The Mazda CX-5 Is Just A Big Fat Miata

"TheSixSpeed" (the-six-speed)
12/10/2019 at 10:00 • Filed to: None

And I mean that in the best way possible.

(Full Disclosure: Mazda wanted me to drive this car so bad that a dealer gave me it to me as a rental for 2 weeks while my Miata’s transmission was replaced.)

Make no mistake, the CX-5 is no Miata. It’s a heavy front wheel drive crossover specifically engineered to appeal to the masses. But despite its appearance, this SUV has roadster blood coursing through its veins.

What is it?

The CX-5 is Mazda’s mid-size CUV, sitting in between the CX-3 and CX-9. This particular example was the Touring model with the naturally aspirated 2.5L inline 4 making 187 horsepower and 186 pound feet of torque. The Touring model brings you some things like powered as well as heated faux leather seating.

What’s it like to drive?

On paper, this mid size CUV doesn’t look like it has much going for it. Its got a DOHC 16 valve inline 4 making around 187 horsepower coupled to a 6[!] speed automatic which manages to move the big fella from a dead stop to 60 in about 8 seconds, has a top speed of 130 miles an hour and holds 0.83g on the skidpad (per Car and Driver). There are crossovers that are faster, handle more g’s and are more comfortable.

But none of the competitors elicit the feel that this big boy gives out. Mazda’s philosophy of ”Jinba Ittai” (which means ”the horse and rider as one”) has spread from just the Miata to its entire model range, and it shows. One of the ways that it does is via the introduction of Mazda’s G Vectoring control. It works like this: In order to achieve a car’s natural balance before a corner, it’s best to breathe on the throttle or even give a light amount of brake to increase the vertical load on the front wheels, thus increasing turn rate (in other words: making the car feel more responsive). Mazda capitalizes on this effect by reducing engine torque(by reducing spark timing) and thus increasing the load on the front wheels. The result is a car that feels a lot smaller than it is. It’s wonderful.

Did I also mention that the gas pedal is hinged at the bottom? Or that the automatic transmission has clutches along with a torque converter to give a stronger lock and thus give the feel of a manual transmission? All these small delightful details add up to make a car more than the sum of its parts. It’s truly fantastic.

Alright, alright, but is it a good daily?

It’s a crossover; It’s a fantastic daily! The seats are powered and heated, and they’re made of a faux leather and cloth material. The seating position is high up like any other crossover to give you a commanding view of the road, and the infotainment includes Apple Carplay and Android Auto.

Gas mileage is good for the class at 25 city and 31 highway with the naturally aspirated 2.5 liter 4 cylinder.

The backseat will fit 6 footers just fine, however, the cargo room is a bit on the smaller side of the class. Despite that though, the CX-5 will happily accomplish anything you ask of it.

Okay, I like it! What’s it cost?

To get an example like this, you can expect to be set back around $26,750. Used examples can be had in the low 20s however, and that’s not a bad deal for what you’re getting.

Honestly, I don’t really have any real complaints about the CX-5. It drives well, feels nice, and can perform any task that can be expected from a mid size crossover. If you’re an enthusiast with a family, the CX-5 is an excellent pick.

DISCUSSION (38)

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > TheSixSpeed
12/10/2019 at 10:09

Nice, but w hat’s the story on your Miata’s transmission?

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > TheSixSpeed
12/10/2019 at 10:16

I know it’s an unpopular opinion, but I hate bottom hinged gas pedals. They just feel... wrong. I don’t know what it is, but gas pedals should be hinged at the firewall.

Arrivederci > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
12/10/2019 at 10:26

Must be a ND - those have been breaking like crazy. Last I heard, Mazda was up to version five.

Arrivederci > TheSixSpeed
12/10/2019 at 10:28

I really wanted my wife to go with the CX5 when we needed to replace her Rogue , but she thought it would be too small for our family. It was my favorite of all the ones we test drove.

AestheticsInMotion > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
12/10/2019 at 10:36

I agree

Milky > TheSixSpeed
12/10/2019 at 10:37

Semi-related. Should I be launching my Miata while I still have my CPO warranty? I have an early 2015 build with 70k miles and it seems to be doing great. But then I read stuff like this and get worried.

Its first gear that goes out right?

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Arrivederci
12/10/2019 at 11:05

No shit? The manual?

Ash78, voting early and often > TheSixSpeed
12/10/2019 at 11:11

I really want to like the CX-5 and it checks almost all my boxes on paper. Maybe it’s an age thing, but small crossovers ALL scream “cheap!” to me (going back to the days of the early RAV-4s and CRVs).

This is easily the best design of the bunch, but the proportions just don’t work for me compared to, say, the CX-9. But head and shoulders above both of them would be a Mazda6 wagon. It’s not just the aesthetics of it (longer and sleeker) that lend themselves to more class or style, but also that you can put longer items in the cargo hold without stacking vertically. I feel the same when looking at a Volvo XC 90 vs V90. One it like “Pretty” and the other is “HNNNG”

Conversely, if they made the CX-5 into a proper hatchback (cough Mazda3), I’d be more inclined to take a look.

