cheffip

Thanks everyone for your comments.
I unexpectedly did a test drive of the Signature Turbo CX-5 and spent a good length of time in the GT-R (GT AWD here in Canada).
It's a great value. Some things give a less luxurious feel than the RDX for sure, and with the size differences it's almost apples and oranges.
OTOH, I had recently checked out the BMW X-1 and I would undoubtedly go with the CX-5 and save the dollars over that.

samiam_68

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...by-the-numbers

Performance/acceleration numbers are better than the RDX in every category except skidpad. Fuel economy as well.

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...ot-performance

supafamous

So today I took a RDX A-Spec out for 3 hours and I'm in the middle of an overnight test drive of a CX-5 Signature - the price difference after taxes is about $10-11K (~$49k vs $~59K) depending on colour choice with Mazda financing being a lot better at 1.65% vs 3.9% for 5 years. A few thoughts that I'll add to after I get more time in the CX-5 tomorrow:

• The RDX generally feels like it's 10-20% better in most things (but it's 20% more expensive). It's a bit roomier, a bit nicer on the inside, handles a bit better etc. There is clearly a luxury brand chassis underneath the RDX funded by a big old megacorp (Honda) while the Mazda is a mainline product stepping up to the bigger leagues.
• I'm pretty surprised that the RDX is slower than the CX-5 according to C/D (I respect their testing) as it doesn't feel that way. The RDX motor is classic Honda K-series, revs hard, sounds good. The CX-5's motor is like a diesel and less laggy. Power to weight ratios and gearing say that the RDX should be a lot faster than it tests - maybe the 20" wheels are just massive anchors?
• The RDX responds better to a heavy hand, when I whip it it feels like a sports sedan (it sure handles and steers a lot better than my 2007 TSX). The CX-5 feels more like an Audi (more reserved).
• Ride quality is pretty close but the RDX's dampers are more refined, you can feel the money in the tuning. There's a touch more bounciness in the CX-5.
• The nearly flat rear floor makes the RDX a legit 5 passenger car while the CX-5 is a squeeze for it.
• With an infant seat in the middle the RDX could comfortably hold both my in-laws in the back for a road trip while the CX-5 is best reserved for short trips in the same scenario.
• While the CX-5's infotainment is older I found it easier to use than the RDX's. It sure takes a while for the RDX's to boot up though.
• Sight lines out of the CX-5 are a lot better, I can easily tell where the nose ends whereas I had a hard time figuring out where the RDX ends. Good thing though b/c in Canada I can't get parking sensors or the 360 camera on the CX-5 (WTF Mazda Canada? Seriously WTF?!)
• Both are about equally quiet and I bet tire choices will make all the difference. Both companies equip their cars with shitty tires though (also a WTF for me, seriously, an Eagle RS-A?!?)

So far it's really tough call between the two cars - if the extra $10K is NBD for you then I'd say the RDX is worth it but $10K is meaningful money for me so it's a tough call. The RDX had me going wow a few times while the CX-5 didn't but nowhere did the CX-5 fail to be a very, very good car. Compared to the XC60, X3 and Q5 which go for about $70K all in the CX-5 is a steal of a deal (as is the RDX). Mazda's going to steal a few thousand sales from each of the Euro brands and that's money they need to fund development of the next CX-5.

I'm really looking forward to the comparison test of the luxury compact SUVs with a guest invite of the CX-5 to it. I bet it'll beat a good half of the class (Definitely better than the XT4/XT5, QX50, NX300)

Madd Dog

RDX10

I personally have a hard time justifying ~50k cdn for the CX-9 let alone for the CX-5 based simply on the premise of it being a Mazda. I'd rather spend 50k and get a lower optioned Q5 or GLC, RDX...etc. I do think it is very very nice compared to the class but I still can't mentally justify it.

knhellesky

Here's a recently published video from

supafamous

I still have trouble getting my head around a loaded Civic being $33K CAD but that's the going rate. A loaded CX-5 Signature is only $1-4K more money than the slower but loaded cars in its class like the Forester ($44K all-in), CR-V ($46K), and RAV4 ($48K w/ no leather). Even a loaded Ford Escape is $46K (closest car in terms of speed). In reality both the RDX and CX-5 are bargains in their respective classes.

