Used 2016 Mazda CX-5 SUV Consumer Reviews
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Love this little buggy!
likesredcars, 06/11/2015
updated 06/12/2016
2016 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring 4dr SUV AWD w/Prod. End 01/16 (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
54 of 60 people found this review helpful
I did research ad-nausea and test drove several different small SUVs before I made the decision that this was the best car for me. Why? reviews, quiet ride, gas mileage, safety ratings, and the fact that I could actually see out the back. I liked the Nissan Rogue's cargo configuration, and the panoramic sunroof better, but not the lower ratings it received from several car review websites. I'm also not in love with the CRV transmission, or anything with a turbo. Any car with a manual stick-thing for parking brake was automatically eliminated. Cheap looking. My inner voice told me to buy a Subaru Outback, but I just couldn't love a station wagon. Just not sexy enough for this granny. So, after owning this car for a year - and only driving it on the weekends - there are only two things that bug me - the navigation is not very good, and the rear tailgate could really use an automatic release.
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It doesn't get better than this!
DAP, 05/08/2016
2016 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring 4dr SUV (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
11 of 11 people found this review helpful
Go for the Grand Touring. More expensive but it has the safety features & bells & whistles. Great ride and typical Mazda fun performance. Great storage and a perfect size for a small SUV or cross over. The size is easy to maneuver and the sitting position puts you in a good position to see the road. I love the safety features and the integrated control consol is easy to use and great integrated technology. The ride is good and steering excellent. 2.5 liter is solid and has nice power. I'm very pleased with my purchase.
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Love it!
Tom, 05/12/2016
updated 11/15/2021
2016 Mazda CX-5 Touring 4dr SUV w/Prod. End 01/16 (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
11 of 11 people found this review helpful
I have had my CX5 for 2 months now, a good time for a review? So far so good! I decided to get a Mazda because we just loved my wife's mazda3 (now 3 or 4 years old). The CX5 has awesome styling and rides like a dream. I'm going to focus on some things not said as follows but I do love pretty much everything about this vehicle! The negatives are few but are worth pointing out. Backing up is difficult, the camera is awesome and helps a lot but seeing things that are not directly behind me is difficult. I now back into my parking spots because backing into traffic is darn near dangerous, I can not see anyone unless they are directly straight behind. That's the only real drawback and backing into slots is easy with the camera. I do like the cross traffic warning beep and speaking of warnings, I just LOVE the blind spot monitor. I don't have any issues with blind spots going forward but darn, these things really work so well and make me feel much safer! My seat is comfortable but I do sit at a goofy angle and the side supports do jab my side. I am forced to sit at a "proper" angle and I guess that's a good thing but is slightly irritating. I am averaging better gas mileage than most here are reporting. I started in the mid 20's but am now up to just over 30MPG. My driving mix is about 75 Highway/25% city so I'm quite pleased there. The Bose speakers are so very VERY nice, do spend the extra and get that, put some music on a flash drive and you can be forever in bliss! (I have a 32 gig drive and it holds several THOUSAND songs) I did get weathertech mats and I highly recommend them,well worth the extra cost. But I rarely use the trunk so I passed on mats back there, if you do the same, a neat tip is to use those other mats that came with the car as mas in the trunk. Not "custom fit" by any means but they don't look so bad and do the job! update: almost 8 months later and I still love it! a friend just bought a Hyundai Sonata and I scratch my head wondering WHY? and another update, nearly three years later and I still love my CX5. I just drove into work in snow and it handled well (front wheel drive only and no snow tires!) as it always does. Nothing I do not like!
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Leap of faith, better than expected!
