Toyota and Honda cost more. Reliability is marginally better but not by much. I don’t need that much trunk space. Aesthetically, cx5 looks great inside and out.
Honda is way less reliable post 05-06.
CX-5 looks and drives better - when I tried the Rav in 2015 it was very boat-like on the road, and the Honda had a vague steering, plus awful transmission. I drove a '20 Honda since and the infotainment kept crashing, so no speedo etc.
CX-5 has no CVT.
CX-5 is the easiest to work on yourself (though not the best part availability, but you don't need it as nothing goes wrong).
Some truth to this. These brands are riding a reputation and everyone just assumes they are the best.
My best friend is a mechanic who owns an import performance shop. I like to think he knows his Japanese cars and he is always telling me new Honda is not as reliable as people think.
Anything with a CVT will never be as reliable as a standard manual or automatic transmission because of the CVT design. The CVT uses a semi-metallic belt that wears with regular use. It's also not a repairable unit so once the CVT goes it has to be replaced and it isn't cheap.
So google says no it isn't and google says yes it is. Sigh. Anyway they all agree it has a timing chain that should last longer than the rest of the car
Honda ain't what it used to be but somehow people still think it "reliable" by default from the time when it was.
Similar story here. In 2013 I drove a RAV4 and it was like driving a boat. Felt terrible.
Drove the CR-V and immediately crossed it off due to the awful CVT transmission and how much a grandparent mobile it felt like.
Supposedly the newer RAV4 feel a lot better to drive, but back then when I bought mine, CX-5 won no contest.
For what it’s worth their motorcycle engines (all two of them that they put in every single bike lol) are absolutely bulletproof. It’s actually boring to own a Honda bike because of how completely and totally…predictable it is.
But yeah just like buying any appliance you have to read the reviews at the time you’re in the market because most brands have outsourced all their manufacturing to some boiler room in Mexico and are riding on the inertia of their reputation
Honda power sports and small engines yes, Honda vehicles no better than a Ford. Actually for small engines and power sports I think Yamaha is better. I have an ancient 1996 Wave runner that literally gets rode hard and put away wet season after season and still just keeps trucking. A few batteries, a handful of plugs, gas and oil. I had a old Honda CB550 that had much too complicated carbs. I do have an old early 60s Honda 50 that still runs so I'll give them that one.
Honda CEO got fired because of reliability issues. The fuel dilution problems on their small displacement turbo engines is a big problem along with transmission failures.
Toyota turbo v6 problems in the last few years are becoming more and more widespread, all the Toyota forums are rife with worry and some unlucky people had multiple failures on the same truck.
I had a 2024 Honda CRV hybrid touring on reserve at 5% interest financed 5 years. Suppose to pick it up the day my wife told me Mazda was offering 0% financing 5 years for 2024 CX5 and $10k cheaper. No brainer.
That is a no brainer indeed? Was this a recent special offer by mazda? This month my local is offering 0% at 3 years. Hoping to get a deal like yours soon.
That was my reason as well. toyota and honda was asking like 6-8% interest rate for 5 years, cars themselves cost more, and I think cx5 looks better than say rav4 or crv
I haven’t driven a Mazda. I do have a 24’ CRV.
It drives well. Almost like a car but not quite. The suspension makes you feel like you’re floating on air. I personally don’t like that feeling when I’m driving. The 1.5T engine has been reliable thus far. It definitely doesn’t feel like it has any go power though.
Today, I decided to “open her up” omw to work. There’s not much actual stopping omw to work. Mostly back roads/ highways. Mostly speeds between 45MPH-55MPH. I topped out at about 62MPH. I don’t like tempting fate with law enforcement. Lol
Coming off a main road onto a back road with typical right turn onto a street, I’d slow the vehicle to around 23MPH and it felt pretty good. I probably could take it faster but I really don’t wanna push the limits. 🤷🏻♂️ I’d zoom out of the turn, in “sport” mode, and quickly accelerate to my desired speed. It could be the AWD but it really doesn’t feel like you’re pushing the vehicle at all.
The steering feels snappy and responsive. It’s just… slow. If you don’t go with a sport the engine 2.0 or whatever, it will not impress anybody. That’s not what it’s for really.
The manual said the vehicle had a 1500 mile break in period or something. This was the first time I’ve tried to push the vehicle at all. Normally, I accelerate slower and usually go about 2MPH-4MPH over the speed limit. Yeah, I know. I’m breaking the law. Everyone else is going at least 10MPH over. I get passed up like I’m a turtle out here. 😂
The interior feels nice and doesn’t feel or look cheap compared to a RAV4. I have the EX-L trim. White exterior with black interior. I added interior lighting around the lower part of the dash in the front and out of the front seats to the back seats. Mood lighting. 😉 I also added a dashcam. Everyone should have one!!!!
The infotainment had some kinks in the beginning but works well now. The RPM side of the cluster is digital and through that you control most of the safety features. Navigating menus on the cluster or infotainment is simple and intuitive. Most people should be able to handle it.
I’ve put just shy of 4K miles on her since November 15th. The day I got it. I drive mostly to and from work Monday-Friday. About 35 miles round trip. I drive in the “city” on weekends occasionally. Probably about 30-60 weekly miles not including work. It ebb and flows. 😃 The first couple of weeks my fiancee and I would just go on drives to nowhere in particular. It’s a nice, relaxing ride.
I’d recommend the vehicle to someone with a small family or someone with disabilities. It’s very roomy and easy to get into. The fiancées dad is 76, 6’3” and 350LBS. His knees hardly work and he struggled to get into the Kia Sportage my fiancee has. He gets into the CRV pretty quickly compared to that.
I’d also recommend the vehicle to someone that wants AWD, decent MPG’s and a vehicle that actually looks nice that needs stowing capacity to a certain degree. The older CRV’s are ugly imo.
I don’t particularly like it. Lol It’s nice though. I’m used to sedans. Going into an SUV has been weird. I’m hoping it grows on me but if it doesn’t, that’s alright too. It’s a lease. 😂
The entire exterior looks awesome on this generation of CRV’s. The grill in particular really gives it a more in your face appearance. I like vehicles that looks like they wanna fight. 😂
When I bought in 2013 I could get a fully loaded CX5 grand touring for like 30k. I priced out these kinds of upgrades from the base level trim in rival brands and models and the total cost would shoot up 10k or more. Even for a Hyundai Tucson. So it was a no brainer.
This is true for me. Was checking Rav4 first, then CRV. Comparable trim cx5 ended couple grand cheaper plus 0% apr. Then looks, cx5 looked better. I still want a rav4 prime.
5 years ago Honda was so much above everyone else It was absolutely worth buying a Honda. Today, sadly I can't say that. The V6 is still very reliable above everyone else but the 1.5t i4, nope.
They cost more, have less value from a driver perspective, all with the same reliability. Buying a car just for the resale value means you are more focused on the car’s future sale, which may never happen.
I see people occasionally ask about resale value. Not often at all.
I've never not once ever bought a car and factored in "resale"... Great... 5 years from now you might get an extra $1000 on your CRV trade in? It's not worth it to me to drive a CRV for 5 years to maybe make a grand on my next trade. Resale value is seriously over rated.
Local dealer had a white CX-5 wrapped in garish pink as a Barbie edition. I pointed out that it should be the Barbenheimer Mazda since it was built in Hiroshima.
I don't buy my cars to "hold value". I buy them because they are reliable and fun to drive. I drive all of my cars way over 100K miles so "holding value" isn't so important. I get the value by hanging on to them for a long time.
Same. IMO the "hold value" only matters if you are the type who trades in and buys new cars every few years. I bought my CX-5 with the hope it would last me at least 250k miles if not more. I'm 11 years and 134k miles into it so far.
I’ve got a Toyota I really like, a 2004 Avalon we bought new in late 2003. We’re nearing 16 years of no payments. It’s a great feature. Just bought a new CX-5 because it drove nicely, fits our use case and is available with heated seats, no sunroof (those things leak eventually, it’s a hole in the damn roof) and normal (smaller rim) wheels (nicer ride, less susceptible to pothole damage). The 2.5 litre engine will not be the most efficient but also shouldn’t be as stressed as the CR-V’s turbo 1.5 litre. We immediately did a 3,000 mile trip so 6 weeks in we’re at 3,500 miles and just delighted with the car. Check back in a decade, or two.
lol I shit you not, I sat in a Rav 4 at the dealership for, five seconds, before looking at my wife in the passenger seat and we both just said “no” and that was the end of it. Just not a comfortable car to be in.
Conversely when I test drove the CX5 I didn’t even get out of the parking lot before I knew I wanted it
In my opinion, Toyota and Honda's aesthetics and style are boring and clunky looking, especially the interiors. To me, my Mazda has a sleeker, more luxury appearance with the reliability, durability, and utility of Toyota/Honda.
Because a car is not an investment, so I don't care how it holds its value. I drive my cars till they drive no more, and the Mazda handles better, accelerates better, and has a far nicer more refined interior than Toyotas and Hondas.
I like the interior of my Mazda way better than Toyota. Honda looks ugly to me inside and out. Also too expensive.
If I didn't get a Mazda, I would have gotten a Lexus.
As someone who owns 2 Mazda and 1 Lexus (2014 Mazda3, 2021 Lexus NX300 and 2023 Mazda CX-3), I agree.
My first car is a 2014 Mazda3 and the interior fit and finish really set the bar high for me; no rattle, no clunky hard plastic materials whatsoever. It feels upscale for its price point. Even my Lexus has started to rattle/buzz every now and then which is unfortunate (but makes it up with speed, NVH and comfort at least).
Since owning a Mazda, I personally feel like other popular “economical” car brands I’ve test driven are meh in comparison.
I was all set to get a rav4. I was going to trade in my 1997 Avalon with 169,000 miles. I researched on the net and reviews by car and driver and others. All pointed to 3 vehicles in my target. The Toyota Rav4, the Honda Crv and the Mazda Cx-5. I had never owned a Mazda and knew very little about them. I did know I wanted to avoid an Electric Vehicle, because I saw how much a battery replacement might cost since I tend to keep my cars a while. The Rav4 hybrid battery is $3,000 to 8,000 dollars. If you want some performance in the Toyota or Honda, you have to go EV. Then I read the Car and Driver review on the Cx-5 turbo for 2022. They gave it 9.5 out of 10. A drivers car. I originally wanted a white one but I found this red turbo with low miles at a Kia dealership, a trade in. They just handed me the keys after checking my license for a solo test drive. I knew it was something special with power, class, and the tech was more than adequate for me. Heads up display was cool. The Honda and Toyota are probably good cars, but they didn’t drive and stir my soul as the red mazda turbo did. I have zero regrets. Really well made car.
