I'm getting very close to joining the CX-5 family. My decision is coming down to a Certified 2018 Grand Touring (found a VIN without the fuel pump recall!) 28k miles, and the 2022 Preferred. My biggest hesitation is a 2022 going to push me to the limit of my budget - about $70 more a month for a 60 month loan. They look pretty close to me except for the bigger infotainment screen. If I push the loan to 72 months, it's closer, only about a $10 difference, longer loan though.



Is the 2022 any better of a driving experience?



thanks in advance!

 

AFAIK, the seats are different and you might like the 2022 seats more. The narrow hard seats are my only complaint in our 2018 GT and hence, I would suggest that you take both the 2018 and the 2022 for a long test drive to understand if you are OK with the seats.

 

I've bought far more vehicles in my life than I should have and some of them also pushed me to or beyond my budget. I regretted those decisions and dealt with immense stress for years. I'd say to go with the 2018 and be happy with an excellent CPO vehicle. Don't lock yourself into a stressful 5-6 years--you never know what might come up where money would be better to have than a slightly newer vehicle.

 

One thing to consider though is that used car prices right now are way over the roof, so buying new at this point might make more sense if your budget allows it.

 

I definitely understand that. We recently bought our son a new 2022 CX-5 instead of a used vehicle because the used ones (slightly higher trims) cost more. However, the OP indicated that the new one is $70/month over budget and extending a loan out 6 years (and still over budget) isn't a great idea. If I could go back any tell myself anything, it would be not to stretch the budget so much, especially with vehicles. The stress was unbearable for years.

 

Another thing to consider right now if one is retired or coming up on retirement is that those on fixed incomes may well find that as inflation continues, that car payment may become more and more difficult to juggle with food and fuel costs. Also, though Social Security is not a fixed income, the COLA increases every year are calculated in a way that does not include increased costs of fuel and other items that can have a large impact on one's budget.

 

I understand but looking at your signature, you do have quite a good collection of 2022 vehicles

 

Correct--I ran into problems a bit over a decade ago. I learned my lesson, started saving massive amounts of my income, and paid for my CX-5 in cash earlier this month and have more than enough cash/investments to cover my other vehicles, etc.. Because of the economy though, I elected for some car payments in case things get too rocky.

 

Agreed, uncertain times right now and one must plan accordingly.