RDX10

No you're absolutely right. The cost of cars in Canada is atrocious. A relative bargain was the Tucson. 40k and it came with every option and a sick 1.6T with 7 speed dual clutch. Now it no longer offers the 1.6T or 7DCT. 55k for a loaded edge last time I checked. Crazy.

Tony Pac

flames9

funny thing is...if Mazda came out with a "luxury" line and simply renamed the new and updated fully loaded CX5..people would be more than happy and spend more $$$$$$ on it,lol

knhellesky

Funny thing is....that's what they said with the older RDXs being luxury CR-Vs

birdonamission

I owned a 2011 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring (top trim), which I really loved. It felt and looked upscale, had 3 rows, super roomy, quite comfy, plenty powerful, and drove like a much smaller car. It was also one of the more aesthetically attractive cars on the road compared to a lot of the crazy looking or utterly bland looking SUVs at the time. Crystal White Pearl Mica with Sand interior.

I wouldn't hesitate recommending a Mazda to anyone who wants an awesome car (e.g. the new CX-5 Turbo), but not quite ready to spend "luxury segment" money.

Tony Pac

acuraada

Hop over to BMW or Audi forum now and they will say the same about Acura's.

acuraada

​​​​​​
but it's not luxury segment money is it? Here in the states, we can spend 38k (turbo signature cost) on a CRV or RAV4

It's 10k less than RDX, a car we know all too well here that is already a "value" luxury brand.

​​​​​​I don't think Mazda wants to compete with X3, Q5, or even the RDX. It's looking to compete with CRV and RAV4 ( or Hyundai)

cheffip

One thing that impressed me in the test drive yesterday was the technology (except the camera resolution). Folding mirrors, ventilated seats etc. Nice bright HUD even with polarized sunglasses. I especially liked the sign recognition feature which showed the posted speed then how much over the limit I was going LOL.

flames9

I asked on a Volvo forum.....Do you consider Volvo a Luxury brand? Some said yes, some said no.....Everyone has their own version of what is Luxury........Yes some would see paying $40000 usd for a fully loaded 2019 CX5 crazy as its just a mazda....others see it as having a lot to offer, but thousands less than a comparable RDX and a lot cheaper than a Comparable XC60. What I do find interesting.....lot of posters have had mazdas,,,,,,and were totally happy with them......Maybe they just need to work more on their image

RDX10

This. Once you've gotten used to a certain level of vehicle it becomes very difficult to "step down" without noticing it. This isn't to say that most mainstream vehicles aren't really nice places to be in nowadays (especially in top trims). Just that almost nobody is looking at Mazdas and Audis at the same time. I'll elaborate on this in my reply to flames9.

Yes and no. Look at Genesis. You still have people complaining of their Hyundai heritage. It was the same with lexus and Infiniti back in the 80's and 90's. It's taken lexus a VERY long time to be considered proper luxury and arguably infiniti is still not considered there and to some people Lexus isn't either.

I'd wager that a majority of the reason people buy luxury branded cars is because of that badge on the front. That's why so many posers would rather drive a barebones stripper 3-series or CLA with halogen reflectors vs a top level Mazda 6, Accord, Camry...etc. That badge is worth way more than the car itself to some people. Hell I used to be those people to a degree.

Absolutely agree. Everyone has their own definition of luxury. Some can even debate the meaning of luxury. For example, is a BMW X5 or Mercedes GLE considered luxury? Most people would say yes. But is rolls royce luxury? 99.9% of people would say yes without a doubt. Now how can a 300k car and a roughly 75k car both be luxury?

