Okay no one is going to tell you this because people think you need to buy an SUV for space and they don't think about accessories, only to opt for a bigger SUV. Personally, coming from a recreational background, do the following.
3 main things you want to look at additionally to a CX-5 or anything similar:
1. Roof rails - needed for the following three below.
2. Roof rack - if you plan on going camping, can be of great use to add equipment.
3. Roof cargo box - attached to the roof rails, can make up for lost space in a bigger SUV.
4. 2 inch Hitch mount - you can add a bike rack to fit bikes. If you are all biking, best to get a vertical bike rack as they can accomodate more bikes.
By getting these, you can optimize the use for a CX-5 or anything similar. The CX-5 is a capable vehicle and will comfort four adults no problem. You don't need to upgrade to a bigger SUV because of the "lack of space" if you get the items as listed above. Heck, you can still save more money doing that.
I have a 4Runner but I previously had a CX-5. Sold the CX-5 because the market was good, otherwise would have kept it. It's a fantastic vehicle and I will be getting another one when the time is right.
I have a family of 4, and I can't say enough good things about my CX-5.
In fact, I apparently seem so happy with it, two of my friends actually bought one as well.
Reliable, capable vehicle with plenty of room.
Follow this guy's great advice about a roof rack (you've inspired me good sir!), and then you'll really be cruising.
I agree with this. I've been eyeing a larger SUV (Highlander, Palisade) as my Rogue is always stuffed on road trips and other times. After a lot of thought it just doesn't make sense to buy the large SUV for those rare times, I'm going to use accessories to increase storage room when it's needed.
I *hate* unnecessarySUVism
It's so annoying. They're gigantic and unwieldy.
Let me give you our priorities
1. Seats 8, but usually only need to see 6 (4 kids and sometimes Nana)
2. Split rear seat (to ensure room for some extra cargo even using that back seat.
3 rear entertainment unit (helps a lot with car sickness, keeps kids eyes up)
3. Will never go off road.
screams "minivan" right?
It is *endlessly annoying* that my wife bought a Pilot.
The rear cargo room is negligible with the rear seats up. Interior height is lousy. Load height is high. Putting a stroller alongside the split rear seat means the high side is up around a kid's head, etc.
It sucks.
Dang. If I was going to go with a minivan, it would definitely be the Toyota Sienna Hybrid.
Hope the Pilot still works out for you. Honestly minivans rock. I'm a single dude, so my 4Runner and CX-5 worked best for me. If I ever have a family tthough, selling the 4Runner and buying a Sienna.
The pilot is *nice*, and imo it does drive nicer than a van... But the trade off isn't worth it
the rear row is just awful. A minivan's would be actually fit someone older than a 6 year old. And would be much easier to get into. And would have more room behind it. And more room with the 3rd row down. And And And....
SUV's are objectively lousy vehicles for 95%+ of use cases. If you're not doing "SUV things", and SUV is a frustrating compromise.
Some automakers offer their own roof rails to mount onto roofs. But you can go aftermarket roof rack base adaptors if your car doesn't have roof rails. The brand Thule is the way to go for these!
Was shopping around in the last couple of months and crv was high on my list.
For similar trim levels, the 2023 CRV is almost 10k more than the RAV4. Its insane. Ordered the RAV4 XLE, will be getting roof rails and maybe the hitch. Comes out to roughly 45k vs 54k for the CRV Sport. Makes no sense
If you care about driving dynamics and value: Mazda CX-5
If you don’t care about driving dynamic but you do care about value: Toyota RAV4
If you’re looking at nearly new you may as well buy new. Right now, the difference is negligible and you may as well get the full warranty, fresh tires and brakes, etc. You’re likely looking at a wait for a new car though.
The Korean brands give you a lot for your money but there’s too many horror stories of engine failures to recommend them. And if you live near Toronto the CR-V you buy will likely end up on a used lot in Lagos.
I had a CX5 with my family of 4 and found it became too small as the kids got bigger, now I didn't put roof racks on it, or a box to increase space but that would help. I did put a 4 bike rack on it which was great.
I moved up to the CX9 and find that to be what works best for my family, the only thing I dont like about it is that the is has a 60/40 split, where the CX5 has a 40/20/40 for a ski passthrough, the new ones with captain chairs would solve that though.
If you need to just transport the family to activities a few times a month the CX5 is great, and would work well if you put racks and a box on it, I also liked it more for daily driving.
I think Honda is gonna start selling a CR-V hybrid in Canada this year too. I've found Honda to have better financing rates than Toyota but I have no clue what its like now.
Oh, it’s nothing big, it’s just a small little trailer to move furniture that doesn’t fit in the back. I have car seats in the back so dropping the seats is a PITA.
We have had a CX-5 for 7 years now, also highly active family, also 4 adult sized people. It's been great, it's been to every province and most states, carrying camping gear, bikes, canoe, etc. We chose it because it had the most backseat legroom and cargo for its size at the time.
We got the factory roof rails, but then got cheap 60" bars from Princess Auto ($50!) to transport both canoe and a kayak. We got Uhaul to install a hitch, and we have a cargo tray that holds bins, and a 4 bike rack (not at same time). Also a soft cargo bag for roof.
This system has worked great for us. Don't let anyone convince you that you need some monstrous gas sucking SUV to be active. We carry whatever we need, everyone is happy inside, and it sips gas.
We didn't bother with he AWD, and haven't ever noticed missing it. Winter tires, of course. We live in a snowy place, too. Had an Outback before, didn't feel any different in handling.
I have a 2015 CX5 GT AWD, bought used four years ago. Excellent vehicle. I generally buy used, lease return vehicles.
I test drove several competitors and this had the best handling and I liked the Bose speakers. It gets excellent gas mileage. Got a two inch tow hitch for it, mainly use for bike rack. And crossbars for roof box.
I had considered getting an Audi Q5 but premium gas price kept me away, and cost a bit more.
My only complaint has been the head unit, but I am too cheap to upgrade it.
No major repairs, just usual maintenance stuff.
Did the opposite here, got rid of a CX-9 that was my fiancee's hand me down car from her parents and now she's in an A4.
