- :
- 2025 Mazda CX-5 Carbon Edition N/A
Morning y'all! After owning a 2000 Camaro SS, 2004 Acura TSX, and 2015 TLX, I've graduated to something with a usable backseat, practical trunk space, and a functional AWD system! My family are firm believers of Acura for cars & CUV/SUVs, Ford F-series for trucks, and Audi for "cutting edge tech". I'm the one branching out, just like I branched out with my first Acura - it convinced my family to like Acura. Not saying I'm trying to make the same case with being the first one to own a Mazda - buuuuuuuttttttttt - one of my BILs asked if he could drive it one day because he's starting to like Mazda when comparing to his 6yr old Chevy Blazer. 
maybe I'm a trendsetter among a select few, lol who knows.
As of today, I have put 2100 miles on the odometer of my '25 CX-5 since owning it since the tail end of this past January. We've had 1 significant snowstorm and 1 blizzard in NJ since owning the car. It's been paying for itself in spades with this weather! The software programming behind the AWD system is great; it'll go sideways when I want it to go sideways, and it'll drive straight and true when I want it to. I've utilized the baked-into-the-traction-control-button off-road mode a select few times: pulling into a snowed-in parking space, getting around a newer AWD Honda CR-V failing to climb a snow-packed inclined roadway, and driving through 1ft+/- of untouched snow on empty side streets.
The cylinder deactivation - albeit giving quick subtle "shunts" during its activation on downslopes - is helping me achieve 30+mpg on my 80mi round-trip commutes for work. The adaptive cruise control AND the traffic jam assist features are like "life hacks" to me, primarily because I've never owned a vehicle that had anything more than Auto Hold and Hill Start Assist
I've noticed it be jerky or unsure of the surrounding traffic behavior a couple times already, so I'm starting to understand the difference in "easygoing bumper to bumper" traffic versus the "im not giving you an inch to merge in front of me because that makes me MAD" tri-state mentality. In city driving, I appreciate the i-stop feature for a couple of reasons. 1) it doesnt yell at me every single time I engage the Auto Hold, unlike some cars (cough cough looking at you Acura cough cough), 2) it wont engage at the "same pedal pressure" I put on the brake pedal for the Auto Hold feature (this comes in handy if i wanna come to a complete stop, but know it's not gonna be for more than 10 seconds).
I cared most about usable ground clearance, functional AWD, heated seats, and having a "better than stock" sound system. I haven't been disappointed in any of these departments. I have to drive over curbs, through creeks, behind guiderail, or through abandoned maintenance roads among other forms of unconventional routes, due to working in construction. I also like to listen to high fidelity music whenever possible, particularly since I oftentimes work out of my car.
I sold the "all-weather Mazda floormats" because their "lip" was pitiful; I swapped em out for LasFit floorliners and added a trunk mat for the same price after discounts. I love the Mazda cargo storage shelf since it can hold several of my "i need quick access to this" items like my battery jumper and tire inflator. Finally, I bought a full set of mudguards and the tonneau cover for the trunk at a discount as well, thanks to Costco's Auto Program. I just need to wait for a good day to install the mudguards in the comfort of my dad's garage one weekend after getting the car clean.
So, yeah! Mouthful of a story, but as I said, this Mazda has been making me more and more confident that I made the right upgrade while still being able to have some safe sane fun on the roadway. I love the adage of "it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow," and I think the CX-5 pays testament to that a bit more than the other AWD toasters on the road.
maybe I'm a trendsetter among a select few, lol who knows.As of today, I have put 2100 miles on the odometer of my '25 CX-5 since owning it since the tail end of this past January. We've had 1 significant snowstorm and 1 blizzard in NJ since owning the car. It's been paying for itself in spades with this weather! The software programming behind the AWD system is great; it'll go sideways when I want it to go sideways, and it'll drive straight and true when I want it to. I've utilized the baked-into-the-traction-control-button off-road mode a select few times: pulling into a snowed-in parking space, getting around a newer AWD Honda CR-V failing to climb a snow-packed inclined roadway, and driving through 1ft+/- of untouched snow on empty side streets.
The cylinder deactivation - albeit giving quick subtle "shunts" during its activation on downslopes - is helping me achieve 30+mpg on my 80mi round-trip commutes for work. The adaptive cruise control AND the traffic jam assist features are like "life hacks" to me, primarily because I've never owned a vehicle that had anything more than Auto Hold and Hill Start Assist
I've noticed it be jerky or unsure of the surrounding traffic behavior a couple times already, so I'm starting to understand the difference in "easygoing bumper to bumper" traffic versus the "im not giving you an inch to merge in front of me because that makes me MAD" tri-state mentality. In city driving, I appreciate the i-stop feature for a couple of reasons. 1) it doesnt yell at me every single time I engage the Auto Hold, unlike some cars I cared most about usable ground clearance, functional AWD, heated seats, and having a "better than stock" sound system. I haven't been disappointed in any of these departments. I have to drive over curbs, through creeks, behind guiderail, or through abandoned maintenance roads among other forms of unconventional routes, due to working in construction. I also like to listen to high fidelity music whenever possible, particularly since I oftentimes work out of my car.
I sold the "all-weather Mazda floormats" because their "lip" was pitiful; I swapped em out for LasFit floorliners and added a trunk mat for the same price after discounts. I love the Mazda cargo storage shelf since it can hold several of my "i need quick access to this" items like my battery jumper and tire inflator. Finally, I bought a full set of mudguards and the tonneau cover for the trunk at a discount as well, thanks to Costco's Auto Program. I just need to wait for a good day to install the mudguards in the comfort of my dad's garage one weekend after getting the car clean.
So, yeah! Mouthful of a story, but as I said, this Mazda has been making me more and more confident that I made the right upgrade while still being able to have some safe sane fun on the roadway. I love the adage of "it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow," and I think the CX-5 pays testament to that a bit more than the other AWD toasters on the road.
