"vert304" (vert304)
03/02/2014 at 17:45 • Filed to: Oppo Review
3
14|
"vert304" (vert304)
03/02/2014 at 17:45 • Filed to: Oppo Review | 3
| 14 |
When I was out choosing my first car I had originally seen a sensible 2005 Golf for around 10g which I had managed to make my parents agree to help me pay. We visited a Mazda dealership while still looking for cars and my mother saw this... a safe reliable car in which I would not get killed, and was very slow. What ensued was a year of exploration...
( Full Disclosure: I have put almost 42,000 miles on it from the original 4 in just 1.5 years, and have come to love it. It can still do some stupid stuff. This will be somewhat biased... )
It became quite a journey...
Exterior: 7/10
The Exterior is slightly like the Nissan Juke's, you either love it or you hate it. Personally I like the styling very sporty, and gives the sensation of a big Mazda 3. It sadly has become a chick car, but overall styling is not half bad.
Interior: 6.5/10
Truthfully the interior is not perfect, but it has been well thought out. Yes, it still has plastics everywhere, but the few places that you touch are leather, and it really helps ignore many of the plastics. All the stereo knobs feel planted, unlike some cars in which they feel cheap and will fall of at any second. The seats are wonderful, and it truly is not a bad place to be.
Acceleration: 2/10
Ok. It is not fast, not even a little, with 155hp and 150lb-ft@4000 rpm, and 3263 lbs. 0-60 comes in 10-ish seconds, or 9.7-ish if you are willing to do a brake stand start, and you use manual mode just right(Auto shifts about 500 rpm to early). It feels quick up to 30, then it just seems to drag on, and on and on.... It is an excuse to go flat out longer, but will not get you there much quicker.
Braking: 5/10
The brakes, although not the best truly do inspire confidence. They have an amazing pedal feel, but in emergency situations you do want some more stopping power. It is not until you hit the ABS that you realize they need more stopping force, but they will still save your life easily. They are confidence inspiring, and combined with some engine braking from manual mode work, magnificently.
Ride: 8/10
The ride is really good. I am not very tolerant of harsh rides(A BMW Z4 I drove for half a year hurt my back at only 25 min, never used sport mode was afraid for my back). I will say it truly is comfortable, and road noise is not excessive. The bumps are sucked up well, and my back survives about 8hrs before it starts hurting(huge improvement).It is a car I would gladly take on any length road trip.
Handling: 6/10
Actually not bad for a CUV. Under steer is present, but overall it holds well to the road. You can chuck it into a corner, and the car will hold and with almost no worry of flipping. Yes, there is a lot of body motion, but the car will skid before it flips. A bit of Scandinavian flick, TCS off, and some lift off the throttle will rotate the rear end. It really does feel like a kind of dad to the Mazda Miata.
Gearbox: 7/10
Truthfully one the few Auto's I can enjoy without going insane. It does not shift excessively, and 9/10 times will give you the gear you want, though sometimes you do wish it would shift to 3rd instead of 4th to make passing so much easier. the manumatic mode is wonderful once you get used to it, yes sometimes it gets stuck, and won't give the gear, but once you learn how it works you can predict it and shift accordingly. It also gives you the extra 500rpm that auto mode denies you. Overall a wonderfull gearbox, but still wish I would have gotten the manual, that is a 9/10 gearbox which for some unknown reason is only offered in the base model.
Toys: 7/10
A/C? check. Radio? check. Usable touchscreen? check. Bluetooth? check. Microphone comands that do nothing of what you asked it? check. TCS off? check. Truly well equipped. There is not navigation on mine while that is an option, along with the BOSE stereo, and if you are lucky enough to have 2014 you even have integrated Pandora. Oh, and it has a handle in the trunk that folds all the seats flat(truthfully not amazing until you have it, and then don't have it).
Overall it works wonderfully, and never leaves you wanting more stuff to mess with inside. Now if Bluetooth could only connect to my phone, and not my ipod that would be great...
Audio: 6.5/10
The audio is not bad, but at times can leave you wanting some more. The options for it do allow you to tailor it to your liking, but if I had the money, I would change over to the option-able BOSE stereo with the Pandora unit. It is however more than enough to drone out the annoying passenger next to you if need be.
