What are your favorite aspects of your CX-5?

[Freedom55]

yeah, a lot of carmakers cheap out with the plastics. i remember my 2012 jetta se had such cheap plastic trim, including a shiny hard plastic dashboard. the seats were hard too and no lumbar support and not heated despite being pleather. step up to the sel trim or one of the gli models and you got better plastics, seats, stereo and other features. the newer jettas look even cheaper inside. i later had a 2016 golf se, and that car was leaps and bounds nicer inside than the jetta, including carpeted glove box and door pockets. a couple of years later, they started cheaping out on that model too.

AFAIK the only CX-5 competitor that has a similar cargo area finish (carpeted sides) is the VW Tiguan.

 

[Freedom55]

that doesn't sound good at all to me. wouldn't that potentially shorten engine life and the life of other components, unless it was set low before??

Honda is giving an extended warranty on 1.5T engines in colder areas of the US but they're also facing a lawsuit. I don't really want to spend more time on this as I have no intention of getting a CRV! If someone needs a bigger vehicle than a CX-5 but smaller than a CX-9, they're are plenty of other models to choose from

 

[Jmaz]

As previously mentioned, RAV4, CRV and also Forester have steel wheels with plastic wheel covers on base trim. I didn't bother to check other competitors, suffice to say Mazda has put nice wheels even on base CX-5

I know it's not 2014 anymore, but back then when comparing the CX-5's competition I remember that in the same price range, the RAV4 had steel wheels as opposed to the CX-5's nice alloy's and getting a power seat (non-negotiable feature in what I buy) would have put me the next level RAV4 at a cost of a couple thousand dollars more. It didn't even have the handy sun visor slide out extenders and maybe not even a backup camera either. Nor do I remember the CRV having a backup camera in the same price range but I think even the Hyundai Tucson did (not under consideration but still noticed). The gear shifter placement and appearance and the high mounted taillights of the CRV reminded me of soccer mom or delivery vehicle. The CX-5 said "drive me". The CX-5 Touring trim had everything I wanted and a few nice extra surprises to boot and at a good price.

 

[BWJ]

AFAIK the only CX-5 competitor that has a similar cargo area finish (carpeted sides) is the VW Tiguan.

CX-60 is also pretty nice "spacy"

 

[potownrob]

I know it's not 2014 anymore, but back then when comparing the CX-5's competition I remember that in the same price range, the RAV4 had steel wheels as opposed to the CX-5's nice alloy's and getting a power seat (non-negotiable feature in what I buy) would have put me the next level RAV4 at a cost of a couple thousand dollars more. It didn't even have the handy sun visor slide out extenders and maybe not even a backup camera either. Nor do I remember the CRV having a backup camera in the same price range but I think even the Hyundai Tucson did (not under consideration but still noticed). The gear shifter placement and appearance and the high mounted taillights of the CRV reminded me of soccer mom or delivery vehicle. The CX-5 said "drive me". The CX-5 Touring trim had everything I wanted and a few nice extra surprises to boot and at a good price.

on the rav4, i believe even the xle trim had manual seats for the ~2013-18 generation. on the newer ones (latest gen), i believe you have to get a convenience package to get power seats on the xle, too lazy to look up again though. i had a 2012 cr-v EX and, while it was a good car, it was lacking compared to the later EX cr-vs - no power seats, no lumbar adjustment, hard seats, not heated. back-up camera was standard on that gen cr-v, albeit a small one in the upper display (trims without nav only had that upper display). i personally liked the gear shifter placement, and it left more room down below for things (as an aside, i wish i got to try out the dash shifter on those civic si hatches we got back in the early to mid 2000s - i drove a few rsxes, but no civic si of that vintage). the rear taillights were ok by me. the car in no way looked cool though. the headlights also were garbage, even with upgraded bulbs. never really found the cr-v lacking for power, though no sports car, but it was overall a bit boring to drive, and the ride wasn't as smooth as i would like. i think the hard seats were the clincher for me though. plenty of room inside though.

edit: forgot to mention the 2012 cr-v didn't feel cheap to me like a rav4 or stereotypical gm product (for example). the newer ones are even more nicely appointed. most of the touch points felt good, despite no leather wheel or shifter on the EX trim. they knew how to do plastics, at least back then. if anything, the newer ex models had a cheaper feeling steering wheel, kinda like they were excouraging you to step up to the ex-l or touring.

