Car shopping - things to look for with CX5
 

Hello,

My name's Mike and I'm going car shopping this weekend. I'm interested in the Mazda CX5, Subaru Forrester, and Honda CRV.

My question - when I go out looking at CX5s, is there anything I should pay special attention to or be aware of that would indicate a problem? Especially if I look at their used inventory.

Thank you,
Mike

If you're shopping used and looking at anything other than the entry level Sport model, I would look at 2014 or later with the 2.5 litre engine. 2013 CX-5 (regardless of trim level) came with the 2.0 litre engine and while there's nothing wrong with that (I own one and am perfectly happy with it, despite the drubbing that drive train took in the press), for the small 1-2 mpg penalty you pay with the 2.5, it's a small price to pay for the extra power of the larger engine. Sport models, on the other hand, all come with the 2.0 entry engine except on later model AWD versions, which get the upgraded engine.

Thank you for the reply! We went test driving a Forester, CRV, and CX5 AWD Touring. We liked the CX5 the most, but we do have a couple questions and maybe someone here can help shed some light.

1) I read about the auto transmission feeling like it wants to be in a different gear. For example, staying too long in a low gear after rapid acceleration or not wanting to shift down from a high gear when going up hills. This sounds like something the drivetrain is doing to help conserve gas, but I was hoping someone could confirm that. Or, is this the sign of a faulty drivetrain?

2) We specifically like the Sky Blue, but that's no longer available in 2015. So, we're going with the White Mica 2015 AWD Touring with the sunroof and Bose package. I'm seeing an MSRP in the $28k range and list in the $26k range. Of course it's going to vary between states and regions, but what kind of price can I walk out of the dealership feeling like I received a good price? I live in Southern Pennsylvania.

3) I'm a former Ford guy who became tired of fixing my Fords every time I went near the shop. So, I converted to Toyota a while ago and they never required anything other than the standard consumables (tires, brakes, etc). I see some great things about Mazda's reliability and quality, but what is on paper and what is in the real world can be different. Can I expect a Mazda to nickle and dime me everytime I go to the shop? I'm hoping with the warranty, if something breaks, it will be in the first 5 years. I'm the kind of person who keeps a car 7-10 years.

Thank you for the help!
Mike

The tranny doesn't sound right to me. I have had no problems with mine feeling anything but spot on for the speed and need-passing. I have the White Mica and definitely like the color but I am in South Texas. I have a 15 Touring and purposely did not get the sunroof package. I do have the back up camera and consider that a great option with the side warning indicators.

My dealer gave me $5k on a 2004 Mazda 6 which included discount and trade in-and with 170K on the odo not much was trade in.

I have a gray 2015 Touring AWD with the Bose and sunroof package. Got it for $27165. I've put about 10k miles on it with no problems. About your transmission question - The Mazda 2.5 makes peak torque at a much lower RPM than the CRV does. Consequently, its able to stay in 6th gear on interstate grades where the Honda would require a downshift and scream its guts out. Typically, running hilly I 79 in WV, at 70 - 75 MPH, all I hear is the engine's tone change as the VVT does its thing, but, the tach stays the same on a grade. I had a 2010 CRV, and, that's one reason I didn't like the thing. It had to downshift one or two gears to manage even a modest grade, and, it didn't deliver very good fuel economy as a result. The Mazda engine seems very European - Like to me - It makes peak torque over a broad range, and, has decent mid-range passing gear punch.


Regards:
Oldengineer

Make sure you spend lots of time testing the USB audio interface and the navigation unit so that you know what you are getting into. That seems to be one of the major complaints people have (me too, fwiw).

Bring a USB stick filled with music, start playing the music, turn the car off, turn it back on again, see what happens. Try to pair your phone with the car and try to get your emails or text messages read to you. Etc. Make sure you understand the "idiosyncracies" of the navigation unit.

The transmission is quite unusual compared to other SUV's, or other cars. Its hard to explain, but I know where your coming from. Its all about matching rev's for optimal power & economy.

Thank you everyone for your help and suggestions! I really appreciate it and once we (hopefully) get a CX5, I'm sure you'll see me on here more often.

I have a dealer willing to make a deal on a white 2015 Touring AWD with moonroof/Bose for a decent price if I finance through them. At first I thought telling them I'd finance through them was a good idea, but I'm not sure if I shot myself in the foot over bottom-line price negotiations by telling them. But here's my dilemma as someone who wants the best possible price (don't we all?)...

The MSRP on the vehicle is $28,700 and there are the following promotions:
$2,500 if financed through dealership
$500 active military
$1,000 owner loyalty
$500 recent college grad

Now, all that said, I would only qualify for the financing discount... But technically, doesn't that mean they could extend all those discounts to me if they really wanted to? So the car could cost $24,200. Do they have wiggle room to come down past that? Or when they advertise those possible discounts, are they putting it all on the line? Car buying is a PITA. I wish it was like buying milk. :)

Update: ...And I just realized that I kind of changed the topic of this post with that last question about pricing. I know some forums frown on that. Please let me know if I should start a new thread. Thanks!

What's really important
 

Trunk (area underneath cargo cover) can hold a couple of guitars, pedalboard and a smallish combo amp without exposure to prying eyes.


Marshall stack and any keyboards over 61 would need to have the seat folded down.


Of course some people are better at packing than others. I once had a drummer who brought a whole double bass drum kit to the Ford dealer to see if he could pack it in a Pinto. Amazingly. he managed it and could still drive the car (such as it was). There was a crowd around watching and he got a nice ovation when done. Better reviews at the dealer than on stage for that guy. Had that Pinto for three years until the engine seized

Good call Crimson King! Being able to lug gear around didn't even enter my mind at first. I think we finally settled in on where we're going to buy it and a price we can agree on. I just hope there's no bait and switch when we get there. I'm driving about an hour to get the deal, so it better be legit.

Thanks everyone for your help! I guess you'll see me around once in a while with questions and the more I get to know about the vehicle, hopefully, I'll be able to chime in and give assistance to others.

Thanks again!
Mike