Arrivederci > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
12/10/2019 at 11:15

Yep - obviously exacerbated when folks use them for autocross and tracking, but folks have even broken transmissions in normal driving. Meanwhile, the Fiata uses the carryover six-speed manual from the NC which is plenty robust.

Grindintosecond > TheSixSpeed
12/10/2019 at 11:18

Rented one several years ago and found it a really grteat car. It’s great! It sucked when it came to fishing crayons and little toys out from under the passenger seats...like really bad...like it’s for kids 7 and up.

TheSixSpeed > Arrivederci
12/10/2019 at 11:24

Correct: Originally I was in there to fix a TSB related to my clutch. Then I get a call from the dealer saying that second gear locked out on the technician and they’ll be replacing the whole transmission. Lucky me.

TheSixSpeed > Milky
12/10/2019 at 11:25

For me it was second gear :(

Textured Soy Protein > TheSixSpeed
12/10/2019 at 11:28

My wife has one like this. It does drive reasonably well and handles competently for what it is. My main knocks against it are the front seat bottoms are smaller than I’d prefer and the center console gets in the way of my right knee more than it needs to.

Smaller niggles are the blind spot warning beep comes on way too often when I use the turn signals, and the rain-sensing wipers are so bad at sensing rain that I checked the box in the settings to turn them back into regular intermittent wipers. I’m sure Mazda provided that setting because they knew on some level that their rain sensing capabilities are crap.

Arrivederci > TheSixSpeed
12/10/2019 at 11:29

Oy - good that they caught it before returning the car, I suppose! What year is your ND?

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Arrivederci
12/10/2019 at 11:29

Wow, that sucks.

Textured Soy Protein > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
12/10/2019 at 11:29

Bottom- hinged gas pedals are 100x better for heel-toeing so therefore you are wrong.

TheSixSpeed > Arrivederci
12/10/2019 at 11:39

Before I traded it in it was a 2016. Good little car, that thing. But unfortunately I had to get rid of it for practicality reasons. I miss it a bit.

Kinja'd!!!

shop-teacher > Textured Soy Protein
12/10/2019 at 11:46

“Bottom-hinged gas pedals are 100x better for heel-toeing so therefore you are wrong.”

Because that’s something that happens in a CX-5.

shop-teacher > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
12/10/2019 at 11:47

I quite like my wife’s CX-5, but the gas pedal being hinged at the bottom does bug the hell out of me.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Textured Soy Protein
12/10/2019 at 12:01

Honestly no. With a top hinged pedal it’s all about the setup of how far out the pedal is, which you can usually adjust if you crawl around in the footwell and aren’t afraid to tinker.

Also, I heel toe with my heel on the brake and toe on the gas because fuck you that’s why.

Milky > TheSixSpeed
12/10/2019 at 12:11

Big oof, hope the fix goes well.

Textured Soy Protein > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
12/10/2019 at 13:17

Heel toeing with your heel on the brake s?!

Kinja'd!!!

Textured Soy Protein > shop-teacher
12/10/2019 at 13:20

Well no but they are also better for r esting your right foot on without wearing a hole in the carpet under your heel. And I’ve personally rested my foot on the gas pedal of my wife’s CX-5 that’s identical to this one .

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Textured Soy Protein
12/10/2019 at 13:29

I get in huge arguments with my friends about this one. Honestly, heel-toeing is a dumb solution to a bad design. Think about it, brake should be on the left, clutch in the middle, and gas on the right. Left foot does brakes, right foot does gas, clutch is operated by either, depending if you’re stopping or going. Instead of heel toeing, you now left foot brake. You can also still clutch kick.

Jarrett - [BRZ Boi] > TheSixSpeed
12/10/2019 at 13:48

I drove one of these at a Mazda VIP event on a baby auto-x course. (AWD+turbo)

These things hustle. I was blown away at how I was able to fli ng it around the course. Damn near as quick as the manual MX-5s they brought out ! (One of the funnest days of my life, for sure)

The other thing that surprised me was just how much better they were at everything than the CX-3. I had 0 confidence in the CX-3 after coming out of the CX-5/MX-5/6/3. Maybe I was expecting more out of the the CX-3 because it was built on the 2 platform?

shop-teacher > Textured Soy Protein
12/10/2019 at 14:03

I guess it’s just what you’re used to, because I find the opposite to be true.

Nick Has an Exocet > Jarrett - [BRZ Boi]
12/10/2019 at 14:12

I had a similar experience doing one of those Mazda events. For me, I was quicker in the CX-5 than in the new Mazda3. That’s likely due the 3's suspension setup (particularly the rear having a Torsen beam rear and not a multilink ).

