Author Topic: Mazda CX5 or Subaru Forester?  (Read 11046 times)

mtnbikes

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Mazda CX5 or Subaru Forester?
« on: April 08, 2015, 07:26:57 AM »
Hey guys,

I need advice on which vehicle to select to replace my 2011 Ford F150 (Paid off). I've been looking at these extensively and have it narrowed to these two choices. There are five of us with one still in a car seat. I have owned both brands in the past and was really happy with Subaru. I like both for different reasons and the kids prefer the Subaru for the space. What is most important to me are gas savings, reliability, and longevity in the replacement vehicle. Thanks! 

mikesinWV

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Re: Mazda CX5 or Subaru Forester?
« Reply #1 on: April 08, 2015, 08:33:28 AM »
I was in the same situation just last fall.  I too have a family of 5 with one in a car seat (actually a booster).  We bought a Mazda5 at the end of 2013.  Loved the car- and it met our needs in most situations.  It's a 2 x 2 x 2 configuration so we always had one in the third row.  The problems began when we started getting involved with carpooling for soccer practices/games.  So, we decided to sell the vehicle.  What I realized is that the Mazda does not hold its value.  Even the Mazda dealership wouldn't give us crap for it.  We ended up purchasing a Honda Pilot.  The mileage is not great but it was actually comparable to the Mazda5.  Just drove it on a long car trip over the long weekend and it was great.  Didn't need to put bags on the roof like the Mazda.  Put the third row down and the kids can sit comfortably in the second row.

That being said...we also own a 2002 Subaru Outback.  Another great car but the only issue is that it only seats 5. 

My thought is that if you want to keep the car long term as you said, think about what you may be doing in a few years.  Not sure the age of your children (mine are 6/10/12) but situations may change in the future.  Not saying to buy a car bigger than you may need now but just something to keep in the back of your mind.

ADK_Junkie

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Re: Mazda CX5 or Subaru Forester?
« Reply #2 on: April 08, 2015, 09:07:07 AM »
The interior passenger space in a Legacy is actually larger than the Forester (if you are buying new).  Same with the Outback.  We were considering the Forester (as my wife had one previously) but surprisingly, the passenger space is actually smaller than both of the "cars" ...plus the price point and mpg on a Legacy is favorable when compared to the Forester. 

Retired To Win

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Re: Mazda CX5 or Subaru Forester?
« Reply #3 on: April 08, 2015, 09:16:04 AM »
We swear by Subaru Foresters.

We bought a 1998 model in 2001.  Unfortunately, it got totaled in 2004.  We bought another 1998 Forester right then.  Still have it.  There are over 242,000 miles on its odometer.  Has performed like a champ.  And it is amazing how much cargo we've been able to cram into it sometimes.

mtnbikes

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Re: Mazda CX5 or Subaru Forester?
« Reply #4 on: April 08, 2015, 10:16:53 AM »
What I realized is that the Mazda does not hold its value. 

This is my fear from what I have read...thanks for confirming it!

jeromedawg

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Re: Mazda CX5 or Subaru Forester?
« Reply #5 on: April 08, 2015, 10:37:55 AM »
The interior passenger space in a Legacy is actually larger than the Forester (if you are buying new).  Same with the Outback.  We were considering the Forester (as my wife had one previously) but surprisingly, the passenger space is actually smaller than both of the "cars" ...plus the price point and mpg on a Legacy is favorable when compared to the Forester.

It's too bad they discontinued the Legacy Wagon. My parents had one and I used to drive it around my last year in college and first couple years of work, and it was a champ. You could fit so much stuff in it and it was super-reliable. Eventually they donated the car but it had a good run, especially after all I put it through. It was a really great car to take up to the mountains too.

mm1970

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Re: Mazda CX5 or Subaru Forester?
« Reply #6 on: April 08, 2015, 10:41:36 AM »
Is there a reason you don't consider something like a Toyota Matrix?

With only one car seat left, you can fit five in that with a decent trunk space.

jeromedawg

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Re: Mazda CX5 or Subaru Forester?
« Reply #7 on: April 08, 2015, 10:51:28 AM »
Is there a reason you don't consider something like a Toyota Matrix?

With only one car seat left, you can fit five in that with a decent trunk space.

