do with how well it handled puddles and drenched roads. I have the Michelins on my 3 as well and think they are an all around fantastic tire and are well worth the cost of $180/tire for the confidence they instill in dry and wet whether. Theyre also wearing really well (28,000 miles on my 3 with no sign of wearing out before 40,000). Both my Mazdas drive like they are on rails
.We typically have the third row of seats folded but one day the 5s extra row flexibility came in handy when my Mother-in-law came with us for the day. All I needed to do was unfold one of the third row seats, move my 6 year olds booster to the back and viola! seating for 5! The 5s third row is definitely not for constant use, but it sure comes in handy for adding extra people in a pinch.
The sliding doors and ease of ingress/egress is fantastic. Mazda really hit the nail on the head when they decided to use sliding doors. I also love the extra clearance you can get when you push up on the 5s rear hatch. At 63 I constantly hit my head on the Honda Pilots hatch. The 5s hatch design is a welcomed change.
The 5 looks spectacular for a family car. And when I say spectacular I mean sexy and sporty. Like my 3 I find myself looking back on the 5 as I walk away from it. It really gets the blood moving. I also had more than one person give me a look on the highway (whats that?) as I passed them. One guy in a 2005 Honda Accord looked at me with amazement as I passed him. Zoom-Zoom!
The only real negative quality I experienced (other than my wife telling me to slow down (first) ) was an annoying engine drone that occurred at 65mph in 5th gear (45 in 4th). I first heard it when I had cruise control engaged through CT. The sound went away if I adjusted my speed +/- 2mph. Im going to mention it to my dealer along with the brake shudder on my next scheduled visit.
Overall my wife and I are very pleased with the flexibility and utility of the 5. In fact were already planning out next road trip!
Mazdas latest batch of models (3s CX7 and 5) make me wonder why anyone would bother paying a premium for a Honda or Toyota. Honda and Toyota certainly build solid transportation but I think my 3 and 5 are just as reliable while offering fantastic driving dynamics and personality. When people ask me to describe Mazda I tell them think of what would happen if Volkswagen and Toyota had a child.
Hope this was helpful
