anoop

Does the Advance not come with a spare? My 2019 Tech AWD has a compact spare. I know the A-spec doesn't come with a spare, but I was under the impression that the Advance did come with one. Access to the spare is from under the car.

zroger73

For years, I've heard the joke, "No Highs? No Lows? Must be Bose!" Ironically, most of the Bose equipment I've heard is heavy on highs and lows and lacking in midrange, if anything. The sound reminds me of the V- or U-shaped EQ curves back in the days of analog equalizers. I don't deny that Bose is largely a marketing company with overpriced products, but they aren't the only company that uses low-cost drivers with DSP-based equalization to compensate. Have you seen the Panasonic-branded drivers in the RDX's ELS system? They look like something you'd find at a flea market...but, the system sounds good.

The non-A-Spec AWD comes with a spare, but FWD models and A-Spec models don't.

DJA123

I find it ironic too. My 2008 Mazda has an earlier Bose system and it's entirely unremarkable; flat as a pancake. I was a little disappointed at the time and was educated regarding the generally accepted adage you mentioned. To be fair, Mazda had something called a "gram strategy" for the MX-5 and weight was fanatically monitored. Its difficult to build audio presence with featherweight components.

But my test drive of a '20 CX-5 had a Bose system that was, if anything, too thumpy. Either Bose has changed their sound or Mazda has asked them to.

zroger73

I had a new 2008 Infiniti G35 with the Bose Studio On Wheels system that had three 10" woofers including one in each front door. Bass was underwhelming given all that surface area. Overall, it sounded fairly natural with acoustic music but disappointed with electronic music.

Mazda's "gram strategy" is alive and well - particularly in the 4th generation MX-5 Miata which weighs 148 lbs. less than the 3rd generation and only 143 lbs. heavier than the 1989 original despite all the safety, technology, and performance improvements - truly a marvel of engineering. The 9-speaker Bose-branded audio system in my 2019 MX-5 Miata easily fills the cabin with sound - even when the top is down. The sound is clear and the bass is surprisingly low and tight given the relatively small subwoofer, but there's not a lot of cabin volume to fill. Each headrest has two speakers which makes Bluetooth calls practical even with the top down.

As is often the case, Mazda uses all sorts of speaker sizes and configurations in different models with the Bose name being about the only common denominator.

cheffip

I’m on the West Coast but find the seats heat very quickly and I have to go to a lower level than high or my butt gets too hot. Ventilated seats work well too.
Rating sound is so subjective but I agree the A-Spec system sounds better. But with some finessing of the equalizer, the 10 speaker CX-5 Bose is good...certainly blows away my wife’s “upgraded” Crosstrek system.

hand-filer

Things change drastically at -35C.

cheffip

That’s why I moved ;-)

Cuzz

This is a great discussion thread. I can't tell you how many times I went back and forth between the CX-5 and the RDX. As far as my personal research went, these were hands down the two most difficult vehicles to decide between. This time I went RDX. Next time around (in about 6-8 years), I'm sort of hoping the CX-5 wins out...

acuraada

Mazda is certainly making reliable products now these days. It's rating by CSR is higher than that of Acura's. I guess there is something to be said about it's manufacturing and design.

hand-filer

Cold winters, warm summers, spring and fall somewhere in between. Plenty of fresh water & natural resources. Fewer A-holes wandering around, 8 active cases of COVID-19 with no hospitalizations at present. I can deal with the cold.... ;-)

tntrac

Same here. I almost bought the CX-5 but wanted something larger (something I can sleep in during camping trips). I would have a lot of incentives with the CX-5 purchase since I own an MX5..

zroger73

Just thought I'd pop in with a little update. The CX-5 is now 7 months and 8,500 miles old and I remain very pleased with it. There are no squeaks or rattles - it's still as tight as the day I bough it. Of the 30+ automobiles I've owned, I can't recall ever being as pleased with one for so long. Usually, the little annoyances start to appear after a few thousand miles and I'm already looking for my next ride. However unusual it may be, I've yet to find a single defect so far. There was a recall to replace the power liftgate control unit to avoid potential battery drain, but that was completed without incident. I trade every year on average, so I may not have many more months with the CX-5, but it's looking to go down as one of the most enjoyable ownership experiences I've ever had. The MX-5 Miata that I purchased new in 2019 has been completely flawless as well. This is the stuff I miss about today's Honda/Acura. I'd like to get back into another Ridgeline some day, but the quality just isn't there.