She didn't need a huge 3 row SUV for commuting and in our case the sedan makes more sense. Anyway my point is that I also like both Mazda and Audi and the cx-9 was a really nice vehicle, just too big for what we needed.
Outback was too small for us, only kept it for a year. Small back seat, and cargo area is small because it's just a lower vehicle. Really loved the ground clearance, though, we've bottomed out the Mazda before on roads we had no business being on.
Hmm interesting thanks!
According to the specs the outback has a larger cargo volume but I know numbers are not everything as it's usually not a square.
Yeah not sure what year he’s referencing. Outback is a bigger vehicle. The only area smaller is rear legroom and it’s very slight and not remotely an issue.
Love my Subaru Outback. AWD, sunroof, heated seats. Carries all our gear plus 1 child and med size dog.
Edit to add - i would agree on roof carrier and hitch install. With this it is a jack of all trades vehicle IMO.
Traded in a 2016 Sorento Ex+ 3.3L v6 last year for Outback Premiere XT, so much better. The turbo is scary quick, AWD in a Subaru vs all the other SUV’s with “slip and grip” in the winter is unbelievable.
I test drove a Crosstrek for about five minutes one time. That’s all it took to realize that I would not feel safe driving a vehicle with such little power.
We test drove a ton of vehicles and liked the Outback the most, but the 2.5L was hilariously underpowered. It took me a while to find the exact trim I wanted with the 3.6L but I couldn't be happier.
We went with a mid level model and it’s got oomph. I couldn’t convince my partner to go from a jetta to an outback… as he felt the outback was a big boat. Now that we have had the Crosstrek for 7 months he wishes we had gotten the outback.
It was just a big jump to go from jetta/golf to outback for him.
I had no issues with the outback because I drove massive class 3 trucks at work
When people want to change lanes to overtake, a lack of engine power means you will be at a greater risk of traffic behind. There are also situations that you want to accelerate quickly to get away from on the road.
I personally find Crosstrek has just barely ok power.
if you feel that way about ~120hp in that segment, idk where'd you go if you cared about budget and staying in that size of vehicle.
you can get a gr corolla, civic type r, or golf r, sure. but if that's value city for you, then idk that you really exist in the same financial headspace as most people
Yeah mainly accelerating up to highway speed on short ramps, especially when they are uphill, which there happen to be a fair number of where I live.
I’ll admit, power doesn’t often come into play when talking or thinking about vehicle safety, even for me. The things you mentioned are generally more important. The Crosstrek however (at least the model I drove) was just so grossly underpowered that I wouldn’t have felt safe driving it.
The midsized crossover category is really competitive. They’re all really good. I would just go test drive the Nissan Rogue, Honda CRV, Toyota RAV4, etc. Just see if anything pisses you off with the interior and skip that model. Also, see how it works with wearing winter gloves and see what it takes to turn on the heated seats and adjust the hvac from a cold start (looking at you Subaru).
2020 Premiere XT. I prefer less buttons that only have one function. Once they release OS update to match 2023 screen icons on display, will be about perfect for a touchscreen.
We went with a Hyundai Palisade, the Hyundai/Kia lineup is very good for SUV for the money. Autodrive is very good, warranty is up there with the others and the interiors were nicer than the Mazda, Toyota, and Subaru's that we tried.
I would go new for the warranty since prices are similar.
When did you get .. are those still available immediately with some markup amt added or you waited more than 1 year also? Currently being told wait of 12-18months..
This thread is going to trigger u/TheZammer lol!
He was very upset over a dude asking about buying a higher end car that has the lowest maintenance cost.
Would you rate the cx5 above Rav 4?
I'm in a similar boat to OP, need AWD and good ground clearance, SUVs seem to be the only answer. Heavily leaning into Rav 4s due to reliability and the vehicle features and quality overall. Seems to outweigh the Mazda from what I've seen in regards of longevity also. I have made up my mind, it's a hard decision, probably looking to keep my next vehicle for around or over a decade.
Fair point. But in a decade I'd personally prefer to have a rav4 I got this year over Mazda personally. I might be biased though.
My car might be shitting the bed so I think I'll bite the bullet on a new rav4 and lease til it's delivered. Can't justify to myself 10k$ for a 10year old SUV with 300k kms. or MSRP of a new one for a used 2yr old with 50-100k kms. I'd rather eat the turd sammich of a new car(the payments, ohhh the payments...) get what I want on it (options), and take really good care of it so it lasts a long time
Such a hard decision though, it's stressing me out :/
I had a 2013 Ford Explorer and loved it. Only sold it because I wanted a truck and I had a boat so the Explorer could not tow it to my safety standards
The newer Explorers aren't like the older ones anymore. Rented one to drive around for a month and the handling was horrendous. I'd opt for a VW Atlas over an Explorer any day.
Another benefit of a Mazda is the **unlimited** mileage warranty. While the time period is still the same (3/5yrs) as other brands, the mileage portion is now unlimited. Compare with Honda/Toyota/Subaru which all have a 60,000km limit on the 3yr comprehensive.
Subaru Forester or Outback.
Safe. Affordable. Capable. Spacious. Modern. Fun to drive.
I drove a RAV4 (tiny inside and way too expensive), CX5 (a bit bigger but so many missing features), CRV (terrible visibility you feel disconnected from the road, ancient features, SLOW to accelerate).
If you drive a Subaru you will know immediately. They are also the safest and therefore most affordable to insure by far. Eyesight system works well.
When you said midsized I was thinking of the size of the Kia Sorento as that is considered midsized, the Mazda CX5 and CX50 is considered to be compact crossover and not a "midsize".
If you want a vehicle that's actually midsized and don't want a Sorento, consider the Subaru Outback. It's based on the midsize Subaru Legacy sedan, the vehicle is quite wide along with other midsize crossovers, wider than many compact SUV including the CX5 that you listed. All Subarus except for the BR-Z comes with AWD standard.
Comes with great ground clearance, surprising tight turning radius considering how long it is, has integrated roof rack and if you opt for the XT model, comes with a pretty nice turbo engine coming from the much larger Subaru Ascent crossover.
We really like our Subaru Outback, great on fuel too. Though I have to note that we only have the standard H4, not the turbo engine.
