I am new here so I just wanted to say hello, but I am in the market for a new or used vehicle. I really, really like the looks of the Mazda CX-5 as well as a couple other brands. I think I have it narrowed down to Subaru, Mazda, Jeep, Toyota. The CX-5 just draws my eye more so than some of the other brands.

I am coming here to get some pros and cons to the Mazda brand particularly the CX-5. I tend to keep my vehicles a long time so I want something reliable and something that won't be in the shop all the time. My current SUV is a 2004 so I am ready to upgrade, but I also have never driven anything other than a V6 engine so the 4 cylinder engine on the CX-5 concerns me. Is this a valid concern or does the CX-5 have a good amount of power? I want to be able to climb a hill and pass people if needed. Haha.

Any other advice or pros/cons would be greatly helpful.

 

2.5 ltr engine has plenty of get up & go. It's a shame Mazda USA don't sell the Diesel version, because they go like stink.

Take one for a extended road test and really try it out on different terrain.

 

#1 rated CUV by Car and Driver, Motortrend et.al. I have had many Mazdas and this CX-5 is a good automobile, very happy with mine. Mazda has great reliability and great handling. There is plenty of power for your roads in Alabammy. Unless you live up in the corner of the state I would save money and pass on the all-wheel drive.

 

Read the side by side driving reviews for the CX5 vs CRV, Forrester and Rogue.
I just traded my 2012 Rogue for a 2016.5 CX5 Touring model. I never cared for the CVT in my Rogue. The CRV, Rogue and Forrester all have it. The CRV and Forrester are considered to be underpowered and that was my compliant about the Rogue as well as the engine noise cuased by the lack of shift points in the CVT.
The CX5 is awesome and has enough power (2.5) and rides like a sports car around corners. It doesnt have a CVT and has a 6 speed auto tranny with manual shift as well as sport mode. I am extremely happy with my decision

 

I test drove the Toyota RAV4, the Honda CRV and the Mazda CX-5 and found the Mazda to be the best equipped and most dynamic between the 3. Also the price OOTD was $26,500 (Touring with the 2.0 165bhp engine) had more safety and convenience features than the $28k Toyota and $32k Honda. Insurance costs were pretty similar. I am happy I chose the Mazda.

 

the cx-5 2.5 has almost 190HP you will not have any issues with power. i own a 16 and work for mazda and i can tell you that since 2014 most employees have the cx-5 because it is so bulletproof.

 

I live at altitude here in CO and for me the CX-5 has great power in town with no turbo lag since it doesn't have a turbo. But..if you're going over mtn passes and do mostly highway driving, more power may be desirable depending which V-6 vehicle you're coming from. If you need that extra power you may wish to shop the turbos such as VW Tiguan (I'm a prior owner) or Hyundais. There may be tradeoffs with mpg's, maint costs and reliability though. Also, take a look at Consumer Reports and you'll see the Mazda has an excellent an reliability record.

 

My personal opinion, I'd stay away from Jeep that said I just got the Mazda 6 and the handling is nice this car deserves more power but due to fuel economy it doesn't have it. overall I'm happy with it and recommend Mazda for price and reliability with Mazda you get more bang for your buck. The new civic looks like a transformer's ***, the Accord with that clunky transmission, and way too many buttons and two screens, I'm very into technology but that Accord its just too much.

 

Your choices are a CX-5, Mazda 6 or RAV-4. The CX-3 is good too. Forget Hondas except for the Pilot, Accord or Civic. They ruined the CRV and the HRV should have been aborted. I had a Nissan Maxima and would never buy another Nissan.

If you are leasing and budget conscious look at a Kia SUV. I wouldn't buy one that's for sure, but I could drive one knowing I could give it back. Hyundai Tucson is okay, but the Santa Fe is better.

 

I've had my CX5 GT for almost two weeks and love it. I test drive 11 different vehicles before settling on this one. Of course all new vehicles drive beautifully but after creating a spreadsheet of all the SUVs I was interested in, the CX5 had the most bang for the buck. Most options I wanted at the lowest price. I am really happy I bought this and look forward to many years of trouble free driving.