Who here has thought of trading in their CX-5?

[Ranman57]

I've always felt "sporty" SUV's were a contradiction anyway. I know you can get really crazy fast ones that handle better than sports cars from 10 years ago but it's still a top heavy station wagon no matter what you call it. So I still have a motorcycle for when I want that "connected to the road" experience, though as I get older I've been looking at things like MX-5's or Audi TT's and thinking that might be the way to go. I gotta have a manual transmission to feel like I'm actually driving a car instead of just riding in it.

 

[theblooms]

I've always felt "sporty" SUV's were a contradiction anyway.

You do know what "SUV" stands for, right?

 

[Ranman57]

You do know what "SUV" stands for, right?

I do know the "U" stands for Utility. They're all compromises.

Don't get me wrong, I'm on my third CX-5's and I've liked them all. As daily drivers they're great vehicles and do offer a better driving experience than most SUV's in their price range. But no one will ever mistake one for a true sports car which is a totally different animal and I feel that's what the OP is really looking for.

You can spend 250k on a Bentley Bentayga that will vastly outperform a Miata in every performance parameter but for a fun drive on some curvy deserted blacktop I'll take a Miata with a six speed manual and the top down every time. It's just a much more involving visceral experience.

 

[ColoradoDriver]

I mean, it just sounds like you bought the wrong type of vehicle for what you really wanted.

I've had my CX-5 for almost exactly 9 1/2 years now (10 next April) and this vehicle has fulfilled every one of my needs. Its engaging enough to have fun driving and not feel like I am just floating or driving a boat. I never understood complaints about road noise, but to be fair, I came from Jeeps (including a soft top TJ) to this. It's quieter. And the radio works fine for me. I am only 118k miles in now and see no reason it can't go to 300k like my last car. Have not had any real major problems with it.

So no, I will not be thinking of trading it in. For one, I do not like the newer CX-5's at all, and I have no current needs for another type of car.

 

[potownrob]

Eh, don't depress me! I have a '23 ("Preferred" trim) on order, will get it the end of the month. I'm trading in my '17 Tacoma, and not sure I'm doing the right thing or not -- I've had pickups since 1975 and fear I'm going to miss it. We will see.

But the CX-5 is just to get me from point "A" to point "B," as my truck was. For open air, acceleration, doing the curves, I have an '07 Corvette. That totally spoiled me with Climate Control; I wasn't really sure what it was exactly before buying it, but being spoiled by it I had to have that on the CX, and with that comes the moonroof and other do-dads. Stereo? -- I don't care, I listen to talk radio nearly all the time anyway.

What I am concerned about is the S-AAA-F-E-TY nannies and cylinder deactivation, none of which I've experienced before and I fret about them really annoying me. Plus, a more complicated system means there are more things to potentially go wrong.

I absolutely need 4- or AWD where I live, and I will be curious to see how the CX stacks up against 4WD pickups I've had. A couple I know, who've had Subarus forever, said they are the best. The Mazda salesman said Soobs are 4-wheel all the time, the Mazda is only 4-wheel when it senses slipping. Any opinions on one vs. the other as far as plowing through snow?

I haven’t driven my CX-5 in the snow yet, but my ‘16 Forester XT was very good in the snow even with worn all seasons. It is always putting power to the rear wheels so it feels like it always has grip, or almost always. Trade-offs include a gas mileage hit, more tire wear and not being able to get away with changing just 2 tires at a time. Subarus, in my experience and from what I’ve read, are also not as reliable overall as Mazdas. My CX-5 also feels more upscale compared to most Subarus I’ve been in. The design of the exterior may be more form over function, but it does look better, in my opinion. The 6 speed auto in the Mazda also feels more direct and engaging than the CVT, even the beefed up one in the Forester XT.

 

[Jack Rabbit]

OP should get one of these for a 2nd car.
Challenger

That's sweet but don't think it meets OPs noise criteria. Not sure what will. My mustang was loud with windows down. Friends Vette loud with windows cranked open.

Now the Mazda CX5 is definitely louder with to the cabin windows closed...they do need to insulate better and cut down on wind noise in that respect. But I don't know what car is queiter with windows open .

 

[potownrob]

That's sweet but don't think it meets OPs noise criteria. Not sure what will. My mustang was loud with windows down. Friends Vette loud with windows cranked open.

Now the Mazda CX5 is definitely louder with to the cabin windows closed...they do need to insulate better and cut down on wind noise in that respect. But I don't know what car is queiter with windows open .

I think my ‘13 Lexus ES 350 was fairly quiet with windows and moonroof open. Car wasn’t the most exciting to drive though.

 

[theblooms]

I've always felt "sporty" SUV's were a contradiction anyway.

And the S stands for Sport!

 

[Ranman57]

And the S stands for Sport!

This is true, but not in the way you're framing it. The first SUV's were neither fast nor handled very well. The Sport terminology really applied to Off-Road full time 4WD vehicles that could also be used in a very utilitarian way. Arguably the first SUV was the Jeep Cherokee though you could make a good case that it was actually the 4WD Suburban . What made it "Sport" was the fact you could easily strap a canoe, skis, bikes or whatever to it with a full load of sports gear inside and take it where normal vehicles couldn't go and do your off-road sorts of sports things.

Then when the manufacturers found that the suburban mom's were rebelling against the Ultimate Mom Mobile, the mini-van, and began buying things like Cherokees as daily kid haulers the evolution began to what we now call a SUV.

Then came the GMC Typhoon, and that basically created a new kind of performance SUV. But it was still a modified body-on frame truck. Then Porsche made the Cayenne Turbo, the first "Sports" SUV that actually deserved the title since it was designed from the ground up to be a true performance car.

