Let me start by saying I've been driving for 16 yrs. I didn't know it back then when I was first handed a set of keys to an old beater that I would eventually form a strong relationship with cars. I've owned many of them in my 30ish years on earth. They used to be big pieces of metal with wheels and seat belts but they graduated into something more. Due to my curious nature of things, I began to learn about cars, their heritage, how they differ and how to fix them. I am a backyard mechanic which doesn't mean much other then I've taken the time to learn how to fix them when they're broken.
Fast forward to my decision to buy this vehicle. I was driving around in a 07 Mazda 3. It didn't have the power I wanted but it had everything else driving-wise that I did. Handled great, steering was good and braking was good. It's one of two cars that I really enjoyed owning (the other was a modded Srt-4). There were some things I didn't like about it but those issues seemed to be resolved when I bought my CX-5. Initially, I wanted to get a Kia Sportage. Due to it's name and Kia's great warranty, it was a match made in heaven. However, the salesman trying to earn my hard earned $$ wasn't working hard enough for me. We never saw eye to eye on the price which was the nail in the coffin that turned me away from that dealership.
Now, through and through, I'm a car guy. I like their low center of gravity, looks and what they offer as far as a driving experience (if you get the right one). I drive aggressively. I take turns like I'm in the Indy 500, I enjoy accelerating briskly when on the highway or back roads and I like to push my cars to the limits I'm comfortable with. Needless to say, I've never fancied myself in an SUV. The fact that I was drawn to them when I started looking for a new vehicle either meant I was getting older or more boring. I'll hold on to the first assumption!
Finally....my review of the CUV. I absolutely LOVE the way it looks! From front to back, it offers a sleek, stylish, sexy look without that stupid smiling grill that ruined Mazdas for a long time. I like it's stance and persona if you will. It just looks fun to drive!! All this excitement and I hadn't even stepped foot into one.
Onto the first thing I noticed when getting inside, it has a push button start!!!! I know there are many vehicles with this option but this was my first introduction to it. 16, SIXTEEN YEARS of using a key to start my vehicles and now this one defies logic and forces me to forget the muscle memory of turning a key! For me, depressing the brake pedal and pushing that start button is like getting into a formula one car and getting ready for the experience. Of course this car is nowhere near that caliber but you are getting ready for that "zoom zoom" experience that Mazda always brags about!
List of likes....
-Headlights! H.I.D.'s which work extremely well at night. I'm really impressed with the quality. To boot, I have auto lights which is awesome because I'm lazy and don't want to turn the lights on at night. Also, these lights (when equipped) turn into my direction of travel. I really like that feature. It's something small but it makes me smile when I see them come back to center after I've completed the turn.
-Cockpit. I think it is set up really well. I like the material and lay out. It really is driver friendly. I've driven in my share of cheaply made interiors and this is far from one. Everything is easy to get to and right where I want it to be. The colors go well together and it looks like a more expensive vehicle.
-Dashboard. It's somewhat digital. I like the design. Not too bright at night and bright enough during the day. I love the estimated MPGs and how much fuel remaining until empty. Again, something small but I like these features.
-Info center. I have Navi and the Bose sound system. First, the navi (in my book) is pretty cool. Yes it's a small screen compared to what's out there BUT it's still functional and not at all hard to read and understand. There are plenty of features to mess around with and get familiar with. I like the navigation because it tells me where to go using the front speakers and keeps music playing in the rear for my passengers. Also, I'm not really looking at it while I'm driving so again, I don't really mind the size.
The sound system is really good! I'll admit, it took sometime to get used to because the sound comes from the dashboard and not the door speakers like I'm use to. Once you turn up the sound, it sounds PHENOMINAL. The bass hits hard and the sound is really clear. I'm really taken back with the quality of it.
-The seats. They're pretty damn comfortable from front to back. Manufactures have a knack for making good front seats and horrible back seats. This is not the case here. There's ample head and leg room and the quality is second to none. I think someone at Mazda cracked open the suggestion box and made the rear passenger compartment as comfortable as the front.
-Cargo. I don't know how many bodies people plan on putting in the trunk (seems like the mafia is the one that writes reviews for trunk/cargo space) but it's plenty roomy and you have the option of folding the rear seats down. There's more then enough space in the rear to accommodate your needs in my opinion. If you need more, buy a pick-up truck.
-Acceleration. My favorite category! With normal driving exercises, the CX-5 goes through the gears rather nicely. The transition is mostly seamless and not all too noticeable especially compared to the 3. I do notice that the gears change quickly and get up to the top gear as quick as possible. This, I surmise is because its trying to save on MPGs. Again, there is an almost tranquilly smooth change in gears without the driver or passengers noticing it.
