New member here w/ a few questions about a new CX-5

[N7turbo]

Turbo vs non-turbo is all about priorities.
I think YouTuber Car Care Nut said the turbo CX-5 adds basically three more mechanical parts to the engine.
The turbo is a major part of what elevates the CX-5 to a near-luxury driving experience. That 320 foot pounds of torque at such a low RPM make the car such a pleasure to drive.

Well if you count the complete NA engine as sold with cylinder deactivation, the parts are different, but not necessarily more in number. Because remember the Turbo motor does not have the solenoid, the pendulum damper, and whatever other parts needed for CD.

 

[Lazy2.5]

Turbo vs non-turbo is all about priorities.
I think YouTuber Car Care Nut said the turbo CX-5 adds basically three more mechanical parts to the engine.
The turbo is a major part of what elevates the CX-5 to a near-luxury driving experience. That 320 foot pounds of torque at such a low RPM make the car such a pleasure to drive.

The torque was absolutely nuts on the cx-5 t loaner I drove, but only past 3000rpm until 5000rpm. It was seamless, little lag, just so fast for a 3800lb car.

Compared to my NA, the throttle tip in was mushy and uninspiring. Of course there was lag, but I think more due to the added weight of the CX-5. It was very quiet. Sounded like a blender. But the torque and the way the AWD system put down the power was nuts. It was not impressive at all below 3000RPM though.

 

[BoomerZoomr]

The torque was absolutely nuts on the cx-5 t loaner I drove, but only past 3000rpm until 5000rpm. It was seamless, little lag, just so fast for a 3800lb car.

Compared to my NA, the throttle tip in was mushy and uninspiring. Of course there was lag, but I think more due to the added weight of the CX-5. It was very quiet. Sounded like a blender. But the torque and the way the AWD system put down the power was nuts. It was not impressive at all below 3000RPM though.

The turbo's 320 lb-ft of torque is at 2500 rpm, and mine feels like that is accurate. My previous car was a RAV4 with the 3.5L V6. Two different driving experiences, each engine with its strong points. The Mazda's turbo just makes forward motion seem effortless.

 

[ceric]

I had both Turbo CX5 (totaled) and a NA CX5 last year.

NA is adequate for city commute... struggle at hill climbing with loads.
The Turbo was fun to drive. MPG is about 1-2 less by my commute routes.
(Turbo has no iStop, no CD)
I dislike the iStop more than the CD. One can avoid iStop kicking in if you press the brake pedal lighter at stops.

 

[a69mach1377]

Well here at 5000 feet elevation, the NA is anemic. Now that the new cx5 is heavier, it must be worse. Turbo for the win!

 

[VQ35DE]

I had both Turbo CX5 (totaled) and a NA CX5 last year.

NA is adequate for city commute... struggle at hill climbing with loads.
The Turbo was fun to drive. MPG is about 1-2 less by my commute routes.
(Turbo has no iStop, no CD)
I dislike the iStop more than the CD. One can avoid iStop kicking in if you press the brake pedal lighter at stops.

Or just push the button [switch].

 

[wlong01]

Or just push the button [switch].

That seems safer and easier than trying to feather the brake pedal.

 

[Lazy2.5]

I had both Turbo CX5 (totaled) and a NA CX5 last year.

NA is adequate for city commute... struggle at hill climbing with loads.
The Turbo was fun to drive. MPG is about 1-2 less by my commute routes.
(Turbo has no iStop, no CD)
I dislike the iStop more than the CD. One can avoid iStop kicking in if you press the brake pedal lighter at stops.

did you notice any difference with throttle tip-in response between the two? the cx-5 turbo loaner i had felt sluggish taking off.

 

[N7turbo]

According to @sinistriel@ the torque converter has a higher stall speed, which could explain some of it.

 

[Hillbilycx5]

Hello. I’m an old mechanic w/ some questions before purchase of CX-5. As I look at the list of available models of the CX-5 , I like the “ preferred” model. However I donot want the cylinder deactivation feature. Is this feature defeatable, or can it be turned off ( in program) by dealer or buyer permanently. Any info will be appreciated.

The owners manual says that if you disconnect the battery as if you’re going to replace it the deactivation will no longer work

 

[themp]

I am 73 and was in the same boat as you. I was hot on buying a BMW X3, even though I knew it was to pricey for us. On some Reddit thread about BMWs a person just said go look at a CX-5. I went to the local dealer and right away saw the brown leather interior with the red stitching. This leather color was only available on the 2025 Carbon Turbo and I just went with it. I did not look at options or anything on the other trims. But now that I have had the car I would say I lucked out as it had the following features which I would now never give up:

1.) 360 camera. Just fantastic for parking especially for parallel parking.
2.) Headlights that track in the direction you are turning. Night driving is really much easier.
3.) Ventilated seats. Use this all the time as I am a hot person most of the time.
4.) Automatic wipers. They really work, you do not have to mess with them hardly at all.
5.) Bose sound system. I am hard of hearing in the high frequency range and I do not have hearing aids. The sound is adjusted for that hearing loss.
6.) Turbo, did not need it, but it was not an option with the Carbon line. Less gas mileage, but it surely does move nicely in traffic. That is the only negative I have, is the gas mileage.
7.) No Istop. Wife has it and she pushes the button every time she starts the car to disable it on her Honda CRV. They make a device to disable it but she is happy with pushing the button.
8.) It has all the standard collision/safety features but one, and that is the ability to stay in the lane you are driving in. It has the feature to shake the wheel when you drift out of the lane, but does not drive for you in the lane. My wife's CRV has the stay in the lane feature and I use that on long trips all the time.
9.) Adaptive Cruise. No brainer for trips.
10,) Heads up display(HUD) on the front windshield. Never have to look at the dashboard again. And Google Maps and Apple Maps now show the directions on the HUD. Waze for some reason does not.

 

[MrMcE]

Cylinder Deactivation can be defeated by always driving over 70 mph

Or just get a trim with turbo

 

[sm1ke]

The owners manual says that if you disconnect the battery as if you’re going to replace it the deactivation will no longer work

This isn't correct. When it comes to cylinder deactivation, it cannot be disabled.

There are aftermarket options to defeat the i-Stop feature on some cars. I know for sure there is something for the CX-50, so there should be an option for the CX-5. But that only works for i-Stop/auto start-stop.