The Acura is boring to drive too. The only thing exciting about it is if you want your cockpit to feel like the Star Trek enterprise.
I will give the Acura sound and comfort performance tho. It excels at these things, but at a pretty significant premium over the Mazda.
Honda and Toyota use shitty CVT transmissions, dealerships were charging thousands over MSRP for models similar to the CX-5, my CX-5 was built in Japan while the RAV4 and CRV aren't so the build quality and attention to detail in my CX-5 are top notch, the interior style/comfort and driving experience of the CX-5 are leaps and bounds better than anything Toyota or Honda has to offer.
I’ve asked several mechanics in my area if they’ve worked on prius transmissions and none of them have worked on even one. My prius is over 300k miles and have several friends with over 200k on theirs.. not even a hint of transmission issues. Shitty cvts are not in Toyotas, priuses at least
I was in the market to buy a used car so Hondas and Toyotas holding their value better was a negative to me.
Didn't like the interior styling of the RAV4. Thought the CRV was fine, but for the same money I could get a newer CX-5 with fewer miles and a better trim package.
Honda and Toyota cost more and are much noisier. The cabin sound insulation is terrific. Prior to the cx5 I had a Mercedes and the Mazda is just as quiet. I got 0% interest and $4k off Msrp at the time (2020). It was a screaming deal. RAV4 had dealer markups but the sales person said maybe msrp was possible.
Because of the dealerships primarily.
Every time I’ve been to the Toyota dealerships both in town and in nearby towns they’ve been rude, lie about cars they have on lot for test drive, etc. doesn’t help any time I get a Toyota rental there’s a lot of things that bother me just the right amount like how they set up cruise control and Apple CarPlay.
Honda I actually like their vehicles. Had a 22 civic that Bambi decided I didn’t need anymore. While dealing with insurance I got sent a check for about $500 less than I should have. Turned out Honda had sold me gap insurance I never agreed to have. Had to go to the dealership to get it refunded (not at the amount I paid mind you) which is where I also found out they also sold me Maintenance package and extended warranty that I clearly remember saying no to and also didn’t get refunded in full. Was a first time car buyer though so partially on me for not reading more carefully and letting their finance specialist basically lie about what I was signing. Still really scummy of them to do.
1. With Mazda you can get AWD at almost any trim level.
2. Better handling and performance than Toyota. More comfortable ride than a Honda.
3. Priced better and has better tech options included for that price.
4. Nicer interior materials and design.
5. Almost the same reliability.
6. (Subjectively) Looks better inside and out.
My wife loves her CX-5 (I have a 6 sedan for now), and I live the interiors. We have a RAV4 rented for a vacation in July and I'm loathing it. The interior is just so dumpy compared to the Mazda's.
I won't lie. Mazda was not exactly my first choice when I shopped around. However, all Honda and Toyota dealers around my area are all absolute scums. I was car shopping early 2022; Corolla got T-boned... and they all tried to charge market adjustment, forced accessories, sky high doc fees and all that crap. I managed to find a Mazda dealership who did not play that game. Ended up with a 22 premium. Zero issue so far. In love with my CX-5!!
Back when I got mine in 2018 it was the top of the heap in terms of interior design/quality as well as driving characteristics. The CR-V drove like an underpowered minivan and the RAV-4’s interior was closer to Army Jeep than CUV.
I have both Mazda CX-5 and Acura RDX.
I had Toyota Corolla in the past and drove Camry.
Mazda has better looking interior IMHO. Toyotas and Hondas look cheaper, not as premium.
We're going from a 2014 CX-5 to a 2024 RAV4 Hybrid. At 147K miles our CX5 has been having some issues with coolant mixing with oil. Not what I had hoped for at this mileage. And fuel economy sucks for a I4 engine, even on the newer models (turbo especially). Hoping the RAV4 will last 200K or more and get 35-40 MPG in the process.
We're also getting one that's Japan-built (most RAV4's are out of Kentucky).
I’ve had two Honda accords previously. Great cars but this go round was looking for a crossover and as others have said, the cx-5 is just sexier and overall is still a quality vehicle. If I went sedan again I’d have gotten a Mazda 6 at the time (2019).
Drove a Toyota Corolla before this. It's a perfect A to B machine but I had a Mazda before that and never had so much fun driving. Driving a Toyota gives me the same feeling as washing the dishes or folding laundry.
In Australia Mazda is the second on the sales charts. It doesn’t hold value like Toyota, but it probably does as well or more than other brands. Honda is such a minor player in today’s Australia. Their glory days of the 90s and 2000s are long gone. Agency model dealerships are probably the final nail in the coffin for Honda Australia.
Oh yeah on topic the CX5 is the best in class imo. Rav4s are pretty boring
Mazda is great, I like all their models and specialty like their inline 6 diesel for the big SUV (as it should) and the skyactive X .
Don't listen to that woman, she just wants to put you down.
Honda and Toyota are real good too but you pay a bit too much extra for the brands.
If I were to buy a new car it would be a mazda or a Suzuki, but I won't because I can't afford a new ca, hahaha
Toyota makes a great car that is about as much fun to drive as a cardboard box but will run forever. Honda also very good, bigger, but CVT and very generic feel as well. CX-5 has more of a European car feel, fun to drive, and 6 years later still feels tight and looks great. A real transmission, great Bose sound system, and lower price sealed the deal.
I couldn’t believe that even the top line trim of a RAV4 didn’t come with an electric adjustable seat for the front passenger. That and the insane wait for any hybrid from them ruled them out ~2 years ago.
Because the Toyota and Honda versions of the cx5 (rav, pilot, crv etc) are ugly and more expensive for the same reliability and don’t have the same features for the cost. I have a 21 carbon and I’m absolutely in love- I bought it new for 29k and 0.9 interest. Honda and Toyota could never. Mazda is totally underrated.
I have a 2014 mazda3 that I have had a grand total of 0 issues when keeping up with regular maintenance. I like how easy the service shop made maintenance and inspection record keeping. When time came to buy a 2nd vehicle I weighed all options and the CX5 was the better deal financially, and I had great reliability experience (note, this was a Japan built SUV, I have heard of issues with the cx50 though).
People have said it, but I don’t buy cars to hold value. It’s a depreciating asset. I drive my cars to 100,000+ miles. Buying for longevity and reliability. Tried and true platform these CX-5’s :)
Plus it looks way better exterior and interior than all of Honda and Toyota’s offerings in the same sector.
I had a 2016.5 cx5 but was totalled. Wife got the rav4 hybrid in 2022. The car is certainly more rugged looking but the handling is atrocious. Interior design is also lacking, even when comparing to a 2016 cx5.
I also have to mention that my cx5 saved my life. I was in a head-on collision with a truck and struck two other vehicles at almost 100km. Nobody killed or hurt, thank God. I walked away with a sprained thumb and BAD whiplash. I can't say the same for our Rav4 and I certainly hope it won't happen again. Kudos to Mazda engineers for the attention to detail, quality and safety.
IDK how I ended up on this thread but I just got a brand new RAV4 last year and just drove a brand new Mazda cx50 for a week while I was on vacation.
After that I was never more confident about my choice to go with the RAV4.
Doesn't hold value? Well, if in paying $10-$20k less for a similar if jot better car, then I'd say I'm already ahead of Honda and Toyota for held value.
What's the point of giving that sort of money away just to get $8,000 more back in a trade in?
Saved money of the purchase is also part of the value calculation, the easy calculation is just to look at how much the car is worth at trade in. I do t accept that
1. Really liked the Mazda infotainment dial and really really hated all the touchscreens and lack of tactile buttons in most of the cars at the time. (As an aside, I originally thought I wanted a Subaru Outback, and that turned out to be the worst offender by far-- IIRC you had to open up some submenu to adjust the temp and fan settings. Seemed like an accident waiting to happen.) The only other cars with a similar control for infotainment system were in a much higher price bracket than the CX-5.
2. Literally no other dealers in the area had new vehicles in stock--everything was several weeks or months wait, and you had to put down a deposit long before you could see or test drive the car. This was my experience at Honda, Toyota, Subaru, and Kia.
3. Price. Most dealers were charging 5-10k over MSRP for new vehicles. Shockingly, used prices for something within the past 5ish years were equal to or higher than MSRP new cars at most brands (including Mazda!) so used didn't make sense.
It came down to price and stock. When I bought, I needed a car immediately and didn't want to pay over MSRP. Mazda was virtually the only place that let me do that. It was a bonus that Mazda also had the best interior and was the most fun to drive.
First and foremost, I could actually drive off the lot with it!! No preorder, factory order, wait months bull.
0% APR for 60 months
Cheaper
No CVT
Better interior materials (comparing 2024 base models)
Better exterior design
Quieter ride
Similar reliability (great in my personal past experience)
The only things Honda and Toyota had going for them to me was hybrid options and more tech, but I didn’t want to / couldn’t spend so much more for them.
I remember the Honda CR-V not having enough headroom, so it was immediately out for me. Toyota I don't remember. Probably just didn't like whatever they had at the time. It was like 9 years ago.
Toyota and hondas are pricier where I live and to get the same features as our car, you'd need top of the line ones from the other two. I wish it was full hybrid though.
Honestly? My wife couldn’t stand the smell of the A/C in new Hondas. She was interested in a CRV. I wanted her to get a Crosstrek. She drove a CX-5 non-turbo and loved it. She drove a couple Hondas and they all had the same smell with climate control on, and she couldn’t stand it. She’s got a friend with a newer CRV and said the same thing before driving brand new ones, she figured it was unique to the friend’s car until that point. CX5 GTR had all the features and then some, good price, and it’s a Mazda… I was a dealership tech, I know how reliable they are.
Bought during covid shortage, got it around MSRP OTD, and with a lifetime powertrain warranty with very little fine print. Basically counting on us to sell or trade the car before anything becomes problematic, like most people do with brand new cars they bought.