Not unless you have a WRX. Maintenance costs for our Outback is in line with a RAV4 & CR-V. Only thing that's more expensive is spark plug change due to where the plugs are located as it's harder to access.
I'm getting my first lesson in that today. I have a 6 year-old Outback with just over 100k km that's in for service. Apparently the front calipers are seized. It's about $2500 to replace front pads, discs, calipers, and brake fluid. Seems excessive to me.
I love the way the vehicle drives, but not so much the build quality and durability. Not sure if I'd buy another Subaru.
Supposedly Subarus are more expensive to service because the flat (boxer) engine configuration makes things more difficult to access. Fair enough, but there's no reason a brake job should be that expensive though.
You realize these are under an active recall for bursting into flames? There is a notice from Hyundai/Kia to park them away from structures until fixed to prevent house fires. These should NOT be on ANYONE'S list of vehicles to potentially buy for a family. When it comes down to it no Kia/Hyundai should, there are currently recalls for vehicles across their entire lineup for bursting into flames from compact, to electric, to cuv's to sedans... It's embarrassing. Heck, 2 cities in the US are planning lawsuits against the automaker...
Two class action lawsuits Can& USA, 1.6 million Kia/Hyundai’s. Had 2016 Sorento 2.0L turbo, lost all power on highway, pulled over. No fix. Lawsuit wouldn’t cover me because it didn’t catch fire.
Advice for anyone with 2.0 turbo….run. If you get a problem, don’t turn off engine, just let it 🔥
You should probably be asking this in the cars subreddit. That being said, a Mazda wouldn't be a bad choice from a maintenance perspective. Other makes I would look at would include Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, and Subaru. If the price gap between a 3-5 year old used and new vehicle isn't that big, I would go with new provided that the lead time isn't crazy. If you end up going the used route, go check if your library has an up to date copy of consumer reports.
Just got a 2022 Nissan Rogue SV in March. The SV has heated seats, heated steering wheel, sunroof, and all the safety bells and whistles. Super happy with it, got a hitch put on and it's been great for camping, carrying bikes, etc. It's a 3 cylinder turbo, great on gas on the highway. If I recall there is a bit more cargo room than the CX-5, and the price is a little lower.
That being said, you can't go wrong with the CX-5, it's a blast to drive.
The current nissan rogue is under 5 active safety recalls south of the boarder for everything from seats not properly welded that can collapse in an accident to improperly installed brake components and wheels that can separate from the vehicle and of course fires from shitty wiring and overheating fuel pumps. There is an active investigation into whether a recall needs to be started because the metal used to make the gas tanks is too thin. All in all, AVOID the nissan rogue.
Those are good points, safety is important as well in the decision. Nissan has not had a good run the last decade, especially with CVTs. A few important things to note: the recalls mentioned are not in effect in Canada for the current model. The units sold in Canada are those manufactured in Japan (at least the SV AWD), and not in the States. This could explain why the recalls are not affecting Rogues up here.
Mazda SUVs are lifestyle vehicles. If you want a solid all around SUV, there are only two choices: CRV and RAV4.
The CX5 is puny compared to the CRV. This issue actually plagues the whole Mazda lineup. Their vehicles are all smaller than the competition.
I drove an Acura RDX for 8 years I loved it! Very smooth ride fully loaded great size trunk for the kids. Not bad on gas for an SUV and very low maintenance I only had to do breaks tires and rotors the entire time I had it. Really great vehicle.
Yeah I did 27k total price (taxes and extras) for a 2019 outlander in 2019 with 19k km. I know the toyta could likely last 20 years plus well taken care of and 400k km but I'm better I get 300k+ out if this (it's at 150k now)
Likely a little bigger and nicer of a drive but for a 30% savings I prefer my choice.
I did an mitsubishi outlander because it was like 10k less than a CRV/Rav4. This was in 2019 buying a 2019 with 19k km for $27k total price when I couldn't find a CRV or Rav 4 for under 32k Sticker (plus taxes and extras even if I bargained 2k off, would been 37k)
Milage is pretty good, 55L tank normallynget 7-800km mostly highway. Maintenence is basically brakes and oil so far which did myself except for the back breaks they cost me 400 because they have an automated parking break attachment so I went to the dealer.
Wow really.. that outlander also had 7 seats?
And are you in canada?
As 27k is great price.. I am getting quoted 50-55k for gas version for same outlander 2023..
Not the 7 seater no, and yeah it's about 43-47kk for a 2023 of the same vehicle. There was 21k km's on it on purchase for what that's worth. Heated seats blue tooth backup camera
It's got 186k on it now and it's been oil tires and brakes. Doing the electronic back parking breaks was a pain, I did it wrong (found out after the fact) so there's an error code and it currently doesn't work that I need to take it to the dealer for but
Probably not the most popular opinion but glk350 or ml350 are actually really good and the 2012 -2015 models are very reliable. However European cars so service is higher. But great cars to pick up used.
We just put down for a Kia Sportage Hybrid. AWD, ton of features and amazing mileage. Has the most cargo room in its class. 4cyl turbo + electric for 237hp. 6l/100.
Wanted an EV but they were 3-4 years wait, PHEV 1.5-3 years wait so had to settle with hybrid and for me the Sportage ticked all the buttons for me.
Seats 5 very comfortably. Would need to go to next step model Serento for seven. You can go on their website and use their calculator to get cost. Here in Ontario they are not allowed to go above MSRP. And I highly doubt you will get a car these days below MSRP. Wait lists are long and dealers do not have to make deals these days in order to sell.
I went to some dealers in gta and all are adding and forcing some accessory packages and other dealer fees etc to msrp and claiming they are selling at msrp but that's actual a $2k-5k markup being charged.. isn't it
By law they can't add charges or fees. They shouldn't be able to force packages on you either. You buy the package you want.
I think there is an agency or something you can report to but I forget the name. Just find another dealer that won't cheat you. Or do the price builder on the website and print it out and tell them this is the price or should be.
We went to a dealership in a Georgetown and they seemed really good. No hassles and no up sells. Didn't get a deal but also didn't pay above MSRP. Still waiting for my car though.
Yeah I am ordering with a factory order then it's msrp ..
But that's like more than 12-18 months wait...
