Anybody drive a Mazda cx-5 ? Do you like it?

I'm pretty sure the AWD CX-5 has more ground clearance than the FWD version does.

Have you not heard of winter tires?

They are designed to work in cooler temperatures and are far better on ice since you can stop and steer as well as just stand on the gas.

At risk of thread hijack, I have a 2010 CX-7. FWD, Touring trim level with the turbo-4 (same as the Speed 3). Purchased in May 2010, has around 47,000 miles on it. Gets about 24/city - 28/hwy mpg. Other than the backup camera occasionally not working lately, there have been no issues. Still feels and drives as if brand new.

Yeah, but growing up in extreme southern Alabama (the cold Birmingham is still pretty new to me) I can't say that I have actually seen one in person.

On a fwd car do you just have to run them on the front or all the way around? A second full set of rims and tires is awfully close to the price premium of the awd, and then it seems to be a benefit come resale time to have the awd as you will get some back for it. That and the winter tires don't help with my poor-man overlanding (or even if they do I am not switching them back and forth that much).

It is definitely a possibility and I would love the fwd CX-5 on the manual getting mid-thirties, I guess I am just weighing the options and need to decide what features really want (it will probably be this time next year before I do anything anyway). I mean I really want a 4wd Sprinter van set up to camp but that ain't gonna happen.

I did look at the KIA yesterday out of curiousity, I like it and the lower end model fwd's have a nice price. The warranty is nice, especially compared to the Subaru. Hopefully you would not need it but nowadays a 36k mile warranty is a joke, warranty would be gone in 2 years. Just wish the Kia got better mpg's. Of note the salesman said he can't remember the last time they actually got the awd with the base motor, he says they always end up getting loaded turbo cars and they are $30k+ and they sit there because nobody wants it (I wouldn't either at that price).

A family friend bought one a few months back and loves it. And I gotta say fully trimmed out it has a ton of nice electronic features and is pretty comfy to ride in.

If your Golf TDI is for sale, don't be shy about letting people know here.

Just stay home when the conditions aren't safe for you to drive in. If they're unsafe too often, then get some training so that you're safe to drive in it.

If you want AWD, then get it. But don't try to convince anyone that it's actually necessary anywhere where you don't get real winter (like Alabama). You might get more on resale, but you'll pay more up front and you'll have reduced fuel economy when compared to the 2WD version due to the extra weight of the vehicle and parasitic drag on the drivetrain. And anyways, if you're going to get stuck with 2WD, then you're just going to get really stuck with AWD.

Signed,
AWD driver in Texas, where there is no winter either

+1

Gave up the RAV4 for a FWD VW Tiguan last year.
Good winter tires and we didn't really miss the AWD.
(it wasn't real AWD, but you get my point)

I do like the better mileage with more hp/torque.

And I live where we really do get winter....

What kind of mileage are you getting with that Tiggy?

Well I really feel like I am just trying to convince myself one way or another based on the things I do and places I regularly go and how cheap I am and have no intentions of convincing anyone else and the gas mileage difference can be very small on some of the options (the Crosstrek is right in the mix on mpg's with the awd).

I think I am thinking in smaller increments of advantage than you think I am too. I guess I am trying to say I need (well want) very mild off-road ability, not going muddin' and such, more dealing with slippery hills and dirt roads of which I would prefer not to slide off and into a ditch or tree or get stuck in a small rut. There is a certain type of mud around here that has a hard under crust and slippery top, very much like walking on ice and actual better snow ability, that I might not need, lets just call it a perk.

