Mazda CX5 and Mazda6... Input sought.

[Holyoak]

Think it may be time to retire my 06 Toyota Matrix with 5 sp manual transmission, and having been a multiple Mazda vehicle owner prior to the Trix, want to ask a bit about the two mentioned above.  I'm thinking certified used of say 2016-2018 for either with mileage not any higher than 40k, unless very well documented service records are provided, and it passes my tough inspection.  I like the ability to buy an all Japanese made vehicle, this is easy to do with the two mentioned, and I have had very good reliability from all of my Japanese made Mazda products (323, B2200 truck, 929).  I know you can find data that can say they are all equally reliable regardless of manufacturing location, just the same I want Japanese built.

I have a lot of professional auto service under my belt, so ease of self service is important to me, and looking over the 2.5 Skyactive engine I really don't see all that much that is crazy...  No timing belt which is great, no internal water pump that I can see that would be a deal-breaker, or other openly goofy stuff.  I do see it has direct injection without a secondary injector to 'wash' the valves, so I wonder if anyone has had issues with carbon build-up?  I think also both have electric power steering, which would be a new thing to me.

Also, I wonder about auto transmission servicing?  I'm guessing like so many other brands that the trans system is basically 'sealed', without even a dipstick, but a drain plug on the pan...  Is there a transmission dipstick?  If it's like Toyota's sealed system, it's a real PITA to service correctly, even for fluid drop and fills.  Getting older with painful knees, has me going toward an auto trans, which I hate having to do, but at least it is not a CVT (deal-breaker)

So now with the service bit out of the way, how about ride, power, and noise.  I know I have to test drive for myself, just the same I'd like to hear your thoughts.  Seems many say the 2.5 engine is too "weak", but that can be relative...  I'm seeing 0-60 times that don't look that bad to me, and it seems they have a good shift program that takes the best advantage of what they have.  I see the new turbo versions are a real kick up in performance, but buying new is not in the plan, neither is buying a turbo, especially for the price...  Holy Moses are they pricey for what you get.  2019 Rav4 looks rather nice, but again not looking to buy new esp a first year out, and boy are they pricey, at least to a frugal ER! 

So tell me about your 2.5 liter CX-5 and Mazda6 experiences, likes/dislikes, reliability, noise (seems newer ones are more quiet?), do they drive straight down the highway, prices you paid for what you got, and whatever else is appreciated.  Thanks.

[Mike in NH]

My relationship with Mazda has followed my finance path. Graduated college, got a job, financed a new Mazda 3 sedan. Got a promotion, obviously wanted a lifestyle inflation lease on a special edition Mazdaspeed 6. Found the way, drove that car until it hit about 200K and gas prices started to kill me (turbo = 93 octane @ $4/gallon), traded it in for a nice little Mazda 3 hatchback base model that I paid cash for. 

I can't help with the technical questions you have. All mine were/are standard transmissions but my wife does have a CX-5 which I now jokingly refer to as the monster truck. The ride is decent, nothing glamorous, I have always found the acceleration and performance to be perfectly adequate even when I was used to my speed6. It's good in the snow, decent on gas mileage, plenty of space.   

Love the cars, haven't had any issues aside from routine wear and tear in almost 20 years.

[rothwem]

I haven't owned either car, but I do really like the way the automatics in the Mazdas perform, I think its one of the best ones out there next to the ZF 8-speed, maybe better even.  We passed on a 2016 CX-5 because it was just straight up loud inside even though it was pretty fun to drive.  Nice steering, decent pickup, great transmission programming, not a ton of body roll, just loud on the highway.  I think the 2017 refresh is supposed to be quieter, but it was out of out budget at the time.  I've got no experience with the Mazda6, but it is a good looking car.  You can get it in a manual if you want, too. 

 The skyactiv engines supposedly do something to keep the carbon from caking up on the intake valves, and it seems to work.  It doesn't seem to be as widespread as the German modes with DI. 

[theglidd]

I have a 2015 Mazda 3. Great car.  I can't speak on the Cx 5 or 6 but Skyactive ATs are supposed to have "for life" fluid, so it doesn't need to be changed. Although some shade tree mechanic s change it out. It's easy on the 3.

If I needed a larger car and height wasn't important I'd go for the 6 in manual.

[FiftyIsTheNewTwenty]

The latest model CX-5 (2017+) is a big improvement in cabin quiet and ride quality, bringing it up a class to compete directly with BMW, Mercedes, etc.  This is a really nice car, with great gas mileage for the amount of space.  I would wait until the 2017 models depreciate to be affordable.

The 626 is a nice car too, more of a driver's car than the competition, which is also good.  The downside to the 626 is less headroom, especially in the back seat.