The few times I've gotten on it (had to play nice because of the break in period) and not even flooring it, I was surprised with it's power. No, you wont beat a Cherokee Srt-8 or Ford Lightning in the 1/4 mile but it gets the job done when making lane changes or getting around grandma who clearly cannot see the posted speed limit.
-Braking. Better, BETTER then the 3. The pedal is firm and it slows down when I expect it to without delay. I enjoy the feel of the pedal because it's not too over powering or too soft.
-Steering. It handles extremely well. I haven't brought it to the track but driving on Jersey roads is more then enough testing then I need to decide whether or not it responds to my inputs. It's tight and accurate. It kind of brings together the power and driving experience that I was looking for.
-MPGs. They are the BEST I've ever gotten in any vehicle. I'm getting around 27.1 mixed and I haven't even done my first oil change yet. I'm getting a little over 350 miles/tank. It would be more if I didn't drive it the way I do. Also, I hear they get better after several oil changes which makes sense because all internal parts are broken in and will run smoother then when brand new.
List of dislikes...
-ipod playback. It drives me nuts! It takes a solid 45 sec - 1 min just to load the ipod. I'm used to aftermarket radios where when I turn on the car, the ipod loads quickly with no hesitation. Also, once it's finally loaded, it starts from the beginning of my music list EVERY single time. You have to go through the menu to play whatever artist, song, list you want. There is no continuous play back from the last song you were playing when you turn the vehicle off.
-Wipers. The rain sensing wipers drive my bonkers. I can't manipulate the settings enough to my liking. I like more then 3 drops of rain on the windshield before I activate the wipers. I think they are too sensitive.
Overall, the last two issues wouldn't keep me from purchasing the vehicle. They are trite and honestly, EVERY vehicle has its quirks. I can live with both.
On a side note, I almost swore off Mazda due to the fact that I had to replaced the air condition in my Mazda 3 WAY too soon compared to other vehicles. I believe I had 45K miles on the clock when it crapped out. After some research, it seemed like it was a common issue. Worse, I couldn't find an aftermarket one that worked (VERY limited aftermarket support for the compressors) so I had to get bent over at the dealership pricewise to get a new one. This is when I learned that some of the Mazda parts are crazy expensive to replace which I wasn't too happy about.
This is just my experience with my CX-5 so far. I really am happy with my purchase. This has everything I want in a CUV and I smile every time I get in it. I like how everything blends together and gives me a great driving experience. THAT is the reason I got one. What's yours?
Fast forward to my decision to buy this vehicle. I was driving around in a 07 Mazda 3. It didn't have the power I wanted but it had everything else driving-wise that I did. Handled great, steering was good and braking was good. It's one of two cars that I really enjoyed owning (the other was a modded Srt-4). There were some things I didn't like about it but those issues seemed to be resolved when I bought my CX-5. Initially, I wanted to get a Kia Sportage. Due to it's name and Kia's great warranty, it was a match made in heaven. However, the salesman trying to earn my hard earned $$ wasn't working hard enough for me. We never saw eye to eye on the price which was the nail in the coffin that turned me away from that dealership.
Now, through and through, I'm a car guy. I like their low center of gravity, looks and what they offer as far as a driving experience (if you get the right one). I drive aggressively. I take turns like I'm in the Indy 500, I enjoy accelerating briskly when on the highway or back roads and I like to push my cars to the limits I'm comfortable with. Needless to say, I've never fancied myself in an SUV. The fact that I was drawn to them when I started looking for a new vehicle either meant I was getting older or more boring. I'll hold on to the first assumption!
Finally....my review of the CUV. I absolutely LOVE the way it looks! From front to back, it offers a sleek, stylish, sexy look without that stupid smiling grill that ruined Mazdas for a long time. I like it's stance and persona if you will. It just looks fun to drive!! All this excitement and I hadn't even stepped foot into one.
Onto the first thing I noticed when getting inside, it has a push button start!!!! I know there are many vehicles with this option but this was my first introduction to it. 16, SIXTEEN YEARS of using a key to start my vehicles and now this one defies logic and forces me to forget the muscle memory of turning a key! For me, depressing the brake pedal and pushing that start button is like getting into a formula one car and getting ready for the experience. Of course this car is nowhere near that caliber but you are getting ready for that "zoom zoom" experience that Mazda always brags about!
List of likes....
-Headlights! H.I.D.'s which work extremely well at night. I'm really impressed with the quality. To boot, I have auto lights which is awesome because I'm lazy and don't want to turn the lights on at night. Also, these lights (when equipped) turn into my direction of travel. I really like that feature. It's something small but it makes me smile when I see them come back to center after I've completed the turn.