Textured Soy Protein > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
12/10/2019 at 14:27

Heel toeing is the best way to rev match downshifts while braking. How would you do that with a clutch pedal in the middle?

You need to apply constant pressure to both the clutch and brake pedal while momentarily blipping the throttle without removing that pressure from the clutch and brakes.

If the clutch were in the middle, to rev match while braking, first you’d brake with your left foot, then you’d need to use your right foot to get the clutch pedal down to the floor (or at least past the engagement point), keep it there, and then somehow reach the gas pedal to blip the throttle.

That’d be impossible unless we totally redesigned clutch pedals so they stop moving far up off the floor enough that you can reach the gas pedal with the same right foot, or just gi ve every one of those cars auto rev-match downshifts that everyone loves so much.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Textured Soy Protein
12/10/2019 at 14:53

I don’t find that heel toeing is a useful technique even when driving aggressively. I’ve never found myself in a situation where it was actually necessary. Then again, all of my cars are front wheel drive so I can carry higher speeds through corners.

Textured Soy Protein > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
12/10/2019 at 15:16

I don’t mean to be a dick but um, yeah, no.

Fwd is not inherently better at carrying more speed in corners than rwd or awd.

Regardless of driven wheels, w hen you’re trying to take a turn quickly , you carry as much speed as you can for as long as you can until you absolutely have to jam on the brakes before the turn, and you want to downshift while you’re braking instead of wasting time downshifting either before or after braking. Heel-toeing allows you to downshift while braking, without upsetting the balance of the car.

Taking turns quickly with fwd is helped by trail braking to transfer weight to the front of the car. More weight pushing down on the front tires of a fwd car helps it turn in and rotate better. And again, downshifting while braking, through heel-toeing, lets you do this at the last possible second before turning in.

Personally, I heel-toe all the time because I’m good at it and it amuses me. But it’s unnecessary in normal driving other than it being a bit smoother.

As far as needing to do it, it’s definitely effective for making lights that are about to change where you’re going to make a turn in that intersection.

Jarrett - [BRZ Boi] > Nick Has an Exocet
12/10/2019 at 16:09

I wish I could have tried the 3s on the same track. This event had them on their own track to show off different attributes, so it was tough to compare. They certainly were better than the cx-3 though!

Nick Has an Exocet > Jarrett - [BRZ Boi]
12/10/2019 at 18:10

Yeah, I really want to try the CX-30. Honestly, should have been named the CX-3.5 but okay.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > TheSixSpeed
12/10/2019 at 19:46

Counterpoint, as a non-biased not Mazda lover to the extreme. The CX5 Touring with the 2.5 is genuinely awful to live with. I had one as a loaner for a month, and on the third week, I parked it and drove my ‘95 4Runner because the CX5's ride is so fucking uncomfortable. On top of the jarring ride, the road noise was atrocious. Keeping with the discomfort theme, the front seat didn’t go back far enough for my 6' self(Small update to my Mazda dislike, they seemed to fix the front interior space in the new 3, it’s a shame it’s so ugly and expensive). It reminded me of old Toyota in the worst of ways.

The handling was meh, the Tiguan I had before it was a bigger joy to drive mainly because it was comfortable AND handled decently well. I genuinely don’t understand the circlejerk around the CX5.

And inb4 Mazda SOUL AND PASSION MEANS SACRIFICING SOUND DEADENING AND RIDE QUALITY(I’ve gotten this before, you guys are aware of the actual issues with the car), my daily is a 2003 Corvette Z06 now, and I had it at the same time I had the CX5 loaner. The Corvette has a softer ride and less road noise. Part of the Z06 package is thinner glass, no sound deadening, and a freer flowing titanium exhaust. The road noise in the CX5 is absolutely inexcusable.

Compared to a Miata, it may be roomy, but it’s not roomy compared to other things. I miss the nightmare of a car that was the reason that I had a loaner in the first place, so it’s not the bad memories associated with the loaner.

CompactLuxuryFan > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
12/10/2019 at 20:01

all of my cars are front wheel drive so I can carry higher speeds through corners

What?

M.T. Blake > TheSixSpeed
12/10/2019 at 22:32

I have a complaint!!!! They lose half their value in 4 years! Ask me how I know (I owned a 2014 for four years with 40k miles and sold it for 16k...)

SpecedOut > M.T. Blake
12/11/2019 at 07:21

And as a used car buyer, that’s what I liked. Got my wife’s 2016.5 with 44k miles for $16,400.

Was any of the value loss associated with the move to a new generation between when you bought and sold?

M.T. Blake > SpecedOut
12/11/2019 at 15:13

I’d imagine so.

Goh > TheSixSpeed
12/11/2019 at 21:06

I have a 20 14 manual sport and it’s been pretty decent. Enough giddyup to tow a trailer full of cordwood. Mileage is great @ 32.6 over 130k miles incl. t owing a lil boat or the occasional cordwood