Faults:

Passengers in the back complained of noise. Took it in for repair, all door weatherstripping was changed. Have never been able to figure out small creaks and noises in the trunk area when going over rough streets.

Lastly, plastic trim by the back window fell off. Even though this is trivial, I do not like the cold start noise from the engine. I hear too much power steering noise.

General Comments:

After 30K miles I can honestly say this is the best vehicle I've ever driven. Long distances are comfortable. The handling is so sharp it startles me at times thinking I'm over steering. Love the stiff suspension. Braking and acceleration are solid. This was a "certified" used vehicle and I paid $20K for it.

Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

4500 Km.

So, after the VW diesel fiasco and the return of our Passat to VW, we settled upon the Mazda CX-5.

The decision was a close thing. Weighing the Honda CRV Touring, against the Mazda CX-5 GT was very close, even up to the very last when Honda blew it (a power passenger seat with only 4 ways. And none of those ways either up or down). Short people would have a very difficult time seeing over the dashboard in the passenger seat (would you believe; the Honda Grand Master Salesperson suggested getting a cushion?). Anyway, this is not about the Honda.

Our shiny white CX-5 drives quick, handles sharp, and is very quiet. But, those 19 inch tires/wheels are tiring.

The electronic nannies work well. Especially the Blind Spot alarm and the Active Cruise Control.

The estimated fuel mileage is very accurate, but the gas tank is too small. Needing fills at around 360 to 400 km.

The Bose system is very nice.

The hands free phone system can sometimes be noisy (hissy). The voice command system works... mostly.

The backup camera is quick and there when you need it (our VW B/U camera would show up mostly after we had reversed and then gone forward a hundred feet or so down the road).

The interior presentation is fabulous; the car makes us feel like we're driving an Audi.

Mazda has done a lot to bring the packaging up to date and desirable, at a level that rivals cars that are many thousands of dollars more and considered entry level luxury. But these seats are very low rent.

You know, with only a few opportunities to test drive a car, only a half hour or so each time (3 times) it's hard to judge the quality of the seating. You think it's OK, but there are also many other things to evaluate. Seating is the CX-5's Achilles heel. Very hard bolsters and unyielding seat cushions, even on a ten way power seat, make it difficult to find a comfortable position. The seats appear to have the necessary comfort, visually, but I end up sitting on the seats, rather than in the seats. This leaves me scrabbling for support in the corners, with my hips constantly aware of the very hard bolsters. Even though the car handles exceptionally well, the seats make me feel like I'm not part of it. The car is not at my fingertips. I am taking the car to a local automotive re-upholstery shop to soften the seats up. I hope it helps.

Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

This car was purchased after our 2010 Ford Fusion was taken by our son who had returned from a deployment and needed a car. We had been used to having manual transmissions mated to 4 cylinder engines, and we wanted to replace the Fusion with a 4 cylinder "stick". We liked the CUV (compact utility vehicle) segment of the market, however very few of the manufacturers offered a manual transmission. The brands we looked at were: Ford, GM, Hyundai, Kia, Toyota, and Nissan. From what we could determine, only Mazda and Subaru had an offering in this segment with a "stick". It seemed that the whole industry was turning its back on that portion of the market. The Subaru was attractive, but included 4 wheel drive, which translated into more money and less economy.

We turned to Mazda, who at the time, had only 1 CX-5 in Western New York. It was 70 miles away. I was not fond of the idea of travelling that far, but we did. The dealer proved to be exceptional in terms of their sales staff / approach. Totally unlike any dealer experience I had ever had before or since. The CX 5 "Grand Touring" was a base model with a 2.0 litre gas engine and a 6 speed manual transmission. It was seriously under powered, but sufficient for our driving needs. We bought it and 21000 miles later are very satisfied.