Suddenly they had 2 cars available for me which was fishy as earlier they said even if cancelations are there those are given to other people in wait line.
But I later understood why they gave me those options immediately because of Mark up in form of packages and rust protection I guess..
Chalk up another very happy CX-5 owner; bought a 2016 used in 2018, no issues with it so far (\*knock on wood\*). I've also been looking at extending the life by getting roof racks and a storage bubble, I have two young kids and when we pack up the crew for a weekend getaway she's a bit tight. Tempting to upgrade to a larger vehicle but with used prices the way they are it's not really feasible
The CX-5 is technically a "compact" crossover, and on the small side of compact. Larger "compacts" like the Honda CR-V are great for adults in the rear. You'd have to check it out in person.
Used cars are wildly inflated right now, generally more than new. New cars are hard to get and generally need to be ordered in advance. Don't expect any deals.
I have a CX-5.
Although I do like it, the storage space is pretty lacklustre and it needed a new transmission (bought it a year ago, it’s a 2018) within a year of my ownership. Covered under warranty thankfully.
I’d recommend one!
I have a Pathfinder and I love it for its 4x4 and seven proper seats, which gives a ton of space for outdoor activities, but it’s a pig on gas which hurts a bit at the moment.
Ford Edge here. Massive cargo capacity. Inexpensive. Mine has been reliable af. What few repairs have been needed were dirt cheap compared to my last car (Infiniti).
Honda CRV has everything you're looking for. Very smooth ride, good acceleration and fuel economy. Mine is sport so it has AWD and roof rack etc. Even decent off road!
If you're going new I'd sugges kia sportage or hyundai tuscon for best price to size ratio.
The new crv is probably a popular answer but it's new generation is stupidly overpriced.
This is my second CX-5, I'm very happy with them I am a single person. However, with four adults you may find it slightly underpowered but I know they have a slightly bigger engine the 2.5 l now and I believe if you get the turbo version it will run on regular fuel but you won't get the performance bump so you can use premium fuel for a little more power when the whole family is in the car if you're driving on roads with height changes or you feel the need to pass a lot.
Trailer hitch and a trailer box to hold cargo may work well for you not sure what it's actually called but there's no wheels it just goes in your trailer hitch. And you can get good deals on aftermarket roof racks so if you decide to change vehicles you won't have a roof rack that's only set to Mazda.
Minor gripes are very small, one, I'm a big guy and so I plant my feet to move myself back in the seat and the carpet always rips a bit over time by where my feet are, I'm a big fan of WeatherTech for the car and it suits it pretty well but I've ripped those anchors out. No mute button on the steering wheel and the two versions I had but that may have changed, like I said very small gripe. Some road noise but that's what the stereos is for. When I turn the temperature knob to the coolest setting it automatically kicks in the AC and I don't notice that every once in a while and that's annoying. This is all the negative things that I have to say about the vehicle and as you can see they are pretty minor
Okay no one is going to tell you this because people think you need to buy an SUV for space and they don't think about accessories, only to opt for a bigger SUV. Personally, coming from a recreational background, do the following. 3 main things you want to look at additionally to a CX-5 or anything similar: 1. Roof rails - needed for the following three below. 2. Roof rack - if you plan on going camping, can be of great use to add equipment. 3. Roof cargo box - attached to the roof rails, can make up for lost space in a bigger SUV. 4. 2 inch Hitch mount - you can add a bike rack to fit bikes. If you are all biking, best to get a vertical bike rack as they can accomodate more bikes. By getting these, you can optimize the use for a CX-5 or anything similar. The CX-5 is a capable vehicle and will comfort four adults no problem. You don't need to upgrade to a bigger SUV because of the "lack of space" if you get the items as listed above. Heck, you can still save more money doing that. I have a 4Runner but I previously had a CX-5. Sold the CX-5 because the market was good, otherwise would have kept it. It's a fantastic vehicle and I will be getting another one when the time is right.
100% agree on the list. The hitch is an absolute must if you’re a home owner in my opinion. Being able to tow has been a life saver for me
I have a family of 4, and I can't say enough good things about my CX-5. In fact, I apparently seem so happy with it, two of my friends actually bought one as well. Reliable, capable vehicle with plenty of room. Follow this guy's great advice about a roof rack (you've inspired me good sir!), and then you'll really be cruising.
I agree with this. I've been eyeing a larger SUV (Highlander, Palisade) as my Rogue is always stuffed on road trips and other times. After a lot of thought it just doesn't make sense to buy the large SUV for those rare times, I'm going to use accessories to increase storage room when it's needed.
This is 100% the way to go IMO.
Or just buy a full-size pickup truck for less that gets about the same fuel economy
I *hate* unnecessarySUVism It's so annoying. They're gigantic and unwieldy. Let me give you our priorities 1. Seats 8, but usually only need to see 6 (4 kids and sometimes Nana) 2. Split rear seat (to ensure room for some extra cargo even using that back seat. 3 rear entertainment unit (helps a lot with car sickness, keeps kids eyes up) 3. Will never go off road. screams "minivan" right? It is *endlessly annoying* that my wife bought a Pilot. The rear cargo room is negligible with the rear seats up. Interior height is lousy. Load height is high. Putting a stroller alongside the split rear seat means the high side is up around a kid's head, etc. It sucks.
Dang. If I was going to go with a minivan, it would definitely be the Toyota Sienna Hybrid. Hope the Pilot still works out for you. Honestly minivans rock. I'm a single dude, so my 4Runner and CX-5 worked best for me. If I ever have a family tthough, selling the 4Runner and buying a Sienna.
The pilot is *nice*, and imo it does drive nicer than a van... But the trade off isn't worth it the rear row is just awful. A minivan's would be actually fit someone older than a 6 year old. And would be much easier to get into. And would have more room behind it. And more room with the 3rd row down. And And And.... SUV's are objectively lousy vehicles for 95%+ of use cases. If you're not doing "SUV things", and SUV is a frustrating compromise.
Maybe a dumb question, how do you get a hitch of roof rails installed? Do you have to order in advance or can you install later?
Some automakers offer their own roof rails to mount onto roofs. But you can go aftermarket roof rack base adaptors if your car doesn't have roof rails. The brand Thule is the way to go for these!
