Questions Before I Buy CX-50

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Bay Area, CA
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CX50 PPT PMG/T
Hello all. New to this forum and this is my first post. I’m loving the look of the CX-50 and seriously considering the turbo Premium Plus Package trim. Went to a dealership yesterday and sat in one and pulled me in more. Loving the poly metal gray combo with either terracotta or black interior . I’ve never owned a Mazda and I hear that reliability is one of its strengths. That is high on my list. I’ve owned Lexus and never had any major issues. But before I dive in, I have a few questions which some of you CX-50 owners may be able to answer.

1. Bose sound system - how does it sound? I didn’t get to listen to it while at the dealership.
2. Brakes - are they ceramic or semi metallic. I’ve owned German cars and didn’t like the heavy brake dust. Had to wash the wheels every other day to keep them clean.
3. What don’t you like about the car?
4. I have a friend who owned a CX-9. Forgot the year but it was at least 10 years old when he got rid of it. The water pump went bad after 10 years and it would’ve cost $3K to fix since the water pump is in an area where the engine would have to pulled to replace it. I hope this car is not the same.
5. Due to the current shortage, most dealers are adding markup over MSRP. I’m told it will be this way for a while. I’m not willing to pay markup. I’d rather keep my old car than over pay. Am I being unrealistic in these times?

Sorry for the long post but just have to get these questions answered before I pull the trigger. Thanks in advance.
 
Nice extensive write-up @Digbicks1234 but if I can add more to the Dislikes if you live somewhere that frequently gets a decent amount of snow:

The sensor dead center of the grill QUICKLY gets covered with a layer of slush/snow resulting in cruise control turning off and a warning on the dash that pops up indicating that some safety systems are disabled.

A significant portion of the headlights are recessed under the hood. The 2/3 that are under the hood edge pack up with slush/snow blocking that part of the headlight and encroach on the actual beam itself resulting in reduced visibility.

The half of the tail lights that are on the hatch get completely iced over using the rear defroster on long drives (over an hour).

The auto-brights feature gets thrown for a loop when you have snow all around.

That said, the AWD system handles decent amounts of snow (4+ inches) rather well with the stock tires. It's fairly effortless driving it. We're just very disappointed that for our area in northern Michigan that regularly sees snow, there are big drawbacks that had we known about, we would've passed on the CX50. The new CX5 has the same design cues so I'm sure will have the same issues. They are very nice cars and I would recommend them for areas that don't regularly see snow.
I was taught not to use cruise control in the rain/snow. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure why that is
 
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I was taught not to use cruise control in the rain/snow. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure why that is
Well, my 2020 Mazda owners manual (and likely any owners manual from any maker) tells you not be use cruise control on slippery roads. The Mazda manual mentions ice and snow but the same should apply to a wet road where hydroplaning is possible.

Why? There is nothing in the operation of the cruise system that will automatically slow the vehicle if it encounters an adverse road condition. That's your job. And if you're tooling along in cruise with a lack of road feel you might not know to do that job.

The manual also cautions not to use cruise on twisty roads, in heavy traffic, in hilly terrain or on steep inclines. That makes perfect sense to me and again you'd probably find those cautions in any other manual. Maybe not a Tesla manual--that manufacturer has a history of exaggerating their vehicle capabilities.
 
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Agreed. I don't know anyone that would use cruise control in adverse road conditions. But if there's some slushy stuff kicking up here and there, no reason to have to pull over to wipe off a sensor so you can kick cruise back on. Or wait 5 or 10 minutes if it's slushy enough to fall off thus allowing for using cruise again (has happened, kicked off, wife swears, 10 minutes later back on and cruising at 75mph again). Unless you live in and have never left your very warm climate, nobody better tell me they've never had another vehicle kick up a random pile of slush that flies across their windshield. Does that make conditions too hazardous for cruise control? Not at all but when that gets on the sensor, the AI certainly thinks so. And for the masses it's probably rarely, if ever, going to be an issue. Kinda like anyone coming up to visit us and can't fathom the fact there is zero ATT cell signal and sometimes a blip of Verizon signal. What technology is available and works for some isn't always available or always work for others. Northern Michigan winters are going to really tax the patience of a CX-50 (and new 2023 CX-5) owner. I don't mean to single out the CX-50 because I'm sure other new model vehicles are going the same direction thinking they know everything better than the driver. I'm simply stating our experience with our heavier snows. We like our CX-50 and would easily recommend it to anyone further south than us. And with the decent ground clearance (our Encore had little ground clearance) my wife won't need to sometimes park at the beginning of our mile long driveway come the season of mud (others refer to it as spring) and have me pick her up with my truck.

It's going to be quite scary to see those drivers that need every bit of the manufacturer's "hand holding" AI driving a vehicle that doesn't have it to the extent that they're accustomed to.
 
