Car shopping help!

"ViperGuy21" (viperguy21)
09/20/2014 at 00:25 • Filed to: Oppohelp, cuv's

So I'm going to look at the Mazda CX-5 and VW Tiguan for my mom on Saturday with my family. My parents have already looked at the Honda CR-V and Nissan Rogue. My personal favorite is the Mazda, followed by the VW, Nissan, and then the Honda. If anyone has any experience with any of these cars, I would really appreciate all pros and cons of them. Especially concerning long term ownership. I really a appreciate it!!!

Have a Viper GTS for your time..

(Sorry it wouldn't load, but it's the thought that counts right?)

DISCUSSION (33)

Dunnik > ViperGuy21
09/20/2014 at 00:28

In terms of which car I'd prefer to drive, the Tiguan, or the CX-5.

To own? The CR-V.

The Rogue? Ugh.

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > ViperGuy21
09/20/2014 at 00:28

The Tiguan's outdated. new one's gonna be out soon. Still, 200hp and a dual clutch gearbox do make it the quickest in class...

DancesWithRotors - Driving Insightfully > ViperGuy21
09/20/2014 at 00:29

I test drove a CX-5 and I really liked it. YMMV.

ViperGuy21 > Dunnik
09/20/2014 at 00:29

Really, why's that?

ViperGuy21 > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
09/20/2014 at 00:31

Yeah, I wish she cared about that. She cares about safety, cheapness, and if it looks 'cute'

DancesWithRotors - Driving Insightfully > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
09/20/2014 at 00:33

But the CX-5 can be had with three pedals...

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > ViperGuy21
09/20/2014 at 00:34

Safety: tiguan is better than CRV, worse than Mazda
Cheapness: it'sa german car for $25K with modest options! heated seats, touchscreen audio and 4Motion AWD all add up to a good package!
looks: eye of the beholder, but it's second only to the Mazda IMO.

ViperGuy21 > DancesWithRotors - Driving Insightfully
09/20/2014 at 00:35

That would be great, if she knew how to drive one:( I would like it

mazdaspeed2 > ViperGuy21
09/20/2014 at 00:35

I have only heard good things about the cx-5 though I am biased, haha. I've also only heard bad things about current VWs, not sure if that applies to the Tiguan or not.

Bottom line, go with what you like to drive best, and what will fit your budget.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > ViperGuy21
09/20/2014 at 00:36

My Mom got a Rogue as a rental and named it the worst car she has ever driven.

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > DancesWithRotors - Driving Insightfully
09/20/2014 at 00:37

so can the tiguan in base form! I drove one actually! think GTI, minus the crisp cornering!

proof

DancesWithRotors - Driving Insightfully > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
09/20/2014 at 00:38

Sweet!

ViperGuy21 > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
09/20/2014 at 00:38

That's weird, my parents went and drove it today and my dad(who know a little about cars, and how they should be) said it drove well compared to the CR-V. So either the CR-V really sucks, or it's gotten fixed

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > DancesWithRotors - Driving Insightfully
09/20/2014 at 00:38

yeah! it's the best in class CUV! :D

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > ViperGuy21
09/20/2014 at 00:40

I rode in it and it was slow and the CVT was loud. The interior was shit, the radio was shit, and it rode like shit. It's terrible. So I can't imagine how bad the CR-V is.

ViperGuy21 > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
09/20/2014 at 00:41

Wow. Thanks for that!

I'm gonna assume that you'd pick the RAV4 in this class b/c your username though

Dunnik > ViperGuy21
09/20/2014 at 00:42

The CX-5 handles the best of the bunch, but if one wants handling one shouldn't be shopping in this segment. The Tiguan is the most put-together and the most comfortable to drive. It may be a bit faster too. Its more traditional hatch style may carry more cargo than the Mazda's.

The CR-V is a bit of both, should have higher re-sale value and better reliability than either (especially the Tiguan).

The Rogue is silly looking and like many Nissans its interior is nasty. And Nissan's quality control has taken a dive. I've seen Altimas with 2-3,000 km on them with trim falling off, gas gauges not working properly and blown speakers. The Versa and Sentra are primitive shit-boxes of the old-school, despite their fancy CVT's, and the Rogue is a Sentra that's been lifted /endrant

ViperGuy21 > Dunnik
09/20/2014 at 00:43

Thanks! This is exactly what I was hoping to get!

mcseanerson > ViperGuy21
09/20/2014 at 01:00

Shop-teacher is shopping this segment right now and he really likes the CX-5. He's been test driving a lot of this stuff.