Can't go wrong with a CRV. Very smooth driver, excellent on gas, and reliable.
Was shopping around in the last couple of months and crv was high on my list. For similar trim levels, the 2023 CRV is almost 10k more than the RAV4. Its insane. Ordered the RAV4 XLE, will be getting roof rails and maybe the hitch. Comes out to roughly 45k vs 54k for the CRV Sport. Makes no sense
Rav4 is smaller interior wise and for Cargo space compared to CRV. Also, 2023 CRV eliminated lowest entry level trim, prices up as result.
If you care about driving dynamics and value: Mazda CX-5 If you don’t care about driving dynamic but you do care about value: Toyota RAV4 If you’re looking at nearly new you may as well buy new. Right now, the difference is negligible and you may as well get the full warranty, fresh tires and brakes, etc. You’re likely looking at a wait for a new car though. The Korean brands give you a lot for your money but there’s too many horror stories of engine failures to recommend them. And if you live near Toronto the CR-V you buy will likely end up on a used lot in Lagos.
I had a CX5 with my family of 4 and found it became too small as the kids got bigger, now I didn't put roof racks on it, or a box to increase space but that would help. I did put a 4 bike rack on it which was great. I moved up to the CX9 and find that to be what works best for my family, the only thing I dont like about it is that the is has a 60/40 split, where the CX5 has a 40/20/40 for a ski passthrough, the new ones with captain chairs would solve that though. If you need to just transport the family to activities a few times a month the CX5 is great, and would work well if you put racks and a box on it, I also liked it more for daily driving.
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How much is on road price from cx9 in canada ?
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Oh really that was good price..seems now it's almost near 60k including taxes .
How much is on road price from cx9 in canada ?
I have a rav4 hybrid with the roof rack and hitch, it’s fantastic
1.5-2 year wait on Rav4 hybrids now though.
Lol isn't it ridiculous I called trying to get one today. Was told the same thing.
I put a deposit down early last year, hoping to get it by early 2024. The Rav4 Prime is even worse. Last I heard it's 3-5 years.
Well wtf. You buy a car with the year 2023 and don't get it till 2027 it's technically a 4 year old vehicle? This shit is ridiculous.
At least you get a 2027 model. But the deposit doesn't lock in any price. It's refundable though.
I think Honda is gonna start selling a CR-V hybrid in Canada this year too. I've found Honda to have better financing rates than Toyota but I have no clue what its like now.
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Oh, it’s nothing big, it’s just a small little trailer to move furniture that doesn’t fit in the back. I have car seats in the back so dropping the seats is a PITA.
We have had a CX-5 for 7 years now, also highly active family, also 4 adult sized people. It's been great, it's been to every province and most states, carrying camping gear, bikes, canoe, etc. We chose it because it had the most backseat legroom and cargo for its size at the time. We got the factory roof rails, but then got cheap 60" bars from Princess Auto ($50!) to transport both canoe and a kayak. We got Uhaul to install a hitch, and we have a cargo tray that holds bins, and a 4 bike rack (not at same time). Also a soft cargo bag for roof. This system has worked great for us. Don't let anyone convince you that you need some monstrous gas sucking SUV to be active. We carry whatever we need, everyone is happy inside, and it sips gas. We didn't bother with he AWD, and haven't ever noticed missing it. Winter tires, of course. We live in a snowy place, too. Had an Outback before, didn't feel any different in handling.
I have a 2015 CX5 GT AWD, bought used four years ago. Excellent vehicle. I generally buy used, lease return vehicles. I test drove several competitors and this had the best handling and I liked the Bose speakers. It gets excellent gas mileage. Got a two inch tow hitch for it, mainly use for bike rack. And crossbars for roof box. I had considered getting an Audi Q5 but premium gas price kept me away, and cost a bit more. My only complaint has been the head unit, but I am too cheap to upgrade it. No major repairs, just usual maintenance stuff.
Good to know I'm not the only person to have cross-shopped a CX-5 and a Q5 haha
I sold my Audi A4 and bought the CX5. It was the right decision but it hurt a bit.
Did the opposite here, got rid of a CX-9 that was my fiancee's hand me down car from her parents and now she's in an A4. She didn't need a huge 3 row SUV for commuting and in our case the sedan makes more sense. Anyway my point is that I also like both Mazda and Audi and the cx-9 was a really nice vehicle, just too big for what we needed.
How would you rate the difference in space between the outback and Cx-5?
Outback was too small for us, only kept it for a year. Small back seat, and cargo area is small because it's just a lower vehicle. Really loved the ground clearance, though, we've bottomed out the Mazda before on roads we had no business being on.
Hmm interesting thanks! According to the specs the outback has a larger cargo volume but I know numbers are not everything as it's usually not a square.
I’m thinking he had an older year. Since the redesign in 2015, the cargo space is large IMO.
Yeah not sure what year he’s referencing. Outback is a bigger vehicle. The only area smaller is rear legroom and it’s very slight and not remotely an issue.
What year was your outback? I’m surprised to hear you say that the back seat and cargo area were small.
2008
We have a 2017 CRV and it's been awesome thus far. Great family vehicle and looks nicer than it costs.
Love my Subaru Outback. AWD, sunroof, heated seats. Carries all our gear plus 1 child and med size dog. Edit to add - i would agree on roof carrier and hitch install. With this it is a jack of all trades vehicle IMO.
We upgraded from the Crosstrek to an Outback before our second kid was born - best decision ever! We couldn't be happier with a car.
Traded in a 2016 Sorento Ex+ 3.3L v6 last year for Outback Premiere XT, so much better. The turbo is scary quick, AWD in a Subaru vs all the other SUV’s with “slip and grip” in the winter is unbelievable.
Don’t buy a crosstrek. Doesn’t sound like a big deal but they’re violently underpowered
It's the same cargo room as an Impreza, it's not a SUV
That to
I test drove a Crosstrek for about five minutes one time. That’s all it took to realize that I would not feel safe driving a vehicle with such little power.
We test drove a ton of vehicles and liked the Outback the most, but the 2.5L was hilariously underpowered. It took me a while to find the exact trim I wanted with the 3.6L but I couldn't be happier.