And now they're everywhere, made by everyone. But even with the Cayenne, which is Porsche's best selling vehicle by a good margin, there's no substitute for a pure sports car like a 911 or even a Miata if you want to enjoy a true sports car driving experience.

 

[DFZ24]

I think my ‘13 Lexus ES 350 was fairly quiet with windows and moonroof open. Car wasn’t the most exciting to drive though.

What about on Sport mode?
My gf has it. Is nice how the steering wheel gets stiff when it goes in sports mode.

 

[Sig cx-5]

What about on Sport mode?
My gf has it. Is nice how the steering wheel gets stiff when it goes in sports mode.

I had a 2013 ES 350 UL. Sport mode does tighten the steering wheel movement. I think the dash turning red in Sport mode was about as beneficial, as far as fun driving goes.

The CX-5 Sig is far more enjoyable to drive. That's one of the reasons I sold it to Carvana when they were offering me crazy money for it.

...
Now the Mazda CX5 is definitely louder with to the cabin windows closed...they do need to insulate better and cut down on wind noise in that respect. But I don't know what car is queiter with windows open .

My old ES and our CX-5 both have acoustic front seat glass. I would have a hard time telling which one was quieter, as both vehicles are very quiet.

 

[Jack Rabbit]

I had a 2013 ES 350 UL. Sport mode does tighten the steering wheel movement. I think the dash turning red in Sport mode was about as beneficial, as far as fun driving goes.

The CX-5 Sig is far more enjoyable to drive. That's one of the reasons I sold it to Carvana when they were offering me crazy money for it.


My old ES and our CX-5 both have acoustic front seat glass. I would have a hard time telling which one was quieter, as both vehicles are very quiet.

My CX5 is alot louder than other vehicles, the wind noise(not tire noise) is very loud.

My Ford branded suvs and trucks were quiet.
My SO's nissan is quiet.
Jeep rental was quiet.
Chevy truck rental was quiet.

Either the mazda design is not stream-lined for wind noise or my particular CX5 is defective. It's one of the few complaints with this suv, especially at highway speeds of 55 mph to 70 mph is when it's really noticeable.

Have just been living with it.
Am out of bumper to bumper now but should test drive another one anyways to confirm it's all CX5's.
Otherwise guess it will be $$ to fix mine.

Is there a way to check if this is the original windshield? Wonder if maybe the leasee broke the windshield and had it replaced before gave back to dealer.

 

[Sig cx-5]

... my particular CX5 is defective. ...

Based on my personal experience, and what is mentioned in many reviews, I believe the above is correct.

 

[cz5gt]

yes, Challenger RT and above would do the trick for fun car
btw the 2022-2023 CX5 are much quieter than the previous models.

 

[theblooms]

My CX5 is alot louder than other vehicles, the wind noise(not tire noise) is very loud.

I promise, it wasn't as loud as my Mazda5. Mazda put exactly zero sound deadening in those cars from the factory. None. But I fixed that myself and now it's nice and comfortable on the road.

 

[potownrob]

What about on Sport mode?
My gf has it. Is nice how the steering wheel gets stiff when it goes in sports mode.

to be honest, i almost never used sport mode. i'm glad it livened things up. the car wasn't boring per se, and it had decent power, but it ultimately wasn't the car for me. it handled and accelerated decently for such a large car. both the forester xt and cx-5 felt sportier to me, not that i was necessarily going for a very sporty drive. i would never mistake the drive for that of something like a civic si. i still kick myself for getting the '15 accord sport manual instead of the si. it was one of those cases of go big or go home, if i had to do it again.

 

[Chocolate]

2017 Mazda CX-5 AWD Test: High Five

On a tightrope between passion and practicality.

www.caranddriver.com

67 decibels at 70mph, or 1 db quieter than a Mercedes GLC300. That's on a '17 with 19" wheels.

'20 CX-5 read at 66 decibels, also on 19" wheels. The Ford Escape in the same test read at 69 decibels.

Ford Escape vs. Mazda CX-5: Can Ford's Newcomer Beat the 10Best-Winning Mazda?

Can the all-new Ford Escape beat the 10Best-winning Mazda, our favorite in the compact SUV segment?

www.caranddriver.com

I've added oversize tires and extra sound insulation in the rear cargo area, and mine is as quiet as I could ask for, and was before the modifications.

 

[potownrob]

I had a 2013 ES 350 UL. Sport mode does tighten the steering wheel movement. I think the dash turning red in Sport mode was about as beneficial, as far as fun driving goes.

The CX-5 Sig is far more enjoyable to drive. That's one of the reasons I sold it to Carvana when they were offering me crazy money for it.


My old ES and our CX-5 both have acoustic front seat glass. I would have a hard time telling which one was quieter, as both vehicles are very quiet.

I was talking about driving with the windows and/or moonroof open. I haven’t done that in the Mazda yet. I can kinda picture OP’s dilemma, having had several Hondas over the years, and having driven around with windows and moonroofs open when I was younger. There is something about the layout and ergonomics of a Honda, or at least there was in the past.

 

[Freedom55]

My CX5 is alot louder than other vehicles, the wind noise(not tire noise) is very loud.

Strange...mine has tire noise even at low speed with OE Yokohama G91A. My Michelin X-Ice Snow SUV Winter tires are much quieter!

 

[Jack Rabbit]

Strange...mine has tire noise even at low speed with OE Yokohama G91A. My Michelin X-Ice Snow SUV Winter tires are much quieter!

My firestone all terrain tires are quiet...minimal road noise. No tire noise. it's wind noise. Wind hitting car and windshield is horrific. Second only to the loud AC fan noise.