Daniel Lind, 10/11/2015
2016 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring 4dr SUV AWD w/Prod. End 01/16 (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
24 of 26 people found this review helpful
After driving a 2011 Toyota Sienna SE for the last four years, I was ready for something different. Prior to getting the Sienna, I had a 2004 CRV, 2007 Fit and a 2008 CRV. Both CRV's were good cars, don't get me wrong. The 2004 was a Japanese version that I specifically ordered. It was a tough little car and protected my family when we were involved in a six car pile up on Route 93 one night. We were in the middle, and everyone walked away unharmed. Aside from that, the two biggest issues with that car was ride comfort and a completely dead driving experience. The Fit was awful. As for the 2008 CRV, it was ok, but the quality was not good, with squeaks and rattles everywhere. The foreward-angled headrest was also so annoying due to the inability to adjust it fore and aft. Then I got the Sienna. I was not sure I wanted such a big minivan. The SE, being the sportier version turned out to be quite good. But I found it hard to park, not great on fuel economy and when anything broke, it was very expensive to fix. This was one of the main reasons I wanted out of the vehicle. So as I started my hunt for a replacement, I really wanted something that was fun to drive and had enough utility to address the needs of a four person, plus one dog, family. I looked at the new Pilot and the current model of Highlander. I was shocked how cheap the Pilot looked. I didn't want another CRV, especially since I did not want a CVT. I kept coming back to the CX-5. I was in Japan this summer and had a ride in an older version of the CX-5 and I liked it. The owner liked it too. We were able to fit five people and all their luggage! Then I had a chance to drive a US version, again a couple of years old. I wasn't too impressed with the smaller 2.0L, but overall, I liked the vehicle. I finally took a test drive in a GT 2016 and I really liked it. But I still was unsure if I could go from such a big minivan to a smaller SUV. The price of a Pilot with all the options I wanted was about 10K more than the Mazda! The Highlander was in the same range. I also came close to getting a Subaru Outback. But that car had so many little things I didn't like. So after reading many reviews about each one of the cars I was considering, I decided to take a leap of faith and go for a 2016 AWD GT. It has taken a little getting used to. As a family, we have had to streamline our array of junk we keep in the vehicle. We also had to get a turbo booster for my four year old, due to that lack of space in the back for a convertible child seat. He did fit, but the seat was very close to the back of the front seat. The first 600 miles were not impressive in the CX-5. But once the break-in was over, the car came alive! I still think it is not completely broken in at 800 miles, but seems to be getting better each day I drive it. Two points I would like to share. First is the sport button. Not sure why this is not highlighted more. It really isn't something to use consistently, but when you need a little more juice, it works great. You can toggle it on and off as needed with no worries. Another point about the sport switch is that it works in manual mode! I don't know why no one ever mentions this, but when you switch on the sport button and put it in manual mode, watch out! Mazda uses a locking torque converter that locks up about 80% of the time as apposed to 20-40% in many other vehicles, and not at all in a CVT. It also locks into each gear so if you know how to shift a manual transmission, you can really utilize the power of the engine. You won't win too many drag races, but the output of the engine is really impressive when needed. In normal automatic mode with the sport button off, it is much more composed. But this is all programed and actuated via drive-by-wire, in the name of improved fuel economy. Another item is the Bose entertainment system. One of the factors that almost prevented me from getting this vehicle was the negative reviews for the Bose system. The reality is that it is really very good. But you have to make adjustments in the menu to get the most out of the system. Also, the source is important. XM works great and sounds great. HD FM is ok, but is not as dynamic as XM. Finally Bluetooth is also quite good, but again need a bit of adjustment to sound correct. The age of the recording seems to have a sizable impact on the performance as well. Some classic hits tend to sound a little flat. But dynamic modern recordings sound awesome! Also, it seems that just like the engine and the transmission, the Bose speakers needed a little break-in before sounding right. The CX-5 is so much more fun to drive than the two CRV's I had. The price is right for what you get. I am so glad I didn't get a Pilot or Highlander. I do miss the intimidation factor the Sienna had, as it was an SE and in black. But the Mazda has proven to be the right choice, and I like it more every day!
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Functional and safe yet sporty and fun to drive!
Diane Doctor, 05/11/2016
2016 Mazda CX-5 Touring 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
10 of 10 people found this review helpful
I was looking for a crossover with AWD that sat higher up (I'm 5'4") so I could have good visibility. The seat and steering wheel are adjustable in several directions so that I was able to find the perfect combination. I bought a cargo mat right away and have already used it as a truck, loading it with bricks and a stone fountain with no problem. And best of all, it's fun to drive! I wanted something sporty and this delivers. I've never driven an automatic before and except for the occasional sluggish upshift, it's very responsive. It feels like a lot of car but handles well. For the occasional flashback to my days of VW GTI ownership, I turn on the "Sport" feature. I was hoping for better gas mileage--I do mostly city driving and average 22.4 mpg after one month of ownership. One small complaint is that because the controls for the front display (music, volume, mute, etc.) are on the floor panel in between the front row seats, the cup holders are farther back and harder to reach. Visibility is great though I wish the sunroof were larger. The 9-speaker Bose sound system was worth every penny!
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You have to drive it to understand.
Joe, 07/09/2016
2016 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring 4dr SUV w/Prod. End 01/16 (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
10 of 10 people found this review helpful
A lot of people did not understand my choice of the CX-5. Even my wife did not like it, until she drove it. Now she loves it. At lot of the cars in this category are the same, boring. But this one is different, you will actually enjoy driving and owning this car.