I don't think you can go wrong with any Mazda.  Friends and family have and have had several.

Neither of these non-cheap late model cars is a mustachian choice!  The Matrix is, but I drive one too and it sucks.

[Dogastrophe]

We have a 2016 CX5.  In general it is a decent riding buggy.  When cold, the transmission often hesitates when moving from reverse to drive if you throw it into drive and hit the gas.  When if finally grabs it lurches ahead hard.  If you make the transition slowly, it operates fine.  Beyond that, we've had no issues at all. 

[rothwem]

We have a 2016 CX5.  In general it is a decent riding buggy.  When cold, the transmission often hesitates when moving from reverse to drive if you throw it into drive and hit the gas.  When if finally grabs it lurches ahead hard.  If you make the transition slowly, it operates fine.  Beyond that, we've had no issues at all.

Delayed engagement is a sign of low line pressure, which can be caused by low fluid, a clogged filter, or worn out seals in the transmission.  I doubt its the seals though since its a 2016.  Either way, delayed engagement is a sign that your trans is about to die, so get it fixed asap. 

[Spicolli]

I have a 2014 Mazda 6 that has been a very good car for me. Fun to drive, no major problems. It was between the 6 and CX5 for me too. One frugal thing to consider with the 6 is for the mid and higher trim levels, they have tire sizes that are very rare and only a few pricey replacement options are available. Road noise is noticeable on the earlier models but I know they've improved in recent years.  Although they have power steering, they have great feel for the road. I haven't had any DI issues...although I believe I had a valve clean in last year's servicing.

[Holyoak]

Thanks everyone.  Gonna have to test drive a few of these, and keep my eyes out for some decent deals. 

As for being a Mustacian/non-Mustacian purchase...  Well, my current ride is 13 y/o, and it replaced my 94 Camry I bought in 1997 and donated in 2014.  Also along the way I had many sub $500 cars I fixed up, did 95% of repairs, and 100% or maintenance ever since I was 18, including engine pulls, clutch replacements, transmission pulls, valve adjustments, timing belts, exhaust repair, strut/suspension/steering repairs, easy crap like alternators, water pumps, fuel system stuff, etc, etc...  Did it all by myself outside of my pro-repairs, and now at 52 with health that could be better, I think those days are a bit behind me.  Saved me a bundle over the years (invested), job was done right, and it made things easy on my schedule.  Time can bring wisdom, and a man's got to know, understand, and make peace with his limitations. (thanks Clint)

It's simply a matter of a chapter closing, and knowing more at a more rapid onset await...  Not fun, but inevitable.  Knees getting bad really bums me out, as I have had maybe three automatics over the span of 20+ vehicles, but it's time for an auto transmission, as much as I hate having to.  Oh well, just the way it is.

I recently looked over my portfolio, and it's right at $2,000,000 which seems surreal, but more to my point;  I live so far below my means it's crazy, never allowed lifestyle creep to set in, and was Mustacian WAAAAAAAAAAY before there was such a term - Stoic, self reliant, disciplined, and frugal I guess would capture the spirit.  So while I feel no shame, need to justify any purchase to myself or others, or to rationalize; writing a check for say $10,000-$20,000 might just have to happen at this point.  Again thanks, and please continue to add to the thread.

[Holyoak]

I have a 2014 Mazda 6 that has been a very good car for me. Fun to drive, no major problems. It was between the 6 and CX5 for me too. One frugal thing to consider with the 6 is for the mid and higher trim levels, they have tire sizes that are very rare and only a few pricey replacement options are available. Road noise is noticeable on the earlier models but I know they've improved in recent years.  Although they have power steering, they have great feel for the road. I haven't had any DI issues...although I believe I had a valve clean in last year's servicing.

Thanks, and the tire issue has been a HUGE concern for my Mazda6 research.  When I saw 19's were std on some models, my heart fell!  Not only a heap of $$$, but the ride quality I would think would suffer.  All I really want is a power seat to get maximum adjustment so that my slipped disks, and sciatica could be held in check, but that seems to only come with trims that have the larger wheels...  *SIGH*, this mega sized wheel trend is such BS.  My God, my 94 Camry had 14" wheels, my 06 Base Matrix has 16's, and they are much bigger than needed.  Hell, my 83 Buick La sabre land yacht had 15's!!!  I hate this "rollin on dubs" trendy BS.

[rothwem]

I have a 2014 Mazda 6 that has been a very good car for me. Fun to drive, no major problems. It was between the 6 and CX5 for me too. One frugal thing to consider with the 6 is for the mid and higher trim levels, they have tire sizes that are very rare and only a few pricey replacement options are available. Road noise is noticeable on the earlier models but I know they've improved in recent years.  Although they have power steering, they have great feel for the road. I haven't had any DI issues...although I believe I had a valve clean in last year's servicing.