That seems like it could be really tight with a car seat. We have a Rav4 currently (no kids) but our friends also had a Rav4 (maybe 2007 or 2008) and once they had their second kid (2 car seats) they decided to sell it and get a Honda Odyssey. This is just a frame of reference... not sure what the space is in a Matrix vs Rav4 (especially an older Rav4). I imagine once you have two car seats in there it gets crowded regardless though. But even if you had one car seat and had to get two more in the back, that still seems like it would be somewhat cozy in a Rav4 at least. I'd imagine much more so in a Matrix.

grundomatic

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Re: Mazda CX5 or Subaru Forester?
« Reply #8 on: April 08, 2015, 11:07:28 PM »
The Mazda not holding its value could be seen as a plus, since he is going to be buying one, not selling it.

bruce88

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Re: Mazda CX5 or Subaru Forester?
« Reply #9 on: April 09, 2015, 03:34:10 AM »
Consumer reports recently wrote about recommended cars for getting 200k or more miles out of them.  The ten are:

Honda-5 models
Toyota-5 models

Note that USA vehicles, German and other Japanese models (Mazda, Nissan, etc.) are MIA.

I have had really good luck driving 2 different Toyotas to around 135k, then selling/replacing them.  Resale is still about 20% of original purchase price at that time (8 years or so).  Guess I should have held on for another 65k!

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Re: Mazda CX5 or Subaru Forester?
« Reply #10 on: April 09, 2015, 06:29:12 AM »
2 years ago I went through the exact same decision process and ended up buying a used Subaru Outback instead of the Forester.  For effectively the same money, it seemed to hold resale better and had greater load carrying capacity (which we certainly use!!).  I didn't like the car-like feel of the Mazda, and the boot was relatively small.   The Forester and Outback cost about the same, but the Outback can fit a door inside it (and has done several times).

MayDay

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Re: Mazda CX5 or Subaru Forester?
« Reply #11 on: April 09, 2015, 06:43:48 AM »
The matrix is small. Backseat is the size of a civic/corolla. Three kids would be hell (especially as they get to adult-sized) for anything longer than a 10-20 minute drive around town.


Scandium

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Re: Mazda CX5 or Subaru Forester?
« Reply #12 on: April 09, 2015, 07:02:28 AM »
Consumer reports recently wrote about recommended cars for getting 200k or more miles out of them.  The ten are:

Honda-5 models
Toyota-5 models

Note that USA vehicles, German and other Japanese models (Mazda, Nissan, etc.) are MIA.

I have had really good luck driving 2 different Toyotas to around 135k, then selling/replacing them.  Resale is still about 20% of original purchase price at that time (8 years or so).  Guess I should have held on for another 65k!

do you mind sharing which 10 models?
(yes I'm too cheap to pay for CR, and don't have time to get to the library to read it.)

on topic: I like the space in my outback, but the milage is pretty bad. But very few vehicles of that size gets much better. According to my car milage/cost/lifetime cost spreadsheet the honda CR-V does a tad better, and 2012 and newer better still.

The volume of the prius V is larger than the outback, and you get 40+ mpg. I included the CR-V here as well
http://www.cars.com/go/compare/trimCompare.jsp?acodes=USC20TOC231A0,USB90SUC022B0,USC20HOS021A0
go to the bottom for volumes.

mtnbikes

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Re: Mazda CX5 or Subaru Forester?
« Reply #13 on: April 09, 2015, 07:06:24 AM »
2 years ago I went through the exact same decision process and ended up buying a used Subaru Outback instead of the Forester.  For effectively the same money, it seemed to hold resale better and had greater load carrying capacity (which we certainly use!!).  I didn't like the car-like feel of the Mazda, and the boot was relatively small.   The Forester and Outback cost about the same, but the Outback can fit a door inside it (and has done several times).

I'm going to go look at some subarus today. I have owned both the Forester and Outback models in the past. Both are great vehicles that have great cargo carrying capacity. Thanks for all the advice!

By the way...anyone in the market to buy my 2011 Ford F150?  HAHA!

Syonyk

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Re: Mazda CX5 or Subaru Forester?
« Reply #14 on: April 09, 2015, 09:42:04 AM »
Do you need the AWD? The FWD Mazda probably will do better on gas.

