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Considering a CX50 - Turbo

4K views 15 replies 5 participants last post by  Pitts Pilot 
#1 ·
I'm debating between a 2019-2022 Acura RDX A-Spec SH-AWD, a 2023 Pathfinder; an Audi Q5 S-line and the Mazda CX50 - Turbo, new.

Random thoughts - 2023 Pathfinder (thank GOD no more CVT). I love the value and interior of the Mazda. The exterior styling is fine; not as much of a fan of the back, but love the front end. The engine also seems strong with the turbo and I read it's likely to achieve it's EPA results more than other makers. Mazda has come a LONG way! I like the styling of the Acura and their SH-AWD system; it's top notch. The versatility of the Pathfinder is nice - three rows of useable seats and then the Audi is just a stylish package that seems to combine all but the 3 rows. My challenge with the Audi is the price point and the reliability ratings.

If I buy new, it will be the Mazda CX50, or the Pathfinder. Both are in my range - the Pathfinder is a small stretch. The other two would be used, by a year or two; but, would have CPO behind them to 84 months, or 100k.

Look forward to your thoughts. I know this is personal; however, I'm most interested in hearing what you all think of yours and what you compared it to before you purchased.

Thanks!
 
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Discussion starter · #3 ·
Good questions! I have two girls; 14 and 16. We only haul a small cargo carrier, with luggage, on the hitch - 3 girls, total? Think about their suitcases! :) I like some power and styling. I will never go off road. I don't like the CX5. For me, it looks too top heavy and awkward - not wide enough, or something. Maybe if I lowered it? Not sure. Just not a raving fan.

I currently drive a twin turbo V6 AWD 2019 Explorer with a tune, CAI and 3 bar map. It's fast, for what it is. 3 rows of seats and I've had no issues in 85k. But, it sucks gas. Around town, I might get 18 in the summer; 16 in the winter. With just the family, on the highway, I get 20mpg going 75-80mph. If I am loaded with a lot of luggage, and that hitch on the back, I get 17mpg. BARF. What's worse, I need to run premium with the tune. I'm getting tired of that; and, frankly, the power is nice. But, I don't drag race. It has enough power in stock format.

Hope that helps?
 
Discussion starter · #5 ·
Solid points, all the way around! I am going to work to drive a Cx50 Turbo on Friday. I've been having a hell of a time finding one to drive. I do plan to modify that one - lower it, Burger motorsports tune, CAI, etc. It won't be what I have, but will help. Seems to be a lot more out there, for mods, on the CX-5, tho.

Thanks for weighing in!
 
Discussion starter · #8 ·
Well, I finally drove a CX-5 and CX50 turbo. The CX-5 is too small. The CX50 is the winner! Now, some additional questions...

The power is good. The torque is impressive for its size. It's not going to beat my Explorer, but I didn't expect that. Who has installed the Burger Motorsports JBV4 module? I have one on a VW Tiguan and it's an impressive change for a mod that can be removed without the dealer knowing. I like it. How about a change to the exhaust? I see Corksport makes products for Mazda? Finally, and I know this is a topic of debate, but I want to lower it a bit. I will never take this vehicle off road - not intentionally, anyway. ;) I don't want to slam it; rather, I want a more athletic stance and rid of some of the wheel well gap. That's what I am after. Again, I see Corksport has products for Mazda. I don't see a lot out there for the CX50 - likely because it is too new.

Final item is the package. I am looking at just the standard Turbo. I see what's in the premium and; frankly, the Bose radio in the one I drove was not impressive. At all. I would miss a heated steering wheel; maybe vented seats. But, not for $3k. I'd rather put that in what I outlined above. I can easily add a small sub to fill out the stereo and provide the fill/bass I need.

I think I'm there with the product. Done with Acura, Nissan, etc. Just need to land some of the above.