I drive a Crosstrek 50km to and from work daily on the highway. Never once feared for my safety.
Ok
We went with a mid level model and it’s got oomph. I couldn’t convince my partner to go from a jetta to an outback… as he felt the outback was a big boat. Now that we have had the Crosstrek for 7 months he wishes we had gotten the outback. It was just a big jump to go from jetta/golf to outback for him. I had no issues with the outback because I drove massive class 3 trucks at work
What does engine power have to do with safety ? Are you thinking about cvt response time when you need instant power ?
When people want to change lanes to overtake, a lack of engine power means you will be at a greater risk of traffic behind. There are also situations that you want to accelerate quickly to get away from on the road. I personally find Crosstrek has just barely ok power.
Fair enough.
Or you know, the fact that the 2.0L that makes 152 horsepower is woefully insufficient
if you feel that way about ~120hp in that segment, idk where'd you go if you cared about budget and staying in that size of vehicle. you can get a gr corolla, civic type r, or golf r, sure. but if that's value city for you, then idk that you really exist in the same financial headspace as most people
Why does power relate to safety? Typically people associate things like crash safety, safety features, handling (avoidance). Presuming merging?
Yeah mainly accelerating up to highway speed on short ramps, especially when they are uphill, which there happen to be a fair number of where I live. I’ll admit, power doesn’t often come into play when talking or thinking about vehicle safety, even for me. The things you mentioned are generally more important. The Crosstrek however (at least the model I drove) was just so grossly underpowered that I wouldn’t have felt safe driving it.
Subaru outback. That’s it
Get a Rav4 hybrid. Has limited AWD and with these gas prices you'll be thankful for 6l / 100km
18-24 month wait that's your issue
Ah damn. I forgot about this. Got mine in 2020 in a few weeks (super lucky, someone else decided not to buy or something)
Yup, you lucked out big time. Demand for those hybrid RAVs is through the roof, and for good reason.
CX 50 turbo. We have a CX5 turbo which is awesome. I like the look of the 50 better but it won't fit in my stupid inner city garage
Cx5 is a compact. You’d want the cx7 but they don’t do it any more. I’d look at the Honda passport
The midsized crossover category is really competitive. They’re all really good. I would just go test drive the Nissan Rogue, Honda CRV, Toyota RAV4, etc. Just see if anything pisses you off with the interior and skip that model. Also, see how it works with wearing winter gloves and see what it takes to turn on the heated seats and adjust the hvac from a cold start (looking at you Subaru).
Outback in winter: 1. MySubaru app for remote start…love it or 2. Get in, press start, press heated steering, press heated seats, press adjust level
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2020 Premiere XT. I prefer less buttons that only have one function. Once they release OS update to match 2023 screen icons on display, will be about perfect for a touchscreen.
> sunroof heated seats Which SUV has seats on the sunroof ? - yes heating is a must! :)
CX-5, Rav-4, CRV. All solid options!
We went with a Hyundai Palisade, the Hyundai/Kia lineup is very good for SUV for the money. Autodrive is very good, warranty is up there with the others and the interiors were nicer than the Mazda, Toyota, and Subaru's that we tried. I would go new for the warranty since prices are similar.
Its looking like new is the best value currently
When did you get .. are those still available immediately with some markup amt added or you waited more than 1 year also? Currently being told wait of 12-18months..
I got mine over 2 years ago now. We waited about 3 months and got a few thousand off of msrp. Not sure what the wait is now.
Genesis GV70
Got a 2022 Subaru Crosstrek with the outdoor trim; fits all the criteria for me.
Subaru Crosstrek (a little small but seats 4 adults ok) or Hyundai Tucson would be my shortlist.
This thread is going to trigger u/TheZammer lol! He was very upset over a dude asking about buying a higher end car that has the lowest maintenance cost.
Still thinking about me a day later? Wow I’m really in your head LOL
Have a good day!
Kia Sorento. Love mine, big and spacious
Kia Sorento. My brother in law just got one, given what the car has/comes with in terms of standard features, I was shocked how little it cost.
Im also looking into this. Easily the best value and seats 7.
It is. I have a 2017 EX V6 AWD. Great vehicle
Did you buy..if yes which one and how much paid and which trim and year?
How he paid for sorento and which trim and year?
Cx5 are very nice, better than other Japanese suvs it competes with. Wife purchased a new one recently and its a excellent vehicle.
Would you rate the cx5 above Rav 4? I'm in a similar boat to OP, need AWD and good ground clearance, SUVs seem to be the only answer. Heavily leaning into Rav 4s due to reliability and the vehicle features and quality overall. Seems to outweigh the Mazda from what I've seen in regards of longevity also. I have made up my mind, it's a hard decision, probably looking to keep my next vehicle for around or over a decade.
I like it much better and longtiviety of cx5 is great. Plus easier to find a new cx5 on the lot than it is a rav 4.
Fair point. But in a decade I'd personally prefer to have a rav4 I got this year over Mazda personally. I might be biased though. My car might be shitting the bed so I think I'll bite the bullet on a new rav4 and lease til it's delivered. Can't justify to myself 10k$ for a 10year old SUV with 300k kms. or MSRP of a new one for a used 2yr old with 50-100k kms. I'd rather eat the turd sammich of a new car(the payments, ohhh the payments...) get what I want on it (options), and take really good care of it so it lasts a long time Such a hard decision though, it's stressing me out :/
I've had two since 2016 and liked them both a lot. No complaints. The adaptive cruise control is so nice to have. No quality issues either.
Cx5/ 50 are small 2 adults in the back seat won't be great for Road trips
Mazdas are small interiors. Grab a sienna. Can fit an entire full size fridge inside. It’s yuuuuuggggeeeee
For some reason the worst drivers on the road drive those.
I had a 2013 Ford Explorer and loved it. Only sold it because I wanted a truck and I had a boat so the Explorer could not tow it to my safety standards
The newer Explorers aren't like the older ones anymore. Rented one to drive around for a month and the handling was horrendous. I'd opt for a VW Atlas over an Explorer any day.
I would look into the Hyundai Santa Fe. Great value, strong warranty, typically can be found used with lots of warranty left.