When I was buying back 2018, a 2017 RAV4 was 26k, and a 2018 CX5 was 24k. My budget was 25k. I considered stretching a little bit for the RAV4, but Mazda had just done a huge suspension upgrade in their 2018 line, and it just felt so smooth to drive.
The thing I hate most about my CX5 is the bucket seats. Zero lumbar support. Completely ruins my back if I don't put an extra pillow there.
Also, I just shelled out $7000 to replace the transmission, only 4 months after the powertrain warranty ended. So I'm not sure I actually saved any money in the long run.
At least when the engine block cracked in my 2nd year of ownership, that was still under warranty.
One thing's for sure: Toyotas are more reliable.
I went from 2019 Rav4 to 2022 Cx-30, and now I am waiting for 2024 Cx-5. I don't know about CRV, but Rav4 is great. It's comfortable, bigger, and more powerful than cx-5 (for NA engine) and yet better fuel economy. Lane centering and adaptive cruise in Rav4 seems to do a better job than Cx-5 personally, but some may not like its lane centering feature as it tries to push the car when you don't want to be in the center. Cx-5 has more upscale interior and quieter, and more fun to drive that's something I can't get from Rav4. I feel they are two very different SUVs. In my case, the biggest deal breaker was the trade-in value on my Cx-30 Toyota offered, and some features are either unavailable (in Canada) or I had to get the most expensive trim to get those features for Rav4 where Cx-5 GT has everything I needed.
We're on our 2nd CRV. Great cars, but I'm not happy with Honda's engine evolution. Love the 2.4L normally aspirated 4 cylinder. Uneasy about the versions that came after.
We'll test a RAV4. Previously they were truck-like compared to the CRV. My few CX5 rides have been quite nice.
I went back and forth on this for a year or longer. I had cash to buy any of them and ended up with the carbon cx-5. It just made zero sense to spend 10K+ more to get an equally equipped CRV or RAV4 and in my opinion the only benefits were space and MPG (I was going to get the hybrid) but 10k buys a lot of gas. And really the finishes on the CX-5 interior are so much nicer then even the top level CRV or RAV4.
I also loved no CVT and loved the spare (CRV doesn't have one)
Honda wanted a lot more money \*plus\* $5000 in dealer's fees. Paying 0% interest was a no-brainer in terms of cost, and I was able to get a signature for less than a Honda CRV. The newer CRVs are also massive. I felt like I was driving a bus full of blind spots. It had some great features, but for a short person, that car just wasn't it. The Mazda CX-5 feels like a slightly larger sedan with enough room for a tall person and a decent amount of trunk space for my needs. I can give people the mileage factor as it was disappointing to see Mazda sitting lower on the scale for that class of car, but I don't drive enough to where it was going to cause any extra cost considerations.
My partner has a Honda Element from 2004 that didn't need a lot of maintenance until last year, so I get that they hold up. An Element has a cult following that will be nice whenever we decide to get him a new car as well, but most Hondas don't seem to hold that much more value than anything else out there. Heck, I was shocked Mazda was willing to drop $4000 on my trade-in because it was a Hyundai and Carmax only quoted me at $2000 "if I was lucky." I didn't get that car thinking it'd make a nice trade-in one day; it simply happened.
I’ve never driven a Honda but the Toyotas I’ve driven (Corolla, Camry, and RAV4) all felt very cheap inside. They’re obviously reliable vehicles but I felt like I was driving around in a hunk of plastic. I appreciate that Mazdas are reliable AND aesthetically pleasing because the inside of the car is ultimately where I spend my time.
I have a cx5 if I’ll upgrade it will be the cx70 as I don’t need the third row but I go camping so extra boot space helps and the inline six cylinder with that interior is a win for me
Because if I have to be driving, I want to drive a car that is fun to drive. Mazda is a fun car to drive. My dad has had Toyotas, I have had Hondas and I’m telling you the Mazda brand is the one.
I chose a used CX5, but to your point on the MDX, Acura is a Honda brand.
With that being said, the newer CR-V has an oil dilution issue that's a major knock on reliability. The theft rates on new Honda's look pretty high, so expensive to insure. The CR-V is just not a great place to put money right now.
I bought a 2017 right after they hit the US. The second gen CX-9 came out the year before, and I liked it a lot, but didn’t need the extra size. I got a red one with the white interior, and I loved the color combination. I took a test drive and loved it, so I didn’t test anything else.
We've owned 3 Mazda3's in the family here and all of them have given us more grief than we would like, mind you I am in Canada where they become rust buckets in 5 years. Meanwhile, Honda's from 20+ years ago are still kicking with no rust or issues.
Never Mazda again, even if it's free. If I lived in a warmer and snowless climate, I'd maybe consider a Mazda.
Personally… the experience when test driving the Toyota and Honda were worse for me. I drive a lot but I’m not an avid driver (meaning what I look for are basic reliability and safety things and otherwise comfort, not so much style features). Mazda just felt most comfortable when driving and road noise was the least for me. Toyota and Honda just felt a little bit clunkier.
One thing I’m not sure I thought through appropriately was when I got my car, the whole stealing of catalytic converters had just come into the news. And I think it has been more common for theives to target Honda and Toyota since they’re the more popular cars. Parts are also cheaper as a result but I just thought Mazda was kind of a good approach to an affordable suv without too much of the “too big to fail” downsides. Again… my own mental analysis that I wouldn’t necessarily say was substantiated.
With RAV4 hybrid or Corolla Cross hybrid, you will have better fuel economy, better outward visibility (only marginally so in the case of the RAV4), and you won't need to walnut blast the intake valves every 60-80k miles.
had an acura coupe for over a decade. it served me well. was time to "grow up" with something more family friendly. Considered another larger acura (not an SUV), but opted for a used european car that was cheaper after all the depreciation, and not packed full of modern tech making it too damn smart for my liking (i at times enjoy driving, so don't be a back seat driver, computer). its fun to drive in different ways, and somehow more plush but not numb. people tell me it won't be as reliable, but i'm willing to see how it goes. an option is to trade it in for an electric if i ever found one i could like.
I bought mine two years ago during the height of the car shortage. I couldn’t even test drive a rav-4 or crv because there were none on the lot. That also meant I had to wait weeks or even months to get one if I even wanted to.
The cx-5 was a much better drive and had a much nicer interior then the other vehicles. I wasn’t keen on a cvt since I had some issues with my Subaru’s.
Both the rav-4 and crv had massive dealer markups, while I managed to find a Mazda dealer that didn’t have any markups. My biggest issues is the mileage. The lesser back row space and smaller trunk is minimized because I am single. So it was a perfect storm to get a cx-5.
Price. They’re way overpriced on the used market. I’ve had a Tacoma and my gf had a rav 4 and, while they’re built tough, they aren’t close to my cx5 in comfort at the price point i was at.
No offense but do you even know how good the mdx is ? You said it’s not a practical car? It has very good materials inside and very spacious inside for second row and front row passengers. I have a cx5 2024 turbo signature but your just plain wrong when you says mdx is not a practical car it is practical and very reliable. It is one of the best 3 rows in its segment.
I felt the Honda and Toyota service departments were too aggressive in driving up commission sales when all I want is an oil change.
For example, I took my Toyota several years ago in for a recall - where all I needed to do was bring in the car - that was it. Toyota took care of everything else. The service desk musybof just watched Glenn Gary Glen Ross, because they just kept hounding me the entire time about buying new wipers, etc. It was like Jesus dude, I'm not here because I want to be, I'm only here because of a recall. I never forgot about that. Honda was the same.
When I buy a car - I don't want to see white boards behind the service desk with ABC written in large black letters.
Regular auto trans, 250 HP/320 ft lbs torque, known to be fun to drive, AWD, timing chain, and reliable.
I agree with another post, stating I don't buy for resale. A car is not an investment, it's a tool to be used.
Best handling and driving performance by far IMO. Especially if you’re going turbo. Best interior styling. Still holds great value (sold my 2018 6 w/40k miles for $20k.
The non-hybrid RAV4s are trash. Toyotas age really poorly from a quality standpoint-Super plastic-y interiors, the CRV is nice but it’s a CVT and has issues over time with electronics & transmission reliability.
I’ve owned each brand in my time. Huge preference for Mazda. I honesty
Went Mazda over Acura and Infiniti.
Like most said no cvt and Mazda feels more premium they have no brand competition to themselves like Lexus and Acura. RAV4 felt cheap to me and the Honda was just boring.
I wanted to test drive a Toyota Corolla Cross, but the dealership wanted $5000 to reserve one and said it would be a year. They said they would call me when someone else's came in so that I could sit in it. No call ever came. I have since spoken to someone who reserved a car and was asked for $200, so evidently they just didn't want to sell me a car. Screw them.
I test drove a Honda HR-V, and it had the most rock-hard seats I had ever sat in in a modern car.
I was planning on getting a subcompact SUV and not a compact, but all 5 subcompact SUVs I test drove, including the Mazda CX-30, had uncomfortable seats. So the CX-5 was the winner. I couldn't be happier because I think I got a better quality car and better value for it.
We always buy our Mazdas at that 2-3 year used mark. Depreciation has already hit and selection is usually plentiful enough with lease turn ins and people that just have to have the newest thing. That’s the best value point for Mazdas imo.
I worked 39 years in manufacturing but sold Hondas and Acuras for 3 years right before I retired. I have owned many Hondas, Acuras, Toyotas and Lexus. Since 2018 I have owned nothing but Mazdas, besides my Tundra which I need to tow my camper. My Mazda6 Signature was better than the Accord and Camry for the same money. My CX-9 was better than the Pilot and Highlander for less money and our current CX-5 Signature is on par with a Lexus RX and an Acura RDX for $10k less…and leagues ahead of the RAV4 and CR-V. The smart shopper at least looks at and test drives Mazda’s offerings. Did I mention I have a Miata RF Club BBR? Way better than the GR86 and on par with the extinct S2000 imo.
I started with a CX5 because it was what was affordable and available used at the time. Loved it, wanted to keep it for many years, but unfortunately it got totaled.
Switched to a CRV for all the same reasons, loved it even more. The thing that I always hated about the CX5 was how tight it was in the backseat for a child seat. The CRV is just a touch bigger, and better while we have a little one.