JB in AZ

My son just bought a 2020 CX-5. All done through email, and dealer delivered it to his house. He never test drove it (Covid concerns) but his mother-in-law has one, a 2018, I think, and he has driven hers. I expect to see him this weekend, and I hope to get a chance to drive it. I will be able to compare RDX back to back with his CX5.

GW208

I hope you do get to drive it this weekend JB, it will be interesting to hear your thoughts about how it compares.

zroger73

Do you know which trim he purchased?

Tony Pac

I have a 2020 CX-5 non turbo. I love the car and it drives really well for that price. i also helped a friend to get 2020 Mazda CX-5 turbo. So I have driven his car as well.

The CX-5 is an awesome car and I truly enjoy driving it. But let me tell you one thing, RDX feel so much better. It's not just the brand or the badge. The material, the stability and handling are much superior than the CX-5. Just to give you one example of quality: the hard plastic at the lower part of the door in Mazda is bad. I don't know why it scratches and the lines show so bad. In RDX, even the hard plastics is better quality. That said, I recommend Mazda and overall it's a great car. But compared to RDX, no!

JB in AZ

I THINK Grand Touring NON Premium package, RED!!!!! I'm so jealous! LOL

I'll confirm tomorrow. BUT.... I'm more interested in seeing our 8 month old grandson! My son and his wife have been WAY over protective (first child) due to Covid concerns and have limited our visits, but they are getting better about it. Also our first grandchild!

hans471

JB, I look forward to your report on the CX-5. I looked at them back in '17 before getting my Honda CR-V Touring but while it was a nice car there was, for me, something missing. My bad hip, back and knees appreciate the seats in my Advance RDX and I also like the interior better. I have always felt the Mazda's drove nicely but then my RDX drives great so I have no complaints there. I think the CX-5 is a nice car but for me I love my RDX. When it comes time to replace this RDX I will once more look at all the serious competitors and she which one looks the best for me.
OH...and I do have the red one....my personal favorite.......

zroger73

Mazda's Soul Red Crystal Metallic (different than the older Soul Red Metallic) is a knockout color. I love it on my MX-5 Miata, but it requires far too much TLC, so I chose white for my CX-5.

JB in AZ

First, I made a mistake! Our grandson turned 7 months old yesterday, not 8! He was born June 9, 2020. LOL

Ok, I had an opportunity to drive my son's new 2020 CX5 FWD Grand Touring NON Premium package in RED with a light beige interior yesterday for about five miles in Phoenix (Saturday noon) city traffic. I'm not exactly sure what the Premium package adds, but he mentioned rear seat heaters, from seat ventilation (NOT offered in CR-V) and something else that escapes me at the moment.

My observations:
1. It is very nice! Interior looks upscale (as widely reported) The RED paint is gorgeous! (but shows dust and dirt. may be a maintenance issue)...BUT I would have bought the red also!
2. Steering wheel rim is thinner than either our 2019 RDX or our 2020 CR-V. Steering feels responsive.
3. Acceleration of the 2.5L w/6 speed automatic is "adequate" (non-turbo is very evident to me, after owning both the CR-V 1.5T and the RDX 2.0T)
4. Seat comfort is subjective, but I would rather spend time in the CR-V seats than the CX5, and the RDX seats are FAR superior.
5. CX5 has some kind of cylinder deactivation. My son hasn't figured it out yet, but there is a screen available in the infotainment that has a visual of this. Sometimes it shows #1 and #4 deactivated, sometimes it shows all. He said it also has auto start/stop, but there isn't any obvious way to disable it. In my short drive I never saw the tach go to 0 RPM, yet it did seem to shut off and restart. The engine "shutter" felt in the cabin upon restart was less than in either the CR-V or RDX. Perhaps it really didn't shut off at stops? I'm not sure.
6. The driver's "space" was much smaller than the RDX, as well as the CR-V. Especially side to side. I am not usually bothered by this, but my right knee/leg was always pressings against the center console. I didn't even look into the back seat area.
7. The rear visibility seemed less than the RDX (if this is possible in a vehicle with windows all around!) This might have been due to the fact that I was being very careful, in unfamiliar surroundings, and very aware of driving a brand new car that was very important to my son.
8. I never drove over 40-45 mph, so I wasn't able to get a real sense of the cabin noise level. My son mentioned that they had taken it on the freeway once, and were surprised that it seemed louder than they expected. (I have no idea what their expectations were). It has Toyo 19" tires. They didn't test drive any competitors due to Covid concerns. The also didn't test drive this one, other than around the block. His mother in law has a 2018 (I think) and they have driven that often.
9. The infotainment is operated by both a touchscreen (he said no touch screen on 2021s) and a knob and switch(?) on the center console. I didn't use it, but from my vantage point, it didn't seem intuitive to him when he was trying to show me some of the screens. (The car only has 500 miles on it) He mentioned that he would have like to be able to see the radio info, while other screens were displayed, even if just a small band at the bottom of the screen.
10. It has a rear cargo cover, that cleverly, is attached to the hatch, so when the hatch is opened, the cover is up.
11.Overall, it will fit their needs well, I think. They paid $28,600, plus tax and license and $598 doc fee (normal in the area) after all rebates, no trade-in and got 0% for 60 months. MSRP was $32,665. They signed all papers online, and the Dealer delivered the CX5 to their house.
12. His CX5 MPG ratings are 25 city / 31 highway / 28 combined. Compare this with the CR-V 1.5T at 28 city / 34 highway / 30 combined. Consider that the CR-V accelerates better and has better fuel economy, with a smaller engine. CR-V Turbo for the win?
13. I can't see the CX5 in this trim level and package being an RDX competitor. I have no experience in sitting in or even researching the upper CX5 trims, but given the small cabin and specifically the driver's area, it would not be an option for me, at this point in my life.

