Subaru vs. Mazda

[7eregrine]

I think he was being sarcastic, Chris.
(Joke of a forum? GJ's comment)

 

[Chris_Top_Her]

True dat...

Too bad you're still unedumacated,though,and a Mod at a joke of a forum...(rolls eyes)

My bad, I didn't notice the reference to the GJ post (I just now read it fully).. PMd

 

[NelsonLewis]

My bad, I didn't notice the reference to the GJ post (I just now read it fully).. PMd

All good...

 

[Unobtanium]

I use it particularly when entering freeways/highways via on-ramps. Gives it some extra pep!

I've just never understood this and never will.

 

[jthj]

I usually leave my ST in third for merging then shift up once I’m in so I’m in the band in case I need to accelerate more. I’m assuming they’re doing the same. Sport mode helps too so it’s not just up shifting the first time you let up only to need a downshift a moment later. Though I’ve noticed the CX-5 does automatically hold gears longer even in normal auto when I drive more aggressively.

 

[Xeler8ing]

I've just never understood this and never will.

Nothing to understand really, just keeps it in the rev range where it's performance is

 

[7eregrine]

I've just never understood this and never will.

Yea, but we've already found out that you drive like an old man so we wouldn't expect you to get it. [emoji39]

 

[Unobtanium]

Yea, but we've already found out that you drive like an old man so we wouldn't expect you to get it. [emoji39]

Indeed. I just use the brakes to downshift for corners and I use the skinny pedal on the right to merge. Makes life simple.

 

[ColoradoDriver]

Yea, but we've already found out that you drive like an old man so we wouldn't expect you to get it. [emoji39]

Ha!

Anyway, love the manumatic. I sometimes drive entire trips with it. I had a hell of a fun time on some non-busy roads yesterday just throwing it in manual mode and gunning it and throwing it around corners.

Really does make the already great to drive CX-5 so much more fun.

 

[jthj]

I guess I feel like I have more control by just putting it into the right gear and keeping it there vs using inputs from the brake or accelerator to get the transmission to shift. It’s definitely not a dimwited auto though and does do a decent job on its own.

 

[Road Warrior2]

I'm genuinely very confused here, and I think I'm just about done with this horribly uneducated and misguided joke of a forum.

not everyone lives in western Pennsylvania, so other people get varying amounts of snow at different frequencies - often unpredictably so and the snow here in toronto is very slushy because of the salt they use. I have driven both FWD, RWD, and AWD cars with all seasons and it was downright dangerous to stop or steer unless you were going very slowly. I put winter tires on my RWD BMW for the first time ever last season and I won't ever go back. the difference in the overall safety + potential of the vehicle to go faster, be it in a straight line or around corners exponentially increases. I don't care if I dont always get snow here in Toronto, because the times it's salty, icy, slushy, raining or just plain cold out, the winters are softer and more pliable to the cold ground. these yokohama winter tires have crazy good treadwear, and the fact that they are keeping mileage off my summer set is great. why would you settle for all seasons to have poor grip in the summer and winter when you can switch tires and have the right amount of grip year round.. I do not understand.

are you actually serious when you say that the Mazda 6 doesnt have enough power? have you actually driven one before? so you look at the heavier tippy crossover with the identical powerplant instead and that makes you happier with the 185HP engine how? to me it seems like you're the one reading up on these cars instead of actually going out to drive a 6 and noting how much better suited the frugal engine is to the sedan rather then a soccer mom's crossover. please just tell me you're joking, dear god. I've driven a CX-5 before... why the hell would I be reading up on an unpowered crossover? it's really a good handling car for what it is, and I recommended the new CX-5 to someone who needs the space of a crossover because the car is that good. but when comparing the overall performance and capabilities of a sedan using the same powertrain as the heavier crossover, there is absolutely no comparison to be made.

Well either you sell snow tires for a living or what? Your logic is contradictory. You put snow tires on your car so you can claim to drive faster and safer which you could have achieved if you just slowed down in the first place like everyone else is doing while driving in snow/slush/ice covered roads. That puts you in the same category as those that drive beyond their ability with 4WD, those are the ones you usually see in the ditch after they blow past you on the snow/slush/icy highway. It is a false sense of security.

If I lived in a location that the roads froze over for weeks to months at a time, then it might make sense to have dedicated snow tires. The roads I drive, they get plowed and treated when it snows. Sometimes it takes longer to get to where I need to go, then I just make a time adjustment. Sometimes not treated or plowed at all, they are just getting to them. If my vehicle had a performance summer tire on it, then yes I would swap them out for snows or a well sipped all season. My Xterra has a deep lugged tire, last winter was mild so I did not get to experience any major winter duty. Perhaps this year. I am doubting that these deep lugged tires will work much better than other all seasons, but they look cool as 'ell on the Xterra.

I'm a skilled driver. I do about 70K miles a year with the bulk of those miles in a full size 45' motorcoach with passengers on board. I do the eastern half of the US in all conditions. Guess what? We don't have snow tires on the coaches. Our logic goes as follows: SLOW the ef down if it appears to be getting slick. Increase/double your following distance to give yourself plenty of room to navigate situations. Stay off the brakes and coast to a slower speed and lightly apply pressure to brakes. If you think you are going to steer yourself out of a bad situation, you already made a mistake that got you there in the first place. Your chances have been greatly diminished to correct.

 

[jthj]

Speaking of winter tires. I just put mine on. I’m surprised how quiet the car still is as those are usually louder. I’m sure that’s mostly the ‘17 having good sound isolation vs the Xice 3 being quiet for winters.