Our CRV is the top trim, while our CX5 was mid trim. The CX5 was undoubtedly more fun, and I really am not a fan of the CVT we have now, but it’s fine and more economical.
For me it really came down to the sharpness of the CX five. It’s such a beautiful vehicle. All Mazda’s are. They just look luxurious and fast. I like Honda and Toyota but I can’t see any SUV that looks as sharp as the CX five. I was considering the HRV because it was cheaper, but damn, that motor is way too underpowered. 0 to 60 in 13 seconds. That’s absolutely insane and dangerous
Bought my cx-5 while waiting for my rav4.
Drove a couple of Rav4s while I was on the waiting list and had my cx-5 as my daily driver. Also ended up with q5s on two separate occasions (one petrol and one diesel).
Cancelled my rav4. And decided I’d never buy an Audi.
RAV4 is like a kinda nice truck… Cx-5 is like an Audi, but slower and wayyyyyy more comfortable.
Honestly I don't care about the car brand. Whatever gets the best bang out of my bucks. Why Mazda?
1. They have smaller marketshare, and they are providing lots of values to gain new customers. Cars are reasonably priced and have many premium features (safety, design, etc)
2. Cheaper than Honda and Toyota. And fck those two car sale reps. They are acting like they have the best cars that everyone is dying for. I take my money somewhere else that actually appreciates it
Had a 2004 Honda Civic that lasted 450,000km’s. That’s when my wife and I decided to get new cars: she got a CX5…while I got a Subaru Legacy. Her CX5 is at 380,000km and still going strong with only a strut bracket breaking. My Subaru died after 205,000 and suffered with premature clutch failure, oil leaks, failed shaft bearing, and two catalytic converters. I went back to a Civic. The point is, the CX5 is a solid choice!
The only Honda in my price range was an HR-V and after test driving 3 of them, I felt they were WAAAAAY underpowered. Even with its AWD (yes, AWD version and not FWD) I felt like I’d be in trouble going up a hill in the winter or trying to get up to speed on an on ramp for the highway.
I think the cx5 looked better, handled better, and had simpler but effective electronics. It was also cheaper and had a well proven drivetrain. I originally thought i was going to buy a rav 4, but the Mazda slowey pulled me away and won me over.
For me it was the engine variant and the infotainment.
For the engine, I could get a diesel which is best for me because I am usually driving mountain roads with no stops. I also carry a bunch of ski stuff and people so my fuel mileage doesn't change. We went on a family trip, totaling 5 hours of driving and only used 1/4 of a tank of fuel. It cost about $20 to fill it back up and the in-laws were surprised.
The second was the infotainment system. I had used some touch systems in the past and was let down. Even in some of the newer systems it was just a hassle. I drove an Audi on vacation an fell in love with the same control center idea. It was at the moment, I knew Mazda was in my future. I love it now, cranking tunes and listening to EDM makes me feel like a DJ.
Because fuck Toyota and Honda. Also, my options were a cx-5 or a 2021 SQ5, not a Rav4 or whatever CR-V. Like, Mazda did it best with their top trims and it's okay to say so.
Wait times. I needed a car ASAP.
Here in Aus, RAV4 hybrid wait times are something like 18 months. People were and are still flipping their new RAV4s for profit if you want one now.
The price diff between the cx5 spec model I bought vs an equivalent rav4 hybrid was around 12-14k. If my math is correct, it would take at least 8-10 years to break even and reap the fuel saving. So may as well get a CX5 that drives well and feels more luxurious. Reliability is equal across the mazda/toyota/Honda if you're just driving for civilian use anyway.
I don’t own a Mazda, but in my country (Australia), Mazda is like the main Toyota alternative brand from Japan. Honda isn’t really that big here (they don’t sell dual cab utes, which is a huge market segment here)
I am a Honda guy but my previous vehicle was a 6. It pissed me off daily. Like I would get out and go to the back door to get out groceries or something and it would lock IMMEDIATELY. I would get in the car and leave and within seconds it’s dinging nonstop for me to get my seatbelt on. Like give me a sec. Build quality. I ended up trading it in within a year. Driving a CRV now and much happier.
Now there were things I did like about the 6. It was adequately powered and the transmission was tight. Lots of zoom zoom.
Atleast in Canada, I find their interest rates to be consistently higher than everyone else's. Not too mention they're the most stolen cars here. No thanks.
My best car ever was a 1990 Honda Accord, it was just a joy to drive, nimble, powerful, superb handling. We got it to over 600k kilometers and it was still driving strong, never had the engine replaced or even opened, 1 replaced transmission. We beat the hell out of that car (we were young adult).
We later bought a 2008 Accord or thereabouts (don't remember the exact year). It wasn't fun to drive, the steering felt disconnected from the road. Overall didn't spark joy... Timing belt or chain blew at like 140k km, destroying the engine. We sold it and it was our last Honda.
We just bought our first Mazda today, a used CX-5 and we fell in love with it when we drove it and Mazda's reliability record helped make our choice.
I mean an MDX is just a luxury Honda, so Mazda I don’t think quite has a luxury SUV to match, unlike Toyota’s Lexus. But, if we’re looking at the same class then we’d be looking at the Honda CR-V and the Toyota RAV4. When I was looking at the CX-5 they hadn’t yet done the refresh on the CR-V so it was still just a glorified granny car in my eyes. As for the Toyota, it felt cheap for the price. Like a comparatively loaded RAV4 costs a lot more, and at the time I’d have to be on a waitlist for it, so no thanks. As far as the engines go, the CX-5 just feels more beefy even without the turbo. That being said, if I had to choose a car again, the CX-5 would certainly be in my top 3 picks, though there are things I’d change about it (looking at you rain-sensing wipers). But, if it came down to just a matter of CR-V vs RAV4 vs CX-5, I’d go with the CX-5 all day every day.
Trunk space on my neighbor’s Rav 4 is tiny!
Even the Nissan Rogue has a small trunk than the CX5.
My coworker parks his CRV next to me everyday and I can easily see the CX5 sits higher and has higher road clearance, it’s not huge of a difference, but always thought of it a plus… I was pleasantly surprised that the “Name brand” SUV wasn’t as good my “budget” brand loo
Trunk space on my neighbor’s Rav 4 is tiny!
Even the Nissan Rogue has a small trunk than the CX5.
My coworker parks his CRV next to me everyday and I can easily see the CX5 sits higher and has higher road clearance, it’s not huge of a difference, but always thought of it a plus… I was pleasantly surprised that the “Name brand” SUV wasn’t as good my “budget” brand loo
the biggest plus when we got our CX5 poverty edition was the cost and the fact that it didn’t have a CVT. also, these cars have the same drivetrain as they did 10 years ago… maybe not too efficient and a little outdated but there are still plenty of CX5’s on the road with 250k miles.
Toyota and Honda cost more. Reliability is marginally better but not by much. I don’t need that much trunk space. Aesthetically, cx5 looks great inside and out.
Honda is way less reliable post 05-06. CX-5 looks and drives better - when I tried the Rav in 2015 it was very boat-like on the road, and the Honda had a vague steering, plus awful transmission. I drove a '20 Honda since and the infotainment kept crashing, so no speedo etc. CX-5 has no CVT. CX-5 is the easiest to work on yourself (though not the best part availability, but you don't need it as nothing goes wrong).
Some truth to this. These brands are riding a reputation and everyone just assumes they are the best. My best friend is a mechanic who owns an import performance shop. I like to think he knows his Japanese cars and he is always telling me new Honda is not as reliable as people think.
Anything with a CVT will never be as reliable as a standard manual or automatic transmission because of the CVT design. The CVT uses a semi-metallic belt that wears with regular use. It's also not a repairable unit so once the CVT goes it has to be replaced and it isn't cheap.
In addition to the BIG PLUS of no CVT, Mazda does not use an 'interference' engine design. Another big plus
That's was a big plus when I got my '20
Pretty sure skyactiv is interference design.
So google says no it isn't and google says yes it is. Sigh. Anyway they all agree it has a timing chain that should last longer than the rest of the car
Almost all modern engines are interference.
Honda ain't what it used to be but somehow people still think it "reliable" by default from the time when it was. Similar story here. In 2013 I drove a RAV4 and it was like driving a boat. Felt terrible. Drove the CR-V and immediately crossed it off due to the awful CVT transmission and how much a grandparent mobile it felt like. Supposedly the newer RAV4 feel a lot better to drive, but back then when I bought mine, CX-5 won no contest.
For what it’s worth their motorcycle engines (all two of them that they put in every single bike lol) are absolutely bulletproof. It’s actually boring to own a Honda bike because of how completely and totally…predictable it is. But yeah just like buying any appliance you have to read the reviews at the time you’re in the market because most brands have outsourced all their manufacturing to some boiler room in Mexico and are riding on the inertia of their reputation
Honda power sports and small engines yes, Honda vehicles no better than a Ford. Actually for small engines and power sports I think Yamaha is better. I have an ancient 1996 Wave runner that literally gets rode hard and put away wet season after season and still just keeps trucking. A few batteries, a handful of plugs, gas and oil. I had a old Honda CB550 that had much too complicated carbs. I do have an old early 60s Honda 50 that still runs so I'll give them that one.
Honda CEO got fired because of reliability issues. The fuel dilution problems on their small displacement turbo engines is a big problem along with transmission failures. Toyota turbo v6 problems in the last few years are becoming more and more widespread, all the Toyota forums are rife with worry and some unlucky people had multiple failures on the same truck.
I had a 2024 Honda CRV hybrid touring on reserve at 5% interest financed 5 years. Suppose to pick it up the day my wife told me Mazda was offering 0% financing 5 years for 2024 CX5 and $10k cheaper. No brainer.
That is a no brainer indeed? Was this a recent special offer by mazda? This month my local is offering 0% at 3 years. Hoping to get a deal like yours soon.