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Mazda CX5 is right on the mark
Burton Thomas, 05/04/2016
2016 Mazda CX-5 Touring 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
10 of 10 people found this review helpful
I had narrowed my search down to a Mazda CX5 or a Nissan Rogue. The internet was very helpful in researching both vehicles and getting customer reviews to study. Nissan seems to have had problems with the constant velocity transmission but they claim to have it remedied but after driving both the Nissan and the Mazda I chose not to take the chance on a possible CVT problem. The Mazda seemed to perform a bit better and the handling was far superior to the Rogue. The Mazda is a much sportier handling vehicle and has very little body roll in tight cornering. Visibility is good and the blind spot warning on the mirrors makes it even better. My mileage so far exceeds the claims as I can get 29.5MPG around town but that does include some stretches of roadway that have no stop lights or stop signs. The electronics work as advertised but since my last vehicle was a 2006 I may not be well educated on what others have to offer. They take a bit to get used to but once I became familiar with the controls they are just fine for me. I really like the Pandora radio availability as I can get what I want to listen to without the fees such as Sirius/XM charges. And the sound quality is very good.
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Exceeds Epectations
Russ, 09/27/2015
2016 Mazda CX-5 Sport 4dr SUV AWD w/Prod. End 01/16 (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
10 of 10 people found this review helpful
I bought my CX-5 in June 2015 as a 2016 after researching all the small CUVs. The contenders were the Toyota Rav4, Hyundai Tucson and Honda CRV. I did checkout the U.S. models but read many complaints and disappointments in MPG. A few realities that are noteworthy include exceeding the EPA mileage (something I wish U.S. auto Mfgs could say, just ask any Ford Ecoboost owner), best HP from a 2.5L NA engine, excellent handling and braking. A couple of downside issues are it is a bit noisy, and the navigation system is a bit lame (so I’m told, I do not have this option). Overall, I’m completely satisfied with my choice and highly recommend the Mazda CX-5. Specifically, I’ve gone through 4 tanks of fuel and after the first tank, I get 26.6 mpg in town with a little highway thrown in. I get 32.5+ on the highway, during one trip so far. I don’t drive with an egg shell under the gas pedal. The engine feels quite spirited and the 6 speed transmission is smooth and responsive. The interior is very comfortable, more so than the Rav4, and the AC works great and has little effect on engine performance. The sound system (6 speakers) is fine for my tired ears and has fine USB and Bluetooth connectivity for Pandora and some other services I don’t use. It engine is definitely not a droner but is noticeable and Mazda could put more effort in quieting the interior. I find it impressive the Mazda gets the HP and MPG out of a 2.5L NA engine without resorting to force induction. It will be interesting over the next 10 years to see how the many turbo charged engines fair out in the long-term reliability. Pity the future used turbo car buyer whose previous owner didn’t change the oil or understand how to drive and care for a turbo charged engine. As much as the foreign and domestic manufacturers try to make turbo engines a non-issue, with technology like water cooling the turbo, the reality is turbo engines do in fact require different maintenance and driving manners, not the least of which is to idle the engine before turning off after any driving period. Being the owner of three turbo charged engine vehicles; I’m no stranger to the subtitles of turbo-engine ownership. So, I’ve avoided the turbo engines and went for Mazda’s Skyactiv technology. Add in the many other Mazda CX-5 attributes, and the decision was a no brainer.
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Thumbs Up
Rich Kimball, 04/06/2016
2016 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
10 of 10 people found this review helpful
First I'd like to comment about reliability since I can't really respond to that yet as I have under 1000 miles on the car at this point and hope that it is as reliable as my Toyota Corolla was. However, I can say that so far, I love this car. The Grand Touring model with the metallic white paint, roof racks, fancy 19" wheels with alloy rims really makes the car look sharp and a little sporty. I test drove a couple of other SUVs (like the Nissan Rogue) and settled on the Mazda. I'm finding no issues with acceleration. It's easy to get in an out of and the seats are quite comfortable. The backup camera is great for parking in tight spots in Boston. So a big thumbs up from me so far.
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No Sirius/xm radio in touring model w/o getting ex
Gerry, 03/11/2016
2016 Mazda CX-5 Touring 4dr SUV AWD w/Prod. End 01/16 (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
10 of 10 people found this review helpful
Love the car(just got it today). Only disappointment is that XM radio listed in music selections but cannot access it because we didn't get tech pack. We do have navigation! Also, no instrumentation of temperature controls!
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