- :
- 2023 CX-5 2.5 Turbo AWD Auto
RIP 8/23:2013 CX-5 Sport FWD Auto 120k
Hey all,
I’m spending some time in Scotland for vacation and we’re having an incredible time. I usually don’t get great luck with car rentals but this time I got an interesting vehicle and wanted to share. I reserved an automatic compact sedan as I usually do. Just enough for a family of 4 and some luggage, and I don’t want a vehicle any bigger than it has to be especially for UK driving. We got a good rate with Celtic Legend and they booked the vehicle for us through Arnold Clark.
To my surprise, we were provided a Mercedes A200d when all I expected was the suggested Toyota C-HR type vehicle. This has been an awesome car so far. I would never buy a Mercedes given the price tag and general distaste for over-engineered German design, but this diesel does a lot of things right. I’m averaging about 60 mpg (keep in mind imperial/UK, so US mpg is lower), and the pickup and go on this is more than adequate. 150hp, 200 ft lbs of torque I believe. FWD, not AWD. The driving dynamics are quite nice. Planted, confident, and responsive. A bit of lag considering it’s a turbo diesel but it’s forgivable. Online reviews state the car is perfect for the practical driving enthusiast, and I think that’s a great description (if a $35k+ starting MSRP hatchback is considered practical lol!).
I wish Mazda could’ve gotten the diesel to the US like this. Maybe it just can’t be done super reliably, maybe it’s just harmful from an emissions standpoint (I’ve read the EU has regrets with their push for diesel due to micro particulate emissions).
I'm actually very impressed with Mazdas build quality and feel compared to this Mercedes. My ‘23 T CX-5 feels really solid with a good feel when you shut the doors and rear hatch. This Mercedes has a somewhat econobox feel to the rear end (light thin feeling tailgate, hearing a couple rattles occasionally from the cargo area). The interior is where the Mazda shines minus the cool Mercedes LED trim on the dash. The leather feels higher quality in the Mazda and it doesn’t have the cloth/velour inserts of the Mercedes. I prefer all leather!
Anyway, it’s been a ton of fun. It really makes me appreciate the turbo CX-5 that much more too. If only I got more than 25 or 26 mpg with gasoline lol!
I’m spending some time in Scotland for vacation and we’re having an incredible time. I usually don’t get great luck with car rentals but this time I got an interesting vehicle and wanted to share. I reserved an automatic compact sedan as I usually do. Just enough for a family of 4 and some luggage, and I don’t want a vehicle any bigger than it has to be especially for UK driving. We got a good rate with Celtic Legend and they booked the vehicle for us through Arnold Clark.
To my surprise, we were provided a Mercedes A200d when all I expected was the suggested Toyota C-HR type vehicle. This has been an awesome car so far. I would never buy a Mercedes given the price tag and general distaste for over-engineered German design, but this diesel does a lot of things right. I’m averaging about 60 mpg (keep in mind imperial/UK, so US mpg is lower), and the pickup and go on this is more than adequate. 150hp, 200 ft lbs of torque I believe. FWD, not AWD. The driving dynamics are quite nice. Planted, confident, and responsive. A bit of lag considering it’s a turbo diesel but it’s forgivable. Online reviews state the car is perfect for the practical driving enthusiast, and I think that’s a great description (if a $35k+ starting MSRP hatchback is considered practical lol!).
I wish Mazda could’ve gotten the diesel to the US like this. Maybe it just can’t be done super reliably, maybe it’s just harmful from an emissions standpoint (I’ve read the EU has regrets with their push for diesel due to micro particulate emissions).
I'm actually very impressed with Mazdas build quality and feel compared to this Mercedes. My ‘23 T CX-5 feels really solid with a good feel when you shut the doors and rear hatch. This Mercedes has a somewhat econobox feel to the rear end (light thin feeling tailgate, hearing a couple rattles occasionally from the cargo area). The interior is where the Mazda shines minus the cool Mercedes LED trim on the dash. The leather feels higher quality in the Mazda and it doesn’t have the cloth/velour inserts of the Mercedes. I prefer all leather!
Anyway, it’s been a ton of fun. It really makes me appreciate the turbo CX-5 that much more too. If only I got more than 25 or 26 mpg with gasoline lol!