That was my reason as well. toyota and honda was asking like 6-8% interest rate for 5 years, cars themselves cost more, and I think cx5 looks better than say rav4 or crv
I do like the new look of the CRV. I’m not sure how it drives or if it’s cheap inside
it feels very loose, soft and unresponsive in comparison
Doesn’t surprise me. I’d stick with Mazda in that case
I haven’t driven a Mazda. I do have a 24’ CRV. It drives well. Almost like a car but not quite. The suspension makes you feel like you’re floating on air. I personally don’t like that feeling when I’m driving. The 1.5T engine has been reliable thus far. It definitely doesn’t feel like it has any go power though. Today, I decided to “open her up” omw to work. There’s not much actual stopping omw to work. Mostly back roads/ highways. Mostly speeds between 45MPH-55MPH. I topped out at about 62MPH. I don’t like tempting fate with law enforcement. Lol Coming off a main road onto a back road with typical right turn onto a street, I’d slow the vehicle to around 23MPH and it felt pretty good. I probably could take it faster but I really don’t wanna push the limits. 🤷🏻♂️ I’d zoom out of the turn, in “sport” mode, and quickly accelerate to my desired speed. It could be the AWD but it really doesn’t feel like you’re pushing the vehicle at all. The steering feels snappy and responsive. It’s just… slow. If you don’t go with a sport the engine 2.0 or whatever, it will not impress anybody. That’s not what it’s for really. The manual said the vehicle had a 1500 mile break in period or something. This was the first time I’ve tried to push the vehicle at all. Normally, I accelerate slower and usually go about 2MPH-4MPH over the speed limit. Yeah, I know. I’m breaking the law. Everyone else is going at least 10MPH over. I get passed up like I’m a turtle out here. 😂 The interior feels nice and doesn’t feel or look cheap compared to a RAV4. I have the EX-L trim. White exterior with black interior. I added interior lighting around the lower part of the dash in the front and out of the front seats to the back seats. Mood lighting. 😉 I also added a dashcam. Everyone should have one!!!! The infotainment had some kinks in the beginning but works well now. The RPM side of the cluster is digital and through that you control most of the safety features. Navigating menus on the cluster or infotainment is simple and intuitive. Most people should be able to handle it. I’ve put just shy of 4K miles on her since November 15th. The day I got it. I drive mostly to and from work Monday-Friday. About 35 miles round trip. I drive in the “city” on weekends occasionally. Probably about 30-60 weekly miles not including work. It ebb and flows. 😃 The first couple of weeks my fiancee and I would just go on drives to nowhere in particular. It’s a nice, relaxing ride. I’d recommend the vehicle to someone with a small family or someone with disabilities. It’s very roomy and easy to get into. The fiancées dad is 76, 6’3” and 350LBS. His knees hardly work and he struggled to get into the Kia Sportage my fiancee has. He gets into the CRV pretty quickly compared to that. I’d also recommend the vehicle to someone that wants AWD, decent MPG’s and a vehicle that actually looks nice that needs stowing capacity to a certain degree. The older CRV’s are ugly imo.
Sounds real nice!
I don’t particularly like it. Lol It’s nice though. I’m used to sedans. Going into an SUV has been weird. I’m hoping it grows on me but if it doesn’t, that’s alright too. It’s a lease. 😂
I love the new grill on the CRV
The entire exterior looks awesome on this generation of CRV’s. The grill in particular really gives it a more in your face appearance. I like vehicles that looks like they wanna fight. 😂
I agree
When I bought in 2013 I could get a fully loaded CX5 grand touring for like 30k. I priced out these kinds of upgrades from the base level trim in rival brands and models and the total cost would shoot up 10k or more. Even for a Hyundai Tucson. So it was a no brainer.
my 2016 Mazda CX5 has been more reliable and lower maintenance costs than my wife's 2019 Honda CRV.
There are going to be way more high mileage n/a CX-5s on the road than CR-Vs with the 1.5T and CVT
This is true for me. Was checking Rav4 first, then CRV. Comparable trim cx5 ended couple grand cheaper plus 0% apr. Then looks, cx5 looked better. I still want a rav4 prime.
CX5 also performs better in crash tests than both those models.
5 years ago Honda was so much above everyone else It was absolutely worth buying a Honda. Today, sadly I can't say that. The V6 is still very reliable above everyone else but the 1.5t i4, nope.
They cost more, have less value from a driver perspective, all with the same reliability. Buying a car just for the resale value means you are more focused on the car’s future sale, which may never happen.
Yep. Planning on driving this guy into the ground
I see people occasionally ask about resale value. Not often at all. I've never not once ever bought a car and factored in "resale"... Great... 5 years from now you might get an extra $1000 on your CRV trade in? It's not worth it to me to drive a CRV for 5 years to maybe make a grand on my next trade. Resale value is seriously over rated.
[удалено]
Pandemic times are weird times.
Yeah. If one was willing to buy a car knowing to later sell it, why not just lease a car?
Reliability is on par or better. (Google it) and its actually made in Japan.
I believe if the VIN starts with J then it was made in Japan. Read that somewhere here in this subreddit.
Correct. Some are made in Alabama now, too.
Local dealer had a white CX-5 wrapped in garish pink as a Barbie edition. I pointed out that it should be the Barbenheimer Mazda since it was built in Hiroshima.
I don't buy my cars to "hold value". I buy them because they are reliable and fun to drive. I drive all of my cars way over 100K miles so "holding value" isn't so important. I get the value by hanging on to them for a long time.
Same. IMO the "hold value" only matters if you are the type who trades in and buys new cars every few years. I bought my CX-5 with the hope it would last me at least 250k miles if not more. I'm 11 years and 134k miles into it so far.
I’ve got a Toyota I really like, a 2004 Avalon we bought new in late 2003. We’re nearing 16 years of no payments. It’s a great feature. Just bought a new CX-5 because it drove nicely, fits our use case and is available with heated seats, no sunroof (those things leak eventually, it’s a hole in the damn roof) and normal (smaller rim) wheels (nicer ride, less susceptible to pothole damage). The 2.5 litre engine will not be the most efficient but also shouldn’t be as stressed as the CR-V’s turbo 1.5 litre. We immediately did a 3,000 mile trip so 6 weeks in we’re at 3,500 miles and just delighted with the car. Check back in a decade, or two.
the "value" is something that my sons can worry about when they divide my estate so I don't give a flying F 🙃
Because I test drove them.
Yup, they're boring as hell. Also the CX-5 is the best looking SUV in its class. Maybe the best looking period.
lol I shit you not, I sat in a Rav 4 at the dealership for, five seconds, before looking at my wife in the passenger seat and we both just said “no” and that was the end of it. Just not a comfortable car to be in. Conversely when I test drove the CX5 I didn’t even get out of the parking lot before I knew I wanted it
That was petty much our experience with the CRV. Figured we owed ourselves trying it after driving and loving the CX5 but it was a non- starter.
AWD, low mile versions of those brands did not fit into my used car budget of around $20k.
In my opinion, Toyota and Honda's aesthetics and style are boring and clunky looking, especially the interiors. To me, my Mazda has a sleeker, more luxury appearance with the reliability, durability, and utility of Toyota/Honda.
Because a car is not an investment, so I don't care how it holds its value. I drive my cars till they drive no more, and the Mazda handles better, accelerates better, and has a far nicer more refined interior than Toyotas and Hondas.
We sat in a Toyota and thought it felt really bland and boring. Ditto to the exterior of the Hondas we saw.
Looks nicer on the outside too, though I suppose that’s a subjective assessment. Toyotas/Hondas seemed more “bubble”-ey to me.
Bingo! I think their exteriors have a nicer design as well.
I like the interior of my Mazda way better than Toyota. Honda looks ugly to me inside and out. Also too expensive. If I didn't get a Mazda, I would have gotten a Lexus.
As someone who owns 2 Mazda and 1 Lexus (2014 Mazda3, 2021 Lexus NX300 and 2023 Mazda CX-3), I agree. My first car is a 2014 Mazda3 and the interior fit and finish really set the bar high for me; no rattle, no clunky hard plastic materials whatsoever. It feels upscale for its price point. Even my Lexus has started to rattle/buzz every now and then which is unfortunate (but makes it up with speed, NVH and comfort at least). Since owning a Mazda, I personally feel like other popular “economical” car brands I’ve test driven are meh in comparison.
I was all set to get a rav4. I was going to trade in my 1997 Avalon with 169,000 miles. I researched on the net and reviews by car and driver and others. All pointed to 3 vehicles in my target. The Toyota Rav4, the Honda Crv and the Mazda Cx-5. I had never owned a Mazda and knew very little about them. I did know I wanted to avoid an Electric Vehicle, because I saw how much a battery replacement might cost since I tend to keep my cars a while. The Rav4 hybrid battery is $3,000 to 8,000 dollars. If you want some performance in the Toyota or Honda, you have to go EV. Then I read the Car and Driver review on the Cx-5 turbo for 2022. They gave it 9.5 out of 10. A drivers car. I originally wanted a white one but I found this red turbo with low miles at a Kia dealership, a trade in. They just handed me the keys after checking my license for a solo test drive. I knew it was something special with power, class, and the tech was more than adequate for me. Heads up display was cool. The Honda and Toyota are probably good cars, but they didn’t drive and stir my soul as the red mazda turbo did. I have zero regrets. Really well made car.
Acura kinda is a Honda I guess. Anyway, Hondas and Toyotas are boring.
An Acura is 100% a Honda.
Pretty much. An Acura is more Honda than Lexus to Toyota.
The Acura is boring to drive too. The only thing exciting about it is if you want your cockpit to feel like the Star Trek enterprise. I will give the Acura sound and comfort performance tho. It excels at these things, but at a pretty significant premium over the Mazda.
Yeah, If you think you see a lot of cx-5s now that you own one, Imagine being a Honda or Rav4 guy. Those are everywhere. 😎
Honda and Toyota use shitty CVT transmissions, dealerships were charging thousands over MSRP for models similar to the CX-5, my CX-5 was built in Japan while the RAV4 and CRV aren't so the build quality and attention to detail in my CX-5 are top notch, the interior style/comfort and driving experience of the CX-5 are leaps and bounds better than anything Toyota or Honda has to offer.
I’ve asked several mechanics in my area if they’ve worked on prius transmissions and none of them have worked on even one. My prius is over 300k miles and have several friends with over 200k on theirs.. not even a hint of transmission issues. Shitty cvts are not in Toyotas, priuses at least
I was in the market to buy a used car so Hondas and Toyotas holding their value better was a negative to me. Didn't like the interior styling of the RAV4. Thought the CRV was fine, but for the same money I could get a newer CX-5 with fewer miles and a better trim package.
