Japanese-made compact FWD SUV, no CVT?

[t1snwrbrdr12]

I prefer Mazdas for a daily…but I did just have a pretty new FWD RAV4 as a rental in AZ. It was pretty nice. Way more basic than a Mazda as far as finishes go, but it gets the job done.

I didn't like its cruise control, it’d let me approach the car in front of me till it was unhappy then very suddenly decelerate instead of doing it gradually. I also didn’t like its radio, it for one kept freezing and turning off, but two, it’d always be off when I got in to drive, and always default to satellite or some mode other than what I used when I shut the car off (regular radio).

It got better mileage than my Mazda 6 does, even in spring break traffic in Sedona.

I took it from Phoenix to flagstaff and back in one day, went from 80 degrees to 20 degrees and 9” snow up a 7 mile mountain. With less than half tread I made it up and down just fine.

I’d still give the Mazda (even though AWD) a hard look before I’d settle for the RAV4…I think your money goes a lot further with Mazda and quality is a bit better. My only hold up with Mazda is longevity of the undercarriage (rust). My 6 seems as rusty as my 2003 accord already when I got rid of it at 15 years old but my 6 is only 6 years old.

 

[zzyzzx]

The awd in cx5 is boringly low maintenance. It is also pretty decent.

AWD adds maintenance hassles and comes with a MPG penalty.

 

[Quattro Pete]

AWD adds maintenance hassles and comes with a MPG penalty.

AWD on the CX-5 is really FWD 99% of the time, so the MPG penalty is negligible.

 

[zzyzzx]

AWD on the CX-5 is really FWD 99% of the time, so the MPG penalty is negligible.

It's still going to be a maintenance hassle. More stuff to break, tires issues, more stuff getting in the way when repairing something else. etc. Plus there is still a MPG and performance hit from having the extra weight.

 

[dgunay]

First time I've seen someone opting for an FWD because an AWD is considered a maintenance hassle, especially considering SUVs are meant to have an AWD, otherwise they would have been described as raised hatchbacks instead of a "utility" vehicle.

Why would you be worried about something that may break 15 years later? Obviously, there are more moving parts and weight, but AWD has its advantages when you really need it with a negligible MPG penalty. Not to mention CX-5 is one of the most reliable entries in the market, the chances are pretty low if you take care of it.

The only thing you need to do is to change the diff fluid every 100k or so. If you are changing your ATF, you might as well change your diff fluid at the same time. It really shouldn't take more than an extra 15 minutes and $40.

You guys may not need an AWD in KY or NY, I understand, but not buying a particular SUV because it doesn't have an FWD option and choosing another SUV just because it is a FWD, is just weird reasoning.

The answer is simple, if you are worried about the MPG and the possibility of things breaking down because of an all wheel drive system, you should drive nothing but a Toyota Corolla (hybrid for better MPG, FWD for simplicity)

 

[jakeuten]

AWD on the CX-5 is really FWD 99% of the time, so the MPG penalty is negligible.

On the 2022 and newer models, yes. On anything older, it sits at about 10% lockup by default and goes up or down from there.

2016 CX-5 AWD System Questions

Oh, for sure. It reacts very quickly. I noticed recently when we were talking about this, while driving 70mph on the highway, windy rainy day and if a big gust came that actually pushed the car sideways enough to require steering correction, the rear coupler instantly hooked up 50% and as soon...

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