That's it! Questions will be answered to the best of my ability. I will likely have another chance for a short drive in it in the coming weeks.

JustMe...

There is no start/stop feature in the US on the CX-5. The cylinder deactivation is not on the turbo's, so I have no firsthand experience with it. There was a recall on it back in 2019 to fix an issue where a few people were having rocker arms falling off, which required engine replacement. There have been no issues I've seen since the fix.

When we were looking at the RDX and CX-5 side-by-side, we compared the Advance AWD and the Signature. I would never compare the non-turbo CX-5 to any version RDX. The non turbo is a dog, just like our 3rd gen CR-V was. Our CX-5 is super quiet inside. All CX-5's come with dual pane acoustic glass, so I'm surprised your son's is loud. Maybe the tires are over inflated.

zroger73

I find the turbo CX-5 and non-turbo CX-5 to have very different personalities. I'm not sure I'd own a non-turbo CX-5 over a CR-V. The turbo engine and the better interior materials on the Signature trim make it a standout in the segment.

flames9

my brother inlaw has a 2020 cx 5 grand touring reserve with the turbo ( 1 step down from the fully loaded signature) he loves it. I haven't really driven it, but I did detail the inside/out of it one full day (he hates to clean...ya, poor car) He has the blue....wanted the red and had made a deal on a red, but the dealer had to bring it in from out of area, so gave him a better deal on a blue. The interior was very nice, it didnt feel cheap at all....... Wish I had taken it for a test drive, but I dont allow others to drive my cars, lol I will say, it did feel a bit small inside.

Jim7707

It will be interesting to see what next gen 2023 CX-5 brings to the table. The rumors (backed by some fact) is that it will be based on a RWD platform with a 3.0L inline six available. Suppose to be moving up in size also to better compete with the RDX, X3 etc. class of CUV's. I'm all for competition and more the merrier for customers.

JB in AZ

I had no idea if it had start/stop or not, but that would explain how unobtrusive it seemed!

I didn't realize this thread was comparing the CX5 TURBO with the RDX. I agree the NON turbo CX5 is not a valid comparison. But I thought folks here would appreciate my thoughts anyway.

I can't say it is loud, my son seemed to think it was louder than they expected on the short stretch of freeway they drove it on. For comparison, their other car is a 5 year old Corolla, and he has had a '18 Fusion SE 2.5, also non-turbo (company car that s going away.)

Based on my short drive in his CX5, it would not be something I would consider, even in top trim Turbo.

hans471

JB, thank you for your review of this Mazda. I find much of what you say is similar to my own experience. I also have owned a CR-V and of course the RDX. While I have always found Mazda's to be decent vehicles I have never quite had the urge to buy one. As I have said before, many times, cars are a personal thing and one should find the vehicle that suits them best. The CX-5 just wasn't quite right for me. That does not mean it is not a nice vehicle, it is in fact. Its just not the top of my list.

JustMe...

Well, it is in the thread title: "3G RDX vs Mazda CX-5 Turbo"

I appreciate your thoughts on it, though.

GW208

That was a very nice review JB, thanks for taking the time. In fact you could probably have a career at Motor Trend if you wanted.🙂

We only sat in a CX-5 one time at a car show but you're exactly right about the center console and the lack of right knee and leg room. If it wasn't for that we would have definitely considered it because it seemed like a very nice car at first glance.

JB in AZ

Now THAT would have been a career I would have enjoyed! I hear the pay is not that great, but to be able to drive all those different cars!