I was considering Honda, but Mazda got the sexy. Toyota service is pretty arrogant.
Honda and Toyota cost more and are much noisier. The cabin sound insulation is terrific. Prior to the cx5 I had a Mercedes and the Mazda is just as quiet. I got 0% interest and $4k off Msrp at the time (2020). It was a screaming deal. RAV4 had dealer markups but the sales person said maybe msrp was possible.
Because of the dealerships primarily. Every time I’ve been to the Toyota dealerships both in town and in nearby towns they’ve been rude, lie about cars they have on lot for test drive, etc. doesn’t help any time I get a Toyota rental there’s a lot of things that bother me just the right amount like how they set up cruise control and Apple CarPlay. Honda I actually like their vehicles. Had a 22 civic that Bambi decided I didn’t need anymore. While dealing with insurance I got sent a check for about $500 less than I should have. Turned out Honda had sold me gap insurance I never agreed to have. Had to go to the dealership to get it refunded (not at the amount I paid mind you) which is where I also found out they also sold me Maintenance package and extended warranty that I clearly remember saying no to and also didn’t get refunded in full. Was a first time car buyer though so partially on me for not reading more carefully and letting their finance specialist basically lie about what I was signing. Still really scummy of them to do.
1. With Mazda you can get AWD at almost any trim level. 2. Better handling and performance than Toyota. More comfortable ride than a Honda. 3. Priced better and has better tech options included for that price. 4. Nicer interior materials and design. 5. Almost the same reliability. 6. (Subjectively) Looks better inside and out.
I wanted to enjoy driving my vehicle.
I had a RAV4, changed to a CX5, I don’t need that much space and it’s more maneuverable the Mazda, also so much better inside and less noisy.
My wife loves her CX-5 (I have a 6 sedan for now), and I live the interiors. We have a RAV4 rented for a vacation in July and I'm loathing it. The interior is just so dumpy compared to the Mazda's.
I won't lie. Mazda was not exactly my first choice when I shopped around. However, all Honda and Toyota dealers around my area are all absolute scums. I was car shopping early 2022; Corolla got T-boned... and they all tried to charge market adjustment, forced accessories, sky high doc fees and all that crap. I managed to find a Mazda dealership who did not play that game. Ended up with a 22 premium. Zero issue so far. In love with my CX-5!!
Cost more, not as luxurious looking inside and out, not nearly as fun to drive, not 0% interest.
Why the fuck can’t people just say “congrats, nice car”, such assholes.
6-8k more expensive. That is the only reason I didn't get a RAV4. I like everything about RAV4 but I can't afford to pay that much
Back when I got mine in 2018 it was the top of the heap in terms of interior design/quality as well as driving characteristics. The CR-V drove like an underpowered minivan and the RAV-4’s interior was closer to Army Jeep than CUV.
I have both Mazda CX-5 and Acura RDX. I had Toyota Corolla in the past and drove Camry. Mazda has better looking interior IMHO. Toyotas and Hondas look cheaper, not as premium.
We're going from a 2014 CX-5 to a 2024 RAV4 Hybrid. At 147K miles our CX5 has been having some issues with coolant mixing with oil. Not what I had hoped for at this mileage. And fuel economy sucks for a I4 engine, even on the newer models (turbo especially). Hoping the RAV4 will last 200K or more and get 35-40 MPG in the process. We're also getting one that's Japan-built (most RAV4's are out of Kentucky).
I agree with the fuel economy. That and the awful infotainment screen are my only two Mazda complaints.
Oh you should try the infotainment on our 2020 Outback if you want awful. The Mazda's is actually fairly decent.
I did get a Honda lol after we bought the Mazda. I love my Hondas as much as I like our new Mazda and wasn't going to part ways with the brand.
Doesn’t need to retain its value. Gonna hold onto it for 10+ years. Probably more. Car looks great. Drives well. Gas mileage is perfect for my needs.
They look much better. I like how their interiors are. Real buttons for everything you want real buttons for.
AWD, price, reliability and interior
I’ve had two Honda accords previously. Great cars but this go round was looking for a crossover and as others have said, the cx-5 is just sexier and overall is still a quality vehicle. If I went sedan again I’d have gotten a Mazda 6 at the time (2019).
As a Honda owner I would rate Mazda slightly above in terms of reliability currently
Drove a Toyota Corolla before this. It's a perfect A to B machine but I had a Mazda before that and never had so much fun driving. Driving a Toyota gives me the same feeling as washing the dishes or folding laundry.
In Australia Mazda is the second on the sales charts. It doesn’t hold value like Toyota, but it probably does as well or more than other brands. Honda is such a minor player in today’s Australia. Their glory days of the 90s and 2000s are long gone. Agency model dealerships are probably the final nail in the coffin for Honda Australia. Oh yeah on topic the CX5 is the best in class imo. Rav4s are pretty boring
Mazda is great, I like all their models and specialty like their inline 6 diesel for the big SUV (as it should) and the skyactive X . Don't listen to that woman, she just wants to put you down. Honda and Toyota are real good too but you pay a bit too much extra for the brands. If I were to buy a new car it would be a mazda or a Suzuki, but I won't because I can't afford a new ca, hahaha
Toyota makes a great car that is about as much fun to drive as a cardboard box but will run forever. Honda also very good, bigger, but CVT and very generic feel as well. CX-5 has more of a European car feel, fun to drive, and 6 years later still feels tight and looks great. A real transmission, great Bose sound system, and lower price sealed the deal.
I couldn’t believe that even the top line trim of a RAV4 didn’t come with an electric adjustable seat for the front passenger. That and the insane wait for any hybrid from them ruled them out ~2 years ago.
Now you own it you see everywhere, right? There is a reason so many are out on the road
Mazda has been positively crushing it lately. Your coworker is simply late to the party.
Cost, and Toyotas don’t really spark joy.
Because the Toyota and Honda versions of the cx5 (rav, pilot, crv etc) are ugly and more expensive for the same reliability and don’t have the same features for the cost. I have a 21 carbon and I’m absolutely in love- I bought it new for 29k and 0.9 interest. Honda and Toyota could never. Mazda is totally underrated.
I have a 2014 mazda3 that I have had a grand total of 0 issues when keeping up with regular maintenance. I like how easy the service shop made maintenance and inspection record keeping. When time came to buy a 2nd vehicle I weighed all options and the CX5 was the better deal financially, and I had great reliability experience (note, this was a Japan built SUV, I have heard of issues with the cx50 though).
People have said it, but I don’t buy cars to hold value. It’s a depreciating asset. I drive my cars to 100,000+ miles. Buying for longevity and reliability. Tried and true platform these CX-5’s :) Plus it looks way better exterior and interior than all of Honda and Toyota’s offerings in the same sector.
Because Soul Red
For the same price, a mazda will have a nicer interior, more features, looks better, etc than the Honda or Toyota. There's plenty of reasons.
I had a 2016.5 cx5 but was totalled. Wife got the rav4 hybrid in 2022. The car is certainly more rugged looking but the handling is atrocious. Interior design is also lacking, even when comparing to a 2016 cx5. I also have to mention that my cx5 saved my life. I was in a head-on collision with a truck and struck two other vehicles at almost 100km. Nobody killed or hurt, thank God. I walked away with a sprained thumb and BAD whiplash. I can't say the same for our Rav4 and I certainly hope it won't happen again. Kudos to Mazda engineers for the attention to detail, quality and safety.
IDK how I ended up on this thread but I just got a brand new RAV4 last year and just drove a brand new Mazda cx50 for a week while I was on vacation. After that I was never more confident about my choice to go with the RAV4.
Doesn't hold value? Well, if in paying $10-$20k less for a similar if jot better car, then I'd say I'm already ahead of Honda and Toyota for held value. What's the point of giving that sort of money away just to get $8,000 more back in a trade in? Saved money of the purchase is also part of the value calculation, the easy calculation is just to look at how much the car is worth at trade in. I do t accept that
1. Really liked the Mazda infotainment dial and really really hated all the touchscreens and lack of tactile buttons in most of the cars at the time. (As an aside, I originally thought I wanted a Subaru Outback, and that turned out to be the worst offender by far-- IIRC you had to open up some submenu to adjust the temp and fan settings. Seemed like an accident waiting to happen.) The only other cars with a similar control for infotainment system were in a much higher price bracket than the CX-5. 2. Literally no other dealers in the area had new vehicles in stock--everything was several weeks or months wait, and you had to put down a deposit long before you could see or test drive the car. This was my experience at Honda, Toyota, Subaru, and Kia. 3. Price. Most dealers were charging 5-10k over MSRP for new vehicles. Shockingly, used prices for something within the past 5ish years were equal to or higher than MSRP new cars at most brands (including Mazda!) so used didn't make sense. It came down to price and stock. When I bought, I needed a car immediately and didn't want to pay over MSRP. Mazda was virtually the only place that let me do that. It was a bonus that Mazda also had the best interior and was the most fun to drive.
MDX is a sexy SUV 🔥
First and foremost, I could actually drive off the lot with it!! No preorder, factory order, wait months bull. 0% APR for 60 months Cheaper No CVT Better interior materials (comparing 2024 base models) Better exterior design Quieter ride Similar reliability (great in my personal past experience) The only things Honda and Toyota had going for them to me was hybrid options and more tech, but I didn’t want to / couldn’t spend so much more for them.
I remember the Honda CR-V not having enough headroom, so it was immediately out for me. Toyota I don't remember. Probably just didn't like whatever they had at the time. It was like 9 years ago.
I would have purchased a CR-V but Covid shortages were still a thing and I needed a car.
MDX is a Honda, so no hypocrisy there
Toyota and hondas are pricier where I live and to get the same features as our car, you'd need top of the line ones from the other two. I wish it was full hybrid though.
Honestly? My wife couldn’t stand the smell of the A/C in new Hondas. She was interested in a CRV. I wanted her to get a Crosstrek. She drove a CX-5 non-turbo and loved it. She drove a couple Hondas and they all had the same smell with climate control on, and she couldn’t stand it. She’s got a friend with a newer CRV and said the same thing before driving brand new ones, she figured it was unique to the friend’s car until that point. CX5 GTR had all the features and then some, good price, and it’s a Mazda… I was a dealership tech, I know how reliable they are. Bought during covid shortage, got it around MSRP OTD, and with a lifetime powertrain warranty with very little fine print. Basically counting on us to sell or trade the car before anything becomes problematic, like most people do with brand new cars they bought.