Good on trucks here. I've got a '97 Ford.

mikesinWV

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Re: Mazda CX5 or Subaru Forester?
« Reply #15 on: April 09, 2015, 02:37:03 PM »
Went in with a group of friends in the neighborhood to buy a used truck.  Actually, we set up an LLC that purchased it.  Then, we share a google calendar in order to reserve it.  Costs are split evenly. 

Valhalla

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Re: Mazda CX5 or Subaru Forester?
« Reply #16 on: April 09, 2015, 03:05:22 PM »
Went in with a group of friends in the neighborhood to buy a used truck.  Actually, we set up an LLC that purchased it.  Then, we share a google calendar in order to reserve it.  Costs are split evenly.
wow that seems extreme.  Why a LLC?

The fees to form the LLC, do annual taxes for it, would negate any potential savings?  And if costs are split evenly what's even the point of doing it through the LLC? 

mikesinWV

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Re: Mazda CX5 or Subaru Forester?
« Reply #17 on: April 10, 2015, 05:19:10 AM »
Fees were minimal as one of the neighbors is an attorney, another an accountant.

Income and expenses flowed thru the LLC. 

bruce88

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Re: Mazda CX5 or Subaru Forester?
« Reply #18 on: April 10, 2015, 03:09:39 PM »
Scandia-google consumer reports cars with 200,000 miles.  The articles are free from the magazine.  Bruce88

MsPeacock

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Re: Mazda CX5 or Subaru Forester?
« Reply #19 on: April 11, 2015, 11:51:14 AM »
If you plan to keep both cars as the kids get larger (e.g. teenager and adult sized) I would recommend a minivan. I've had both a Mazda 5 and an Outback wagon and neither was large enough to regularly cart around 3 middle to big sized people in the back. The third row is almost nonexistent in the Mazda 5 and you end up w/ about 8" of storage space when the 3rd row is in use. Middle seats in any car suck if you are over the age of 6. So, if you plan to keep the car for a good number of years, I'd look elsewhere (specifically at a Toyota or Honda minivan).

FrugalKube

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Re: Mazda CX5 or Subaru Forester?
« Reply #20 on: April 12, 2015, 01:51:50 AM »
Subaru are going to last and hold their value. But the maint costs are going to be a little pricey. If you can afford it get a Subaru that is slightly used with a few miles on it

Jeremy E.

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Re: Mazda CX5 or Subaru Forester?
« Reply #21 on: April 13, 2015, 02:29:49 PM »
How about a 2012 Subaru Impreza Wagon? they get 36mpg, are reliable and have good resell value.

mm1970

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Re: Mazda CX5 or Subaru Forester?
« Reply #22 on: April 13, 2015, 02:42:39 PM »
Is there a reason you don't consider something like a Toyota Matrix?

With only one car seat left, you can fit five in that with a decent trunk space.

That seems like it could be really tight with a car seat. We have a Rav4 currently (no kids) but our friends also had a Rav4 (maybe 2007 or 2008) and once they had their second kid (2 car seats) they decided to sell it and get a Honda Odyssey. This is just a frame of reference... not sure what the space is in a Matrix vs Rav4 (especially an older Rav4). I imagine once you have two car seats in there it gets crowded regardless though. But even if you had one car seat and had to get two more in the back, that still seems like it would be somewhat cozy in a Rav4 at least. I'd imagine much more so in a Matrix.

I've got a Matrix and two kids, two car seats.  We had a couple of years of having the baby/ toddler seat in the middle, and the boosters on the side (because I carpooled with another family, I had 3 kids in the back and one kid in the front in a car seat.  But the carpooling was only home from school, so a short distance). 

Even so, my kids are now 2 and 9, and the 9 year old is still short and still in a booster with a back, and there is plenty of space.  No worse than a RAV4.  (However, three carseats probably would not fit terribly well.)  I think the older RAV4s are smaller.

As far as when they get older, I dunno.  When I was a kid we went on long car trips to visit my older sisters, 2 hours each way, and we had a fiat for some of that time.  We never had "big" cars.  (Usually 3 kids in the backseat.)

Someone mentioned that the backseat is like a Corolla/Civic (true!  Civic is our other car!)  But funny thing, the Civic/ Corolla these days is the size of an older Accord/ Camry.  So...not that small.