Thanks, and the tire issue has been a HUGE concern for my Mazda6 research.  When I saw 19's were std on some models, my heart fell!  Not only a heap of $$$, but the ride quality I would think would suffer.  All I really want is a power seat to get maximum adjustment so that my slipped disks, and sciatica could be held in check, but that seems to only come with trims that have the larger wheels...  *SIGH*, this mega sized wheel trend is such BS.  My God, my 94 Camry had 14" wheels, my 06 Base Matrix has 16's, and they are much bigger than needed.  Hell, my 83 Buick La sabre land yacht had 15's!!!  I hate this "rollin on dubs" trendy BS.

You can usually buy smaller wheels on craigslist and sell your fancy ones for not too much trouble though.  You're really only limited by your brakes, and since the Mazda6 is not a Porsche 911, you can probably get away with 16" wheels from a Mazda3. 

[MaaS]

I have a Mazda6 and I like it. With that said, I'm not much of a car person. I've had it for over 6 years and haven't had a single issue outside of standard wear and tear replacements. Drives well. No complaints here.

[chemistk]

I would definitely consider a higher mileage option - my wife's 2014 CX-5 (purchased new [pre MMM] in 2013, $26.5k out the door) is just about to hit 95k miles and has never ever had any issues apart from a recall service on the rear lift gate gas struts. Otherwise, it's been oil/filter changes (and one dead battery thanks to our kids...).

We love it, and if it weren't time for us to get a minivan, we'd drive it to 200k easy. I expect to sell ours on Craigslist for about $12k.  Here are my only gripes (and keep in mind ours is a 2014, so some of these may not be issues on newer models):

-Cabin wind noise is noticeable on the highway, especially with a crosswind.
-Ours, despite having push button start, does not have proximity unlock (and so we've locked the keys in the car probably a dozen times)
-The infotainment system can be confusing to use.
-In the cold, the rear lift gate release button (electronic) may not work when you want it to.
-The HVAC system isn't very precise when transitioning between hot and cold. Turning the temp. knob, it goes "freezing, "chilly", "warmish", "scalding". That's it. Probably has been fixed on newer models.
-Keyfob batteries die quickly (9-18 months for us usually, whereas my Ford's fob battery has been going since 2014).
-There's slightly less interior space than you think there would be. A tape measure is your friend transporting larger items.

That's it. It's a blast to drive compared to nearly every other crossover. The engine compartment is spacious and the 2.5L has a timing chain, so maintenance is easy and minimal. I have full confidence that our CX-5 will indeed roll over 200k miles before needing service.

The one thing we did do is purchase dedicated snow tires mounted on a set of steel rims (~$600) - ours is only FWD, but with the snow tires it can really do anything, especially given how Pennsylvania back roads may not always be touched by PennDOT.

[wbarnett]

I have a 2014 CX-5. Lots of good information above, so I won't repeat it all. Road noise is an issue, but it sounds like that's fixed in later versions. Mine has always had front suspension noise; several other owners I've talked to mentioned it too. And if you get the GT version, there aren't many tire options. The interior lights are also really dim, especially in the rear cargo area - there's a great LED kit that makes a huge difference. Other than that, I love it -- great mileage, comfortable seats, decent sound system (the 2014 Bluetooth syncing is error-prone), minimal maintenance. It's not 'fast', but isn't terribly slow either. Oil changes are very simple. There is an active CX-5 community on the mazdas 247 forum as well.

[Westwood87]

We have a 2016 CX-5 sport AWD.  It was purchased as a car the dealer loaned out and had 2,200 miles on it when we got it.  I believe we paid $22k for it, sticker was $28k I think.  We have had zero issues with the car other than the above stated lag when shifting from reverse to drive which you get use to.  We're happy with the car even more so this month now that it's paid off. 

[Just Joe]

Just wanted to point out that your can buy a smart phone app that measures noise levels. Worthwhile when test driving multiple kinds of vehicles. Is this one noisier than the last or is the pitch of the noise different? Be sure to drive 4-5 miles at highway speeds.

We have a noisy other brand vehicle. Fine around town and short drives. On the interstate it could stand one more gear to get he revs down. We love the vehicle but at our age, if we want to do an all day trip somewhere, we want something quieter. The noise leads to fatigue sometimes. Our newer vehicle is quieter and much more refined on the interstate.

I've never owned a Mazda, but friends have and they seemed to get the job done with minimum fuss.