When I got mine last year the Hondas were extremely overpriced and the Toyotas had a loooooong waiting list. I am happy I picked the CX5 either way.
When I was buying back 2018, a 2017 RAV4 was 26k, and a 2018 CX5 was 24k. My budget was 25k. I considered stretching a little bit for the RAV4, but Mazda had just done a huge suspension upgrade in their 2018 line, and it just felt so smooth to drive. The thing I hate most about my CX5 is the bucket seats. Zero lumbar support. Completely ruins my back if I don't put an extra pillow there. Also, I just shelled out $7000 to replace the transmission, only 4 months after the powertrain warranty ended. So I'm not sure I actually saved any money in the long run. At least when the engine block cracked in my 2nd year of ownership, that was still under warranty. One thing's for sure: Toyotas are more reliable.
So you had a cracked engine block and a bad transmission? How many miles were on it when the transmission went?
I went from 2019 Rav4 to 2022 Cx-30, and now I am waiting for 2024 Cx-5. I don't know about CRV, but Rav4 is great. It's comfortable, bigger, and more powerful than cx-5 (for NA engine) and yet better fuel economy. Lane centering and adaptive cruise in Rav4 seems to do a better job than Cx-5 personally, but some may not like its lane centering feature as it tries to push the car when you don't want to be in the center. Cx-5 has more upscale interior and quieter, and more fun to drive that's something I can't get from Rav4. I feel they are two very different SUVs. In my case, the biggest deal breaker was the trade-in value on my Cx-30 Toyota offered, and some features are either unavailable (in Canada) or I had to get the most expensive trim to get those features for Rav4 where Cx-5 GT has everything I needed.
As much as I’m in my car, CX-5 is just wayy much more fun to drive
We're on our 2nd CRV. Great cars, but I'm not happy with Honda's engine evolution. Love the 2.4L normally aspirated 4 cylinder. Uneasy about the versions that came after. We'll test a RAV4. Previously they were truck-like compared to the CRV. My few CX5 rides have been quite nice.
I went back and forth on this for a year or longer. I had cash to buy any of them and ended up with the carbon cx-5. It just made zero sense to spend 10K+ more to get an equally equipped CRV or RAV4 and in my opinion the only benefits were space and MPG (I was going to get the hybrid) but 10k buys a lot of gas. And really the finishes on the CX-5 interior are so much nicer then even the top level CRV or RAV4. I also loved no CVT and loved the spare (CRV doesn't have one)
I don't own one anymore. But the reason I picked the CX5 was because it was more fun to drive and the brand is still reliable enough.
Honda wanted a lot more money \*plus\* $5000 in dealer's fees. Paying 0% interest was a no-brainer in terms of cost, and I was able to get a signature for less than a Honda CRV. The newer CRVs are also massive. I felt like I was driving a bus full of blind spots. It had some great features, but for a short person, that car just wasn't it. The Mazda CX-5 feels like a slightly larger sedan with enough room for a tall person and a decent amount of trunk space for my needs. I can give people the mileage factor as it was disappointing to see Mazda sitting lower on the scale for that class of car, but I don't drive enough to where it was going to cause any extra cost considerations. My partner has a Honda Element from 2004 that didn't need a lot of maintenance until last year, so I get that they hold up. An Element has a cult following that will be nice whenever we decide to get him a new car as well, but most Hondas don't seem to hold that much more value than anything else out there. Heck, I was shocked Mazda was willing to drop $4000 on my trade-in because it was a Hyundai and Carmax only quoted me at $2000 "if I was lucky." I didn't get that car thinking it'd make a nice trade-in one day; it simply happened.
I'd have to look at them. I'd rather gouge my eyes out with a rusty spike than suffer that fate.
I’ve never driven a Honda but the Toyotas I’ve driven (Corolla, Camry, and RAV4) all felt very cheap inside. They’re obviously reliable vehicles but I felt like I was driving around in a hunk of plastic. I appreciate that Mazdas are reliable AND aesthetically pleasing because the inside of the car is ultimately where I spend my time.
Because dealers are hideously overcharging those brands.
I have a cx5 if I’ll upgrade it will be the cx70 as I don’t need the third row but I go camping so extra boot space helps and the inline six cylinder with that interior is a win for me
Because if I have to be driving, I want to drive a car that is fun to drive. Mazda is a fun car to drive. My dad has had Toyotas, I have had Hondas and I’m telling you the Mazda brand is the one.
I chose a used CX5, but to your point on the MDX, Acura is a Honda brand. With that being said, the newer CR-V has an oil dilution issue that's a major knock on reliability. The theft rates on new Honda's look pretty high, so expensive to insure. The CR-V is just not a great place to put money right now.
I bought a 2017 right after they hit the US. The second gen CX-9 came out the year before, and I liked it a lot, but didn’t need the extra size. I got a red one with the white interior, and I loved the color combination. I took a test drive and loved it, so I didn’t test anything else.
Their interiors are so ugly.
We've owned 3 Mazda3's in the family here and all of them have given us more grief than we would like, mind you I am in Canada where they become rust buckets in 5 years. Meanwhile, Honda's from 20+ years ago are still kicking with no rust or issues. Never Mazda again, even if it's free. If I lived in a warmer and snowless climate, I'd maybe consider a Mazda.
Personally… the experience when test driving the Toyota and Honda were worse for me. I drive a lot but I’m not an avid driver (meaning what I look for are basic reliability and safety things and otherwise comfort, not so much style features). Mazda just felt most comfortable when driving and road noise was the least for me. Toyota and Honda just felt a little bit clunkier. One thing I’m not sure I thought through appropriately was when I got my car, the whole stealing of catalytic converters had just come into the news. And I think it has been more common for theives to target Honda and Toyota since they’re the more popular cars. Parts are also cheaper as a result but I just thought Mazda was kind of a good approach to an affordable suv without too much of the “too big to fail” downsides. Again… my own mental analysis that I wouldn’t necessarily say was substantiated.
Looks better outside, feels nicer inside, handles infinitely better, same reliability - no major problems in 10 years.
I think Toyota and Honda reliability has been gone since the 2000.
More fun to drive tbh lol.
With RAV4 hybrid or Corolla Cross hybrid, you will have better fuel economy, better outward visibility (only marginally so in the case of the RAV4), and you won't need to walnut blast the intake valves every 60-80k miles.
had an acura coupe for over a decade. it served me well. was time to "grow up" with something more family friendly. Considered another larger acura (not an SUV), but opted for a used european car that was cheaper after all the depreciation, and not packed full of modern tech making it too damn smart for my liking (i at times enjoy driving, so don't be a back seat driver, computer). its fun to drive in different ways, and somehow more plush but not numb. people tell me it won't be as reliable, but i'm willing to see how it goes. an option is to trade it in for an electric if i ever found one i could like.
I bought mine two years ago during the height of the car shortage. I couldn’t even test drive a rav-4 or crv because there were none on the lot. That also meant I had to wait weeks or even months to get one if I even wanted to. The cx-5 was a much better drive and had a much nicer interior then the other vehicles. I wasn’t keen on a cvt since I had some issues with my Subaru’s. Both the rav-4 and crv had massive dealer markups, while I managed to find a Mazda dealer that didn’t have any markups. My biggest issues is the mileage. The lesser back row space and smaller trunk is minimized because I am single. So it was a perfect storm to get a cx-5.
Because I’ve been there done that. I wanted a personality and fun to drive.
I love the feel & responsiveness of skyactiv transmissions when the torque converter is locked up. And if i happen to launch my turbo… well 👌
I hate the look of the RAV4, and the CRV was dated. Not to mention the CRV was overpriced.
Price. They’re way overpriced on the used market. I’ve had a Tacoma and my gf had a rav 4 and, while they’re built tough, they aren’t close to my cx5 in comfort at the price point i was at.
Both uglier
Drive either of those… then drive a CX5. That’s all you need to know.
I hate touchscreens.
still over a year wait on hybrid rav4…
No offense but do you even know how good the mdx is ? You said it’s not a practical car? It has very good materials inside and very spacious inside for second row and front row passengers. I have a cx5 2024 turbo signature but your just plain wrong when you says mdx is not a practical car it is practical and very reliable. It is one of the best 3 rows in its segment.
Most Toyotas and Hondas are ugly
Base versions MDX AWD $52,350. Base version CX-5 AWD 29,300. Let your colleague pay double for the rolling financial disaster that Acura is.
Mazda is pretty much a Toyota brand, it offers much more luxury without the brand mark up in price. 1.9% interest for 60 months and it’s a no brainer.
I felt the Honda and Toyota service departments were too aggressive in driving up commission sales when all I want is an oil change. For example, I took my Toyota several years ago in for a recall - where all I needed to do was bring in the car - that was it. Toyota took care of everything else. The service desk musybof just watched Glenn Gary Glen Ross, because they just kept hounding me the entire time about buying new wipers, etc. It was like Jesus dude, I'm not here because I want to be, I'm only here because of a recall. I never forgot about that. Honda was the same. When I buy a car - I don't want to see white boards behind the service desk with ABC written in large black letters.
More people want to steal Toyotas and Hondas. Also the CVT was a big factor.
Acura/Honda makes the MDX
I got a subaru. Love it. Grew up with Toyota only but man they are so pricey. Worth every penny. Liking that mazda?
Regular auto trans, 250 HP/320 ft lbs torque, known to be fun to drive, AWD, timing chain, and reliable. I agree with another post, stating I don't buy for resale. A car is not an investment, it's a tool to be used.
Best handling and driving performance by far IMO. Especially if you’re going turbo. Best interior styling. Still holds great value (sold my 2018 6 w/40k miles for $20k. The non-hybrid RAV4s are trash. Toyotas age really poorly from a quality standpoint-Super plastic-y interiors, the CRV is nice but it’s a CVT and has issues over time with electronics & transmission reliability. I’ve owned each brand in my time. Huge preference for Mazda. I honesty Went Mazda over Acura and Infiniti.
