As I enter the throwaway left-hander, I'm mentally muttering under my breath, "Aim for the third tree, the third tree." Bris-ing the apex of Turn 8, it's blue sky time, and I'm hard on the throttle, fully committed. Perfect. Both right wheels just kiss the curb with a faint rumble, and it's through the right-hand sweeper fast and- wait. Too fast. Rookie move: lift. It happens fast. Off track. Rotating left. Into the dirt. Sliding. The tire wall rushing closer. I have time for just one thought… Thank God this is only Forza.
Jack's track-take on Mazda's latest cute-ute revealed a trucklet that actually earned the obligatory mention of jinba-ittai. What's more, dynamic praise from our resident Visigoth is worth its weight in Nomex, because race car driver. On the other hand, what are the odds of anyone actually driving Mazda's clean-sheet CUV competitively? I put it to you that the CX-5′s sparkling on-track performance – while it tells the tale of a brilliantly-sorted chassis and typically sharp Mazda steering – is largely irrelevant. What matters is how it does in the real world.
What's more, like many of Mazda's less-stellar offerings over the years, it was a car that couldn't quite Escape its Ford roots. Why buy the Mazda? Different trim levels. Yawn. Here though we have a ground-up, complete redesign that makes the statement: "We are Mazda, and we build small, practical, efficient cars that are more fun to drive than the competition because they are lighter and driver-focussed and maybe they might rust a little bit quickly." As you can see – wait, did you say something about rust? "Um. No." Hmm. All right then. Could've sworn.
The CX-5 is the first full SKYACTIV vehicle from Mazda, incorporating all the elements of the design philosophy. It is also the first Mazda to sport the new Kodo design language, and I think we can all agree that it looks much better than the out-going smiley-faced Nagare.
This GT model boasts 19" alloys that fill out the wheel wheels nicely, but look relatively normal-sized. The standard 17"s look just fine too, if a bit rinky-dink on the rear, but that's the way the world is going: the 2018 redesign will probably only look right with the box checked on the optional Donk Package.
Piano black trim, sporty three-spoke steering wheel, easy-to-use HVAC controls; it's conservative and user-friendly, with that Japanese-VW feel that the old 2.3GT Mazda3 had. Look at all the smudges I put on that touch-screen: talk about your greasy gaijin. However, with Bluetooth, backup camera, blind-spot indicating mirrors and a decent stereo, there's nothing else to find fault with up here. And just take a look around back.
Rear-facing child seats are a cinch to fit and both Touring and Grand Touring models have a 40/20/40 folding rear seat that allows for a four-adults-plus-skis load-out (no factory roof racks are installed).
Still, if this is replacing a '3 Sport, or a Matrix, or an Impreza, the increase in size and flexibility of the cargo area is just fine. And then there's the reason you're out test-driving the Mazda in the first place.
With a 13:1 compression ratio giving you a single bragging right over a 458 Italia owner, the 4-2-1 header under the CX-5′s chunky snout efficiently evacuates hot exhaust pulses, allowing MAXIMUM POWAH to be extracted from regular old no-name brand 87 octane gas. Once warmed up, it's smooth and unclattery but not particularly tuneful. Or torqueful, and let's get my single beef with the whole CX-5 driving experience out of the way first. The Skyactiv-G engine is fine. It skews a little towards the "meh" end of the scale on the underpowered/overpowered sliding scale – falling short of the "right-powered" sweet-spot of the GLI or, more closely-related, the Miata.
What really irks is that Mazda also happens to have the Skyactiv-D 2.2L diesel engine, which I have driven. I know, I know, typical enthusiast driver always belly-aching over the lack of a diesel version that there's no market segment for: why not ask for a manual wagon while you're at it? However, please believe me when I tell you that a Skyactiv-D equipped CX-5 would be dinosaur-flying-a-jet-plane awesome. Diesel-powered Mazdaspeed CX-5. Just let that sink in for a minute, and then go say say a few prayers on your rotary beads that we actually get such a thing. Mazda is promising a Skyactiv-D powered something for the 2014 model year, but it's still a maybe. If you're listening, Mazda Claus, I promise to be good. ish.
I've already praised Mazda's new automatic in its Mazda3 application. It's still good here, although working with an extra 400-odd pounds of heft and only 2 extra lb-ft of twist to help it along. It's smooth-shifting, direct-feeling and, being conventional, ought to be durable. Occasionally, however, a bit of a firm prod on the accelerator is required to provoke a downshift. And the manual-shift mode is BMW-backwards (push away to downshift). Please, Mazda, this transmission's good enough to warrant paddle-shifters. The chassis and steering? Well, that's good enough to warrant a sport-mode. And here's what you already know, but I'm happy to reinforce: even in non-enthusiast, max weight all-wheel-drive-n'-auto spec, the CX-5 is a hoot, a hustler, a corner-carver. It's a Mazda.
In contrast, the CX-5 is not only uncomplaining but also even a bit provoking. It is the difference between taking the dog for a walk (more like a drag) and having the dog take you for a walk. There are at least three major roadtrips that I would take this summer, just to find roads good enough for this trucklet to pound around. In the rain and the traffic and the stop-and-go drudgery of everyday driving, it's still reasonably good – although the more cut-and-thrust driving you do, the more noticeable that torque vacuum gets. The high-up seating position of a CUV is comfortable and commanding, it's relatively quiet, and then there's the fuel economy. Over the course of three hundred kilometers, I used twenty-seven litres of fuel. Converting from the Canadian (carry the two, divide by moose) one gets 26.1 mpg. Is that an amazing, stop-the-presses, wait-'til-you-hear-this number? No, but it's a solidly decent figure that matches the lighter Skyactiv-3 I had, both of which vehicles were driven, um, enthusiastically. Your mileage may literally vary, but it should theoretically be possible to trade up out of a smaller hatchback into a CX-5, with little-to-no fuel penalty.
This is a good vehicle, and it does a great job matching the pragmatism of the competition, while at the same time combining it with some much-needed joie de vivre. Would I buy one? Most assuredly. With the diesel. Mazda provided the vehicle tested and insurance. from The Truth About Cars http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com | |||
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Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Review: 2013 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring – Off The Beaten Racetrack
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