 

[potownrob]

AFAIK the only CX-5 competitor that has a similar cargo area finish (carpeted sides) is the VW Tiguan.

if they've followed the tactics they have used on other models, the newest tiguans could very well be missing their side carpeting, along with other things the earlier 2nd gens had. this happened on the golfs halfway through the 7th gen, and probably other models too.

 

[Freedom55]

if they've followed the tactics they have used on other models, the newest tiguans could very well be missing their side carpeting, along with other things the earlier 2nd gens had. this happened on the golfs halfway through the 7th gen, and probably other models too.

VW website shows carpeted side cargo but who knows, could be an older pic? We would have to see one in person. As a side note, yesterday I loaded a Xmas tree into a lady's brand new M-B GLB; the cargo area looked just like my CX-5 (carpeted sides and 40/20/40 seat backs) but was missing the remote levers for the seat backs...She had to go to the rear seat to release the seat backs!

 

[potownrob]

VW website shows carpeted side cargo but who knows, could be an older pic? We would have to see one in person. As a side note, yesterday I loaded a Xmas tree into a lady's brand new M-B GLB; the cargo area looked just like my CX-5 (carpeted sides and 40/20/40 seat backs) but was missing the remote levers for the seat backs...She had to go to the rear seat to release the seat backs!

oh, ok. whoops, i was picturing the sides of the doors and inside the map pockets for some reason. if they had carpet on the sides of the rear cargo area before, they would probably keep it there instead of going through the hassle of designing and manufacturing a plastic replacement. like a lot of things on benzes (and bmws), the remote seatback release was probably one of many options you'd have to pay extra for.

 

[mrplt]

Agreed.
Center console ...has no functional center armrest..more like an elbow rest. Had to make my own armrest extender.
And it's too deep...was able to get aftermarket trays to fix that though. Cupholders would get better if we're moved more forward.
After awhile, have learned to live with it.

I don't have a problem with the armrest. I wouldn't say no if it could move forward a bit though.
Cupholders are placed further below the armrest and in my case, they are only in the way if I place a tall water bottle/travel mug. On the other hand, the cupholders don't block climate controls/wireless charging pad etc.

I honestly quite like the dashboard design.

Also in Canada for some reason they still sell the GX trim without a leather-wrapped steering wheel and worse interior trim (which is a shame -- it will definitely turn some prospective buyers away).

 

[coffeetime]

I have a 2014 AWD GT (bought in 2013) and it's the best of all the cars I've owned. The battery, brakes and tires have been replaced, everything else is stock. It's never failed in any way through many unforgiving Canadian winters. Road noise is offset by perfect reliability.

While looking for a more upscale vehicle (wife smashed her car) after testing many similar cars (X5, Tiguan, etc) we limited the search to Lexus, Acura and Infiniti. On my way to buy an RDX I passed the Mazda lot and drove an updated CX5. Now we have a Turbo GTR in the family. Mazda polished this car to perfection except for those awful Toyo tires. The driving experience sets it above the rest.

If I could fix a few things I'd start with removing the bad Nav & SiriusXM. The seats could be more comfy for less padded butts and the arm rest could be more solid. Lastly, I'd replace the stupid little e-brake switch with a proper e-brake handle.

 

[potownrob]

I have a 2014 AWD GT (bought in 2013) and it's the best of all the cars I've owned. The battery, brakes and tires have been replaced, everything else is stock. It's never failed in any way through many unforgiving Canadian winters. Road noise is offset by perfect reliability.

While looking for a more upscale vehicle (wife smashed her car) after testing many similar cars (X5, Tiguan, etc) we limited the search to Lexus, Acura and Infiniti. On my way to buy an RDX I passed the Mazda lot and drove an updated CX5. Now we have a Turbo GTR in the family. Mazda polished this car to perfection except for those awful Toyo tires. The driving experience sets it above the rest.

If I could fix a few things I'd start with removing the bad Nav & SiriusXM. The seats could be more comfy for less padded butts and the arm rest could be more solid. Lastly, I'd replace the stupid little e-brake switch with a proper e-brake handle.

i hope you don't mean getting rid of SiriusXM altogether; assume you mean overhaul the interface. i personally have little to no problem with it and use it all the time. also use the ancient nav in my '17 GT and like it overall. the click button and joystick interface could be better. i also like the electronic parking brake; i have had trouble with cars that use the manual hand brake - they usually get in the way of my thunder thighs. my thunder butt also likes the seats.