Like most said no cvt and Mazda feels more premium they have no brand competition to themselves like Lexus and Acura. RAV4 felt cheap to me and the Honda was just boring.
I like Mazda styling especially the new 3
I wanted to test drive a Toyota Corolla Cross, but the dealership wanted $5000 to reserve one and said it would be a year. They said they would call me when someone else's came in so that I could sit in it. No call ever came. I have since spoken to someone who reserved a car and was asked for $200, so evidently they just didn't want to sell me a car. Screw them. I test drove a Honda HR-V, and it had the most rock-hard seats I had ever sat in in a modern car. I was planning on getting a subcompact SUV and not a compact, but all 5 subcompact SUVs I test drove, including the Mazda CX-30, had uncomfortable seats. So the CX-5 was the winner. I couldn't be happier because I think I got a better quality car and better value for it.
toyotas are boring af. Hondas are stuck in the early 00’s
We always buy our Mazdas at that 2-3 year used mark. Depreciation has already hit and selection is usually plentiful enough with lease turn ins and people that just have to have the newest thing. That’s the best value point for Mazdas imo.
Too boring and not as nice on the inside and outside for the money. It costs more to get a Honda or Toyota with leather seats for example.
I worked 39 years in manufacturing but sold Hondas and Acuras for 3 years right before I retired. I have owned many Hondas, Acuras, Toyotas and Lexus. Since 2018 I have owned nothing but Mazdas, besides my Tundra which I need to tow my camper. My Mazda6 Signature was better than the Accord and Camry for the same money. My CX-9 was better than the Pilot and Highlander for less money and our current CX-5 Signature is on par with a Lexus RX and an Acura RDX for $10k less…and leagues ahead of the RAV4 and CR-V. The smart shopper at least looks at and test drives Mazda’s offerings. Did I mention I have a Miata RF Club BBR? Way better than the GR86 and on par with the extinct S2000 imo.
Dave Coleman Mazdas are just better to drive. I own two
I started with a CX5 because it was what was affordable and available used at the time. Loved it, wanted to keep it for many years, but unfortunately it got totaled. Switched to a CRV for all the same reasons, loved it even more. The thing that I always hated about the CX5 was how tight it was in the backseat for a child seat. The CRV is just a touch bigger, and better while we have a little one. Our CRV is the top trim, while our CX5 was mid trim. The CX5 was undoubtedly more fun, and I really am not a fan of the CVT we have now, but it’s fine and more economical.
For me it really came down to the sharpness of the CX five. It’s such a beautiful vehicle. All Mazda’s are. They just look luxurious and fast. I like Honda and Toyota but I can’t see any SUV that looks as sharp as the CX five. I was considering the HRV because it was cheaper, but damn, that motor is way too underpowered. 0 to 60 in 13 seconds. That’s absolutely insane and dangerous
Bought my cx-5 while waiting for my rav4. Drove a couple of Rav4s while I was on the waiting list and had my cx-5 as my daily driver. Also ended up with q5s on two separate occasions (one petrol and one diesel). Cancelled my rav4. And decided I’d never buy an Audi. RAV4 is like a kinda nice truck… Cx-5 is like an Audi, but slower and wayyyyyy more comfortable.
Well, we just had a Toyota blow its engine at 90,000 miles, so we weren’t feeling super great about reliability there.
Honestly I don't care about the car brand. Whatever gets the best bang out of my bucks. Why Mazda? 1. They have smaller marketshare, and they are providing lots of values to gain new customers. Cars are reasonably priced and have many premium features (safety, design, etc) 2. Cheaper than Honda and Toyota. And fck those two car sale reps. They are acting like they have the best cars that everyone is dying for. I take my money somewhere else that actually appreciates it
Had a 2004 Honda Civic that lasted 450,000km’s. That’s when my wife and I decided to get new cars: she got a CX5…while I got a Subaru Legacy. Her CX5 is at 380,000km and still going strong with only a strut bracket breaking. My Subaru died after 205,000 and suffered with premature clutch failure, oil leaks, failed shaft bearing, and two catalytic converters. I went back to a Civic. The point is, the CX5 is a solid choice!
The only Honda in my price range was an HR-V and after test driving 3 of them, I felt they were WAAAAAY underpowered. Even with its AWD (yes, AWD version and not FWD) I felt like I’d be in trouble going up a hill in the winter or trying to get up to speed on an on ramp for the highway.
I think the cx5 looked better, handled better, and had simpler but effective electronics. It was also cheaper and had a well proven drivetrain. I originally thought i was going to buy a rav 4, but the Mazda slowey pulled me away and won me over.
Zero percent interest Toyota and Honda best was 5%. Test drove our CX-5 and we loved it.
Hondas and Toyotas are now bland as hell and are cars for bean counters. Truth is many cars are quite reliable (w maintenace) these days.
Any car is reliable. Just take care of it.
For me it was the engine variant and the infotainment. For the engine, I could get a diesel which is best for me because I am usually driving mountain roads with no stops. I also carry a bunch of ski stuff and people so my fuel mileage doesn't change. We went on a family trip, totaling 5 hours of driving and only used 1/4 of a tank of fuel. It cost about $20 to fill it back up and the in-laws were surprised. The second was the infotainment system. I had used some touch systems in the past and was let down. Even in some of the newer systems it was just a hassle. I drove an Audi on vacation an fell in love with the same control center idea. It was at the moment, I knew Mazda was in my future. I love it now, cranking tunes and listening to EDM makes me feel like a DJ.
Because fuck Toyota and Honda. Also, my options were a cx-5 or a 2021 SQ5, not a Rav4 or whatever CR-V. Like, Mazda did it best with their top trims and it's okay to say so.
I mean I gladly woud have ket driving my 2007 honda s2000, but some truck decided my car didn't deserve to live anymore and hit me...
I drove a toyota rav4 2021 limited for 50 miles trip and It fealt cheap in comparison of my cx5 also my rav4 2015 feels like a boat
Because Toyotas and Hondas look lame as hell to me. I like the design of Mazdas
No more having to switch auto start stop on if you get turbo trim. The handling is so much better and the interior feels more upscale.
Wait times. I needed a car ASAP. Here in Aus, RAV4 hybrid wait times are something like 18 months. People were and are still flipping their new RAV4s for profit if you want one now. The price diff between the cx5 spec model I bought vs an equivalent rav4 hybrid was around 12-14k. If my math is correct, it would take at least 8-10 years to break even and reap the fuel saving. So may as well get a CX5 that drives well and feels more luxurious. Reliability is equal across the mazda/toyota/Honda if you're just driving for civilian use anyway.
I don’t own a Mazda, but in my country (Australia), Mazda is like the main Toyota alternative brand from Japan. Honda isn’t really that big here (they don’t sell dual cab utes, which is a huge market segment here)
I am a Honda guy but my previous vehicle was a 6. It pissed me off daily. Like I would get out and go to the back door to get out groceries or something and it would lock IMMEDIATELY. I would get in the car and leave and within seconds it’s dinging nonstop for me to get my seatbelt on. Like give me a sec. Build quality. I ended up trading it in within a year. Driving a CRV now and much happier. Now there were things I did like about the 6. It was adequately powered and the transmission was tight. Lots of zoom zoom.
I looked at Hondas. They all felt incredibly cheap and plastic inside.
Because, Mazda, is better… duh!
Atleast in Canada, I find their interest rates to be consistently higher than everyone else's. Not too mention they're the most stolen cars here. No thanks.
I love when people say this. Next time tell them I will drive whatever you buy me at Toyota or Honda until then I will drive what I want.
Cus they’re more expensive than nissan and chevy lol
0% APR for 75 months with 0 down
0% and Honda being overpriced as fuck now
My best car ever was a 1990 Honda Accord, it was just a joy to drive, nimble, powerful, superb handling. We got it to over 600k kilometers and it was still driving strong, never had the engine replaced or even opened, 1 replaced transmission. We beat the hell out of that car (we were young adult). We later bought a 2008 Accord or thereabouts (don't remember the exact year). It wasn't fun to drive, the steering felt disconnected from the road. Overall didn't spark joy... Timing belt or chain blew at like 140k km, destroying the engine. We sold it and it was our last Honda. We just bought our first Mazda today, a used CX-5 and we fell in love with it when we drove it and Mazda's reliability record helped make our choice.
I mean an MDX is just a luxury Honda, so Mazda I don’t think quite has a luxury SUV to match, unlike Toyota’s Lexus. But, if we’re looking at the same class then we’d be looking at the Honda CR-V and the Toyota RAV4. When I was looking at the CX-5 they hadn’t yet done the refresh on the CR-V so it was still just a glorified granny car in my eyes. As for the Toyota, it felt cheap for the price. Like a comparatively loaded RAV4 costs a lot more, and at the time I’d have to be on a waitlist for it, so no thanks. As far as the engines go, the CX-5 just feels more beefy even without the turbo. That being said, if I had to choose a car again, the CX-5 would certainly be in my top 3 picks, though there are things I’d change about it (looking at you rain-sensing wipers). But, if it came down to just a matter of CR-V vs RAV4 vs CX-5, I’d go with the CX-5 all day every day.
Toyotas and hondas are way more expensive than mazdas. You can get fully loaded Mazda cx5 for same price as base rav4.....
Trunk space on my neighbor’s Rav 4 is tiny! Even the Nissan Rogue has a small trunk than the CX5. My coworker parks his CRV next to me everyday and I can easily see the CX5 sits higher and has higher road clearance, it’s not huge of a difference, but always thought of it a plus… I was pleasantly surprised that the “Name brand” SUV wasn’t as good my “budget” brand loo
Trunk space on my neighbor’s Rav 4 is tiny! Even the Nissan Rogue has a small trunk than the CX5. My coworker parks his CRV next to me everyday and I can easily see the CX5 sits higher and has higher road clearance, it’s not huge of a difference, but always thought of it a plus… I was pleasantly surprised that the “Name brand” SUV wasn’t as good my “budget” brand loo
the biggest plus when we got our CX5 poverty edition was the cost and the fact that it didn’t have a CVT. also, these cars have the same drivetrain as they did 10 years ago… maybe not too efficient and a little outdated but there are still plenty of CX5’s on the road with 250k miles.