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Unless you live in and have never left your very warm climate, nobody better tell me they've never had another vehicle kick up a random pile of slush that flies across their windshield. Does that make conditions too hazardous for cruise control? Not at all but when that gets on the sensor, the AI certainly thinks so.
In my opinion those kinds of slushy conditions render cruise control unsafe, surely at 75 mph. Regardless, if the camera can't see or the radar can't detect then you should want the radar cruise to deactivate because it cannot perform its function. Right? Nothing stops you from switching over to conventional cruise control mode though I would not recommend it.

It's going to be quite scary to see those drivers that need every bit of the manufacturer's "hand holding" AI driving a vehicle that doesn't have it to the extent that they're accustomed to.
I'm more concerned about people who actually believe their vehicle has some AI or autonomous functionality or self-driving capabilities. That language wildly oversells the capabilities.
 
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In my opinion those kinds of slushy conditions render cruise control unsafe, surely at 75 mph.
Yeah, there's always gonna be that one hunched over, white-knuckled tourist afraid of a little bit of slush here and there driving 20 under the speed limit while everyone else goes around him cruising at the 75mph speed limit...

And I'll say it one last time again addressing the OP's bullet #3, then I'm done - Nicely designed and capable vehicle albeit having far over-reaching safety systems and design flaws if you live in an area that sees snow with regularity (we average 20 feet a winter and that's nothing compared to some other places) and no sun for about 6 months of the year. Just because one doesn't experience these conditions for months at a time doesn't mean they don't exist. There will be owner experiences 180 degrees opposite of ours. I've simply stated our experiences with the couple of heavy snows we've had restricting the head light and tail light projection and the smallest amount of slush that disables systems. Not to mention the incident with the county plow truck traveling in the opposite direction that triggered the "collision avoidance" AI applying the brakes quite hard and tugging the steering wheel. What would that AI maneuver resulted in had it been icy?? According to Mazda that should only happen with vehicles directly in front of you. It was quite startling.


tl;dr
Love the car if you see little to no snow. Styling, performance, and amenities are on point.
Love/Hate relationship with the car if you have winters full of snow.

Happy and healthy New Year to all here! ✌️
 
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Yeah, there's always gonna be that one hunched over, white-knuckled tourist afraid of a little bit of slush here and there driving 20 under the speed limit while everyone else goes around him cruising at the 75mph speed limit...

And I'll say it one last time again addressing the OP's bullet #3, then I'm done - Nicely designed and capable vehicle albeit having far over-reaching safety systems and design flaws if you live in an area that sees snow with regularity (we average 20 feet a winter and that's nothing compared to some other places) and no sun for about 6 months of the year. Just because one doesn't experience these conditions for months at a time doesn't mean they don't exist. There will be owner experiences 180 degrees opposite of ours. I've simply stated our experiences with the couple of heavy snows we've had restricting the head light and tail light projection and the smallest amount of slush that disables systems. Not to mention the incident with the county plow truck traveling in the opposite direction that triggered the "collision avoidance" AI applying the brakes quite hard and tugging the steering wheel. What would that AI maneuver resulted in had it been icy?? According to Mazda that should only happen with vehicles directly in front of you. It was quite startling.


tl;dr
Love the car if you see little to no snow. Styling, performance, and amenities are on point.
Love/Hate relationship with the car if you have winters full of snow.

Happy and healthy New Year to all here! ✌️
Nothing has changed much since the old days...
People will still drive too fast for conditions always in a hurry to get nowhere.

Back in the blizzard of 93, I drove a front wheel drive vehicle with snow chains to make my destination, passing 4 wheel drive trucks at the time who were stuck in snowbanks from driving too fast for conditions. I also drove my 4 wheel drive vehicles safely.

The Mazda CX-5 functions fine in the North. Do drivers go 75 mph in slush...sure do and they are the ones in severe accidents down the road. Sitting in a hospital bed and reflecting as to why they drove so fast. Was it worth the lost body parts or being in a wheelchair? Most cars in the same severe weather conditions, will most likely have similar faults.

I use cruise control alot but don't use cruise control when driving in adverse conditions so i can "Feel the road" and react accordingly. And can't understand anyone who would use cruise on winter roadways during inclement weather. Aside from the safety factor, there are citations, points and fines for "driving too fast for conditions" as well as insurance consequences if involved in an at-fault accident.

For the slush filled headlight, just scrape it off before driving. If slush is filling the headlight during driving then it's possible the slush is being thrown from the roadway from the vehicle in front...and if one is that close there may not be sufficient space to stop in time.

Imo, at the point all the AI safety systems are not working, common sense dictates slowing down and completing all functions manually.

For anyone considering a CX model for northern use, it is a very capable vehicle and works well in the snow and ice as long as you have good tires(preferably winter or all-terrain) and drive cautiously. I recommend the Firestone Destination AT2 as it has performed great on icy roads as well as emergency situations. and Nokians are great winter tires.

Lastly, for the auto brake safety function, if it engages too hastily, adjust the sensitivity settings to allow more distance before it kicks in and also try adjusting driving style to allow more distance between vehicles.
 
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