Another in my line of “amatuer car reviewer” posts.
We recently bought a 2020 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring (FWD). I had the opportunity to drive it across a good bit of the country. Below are my notes.
Features:
The Grand Touring has pretty much everything I’m interested in. A short list (excluding things that are now standard on pretty much every car, like air conditioning):
- Adaptive Cruise
- Blind Spot Monitoring
- Rear cross traffic alert
- Android Auto / Apple Car Play
- Heated seats
- Plenty of USB ports
- Proximity key / push button start
It also has a few features that are nice but I wouldn’t go out of my way for:
- Automatic open/close hatch
- Leather seats
- Memory seats (2 positions)
Driving it:
The one we bought does not have the turbo engine. It can get out of its own way, but is not fast.
Mileage has been a bit disappointing. Even on a long freeway trip, it managed only about 27 mpg which is below what the EPA estimate is. I blame the wind and the speed limit (75 or 70 most of the way, draw your own conclusions).
The driver’s seat is pretty comfy. 14+ hours in one day with no complaints.
The leg room in the back seat isn’t terrific, at least if both the driver and passenger are tall.
The blind spot monitoring is a bit particular – you have to be going a certain speed for it to work at all, and it will only warn if a vehicle is approaching (closing in on you) in the blind spot (not simply there).
The headlights turn with the steering wheel. Trippy.
It has actual buttons for the HVAC, heated seats, and defrost controls. I prefer this greatly to the big touch screens.
The infotainment is controlled by a combination dial/joystick on the center console. It has some shortcut buttons (home etc) which is nice. Takes some getting used to compared to a standard touch screen.
The lane keep assist is not all that aggressive. If you wander to the edge of a lane it will alert and (maybe?) steer to keep you in the lane, but it does not seem to try to re-center the car.
With all of that said, it was an excellent conveyance for a 1000 mile drive. I arrived with minimal fatigue and my body didn’t hurt.
Comparing to our CR-V:
I think I might have a slight preference for the CR-V. The legroom in the back (and the overall interior room) is better. I also like the Honda lane keep assist more – it puts the car in the middle of the lane. The Honda also feels a bit quicker. Additionally, the blind spot monitoring feels more predictable in the Honda, and the back up camera is nicer since it shows projected path. But overall, they are VERY similar vehicles and both good road trip cars so it is mostly nit picking.