 

[murky]

i hope you don't mean getting rid of SiriusXM altogether; assume you mean overhaul the interface. i personally have little to no problem with it and use it all the time. also use the ancient nav in my '17 GT and like it overall. the click button and joystick interface could be better. i also like the electronic parking brake; i have had trouble with cars that use the manual hand brake - they usually get in the way of my thunder thighs. my thunder butt also likes the seats.

The navigation is worse than my 2000 Acura was. Fortunately they added Android Auto retrofit for my 2018. Just wish it could integrate with the turn by turn arrows in the heads up display.

 

[potownrob]

The navigation is worse than my 2000 Acura was. Fortunately they added Android Auto retrofit for my 2018. Just wish it could integrate with the turn by turn arrows in the heads up display.

i doubt you would enjoy using the old acura nav if you had to go back and try using it now, even if they still made updates for it. the mazda nav is far from perfect, but i don't think it's nearly as bad as it's made out to be. i also think a lot of people give up on using it before figuring it out. i came from subaru nav land which was worse IMO.

 

[jofo67]

My story is a little different in the respect that I just came from a loaded 2021 F150 Lariat Powerboost. The reason that I got into the trucks in the first place was for towing our boat and we had a second beach property in coastal Rhode Island. While the truck was quite luxurious, it was plagued with issues right from the first week I owned it. After 14 total quality defects, I finally punted. We sold our boat and decided that our future camper purchase was going to be a camper van and not a trailer. With that said, I had no need for a big bloated truck any longer.
Mazda offered my $5k for my truck than anybody else, and after extensive research I found that the CX5 was the best bang for the buck out there. I got 23 Turbo and it has been an absolute joy to drive. The fit and finish, and overall tightness, is way beyond what I was used to. I live the way it drives, feels, looks and behaves. This is a steal in today’s overpriced market. We also have a 2020 Honda Accord Turbo Touring, and Honda hit their plateau with that model. It is an amazing car, and at $32k was a bargain. Honda greed and cost cutting measures have since made many models too expensive for what they offer. I was originally looking to get a Passport, but decided on the Mazda at about $8k less. I have never looked back. The CX5 has been fine tuned to near perfection for this product level.
Time will tell on the longevity, but initial quality is the best bang for your buck out there. IMHO

 

[Jack Rabbit]

Sirius is great. Nav sucks.
I either use my old garmin or Google maps on my phone mounted to dash.

 

[murky]

I still have the 2000 Acura, but had resorted to using a phone mounted on the windshield.

My complaints about the Mazda are the interface. It is clunky, unresponsive, and non-intuitive.

It shouldn't take more than 3 minutes to learn how to use. Shouldn't take more than two steps to navigate home.

 

[wlong01]

I still have the 2000 Acura, but had resorted to using a phone mounted on the windshield.

My complaints about the Mazda are the interface. It is clunky, unresponsive, and non-intuitive.

It should take more than 3 minutes to learn how to use. Shouldn't take more than two steps to navigate home.

Mazda Nav is easy to use, you just have to read the screen. I never found the interface clunky or unresponsive.

 

[Oleman]

Mazda Nav is easy to use, you just have to read the screen. I never found the interface clunky or unresponsive.

He's right it is clunky and unresponsive a lot of times what comes up on the screen isn't what you asked for or what you are looking for won't come up. Three times now it has mysteriously turned off my taillights?

 

[murky]

Mazda Nav is easy to use, you just have to read the screen. I never found the interface clunky or unresponsive.

I guess user interfaces are subjective. I'm glad you are happy with it. Mazda seems to generally make great design decisions and has excellent engineering, so I will consider that it may be not to my taste, but may work for others.

Do you have experience using other navigation interfaces? Perhaps you are easy to please.

 

[NealfromNZ]

It was Red ( wife’s choice …. Happy wife happy life )

Turbo diesel performance and fuel mileage.
5 years and 90,000 kms of trouble free driving. ( although battery probably needed soon )

Good on back roads where our BMWs don’t ride the bumps as well.