Topic: First Drive: 2014 Mazda CX-5

[Autos_Editor]

The Mazda CX-5 finally lives up to its potential, gaining power but sacrificing little fuel economy with the new 2.5L SkyActiv-G underhood.

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[Frontier1]

This and the Santa Fe, best looking of the bunch, nothing comes close.

[tazcubed]

The Mazda CX-5 finally lives up to its potential, gaining power but sacrificing little fuel economy with the new 2.5L SkyActiv-G underhood.

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I wish they'd drop in the engine from the Mazdaspeed 3... Still, I think it may be time for another round of cute-ute comparison testing what with new revisions from Subaru, Toyota, Hyundai and others.

[OliverD]

I wish they'd drop in the engine from the Mazdaspeed 3... Still, I think it may be time for another round of cute-ute comparison testing what with new revisions from Subaru, Toyota, Hyundai and others.

They did that with the CX-7 with less than stellar results.

[mixmanmash]

I wish they'd offer the Skyactiv-D Diesel here.  In the UK, you can even get it with AWD and a manual transmission.

[OliverD]

The trims in the article are mixed up. GX is base, GS is in the middle, GT on top. Should probably correct that.

[aaronk]

This is a great-looking little SUV, but it makes more sense at the lower starting price with the 2.0L SkyActiv engine. At $30K, this 184-hp cute ute has some tough competition, like a Santa Fe 2.0T, Sorento V6, or even the smaller but great quality VW Tiguan with its torquey turbo engine. I agree with others, a diesel would be great in this application and make it a standout in terms of efficiency and practicality.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

I really liked the CX-5, but once you tick the box for AWD, and a few options it gets pricy, not unlike others in its class.

We decided to compromise on size and got the CrossTrek.

[hemusbull]

So The King is naked! When finally the engine became adequate the gas mileage is "sacrificed"! Where are the CR-V haters to tell me again it is underpowered! What a big job the zooooming media did!

[Sir Osis of Liver]

So The King is naked! When finally the engine became adequate the gas mileage is "sacrificed"! Where are the CR-V haters to tell me again it is underpowered! What a big job the zooooming media did!

I liked the CX-5 much better than the CR-V, and it had nothing to do with 0-60 times.

[Brig]

This is great!  The former engine was definitely WAY underpowered.  This will make it a huge contender in the cute-ute market.

[Agiledood]

Glad to hear they've dropped the 2.5 in the CX-5.  I test drove a '13 last year and it felt like a slug.  Handled great but man was it slow and sluggish off the line.

[Brig]

Glad to hear they've dropped the 2.5 in the CX-5.  I test drove a '13 last year and it felt like a slug.  Handled great but man was it slow and sluggish off the line.

You should have seen me trying to get it up Appleby Line on that hill by Rattlesnake Point.      I said a lot of bad words.   

[jyarkony]

The trims in the article are mixed up. GX is base, GS is in the middle, GT on top. Should probably correct that.

yup, I'm going to claim temporary tirm-dylsexia... 

all fixed up, thanks.

[whaddaiknow]

The Mazda CX-5 finally lives up to its potential, gaining power but sacrificing little fuel economy with the new 2.5L SkyActiv-G underhood.

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Great cute ute but why oh why such ridiculous packaging. AWD in Canada should be available at any trim level without bundling with other crap. Mazda is digging a hole for itself with this if they expect customers to overlook the competition at the AWD introduciton price point. A very good looking and competitive package overall.

[garytam]

I want a 6 speed manual, AWD - Diesel perferred

I used to have a 2002 CR-V AWD manual, but with 160K on it, it start giving me trouble ..... if Mazda had the 6 speed manual AWD CX-5 last year I would have trade it in, in the mean time I m driving a 2008 Civic Si, just to hang on to the wonderful 6 speed manual until I can get another AWD manual by Honda or Mazda. (the two company that still makes the best manual ) 

[dkaz]

I wish they'd drop in the engine from the Mazdaspeed 3... Still, I think it may be time for another round of cute-ute comparison testing what with new revisions from Subaru, Toyota, Hyundai and others.

Too unreliable.

Great cute ute but why oh why such ridiculous packaging. AWD in Canada should be available at any trim level without bundling with other crap.

AWD is available in all trim levels.

[Noto]

I love the idea of the CX-5, and I especially love the driving dynamic of it...but funny enough, my MIL, who has been leasing Mazda3 GTs (until she now has the GS Skyactiv) since, well, the Protege debuted, said she absolutely would not go anywhere near the CX-5 because the rear hatch was too heavy.  Add in a power liftgate option, she would maybe consider it again - just a side note of how picky Suburban mothers can be and the difficulty Mazda faces with their absurdity.

My concern, after reading all this, is that the CX-5 loaded will come in over $35k...um, how much more will that diesel cost?  In other words, we're going to have another forum-frenzy of the CX-5 being akin to the Santa Fe Sport 2.0T and Escape 2.0T and Sportage 2.0T breaking the $40k mark, but in this instance, it won't be with 240+ ponies - it'll be with a frugal, yet not immensely powered diesel (it won't propel the CX-5 in under 8 seconds - in Europe, the Mazda6 diesel is about 9.3s 0-100km/h).

Nobody will complain that a loaded Forester comes in under $37k    (come on, if I didn't mention the Forester, what kind of loyalist would I be?)

The CX-5 diesel, when it arrives, better be an available option in ALL trim levels, and not just top GT (ahem, stupid $25,000+ Chevy Cruze Diesel in LTZ trim only with little fuel benefit over non-diesel versions). 

Even if the diesel is a $2,000 option in the CX-5 GS AWD, that'd push the price to $32,650...I suppose it's competitively priced against the likes of the Santa Fe and Escape, but the new Rav4 and Rav4 2.5i maxing out under $30k would mean you're paying big bucks for fuel savings...

So The King is naked! When finally the engine became adequate the gas mileage is "sacrificed"! Where are the CR-V haters to tell me again it is underpowered! What a big job the zooooming media did!

The CRV is underpowered because it lacks sufficient torque and its horsepower comes in at a screaming 7,000rpm.  Honda makes great engines - for use with manual transmissions...not 5 speed autoboxes with 163lb-ft of torque at 4,400rpm in a 3500+lb tall, high cd CUV.

Better still, the CRV AWD is 22/30 (city/hwy US mpg) while the CX-5 2.5 is 24/30.  The King remains fully dressed (ok, maybe showing a bit of leg).

[whaddaiknow]

Great cute ute but why oh why such ridiculous packaging. AWD in Canada should be available at any trim level without bundling with other crap.

AWD is available in all trim levels.

You are correct for the 2.5L SkyActiv. I was reacting to this part of the article:
"...
Also note that the 2.0 is available only in GS trim, although you can spec it with AWD, but you must select the automatic first for $1,200, then another $1,700 for the Convenience Package before being able to shell out $2,000 for the AWD (ouch!)..."

Which means you have to pay $5k to get AWD in base form, which is too much if you don't care about the auto and the Convenience package.

[dkaz]

You are correct for the 2.5L SkyActiv. I was reacting to this part of the article:
"...
Also note that the 2.0 is available only in GX trim, although you can spec it with AWD, but you must select the automatic first for $1,200, then another $1,700 for the Convenience Package before being able to shell out $2,000 for the AWD (ouch!)..."

Which means you have to pay $5k to get AWD in base form, which is too much if you don't care about the auto and the Convenience package.

Well the AWD is automatic only so that's a given.

I agree requiring the Convenience Package does not make it cost competitive with the RAV4 which is $25,995 with AWD. But personally I wouldn't get a CX-5 without that Convenience Package.