I am ready to purchase my first Mazda this Saturday. I have to decide between the 2016.5 and 2017 Grand Touring. I really like the 2017, but I am a little nervous about the LED package. Should I be worried about having to replace these LED lights?

 

LED lights have been around for several years and are used on some 2016.5 CX-5s as well as the 2017. I don't see why this should be a concern.

 

The 2016.5 I am looking at does not have the LED lights. I guess I'm just concerned about the cost of replacement if one or more ever did go out. Could both headlights go out at the same time? It's not as simple as going and buying a replacement bulb.

 

I primarily use another (much more active) CX-5 forum and in the 4 years I've been on it I've never seen this come up as an issue of any great concern. Maybe you're overthinking this?

 

Thank you, that is very helpful!

 

Are the 2017's only available with LED lighting?


LED systems may last a long time, on average, but if you have a headlight failure out of warranty it will be an expensive fix.

 

The grand touring is. Not sure about the other trims.

 

I just tried the 2017 CX-5. It's awesome but I am short at 5'3 and the visibility over the hood on the 2017 is much less than the 2015 I already own. The 2017 has loads of wonderful upgrades, but if I can't see over the hood, .they are not important. I may just buy the 2016.5. But if I didn't have the problem, I would be buying the 2017 with no hesitation

 

Or you could just keep the 2015 ( which is essentially the same as as 2016.5) and not take a beating on depreciation after only 2 years of ownership!

 

Took a longer test drive of the 2017 GT and decided to buy it, despite the fact that the visibility for me is not as good as the 2015 model. I have had it now for 24 hours and overall am very satisfied. The radio is great, and the soundproofing makes music and talk really easy to hear. It's a huge improvement. The air conditioner seems stronger than the old one and the back seats cool off quickly. Love that rear hatch power lift. Also I was averaging about 27.8 mpg on the highway in my 2015 cx5 (driving 70-80 mph). I just took a 50 mile trip and averaged 30.1 in the new car under the same conditions.
The seats, however, are a bit uncomfortable. They are narrow (okay for me but could be a problem for a larger person) and hard and unyielding in some places. Hoping they will soften over time.
As with all car deals, I had to really shop around for the best deal. Some dealers were unwilling to discount very much and low-balled my trade-in but I finally found one who had the color I wanted in stock (silver), offered a good price for the trade in and discounted the new car.