(Don't get me wrong I would LOVE a minivan, LOVE it.  But I'm cheap and I simply cannot justify it.  If it gets to where it's too hard to take long car trips for vacation I'll just rent a car.)
« Last Edit: April 13, 2015, 02:49:30 PM by mm1970 »

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Re: Mazda CX5 or Subaru Forester?
« Reply #23 on: April 13, 2015, 02:44:59 PM »
How about a 2012 Subaru Impreza Wagon? they get 36mpg, are reliable and have good resell value.

It's usually best to use the EPA combined figure, if anything.  It can also be handy to use owner reports.  Only 1 version (of 4) is rated at 36, and that's only the highway figure, not the city or combined figure.  I know everybody likes big numbers, but when planning financial moves I think it's better to be conservative, such as looking at the whole range and/or at least leaning a little more towards the city or combined figure.  Also looking at the owner site Fuelly.com, it appears the 2012 Impreza is roughly a 27-29mpg vehicle.  That's probably a better real world figure to discuss.

Jeremy E.

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Re: Mazda CX5 or Subaru Forester?
« Reply #24 on: April 13, 2015, 03:14:24 PM »
How about a 2012 Subaru Impreza Wagon? they get 36mpg, are reliable and have good resell value.

It's usually best to use the EPA combined figure, if anything.  It can also be handy to use owner reports.  Only 1 version (of 4) is rated at 36, and that's only the highway figure, not the city or combined figure.  I know everybody likes big numbers, but when planning financial moves I think it's better to be conservative, such as looking at the whole range and/or at least leaning a little more towards the city or combined figure.  Also looking at the owner site Fuelly.com, it appears the 2012 Impreza is roughly a 27-29mpg vehicle.  That's probably a better real world figure to discuss.


here is a quote from an article written by MMM
"The Environmental Protection Agency tests and rates each new car model to figure out its fuel consumption in typical use. The funny part about their rating system is that they have to keep changing it because the average US person drives so inefficiently that they end up using even more fuel than the EPA estimates.
 
The typical sentiment among drivers is, “Oh, EPA estimates are so optimistic, you’ll never get that mileage in real life”. Among hypermilers, however, the opposite is true: “Thank goodness I don’t get those shitty mileage figures estimated by the EPA, or my gas bill would be ridiculous!”.
 
Case in Point: if I look up EPA estimates for my 2005 Scion xA here: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/findacar.htm, it tells me I will get 27MPG city, 34MPG highway, averaged to 30. In reality, my average is about 44 city, 40 highway, and I’ve never ever seen anything below 33MPG – a tank used up with a lot of short cold-start trips during a brutally cold winter with snow on the road. Under ideal driving conditions (mild weather, no stop lights and choosing my own speed), the car gets about 52MPG."

it came from this article
http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/07/26/hypermiling-expert-driving-to-save-25-50-on-gas/

MattC

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Re: Mazda CX5 or Subaru Forester?
« Reply #25 on: April 13, 2015, 03:37:56 PM »
What about a Hyundai Elantra wagon?  They're about Outback sized, no AWD (better mpg) and a bit cheaper.  You can get an '11 with 80k miles for about $8k, and they're fairly reliable. 

Note that if you buy either the Outback or CX-5 new, you haven't actually decreased your automotive costs compared to the F150 (assuming it's worth in the $12k range?).  You've decreased your repair and gas costs, but increased your depreciation expense, opportunity cost, and perhaps your insurance cost.  The real key to saving money on your car is to get a CHEAP vehicle that's also relatively cheap to maintain.  Older=better.  If your new vehicle costs less than your current truck, then yes, you probably will be saving money over the truck.   


neo von retorch

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Re: Mazda CX5 or Subaru Forester?
« Reply #26 on: April 13, 2015, 08:56:06 PM »
MattC has a great point. I wanted to chime in that the CX-5 is lovely - I owned one for two years and I had no complaints. But I still sold it and bought a 2008 Honda Fit, and pocketed the big ol' difference. My insurance isn't much lower, though with the older car I finally dropped collision/comprehensive (which saved a bit more), and my gas mileage is just a little better. Meanwhile the saved money is spending time invested, but I hear it's great for debt pay-off and building safety cushions, too!

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!