Value: 7/10
It is a big a car, and you have a good trunk. There is little power, but the 32 MPG on highway is more than enjoyable. It gets 9 MPG when hammering it, and overall is a wonderful, reliable car. That has plenty of reason for you to get it. The manageable gearbox combined wit the handling make it wonderful to drive, and fun. Now if we can only get some more power, but keep the mileage.
62/100
Engine:
2.0L Petrol
Power:
155 HP at 6,000 RPM/ 150 LB-FT at 4,000 RPM
Transmission:
Six-Speed Auto with manual mode
Curb Weight:
3,263 lbs
MPG:
26 City/32 Highway/28 Combined Est.
Final thoughts: It is a great car, that is just asking to be driven hard, and yearns for some more power. I always think this would make a great juke-r competitor if done right(CX-5S). It is a joy to drive, and with a stick it can be both Oppo and practical.
Brian Silvestro
> vert304
03/02/2014 at 17:48 |
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I love the looks of this car, I'm glad you wrote this review.
I think is one of the only cars someone should consider buying when going for an entry level crossover.
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vert304
> Brian Silvestro
03/02/2014 at 17:51 |
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Thanks for the support. It is a great CUV, better than any other I tested. I like sports cars just like the next guy, but really a good CUV, and be just as fun.
Mathias Rios
> vert304
03/02/2014 at 18:05 |
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That shift knob... Stock?
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vert304
> Mathias Rios
03/02/2014 at 18:09 |
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No... That's aftermarket. Only thing changed on the car. The stock one is leather and quite nice, but it was too high for my liking. So I out in that one which works well for when I use the manumatic.
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Mathias Rios
> vert304
03/02/2014 at 18:12 |
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I think it's cool haha. It looks slightly out of place but awesome anyways.
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vert304
> Mathias Rios
03/02/2014 at 18:13 |
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A bit out of place, but hey I wanted to be unique. Nice to see you like it. I still hold this has best 6$ ever spent.
hike
> vert304
03/02/2014 at 18:27 |
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I test drove a CX-5 whenever they upgraded the engine to the 2.5L (I think it was a 2013). I've been trying to convince my parents to upgrade into one for a while. I found the acceleration to be more than adequate with the bigger engine, but the ride was a bit rough. Not bad, it was refined, but wasn't luxurious. I always thought the CX-5 was a great value compared to similar cars like the Ford Escape and Rav4. I've seen AWD Touring models for under 25k new.
N51fanatic
> vert304
03/02/2014 at 18:58 |
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Got one for my wife almost 3 years ago. We got a GT AWD. Yeah its a bit gutless when you floor it on the highway, but of all the smallish CUVs at the time, CRV, RAV, Countryman, EX35, this was the one the wife wanted. I like driving it to/fro the home depot. With the seats folded, you can fit quite a bit back there.
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vert304
> N51fanatic
03/02/2014 at 19:22 |
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The space inside is impressive. I have managed to fit so much stuff in there. It is bigger than it seems.
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vert304
> hike
03/02/2014 at 19:23 |
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I have test driven the 2.5L and I found the acceleration much better than mine. It really is good value. I only wish we could get the 2.5L power with the 2.0L economy.
trmoore09
> vert304
03/03/2014 at 09:35 |
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Great review! We have a 2014 GT fwd. Bought it used with 12k in June and it currently has 32k. Only major problem was with the transmission, but it was completely replaced under warranty (without mazda even being able to duplicate the problem). Pleased so far with Mazda overall. Also, the navigation system is very user friendly. No negatives here. Overall a great, small suv with pretty good gas mileage (we're averaging 25mpg). Our driving is usually city or highway at 75-80mph, so no true "highway" mileage driving.
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trmoore09
> trmoore09
03/03/2014 at 09:56 |
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Also, great color choice, ours is the same.
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vert304
> trmoore09
03/03/2014 at 10:55 |
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Thanks for the support. I love the color as well.
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trmoore09
> vert304
03/03/2014 at 10:58 |
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My wife and I are typically full on supporters of white, but the blue is awesome.