 

[Unobtanium]

I guess I feel like I have more control by just putting it into the right gear and keeping it there vs using inputs from the brake or accelerator to get the transmission to shift. It’s definitely not a dimwited auto though and does do a decent job on its own.

I find that it works well enough on its own for my purposes. It certainly isn't any quicker in testing using Sport mode or not, although it's not really a true sport mode, but more like "TOW" for a truck.

 

[Chris_Top_Her]

Indeed. I just use the brakes to downshift for corners and I use the skinny pedal on the right to merge. Makes life simple.

Yea often downshifting into a corner is done to have better traction at a higher (or current) speed so braking would seem, imo counterintuitive. With the awd at least you can sometimes get better cornering with throttle on in the same gear vs throttle off depending on your speed and how sharp your corner is.

 

[ColoradoDriver]

Yea often downshifting into a corner is done to have better traction at a higher (or current) speed so braking would seem, imo counterintuitive. With the awd at least you can sometimes get better cornering with throttle on in the same gear vs throttle off depending on your speed and how sharp your corner is.

There's a few sharp corners around my office I hit everyday. I love throttling through those.

 

[jthj]

One thing I like about this auto is it keeps the converter locked in that scenario so it does feel connected to the engine when rolling into and off of the throttle.

 

[GJ-Molestor]

Well either you sell snow tires for a living or what? Your logic is contradictory. You put snow tires on your car so you can claim to drive faster and safer which you could have achieved if you just slowed down in the first place like everyone else is doing while driving in snow/slush/ice covered roads. That puts you in the same category as those that drive beyond their ability with 4WD, those are the ones you usually see in the ditch after they blow past you on the snow/slush/icy highway. It is a false sense of security.

If I lived in a location that the roads froze over for weeks to months at a time, then it might make sense to have dedicated snow tires. The roads I drive, they get plowed and treated when it snows. Sometimes it takes longer to get to where I need to go, then I just make a time adjustment. Sometimes not treated or plowed at all, they are just getting to them. If my vehicle had a performance summer tire on it, then yes I would swap them out for snows or a well sipped all season. My Xterra has a deep lugged tire, last winter was mild so I did not get to experience any major winter duty. Perhaps this year. I am doubting that these deep lugged tires will work much better than other all seasons, but they look cool as 'ell on the Xterra.

I'm a skilled driver. I do about 70K miles a year with the bulk of those miles in a full size 45' motorcoach with passengers on board. I do the eastern half of the US in all conditions. Guess what? We don't have snow tires on the coaches. Our logic goes as follows: SLOW the ef down if it appears to be getting slick. Increase/double your following distance to give yourself plenty of room to navigate situations. Stay off the brakes and coast to a slower speed and lightly apply pressure to brakes. If you think you are going to steer yourself out of a bad situation, you already made a mistake that got you there in the first place. Your chances have been greatly diminished to correct.

funny, because I havent had one issue when I put winter tires on my BMW. I was coasting down a hill when i still had all seasons on the car going merely 40KM/H when the light turned red on me and a Mazda cut into my lane to take the first spot. i gently squeeze the brakes... and nothing. goes straight to ABS. I had to cut into the left turn lane to run the red light while holding down my horn the whole damn time. until I got winter tires, the car would either understeer badly or oversteer. I remember driving down the road sideways at an angle with the wheel turned a good half lock to the side but I was driving straight... the few times it did snow, it was not safe.

you cant seriously be arguing that winter tires are more dangerous because "it makes people go faster." the winter tires cut stopping distances in half, improved grip off the line and around corners greatly, but that doesnt mean I'm gonna go racing through the snow. I still drove slowly that winter keeping lots of distance from the cars in front restraining myself until i see an open corner to drift. the all seasons i had mounted previously made the car slide very unpredictably, even at low speeds.

driving safely with winter tires > driving safely with all seasons. what if you have to slam on the brakes in the snow, or even worse yet, you've determined that you wont stop in time and have to swerve around the obstacle? good luck with the all-seasons, because it's not happening even if you are going slowly.

 

[GJ-Molestor]

Yea often downshifting into a corner is done to have better traction at a higher (or current) speed so braking would seem, imo counterintuitive. With the awd at least you can sometimes get better cornering with throttle on in the same gear vs throttle off depending on your speed and how sharp your corner is.

this holds true with any drivetrain layout, even FWD. the biggest limiting factor to being able to properly use throttle and powering through a corner is the stock open differntials, which don't properly split power to the wheels which causes your inside tire to hop. cornering on throttle is especially effective with a RWD car, because it helps stabilize the front axle to turn or stop, while the rear is delivering power. it is a very balanced feeling.

ideally, you want to go into the corner not too fast and brake linearly right before turning in (trailbrake) tighten up your line so that you're almost clipping the curb at the halfway point (apex) and then as soon as you hit the apex, roll back onto the throttle. this is how you don't confuse the AWD system or upset the balance of the vehicle.

the key is to trailbrake properly or at least don't go too fast into the corner, or you will understeer which will stop you from being able to apply throttle.

 

[GJ-Molestor]

One thing I like about this auto is it keeps the converter locked in that scenario so it does feel connected to the engine when rolling into and off of the throttle.

essentially, the converter is locked as often as possible for a more direct feel, and I love how they did that. it's a relatively complex converter lockup design, but it's very well designed and responsive for an automatic.

the downshifts are just fabulous.

 

[fdew]

.SLOW the ef down.

I was exparementing in a parking lot on the first day of snow to find out just how slippery things were and to reacquaint my self with winter driving technique. When I pulled onto the street a policeman stopped me and asked what I was doing. I told him. And he said just slow down. I wanted to ask him, how slow? A complete stop is safe.

I run snow tires because they give me more control of the car. I don't see that as a bad thing.