Sam > ViperGuy21
09/20/2014 at 01:06

I've heard good things about the CX-5, but it's really hard to buy a bad car nowadays. So let her go with her heart or whatever.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > ViperGuy21
09/20/2014 at 01:08

Nope, it's a Camry. With the exception of their B.O.F. offerings, their new line up is dead to me.

Doug DeMuro > ViperGuy21
09/20/2014 at 01:38

I've spent a lot of time driving all the cars in the segment. IMO the CX-5 is the best, followed by the Nissan Rogue and the Ford Escape — I'm surprised you aren't considering the Escape.

The CR-V is dull, outdated, ugly, and it's still running a 5-speed automatic. The Tiguan is INSANELY expensive for what you get, and in my opinion it really only appeals to people who believe VW is a premium brand. FYI backup sensors aren't available on ANY level of Tiguan, even though certain versions of this car sell for $42k+ — that's howbackards VW is.

Forget about the old Rogue — the new one is an excellent car with an excellent infotainment system and great equipment levels for a good price. Its engine seems a bit overmatched by the new model's larger body. The Escape is also great — don't believe everything you hear about MyFordTouch; the new system is way better. CX-5 is the star of the segment though — most features, best priced, great mileage, and of course great to drive. RAV4 is also not bad.

Doug DeMuro > ViperGuy21
09/20/2014 at 01:39

FYI his comments relate to the old Rogue — be careful — the new one is head and shoulders better and VERY much worth a look.

shop-teacher > mcseanerson
09/20/2014 at 05:24

Indeed, I was very impressed by the CX-5! It looks great, handles pretty darn well, the bigger engine has plenty of power (I never drove the smaller one), it's safe and comfortable, and you get a lot of features for your money.

Skif6996 > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
09/20/2014 at 07:54

Key words, rental car. It really isn't fair to judge vehicles based on their rental life. Often times, rentals are pretty different from consumer vehicles. That being said, I'm not really a fan of any current Nissans. My vote would be for the Cx-5. We just bought a cx-7 and it's a really nice vehicle. We drove a pre-owned RDX and loved it. It was the turbo model before they switched to the V6. That thing was awesome, but priced way over everything else we looked at.

trmoore09 > ViperGuy21
09/20/2014 at 09:04

We've had our cx-5 for over a year and its been great. Averaging 25.5 mpg which is either city driving or cruising at 75-80. Would definitely buy again, and that says a lot about the car.

ViperGuy21 > Doug DeMuro
09/20/2014 at 13:00

Thanks I really appreciate it!!

We talked about the escape, but I can't convince my mom that fords aren't crap anymore

gawdzillla > ViperGuy21
09/20/2014 at 13:47

conclusion : cx-5 is on the top of everyone's list

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Skif6996
09/20/2014 at 13:58

That's true, but it was a newer rental car, as in low miles.

Doug DeMuro > ViperGuy21
09/20/2014 at 14:02

Sell her into the Mazda or Nissan then — both are head and shoulders ahead of the competition.

ViperGuy21 > Doug DeMuro
09/20/2014 at 14:04

Thanks a lot! I'm so glad there's someone on here that has driven them all with a journalist POV, and bothers to help us oppos out!

Doug DeMuro > ViperGuy21
09/20/2014 at 14:08

Haha no problem — for some reason I have become an expert on the compact SUV segment so this is right up my alley. The good news is that none of them are REALLY bad, so you'll end up with a nice car regardless. BTW have you considered the new Cherokee? Totally forgot to mention it — it's an excellent vehicle with a lot of strong points.

ViperGuy21 > Doug DeMuro
09/20/2014 at 17:04

You know what, I haven't, but we just got back from the Mazda dealer and we all really liked it. And I think the Jeep only offers leather, and she strongly prefers cloth to leather, even though that pains me. The only problem with the Mazda was having the sales dude in there made it 3 people in the back seat and it was cramped, but that won't be a problem when it's just my family.