Albeit this is not a direct comparison as they are both lower cars or indicative of the two places I need to tackle with regularity as they are bigger and rougher (2-3 times a month at least even during the off-season taking in a couple bags of corn to the deer and more during hunting season) but it is the closest example I can find to show that I think shows my mindset and what I "expect" of awd.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKIXSEmMXXE

Could the guy get up the hill in the Sentra or even a bigger one, probably, but that would require more momentum and momentum breaks stuff. Now imagine trying to do that on a rougher surface with say a 4"-6" rut right in the middle of it. I have tried it in other fwd cars and made it but it was pretty hard on the car because of the momentum needed and even worse in a rwd truck. I feel like the awd would allow me to ease on up something like that but I could be totally wrong, or maybe the Subie is the only one with legit enough awd to do it or maybe I just need to go get an atv and leave the car out by the road, but then you are always dealing with a trailer and whatnot (and it would cut into I want a new dirtbike money).

And do you give if regular or premium?

I looked at the Tiguan a little bit before getting my Passat, they were the same price and the shorter length/2.0T both were pretty appealing.

Yeah...I figured someone would call me out on the premium fuel thing. Yes, we run premium as recommended.

For mileage..ummm, seems to average around 7.8l/100km in the summer and probably 8.5 in the winter. For you 'muricans that's about...let's see...off the top of my head...carry the 2...probably around 26-28mpg? The Rav was about 8.4 summer and close to 10 in the winter

We have a 80mile return commute and we try to behave on the happy pedal because gas ain't cheap round here. Honestly the premium for premium probably wipes out the difference in mileage, but it's a lot of fun to drive and well...life is too short to drive crap cars, right?

Sorry, what was the question again?..

Interesting a completely different experience as to rust. Maybe more salt or something. My wife's 3 hasn't got a speck of rust. Oh we'll, it is still reliable at almost 100k. Never a mechanical issue.

I'm possibly considering a Mazda CX-5 2WD with 6 speed manual. I have a stick shift Mazda 5 right now. The CX-5 would probably be better on gas (I avg about 27-28 mpg and see reports of people getting in the 30s mpg wise with the CX-5) and I wouldn't scrape the front of the CX-5. The 5 is lower to the ground and the front bumper scrapes going into some driveways and some certain speed bumps. I know I will lose a little cargo space but they CX-5 and 5 are nearly the same size. Is the CX-5 roomy for it's size? Mrs. DX thinks it is going to be too small. As long as I can haul my bike around with the front wheel on it i'm happy. Also, how are the CX-5's on the highway? My 5 buzzes around 3500-4000 rpm at 75-80 mph.

Around here, most 2008 mazdas with have rusted enough that you will be able to put your hand through the body in several locations.

I put a 1000kms on a Sante fe sport a couple weeks ago. We were really impressed with the thing.

Maybe add that to the list s well as a HRV, although I haven't drove the Honda.

$23,000 and she's all yours.

For what its worth our family car (the kids are grown up now) is a CX7 diesel 6 speed manual AWD.

Fantastic car, plenty of go, great fuel economy, great handling for an SUV! First Mazda we've owned, probably won't be the last.

We drove one today. Coming from a string of 5-speed sedans and retiring reluctantly into an automatic and a taller seating position, my wife likes the CVT (I'd prefer a regular automatic) but I feel there's not enough front legroom and the console bugs my right knee so the HR-V is now off our list unless somebody gives us one.

Wifey has a 2014 CX5 and loves it. She has a 25 minute commute in Northern VT, and the car handles really well on any ice/snow. It's fun to rail in corners, and is comfortable for me to drive (6'7", 300lbs). My wife loves the bluetooth and the backup cam, but as I understand it those features are pretty standard now. I don't fit very well in the passenger seat, but any normal sized human would. We have no complaints after ~40k miles and 3 years of ownership, we've changed the oil and I've put a set of brakes on it. Great MPG, very reliable, safe, handles great, and is priced reasonably. It's nice getting Japanese quality without paying used toyota/honda prices. If I had one complaint it would be the fit/finish on some of the plastic molding under the front seats. They've never fit right since we bought the car, and it annoys me a bit. Heated seats would have been nice too!

We were between this care and either an Outback or Forester. The Outback was too expensive, and the Forester we were looking at had the 2.5L I didn't want to buy head gaskets for.