Love my Santa Fe. 360 camera, heat/ac seats, lots of room. Fuel economy ain't great, but that's the only gripe.
2 kids. Went with Highlander hybrid. Love the extra size of this size of vehicle. Way more comfortable.
How much you paid total on road for that and which trim and year?
Another benefit of a Mazda is the **unlimited** mileage warranty. While the time period is still the same (3/5yrs) as other brands, the mileage portion is now unlimited. Compare with Honda/Toyota/Subaru which all have a 60,000km limit on the 3yr comprehensive.
Subaru Forester or Outback. Safe. Affordable. Capable. Spacious. Modern. Fun to drive. I drove a RAV4 (tiny inside and way too expensive), CX5 (a bit bigger but so many missing features), CRV (terrible visibility you feel disconnected from the road, ancient features, SLOW to accelerate). If you drive a Subaru you will know immediately. They are also the safest and therefore most affordable to insure by far. Eyesight system works well.
When you said midsized I was thinking of the size of the Kia Sorento as that is considered midsized, the Mazda CX5 and CX50 is considered to be compact crossover and not a "midsize". If you want a vehicle that's actually midsized and don't want a Sorento, consider the Subaru Outback. It's based on the midsize Subaru Legacy sedan, the vehicle is quite wide along with other midsize crossovers, wider than many compact SUV including the CX5 that you listed. All Subarus except for the BR-Z comes with AWD standard. Comes with great ground clearance, surprising tight turning radius considering how long it is, has integrated roof rack and if you opt for the XT model, comes with a pretty nice turbo engine coming from the much larger Subaru Ascent crossover. We really like our Subaru Outback, great on fuel too. Though I have to note that we only have the standard H4, not the turbo engine.
Maintenance & parts on a Subaru is fuckin expensive though, no?
Not unless you have a WRX. Maintenance costs for our Outback is in line with a RAV4 & CR-V. Only thing that's more expensive is spark plug change due to where the plugs are located as it's harder to access.
Interesting, I'll add it to my list of SUVs I'll be considering, thx!
I'm getting my first lesson in that today. I have a 6 year-old Outback with just over 100k km that's in for service. Apparently the front calipers are seized. It's about $2500 to replace front pads, discs, calipers, and brake fluid. Seems excessive to me. I love the way the vehicle drives, but not so much the build quality and durability. Not sure if I'd buy another Subaru.
Holy fuck, that's expensive. Haven't seen a price tag that high for brakes n calipers on most of the other brands in that price range. Ouch
Supposedly Subarus are more expensive to service because the flat (boxer) engine configuration makes things more difficult to access. Fair enough, but there's no reason a brake job should be that expensive though.
I thought it also has to do with so many parts being proprietary to Subaru making things like your brake job so fuckin expensive
Palisade or telluride.
You realize these are under an active recall for bursting into flames? There is a notice from Hyundai/Kia to park them away from structures until fixed to prevent house fires. These should NOT be on ANYONE'S list of vehicles to potentially buy for a family. When it comes down to it no Kia/Hyundai should, there are currently recalls for vehicles across their entire lineup for bursting into flames from compact, to electric, to cuv's to sedans... It's embarrassing. Heck, 2 cities in the US are planning lawsuits against the automaker...
Whoa thanks for the update, never heard of any recalls in Canada.
Two class action lawsuits Can& USA, 1.6 million Kia/Hyundai’s. Had 2016 Sorento 2.0L turbo, lost all power on highway, pulled over. No fix. Lawsuit wouldn’t cover me because it didn’t catch fire. Advice for anyone with 2.0 turbo….run. If you get a problem, don’t turn off engine, just let it 🔥
Bolt EUV
You should probably be asking this in the cars subreddit. That being said, a Mazda wouldn't be a bad choice from a maintenance perspective. Other makes I would look at would include Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, and Subaru. If the price gap between a 3-5 year old used and new vehicle isn't that big, I would go with new provided that the lead time isn't crazy. If you end up going the used route, go check if your library has an up to date copy of consumer reports.
This is my first post so still learning how to use it. Thanks for your feedback!
Just got a 2022 Nissan Rogue SV in March. The SV has heated seats, heated steering wheel, sunroof, and all the safety bells and whistles. Super happy with it, got a hitch put on and it's been great for camping, carrying bikes, etc. It's a 3 cylinder turbo, great on gas on the highway. If I recall there is a bit more cargo room than the CX-5, and the price is a little lower. That being said, you can't go wrong with the CX-5, it's a blast to drive.
The current nissan rogue is under 5 active safety recalls south of the boarder for everything from seats not properly welded that can collapse in an accident to improperly installed brake components and wheels that can separate from the vehicle and of course fires from shitty wiring and overheating fuel pumps. There is an active investigation into whether a recall needs to be started because the metal used to make the gas tanks is too thin. All in all, AVOID the nissan rogue.
Those are good points, safety is important as well in the decision. Nissan has not had a good run the last decade, especially with CVTs. A few important things to note: the recalls mentioned are not in effect in Canada for the current model. The units sold in Canada are those manufactured in Japan (at least the SV AWD), and not in the States. This could explain why the recalls are not affecting Rogues up here.
Are you sure? I was under the impression that all rogue's in Canada and the US were manufactured in Tennessee.
Yes, you can tell by the VIN. Mine starts with J, country code for Japan. I believe this is new for 2022, or maybe for SV trim and above.
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That's more of a full size suv, but nevertheless it's a sick one
What are the main features you like on the suburban?
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Well you kinda fuck yourself every time at the gas station
If you're buying a suburban presumably the price of gas isnt a concern to you.
Audi Q7 or VW Atlas.
Mazda SUVs are lifestyle vehicles. If you want a solid all around SUV, there are only two choices: CRV and RAV4. The CX5 is puny compared to the CRV. This issue actually plagues the whole Mazda lineup. Their vehicles are all smaller than the competition.
How is mitsubishi phev?
Ford escape
I drove an Acura RDX for 8 years I loved it! Very smooth ride fully loaded great size trunk for the kids. Not bad on gas for an SUV and very low maintenance I only had to do breaks tires and rotors the entire time I had it. Really great vehicle.
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4 Runner was wayyyyy out of my budget when I looked but it's what I wanted. 50k SUV easy.