So all I'm getting at is that it's all relative to what you're accustomed to and to what you personally feel. Fwiw I do personally consider Volvo to be a luxury brand, that $120k XC90 excellence is no joke lol.

flames9

I was thinking that today on a drive when I passed a MB CLA...why would you buy a low end MB when u can have a fully loaded Honda/Acura//Toyota etc that prob has all the bells & whistles and less to fix? You are correct..people like badges...I guess u can say I am 1 of them,lol I wanted the RDX Advance model as it had everything I wanted....BUT that A-Spec has a nice flashy "A-spec" badge,lol And thats why We have Acuras...Lexus....Infinits...as Honda/Toyota/Nissan know people will pay more for a prestigious name I guess were all fortunate we can be on these forums and have a nice discussion about "luxury"

acuraada

Volvo? They worked hard to emphasize "not your father's Volvo"

Gone are the days of boxy ugly safe car image.

Volvo is not German btw. In fact, it's not even Swedish anymore, own by Chinese.

flames9

Dont recall anyone saying they were German......I was actually surprised my XC60 arriving next week was built in Sweden, as most are being built in China for the USA market. I still have time to go test drive the CX5,lol

acuraada

​​​​​​That was quick. They only recently announced moving xc60 back to Sweden due to tarrif. Good to see they are back tho. I work with Swedes and they are just as good as following SOP as the German except with nicer personality

​​

flames9

No they are still making them in China.....but some do come from Sweden to the USA market. I was sort of hoping mine was coming from China as some reports I read online (could be fake news,lol) stated the ones built in China were actually better built as there were more people on the manufacturing line...thus could spot issues quicker and remedy them. 1 bonus for me..the ones from Sweden come into Baltimore ( 30 min from me).....Chinese ones arrive in San Francisco......But we should prob stick to the subject..... I am still tempted to go and test drive a 2019 cx 5 Signtaure model, actually though tof doing it today but the near by Mazda does not have 1 in stock. And dont want to waste a salesman time on a weekend to look at 1.

acuraada

Well said and totally agree. There are certain preceptions associated brands that people gravate towards That is the whole premise of maketing.

thats fine but some takes that preceptions to skewed facts and reality to others. Ultimate driving machine on a X1?
​​​​​​

acuraada

CX-5 signature can't compete with Volvo interior luxury which bests Acura's imho.
CX-5 material is nice but the design is sort of dated. It works but not flashy like the RDX nor as Zen as the XC60

Since you already got a Volvo so I guess I won't inject my opinions on how it drives, I will leave that to your own judgements.

flames9

No it arrives next week.,.....Everyone has their own feelings how a car handles....and thats all that matters,lol

supafamous

Is the bar that a CX-5 Signature can't compete in the luxury class if it can't match the segment leader in a specific category? Cause the CX-5's interior clobbers the likes of the XT4, the E-Pace, the NX, and X1 (these are all priced at or above the CX-5). It's not a match for a Volvo XC60, Audi Q5 or Mercedes GLC but it not going to embarrass itself if it shows up next to a QX50, RDX, or X3.

I returned the CX-5 to the dealer a few hours ago after my overnight with it (which was right after a 3 hour drive of the RDX) and the more I drove it the more I was impressed by it - I was certain I was going to get the RDX at first but there's tonne to like about the CX-5 as a premium product. It may not beat the all the compacts that the luxury brands are rolling but it sure as hell gives a beat down to the subcompacts that they are rolling out (XT4, E-Pace, X1, GLA, NX, QX30 etc). See: https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...e-specs-page-7

IMO, in the subcompact and compact premium/luxury SUV segment the CX-5 Signature deserves to be part of the conversation regardless of price. It's competitive just on it's own merits - it has its flaws but there's no way that they are worse than stuff that Jaguar, Cadillac, Buick, Lexus (UX and NX), and Infiniti are putting out. A GLC, X3 and Q5 are mostly heads and shoulders better than a CX-5 but what else clearly is? I think the RDX is better but that wasn't Car and Driver's opinion and my wife wasn't sure it was better either.

In the end, I'm just glad I get to choose from two terrific SUVs that are reasonably priced, are attractive inside and out, will be really reliable, and will keep me comfortable for many years.

knhellesky

So..which trim did you end up getting for the CX-5?

