Hi all - am wondering if anyone here has really taken their CX-5 off road. My son has moved to the Big Island (I'm thinking of moving too..) and says my car is just AWD and that you need a 4WD with locking wheels to drive off road there. What do you think about taking the CX-5 on the steep and rutty stuff? I know mine has manual, but I've never used it though I drove manual exclusively before buying this car (obviously not sorry to see that go..). I have the 2017 Touring version. Also what does the Sport switch do? Thanks for any thoughts you may have. I researched this car a lot for going into the mountains here in WA before buying, but by now I've forgotten..

 

I've owned full sized Broncos, an 86 and a 95 4Runner, two Explorers, two Outbacks, a Tahoe and I currently own a Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland and a CX5. The Outbacks could do better on somewhat difficult terrain than the CX5, but the Explorers were better than the CX5 and Outbacks and the Explorers couldn't hold a candle to the other ones.

The CX5 is not an offroad vehicle. It doesn't have the suspension or the frame for it and its AWD system, while good on the road or even dirt roads, is not designed for deep ruts or steep, loose terrain. Even the Explorers are not great offroad vehicles unless they are pretty heavily modified. The only time I was able to get the Broncos stuck was with the frame sitting on the ground and all four wheels spinning in the mud. A light tug on a tow rope allowed that vehicle to move forward again and pull itself out through momentum.

Don't get me wrong - I love the CX5, but I would get something else (think 4x4 as opposed to AWD) for what it sounds like your son is describing. When I head offroad, I take my Jeep.

 

Thanks Schmieg! This whole discussion got started when he saw an 80's Silverado 4x4 for sale here on the mainland and was debating whether to fix his current Cheyenne's front end or have me send over the already fixed Silverado. I do love driving my CX-5 around town, but realize it's not for much more than gravel roads to trails. When I've looked into Jeeps there were always umpteen complaints about them needing transmission work etc. I doubt I'd ever get anything as big as a Grand Cherokee. Are there any smaller Jeeps you'd recommend for this sort of thing?

 

Sure, the Wrangler or CJ series, but those are pretty much designed for offroad with onroad being pretty basic if not punishing. The newer Cherokee can handle some stuff, but it's not up to the 4Runners or the Nissans or even the old Cherokees. The other Jeeps are more for those that want to look tough, but who stick mainly to the highway. Ford is coming out next year with a reboot of the Bronco which looks pretty interesting, but you're probably not looking for something new. The Tahoe is big and the new ones aren't as offroad capable as the old ones, but they are still pretty good as long as you aren't planning on rock climbing or doing some of the really tough trails. If you're looking into pickups, I would avoid the miniature ones. Full sized Chevy, Dodge (Ram) and Ford should be pretty good, though a short bed would be better for offroad. Again, some of the Japanese 4x4 pickups are pretty solid as well.

The problem with SUV's is that most of the manufacturers have decided that no one uses them offroad. My 2004 Tahoe was heads above either of the Explorers I had, but it was no match for my 1978 Bronco or the 1986 or 1995 4Runners. The newer 4Runners have started moving toward mall crawlers, but they are still capable.

 

I used to think 4Runners were tough til I had a patient who slid off the road in the snow and fell out through the open sunroof. He was eventually able to walk again but it was a terrible injury to his spine. I suppose it wasn't the car's fault but it does feel a little jinxed to me. Maybe Mazda makes a 4x4 pickup! Probably not. Good suggestion to look for a short bed. I've seen people here cut the beds off short. We've had a Nissan Versa in the family for years now, just keeps on going. One of the best cars I had for snow was the Subaru Justy - used to cruise right past all the big 4x4's that had slid off the road. No snow in Hawaii so just an aside, though a little 4x4 could be good for mud. Thanks for your help though

 

The new Bronco looks like a return to the original one. Promising, let's hope it isn't just a look alike.

 

Let's hope they update the seat configuration. What I remember is how difficult it was to get into the back seat. Not to mention..what a boxy, top heavy design!

 

That boxy, top heavy design was part of the reason it was so good offroad.

 

I guess the boxyness helped. I just looked at the new ones coming out and surprise, surprise they look pretty nice!! May have to think about trading my sleek CX-5 for one of those so I don't worry going off road..Or keep it and look for one of the older vehicles as you outlined.

 

It was the high ground clearance and tough suspension that helped the most, but the boxyness was nice for carrying a load of gear in the process.

If you are looking for something serious, make sure that it has a low and a high range 4 wheel drive. Many of the systems out there now are deleting the low range as you don't need it (or even want it) on the road, but it sure is nice when you get into really rough terrain, especially if it's steep. I was on a dirt "road" in Arizona that suddenly had a very steep hill to go down with a sharp turn at the bottom. The Jeep has a "hill descent" feature that just took it down nice and smoothly without having to hit the brakes constantly (the vehicle does it for you in low range). When I got to the bottom, the road was blocked with no way around it (heavily forested). I had to turn around and go back up that hill, which was steep enough that many vehicles would just falter or spin out. The Jeep in low range just eased up it with no problems. I was very impressed with that system, but even without it I would have made it in low range. However, I don't think a vehicle that didn't have 4 wheel low would have. It wouldn't have been a very good place to get stuck, up in the mountains with no cell coverage, miles from the nearest paved road.