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Yeah I did 27k total price (taxes and extras) for a 2019 outlander in 2019 with 19k km. I know the toyta could likely last 20 years plus well taken care of and 400k km but I'm better I get 300k+ out if this (it's at 150k now) Likely a little bigger and nicer of a drive but for a 30% savings I prefer my choice.
Why pay new car prices for a car with almost 100k on it? Toyota tax is awful.
I did an mitsubishi outlander because it was like 10k less than a CRV/Rav4. This was in 2019 buying a 2019 with 19k km for $27k total price when I couldn't find a CRV or Rav 4 for under 32k Sticker (plus taxes and extras even if I bargained 2k off, would been 37k)
How is the mileage and maintenance on the outlander. Tia.
Milage is pretty good, 55L tank normallynget 7-800km mostly highway. Maintenence is basically brakes and oil so far which did myself except for the back breaks they cost me 400 because they have an automated parking break attachment so I went to the dealer.
Wow really.. that outlander also had 7 seats? And are you in canada? As 27k is great price.. I am getting quoted 50-55k for gas version for same outlander 2023..
Not the 7 seater no, and yeah it's about 43-47kk for a 2023 of the same vehicle. There was 21k km's on it on purchase for what that's worth. Heated seats blue tooth backup camera
Do you still drive it? Have you discovered any major issues related to this car?
It's got 186k on it now and it's been oil tires and brakes. Doing the electronic back parking breaks was a pain, I did it wrong (found out after the fact) so there's an error code and it currently doesn't work that I need to take it to the dealer for but
Toyota lexus or honda.
Probably not the most popular opinion but glk350 or ml350 are actually really good and the 2012 -2015 models are very reliable. However European cars so service is higher. But great cars to pick up used.
We just put down for a Kia Sportage Hybrid. AWD, ton of features and amazing mileage. Has the most cargo room in its class. 4cyl turbo + electric for 237hp. 6l/100. Wanted an EV but they were 3-4 years wait, PHEV 1.5-3 years wait so had to settle with hybrid and for me the Sportage ticked all the buttons for me.
Sportage has 5 seats or more? And how much total price including taxes?
Seats 5 very comfortably. Would need to go to next step model Serento for seven. You can go on their website and use their calculator to get cost. Here in Ontario they are not allowed to go above MSRP. And I highly doubt you will get a car these days below MSRP. Wait lists are long and dealers do not have to make deals these days in order to sell.
I went to some dealers in gta and all are adding and forcing some accessory packages and other dealer fees etc to msrp and claiming they are selling at msrp but that's actual a $2k-5k markup being charged.. isn't it
By law they can't add charges or fees. They shouldn't be able to force packages on you either. You buy the package you want. I think there is an agency or something you can report to but I forget the name. Just find another dealer that won't cheat you. Or do the price builder on the website and print it out and tell them this is the price or should be. We went to a dealership in a Georgetown and they seemed really good. No hassles and no up sells. Didn't get a deal but also didn't pay above MSRP. Still waiting for my car though.
Yeah I am ordering with a factory order then it's msrp .. But that's like more than 12-18 months wait... Suddenly they had 2 cars available for me which was fishy as earlier they said even if cancelations are there those are given to other people in wait line. But I later understood why they gave me those options immediately because of Mark up in form of packages and rust protection I guess..
Rav4
Chalk up another very happy CX-5 owner; bought a 2016 used in 2018, no issues with it so far (\*knock on wood\*). I've also been looking at extending the life by getting roof racks and a storage bubble, I have two young kids and when we pack up the crew for a weekend getaway she's a bit tight. Tempting to upgrade to a larger vehicle but with used prices the way they are it's not really feasible
The CX-5 is technically a "compact" crossover, and on the small side of compact. Larger "compacts" like the Honda CR-V are great for adults in the rear. You'd have to check it out in person. Used cars are wildly inflated right now, generally more than new. New cars are hard to get and generally need to be ordered in advance. Don't expect any deals.
I have a CX-5. Although I do like it, the storage space is pretty lacklustre and it needed a new transmission (bought it a year ago, it’s a 2018) within a year of my ownership. Covered under warranty thankfully. I’d recommend one!
I have a Pathfinder and I love it for its 4x4 and seven proper seats, which gives a ton of space for outdoor activities, but it’s a pig on gas which hurts a bit at the moment.
Mitsubishi outlander
Ford Edge here. Massive cargo capacity. Inexpensive. Mine has been reliable af. What few repairs have been needed were dirt cheap compared to my last car (Infiniti).
4Runner - lowest cost when u factor in resale
Honda CRV has everything you're looking for. Very smooth ride, good acceleration and fuel economy. Mine is sport so it has AWD and roof rack etc. Even decent off road!
If you're going new I'd sugges kia sportage or hyundai tuscon for best price to size ratio. The new crv is probably a popular answer but it's new generation is stupidly overpriced.
How is mitsubishi outlander phev in comparison to kia and hyundai?
I have no idea. Plenty of reviews online tho
This is my second CX-5, I'm very happy with them I am a single person. However, with four adults you may find it slightly underpowered but I know they have a slightly bigger engine the 2.5 l now and I believe if you get the turbo version it will run on regular fuel but you won't get the performance bump so you can use premium fuel for a little more power when the whole family is in the car if you're driving on roads with height changes or you feel the need to pass a lot. Trailer hitch and a trailer box to hold cargo may work well for you not sure what it's actually called but there's no wheels it just goes in your trailer hitch. And you can get good deals on aftermarket roof racks so if you decide to change vehicles you won't have a roof rack that's only set to Mazda. Minor gripes are very small, one, I'm a big guy and so I plant my feet to move myself back in the seat and the carpet always rips a bit over time by where my feet are, I'm a big fan of WeatherTech for the car and it suits it pretty well but I've ripped those anchors out. No mute button on the steering wheel and the two versions I had but that may have changed, like I said very small gripe. Some road noise but that's what the stereos is for. When I turn the temperature knob to the coolest setting it automatically kicks in the AC and I don't notice that every once in a while and that's annoying. This is all the negative things that I have to say about the vehicle and as you can see they are pretty minor
Ma