RDX10

That all has to do with the "halo car effect". Many manufacturers will make certain models or even certain trims so over the top as compared to what is expected for the brand or model that when buyers buy lesser trims or models they psychologically think it is better than it is.

Biggest example of this is the Kia K900. Very nice car but it costs way too damn much for a Kia. Very few sell but it's a running billboard of what the brand is capable of. Same reason why the S65 is 250k while the base model is 100k....massive jump and it makes the base models seem amazing too.

Master47

cheffip

securityguy

WOW...that's a bit hard to believe as there is absolutely nothing in it for the dealer to pick a car up at an airport and "store" it for you on their lot while you are away without having any services done to it. That scenario is certainly VERY extreme but if you say it happens than you have one amazing dealer with nothing better to do with their time.

Master47

Master47

supafamous

Externally the CX-5 is about 7 inches shorter and a couple inches narrower so about a half size smaller. Internally, the CX-5 is about a quarter size smaller than the RDX. Here's a few photos (https://imgur.com/gallery/mh6Ximx?) of the trunk with our stroller and the back seat's legroom with the seat set to how my wife would sit in the front (she's 5'3"). In the trunk the RDX has about 4 inches more depth and the legroom is about a couple inches more. Width wise the rear of the RDX was able to hold our infant seat plus my in-laws in pretty good comfort but the CX-5 was a bit squishy - I'd do a long road trip with the RDX but not the CX-5 if I had them in the back. Measured capacity for both cars is about the same - 30 cubic feet in the trunk and interior volume is 2 cubes bigger for the RDX but the RDX definitely lays it out in a more usable way (kudos for Honda packaging engineers).

Impressive! I recall that Genesis started off similarly as well, they come to your house or office etc and leave you with another Genesis while they service your car. The service/dealer experience is something I probably give short shrift to when considering if a brand is a "luxury" brand - the Mercedes dealer I visited treated me really well when I arrived while the Acura dealer was ok though the showroom was lovely (the Mazda dealer I visited was pretty middle class).

Haven't decided on whether to get the RDX or CX-5 yet - wife and I are in no rush (we aren't expecting till next year) so are making a list of all the pro's and con's first and when the time comes we'll ring the right dealer up and place an order.

JustMe...

Well, I just picked up my CX-5 Signature this morning for my wife. I started out the search using the RDX Advance as the low end baseline against similarly equipped Q5's and X3's. I was all in on the RDX after doing the "value" math. That came crashing down after seeing the new CX-5 on paper. I test drove a Grand Touring Reserve CX-5 with the same 2.5l Turbo and was impressed. The Signature trim just pushed it over the top. If pricing for the RDX Advance was within a couple grand, it would be a really tough choice. I'm guessing the price difference is around $8k. I paid $36k and I believe it would have been difficult getting the RDX for under $44k.

This is a very informative forum. I wish you all the best and thank you for all the help!

securityguy

Enjoy your CX5 and may their new technology and engine treat you well.

Tony Pac

acuraada

I was merely comparing the luxury interior of XC60 since it was bought up. I mentioned before that CX-5's interior feels like the X3, definitely not luxury segment leader.
I agree that it won't embarrass itself pulling up next to NX, XT, or even a X3. I think most of us here researching and hunting RDX because it's a "value" luxury. Most of us would agree that RDX gives the German's a run for their money. I would argue that CX-5 gives the RDX a run for it's money.

We are in agreement here. In my earlier threads, I wholeheartedly endorse CX-5 as a car when cross-shopping RDX. The left brain "value" hunting that led us to RDX should also lead us to 2019 CX-5. To simply dismiss based on a "Mazda" brand would be acting the same as BMW/Audi folks dismissing Acura as a cross-shop.

acuraada

Thanks for the photos! I too think internally the CX-5 is just a bit smaller although the exterior looks more than just a tad. The stroller comparison also help confirm my suspicion that Acura raised the floor so there are enough undercarriage storage bins. In terms of space, the biggest disadvantage is the center seating where CX-5 is still raised in the middle flooring. However, CX-5 does have a reclining backseat and 40/20/40 split seats! The only other "luxury" item it misses it's the pano sunroof...