-Cockpit. I think it is set up really well. I like the material and lay out. It really is driver friendly. I've driven in my share of cheaply made interiors and this is far from one. Everything is easy to get to and right where I want it to be. The colors go well together and it looks like a more expensive vehicle.
-Dashboard. It's somewhat digital. I like the design. Not too bright at night and bright enough during the day. I love the estimated MPGs and how much fuel remaining until empty. Again, something small but I like these features.
-Info center. I have Navi and the Bose sound system. First, the navi (in my book) is pretty cool. Yes it's a small screen compared to what's out there BUT it's still functional and not at all hard to read and understand. There are plenty of features to mess around with and get familiar with. I like the navigation because it tells me where to go using the front speakers and keeps music playing in the rear for my passengers. Also, I'm not really looking at it while I'm driving so again, I don't really mind the size.
The sound system is really good! I'll admit, it took sometime to get used to because the sound comes from the dashboard and not the door speakers like I'm use to. Once you turn up the sound, it sounds PHENOMINAL. The bass hits hard and the sound is really clear. I'm really taken back with the quality of it.
-The seats. They're pretty damn comfortable from front to back. Manufactures have a knack for making good front seats and horrible back seats. This is not the case here. There's ample head and leg room and the quality is second to none. I think someone at Mazda cracked open the suggestion box and made the rear passenger compartment as comfortable as the front.
-Cargo. I don't know how many bodies people plan on putting in the trunk (seems like the mafia is the one that writes reviews for trunk/cargo space) but it's plenty roomy and you have the option of folding the rear seats down. There's more then enough space in the rear to accommodate your needs in my opinion. If you need more, buy a pick-up truck.
-Acceleration. My favorite category! With normal driving exercises, the CX-5 goes through the gears rather nicely. The transition is mostly seamless and not all too noticeable especially compared to the 3. I do notice that the gears change quickly and get up to the top gear as quick as possible. This, I surmise is because its trying to save on MPGs. Again, there is an almost tranquilly smooth change in gears without the driver or passengers noticing it.
The few times I've gotten on it (had to play nice because of the break in period) and not even flooring it, I was surprised with it's power. No, you wont beat a Cherokee Srt-8 or Ford Lightning in the 1/4 mile but it gets the job done when making lane changes or getting around grandma who clearly cannot see the posted speed limit.
-Braking. Better, BETTER then the 3. The pedal is firm and it slows down when I expect it to without delay. I enjoy the feel of the pedal because it's not too over powering or too soft.
-Steering. It handles extremely well. I haven't brought it to the track but driving on Jersey roads is more then enough testing then I need to decide whether or not it responds to my inputs. It's tight and accurate. It kind of brings together the power and driving experience that I was looking for.
-MPGs. They are the BEST I've ever gotten in any vehicle. I'm getting around 27.1 mixed and I haven't even done my first oil change yet. I'm getting a little over 350 miles/tank. It would be more if I didn't drive it the way I do. Also, I hear they get better after several oil changes which makes sense because all internal parts are broken in and will run smoother then when brand new.
List of dislikes...
-ipod playback. It drives me nuts! It takes a solid 45 sec - 1 min just to load the ipod. I'm used to aftermarket radios where when I turn on the car, the ipod loads quickly with no hesitation. Also, once it's finally loaded, it starts from the beginning of my music list EVERY single time. You have to go through the menu to play whatever artist, song, list you want. There is no continuous play back from the last song you were playing when you turn the vehicle off.
-Wipers. The rain sensing wipers drive my bonkers. I can't manipulate the settings enough to my liking. I like more then 3 drops of rain on the windshield before I activate the wipers. I think they are too sensitive.
Overall, the last two issues wouldn't keep me from purchasing the vehicle. They are trite and honestly, EVERY vehicle has its quirks. I can live with both.
On a side note, I almost swore off Mazda due to the fact that I had to replaced the air condition in my Mazda 3 WAY too soon compared to other vehicles. I believe I had 45K miles on the clock when it crapped out. After some research, it seemed like it was a common issue. Worse, I couldn't find an aftermarket one that worked (VERY limited aftermarket support for the compressors) so I had to get bent over at the dealership pricewise to get a new one. This is when I learned that some of the Mazda parts are crazy expensive to replace which I wasn't too happy about.
This is just my experience with my CX-5 so far. I really am happy with my purchase. This has everything I want in a CUV and I smile every time I get in it. I like how everything blends together and gives me a great driving experience. THAT is the reason I got one. What's yours?
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