Thanks for taking the time!
Shumax
 
Discussion starter · #10 ·
Could not have said it better. If I can find a premium, cheap? I might do it. That won't happen in the current market and I am fine with it. I like to tinker with my cars, some, so it's fine. Who knows, maybe you can add the heated steering wheel? I'm going to look into it. The ventilated seats were a "meh" for me. I have them on my current vehicle and don't really care about it.

Post photos of your new ride!
 
Discussion starter · #12 ·
Trim level is totally a subjective thing. For me, the ventilated seats, while not miracle workers, do help on hot days, especially after the a/c has been running for a few minutes. We are over 100 most of the summer here and while I could totally live without them, they are nice. On the flip side, I have never found heated steering wheels useful, but I am rarely in truly cold weather.

The 360 camera has proven more useful than I thought. For one, it automatically pops up when you are backing up or it senses you are getting close to an obstacle pulling forward. I no longer need a tennis ball in my garage because of it. I have also used it for tight parking spaces or navigating on a side walk at work that I occasionally need to drive onto. Again, could live without, but pretty nice! And certainly much more helpful than I originally figured.

I am surprised to hear a negative review of the Bose audio. Reviewers consistently rank it the best in class (often by a wide margin) and I myself have found it to be one of the best sound systems I have experienced in a car. I will say it is possible to have the settings mucked up in such a way that it can sound terrible. If you are still considering a higher trim when purchase time hits, I would suggest taking a look at how it works and some of the preferred settings out there.

I agree the HUD is not a game changer at all. I do appreciate that it does display navigation instructions (including those from CarPlay), but really I would not miss it at all.

There are a few other things you do not get on the base Turbo that are on the Premium and Premium Plus that may be worth considering. Memory seats/mirrors/HUD, auto folding mirrors, auto dim mirror (PP only), LED map/door/cargo lights, heated rear seats (PP only), wireless charger (PP only and it sucks), navigation (PP only and the SD card is widely available for other trims), traffic sign recognition (PP only and not amazing), front/rear parking sensors (PP only), Traffic Jam Assist (PP only), and Blind Spot Assist (PP only).

Of all of those, the only one that I would deem rather important are the parking sensors. No idea why they are not on the lower trims.

All in all, the Turbo is a pretty decent value, but for me the dealbreakers were the ventilated seats, memory settings for seats/mirrors/HUD, and Bose audio. I would have been totally happy with a Turbo Premium, but a Premium Plus was available at MSRP and I thought I would appreciate the HUD and 360 camera, and definitely wanted parking sensors.

From Mazda's website (see below), it appears a 2-way memory seat IS part of the base Turbo package. Is that NOT correct? That is a deal breaker for my wife and I as I am much taller than she and we hate having to adjust the seat each time we get in/out of the vehicle.

The BOSE system just did not have enough punch. The sales person actually went into the settings to be sure it was turned on/adjusted and I then increased the treble and bass. Don't get me wrong, it's not BAD, it just doesn't provide the low end punch I want. A 10" powered sub will do exactly what I want.

STANDARD FEATURES
CX-50 2.5 TURBO PREMIUM PLUS:

  • 256-hp45, SKYACTIV®15-G 2.5 4-cylinder engine with Twin-scroll Turbo and i-Stop
  • SKYACTIV®-Drive15 6-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode
  • SKYACTIV-VEHICLE DYNAMICS with G-Vectoring Control Plus
  • i-ACTIV AWD® system
  • Mazda Intelligent Drive Select (Mi-Drive)
  • EPA-estimated mileage city/highway (mpg): 23 / 2946
CX-50 2.5 TURBO PREMIUM PLUS FEATURES IN ADDTION TO OR REPLACES CX-50 2.5 TURBO PREMIUM FEATURES:

  • Frameless auto-dimming rearview mirror with HomeLink®52
  • Heated rear seats with 3-level adjustment
  • Mazda Navigation System
  • Wireless phone charger50
  • 360º View Monitor53
  • Front and rear parking sensors54
  • Blind Spot Assist55
  • Smart City Brake Support-Reverse56
  • Traffic Sign Recognition System57
  • Traffic Jam Assist58
CX-50 2.5 TURBO PREMIUM FEATURES:

  • Black dual automatic power-folding heated side mirrors with integrated LED turn signals and 2-position memory function
  • Roof-mounted shark fin antenna
  • Heated steering wheel
  • Bose® 12-speaker surround sound system with Centerpoint® 2 and AudioPilot® 2
  • SiriusXM® Satellite Radio with 3-month trial subscription43
  • Windshield-projected Active Driving Display
  • Ventilated front seats (3 levels)
CX-50 2.5 TURBO STANDARD FEATURES:

  • 20" aluminum-alloy wheels with Black Metallic and machine cut finish
  • LED headlights with Adaptive Front-lighting System
  • LED daytime running lights
  • LED combination taillights with signature lighting
  • Black dual heated power side mirrors with integrated LED turn signals
  • Automatic rain-sensing variable-intermittent windshield wipers
  • Windshield wiper de-icer
  • Intermittent rear wiper/washer
  • AWD and Turbo badges
  • Larger dual exhaust outlets with bright finish
  • Power sliding-glass panoramic moonroof with one-touch-open feature and interior sunshade
  • Rear Power Liftgate with programmable height adjustment39
  • Dual-zone automatic climate control with pollen filter
  • Auto-dimming rearview mirror with HomeLink®40
  • Leather-trimmed seats
  • 8-way power-adjustable driver's seat with power lumbar support and 2-position memory
  • 6-way power-adjustable front passenger's seat
  • Heated front seat with 3-level adjustment
  • Mazda Advanced Keyless Entry System
  • Push Button Start
  • Steering-wheel-mounted audio and cruise controls
  • 7" LCD Meter Display
  • Paddle Shifters
  • 8-speaker audio system with automatic level control
  • MAZDA CONNECT™ Infotainment System17
  • - 10.25-inch center display
  • - Mobile 911 automatic emergency notification30
  • - HD Radio™
  • - Infotainment system voice command
  • - Multifunction Commander control
  • - Pandora® internet radio integration
  • - Radio Broadcast Data System program information
  • - SMS text message audio delivery and reply
  • Mazda Connected Services (3-year trial)18
  • Wireless Apple CarPlay™ integration19
  • Wireless Android Auto™ integration19
  • Bluetooth®20 hands-free phone and audio capability
  • Dual front USB audio input ports and dual rear USB charging ports
  • Electronic parking brake
  • Carpet floor mats
  • Rear View Monitor21
  • Dual front air bags22 with seat belt-use indicators
  • Front side-impact air bags and side-impact air curtains with rollover protection22
  • Driver's and front passenger's knee air bag
  • Hill Launch Assist23
  • Dynamic Stability Control and Traction Control System24
  • Advanced Smart City Brake Support with Pedestrian Detection25
  • Driver Attention Alert
  • Blind Spot Monitoring with Rear Cross Traffic Alert12
  • Mazda Radar Cruise Control with Stop & Go8
  • Lane Departure Warning System with Lane-keep Assist26
  • Smart Brake Support (forward detection)27
  • High Beam Control
  • Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
  • LATCH rear seat child safety seat anchors & upper tether anchors
 
Discussion starter · #15 ·
I received my Turbo premium in May. I’m usually a base model person. Dont like all the frills worried about reliability, but the Premium was the lowest turbo available. Frankly had I to do it again I really like the premium likely do it again. The plus just had too much stuff that I didnt think I needed… but I didnt try the festures so??? However the Bose and XM is nice, Vent seats, HUD are really nice. If your already spending 40+k a couple more for the additional features i’m happy I spent it..
Solid points. The challenge, for me, was my price point was one around $35-37k to begin with. So, stretching more is tough for a car that will be a commuter that I plan to drive the wheels off of. But? In the end, I will likely concede and get the premium. I did find a dealer in Hartford, PA - 6 hours from me, unfortunately - that is selling BELOW MSRP. They are about $900 below MSRP. I was shocked; though, I am reading the car bubble is about to pop...
 
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