A Yeti alternative?

[soupafly]

I've noticed Mazda have brought out a new car (not to mention a whole new vocabulary of marketing buff) and wondered if anyone has experienced a CX-5 in the flesh and wondered if you'd like to share your thoughts.

More of a credible alternative to the Honda CR-V and VW Tiguan, the engine seems pretty advanced, lots of torque, tall ride height, no DPF at all, lower road tax and far better economy than an equivalent Yeti.

I'm just sceptical about the ride quality/comfort, auto box not as good as VAG DSG (less efficient than DSG too), unsure about the 4x4 system (if it's Haidex then it'll be ok), parts/service cost.

I don't care about looks.

Here it is:

[Duck_Pond]

Gets a good review in Auto Express. Their only gripe is the price difference over a Yeti. They do look nice, but much of a muchness, so could be mistaken for a Cash Cow, Hyundai etc etc.

[Yeti_Man]

I've noticed Mazda have brought out a new car (not to mention a whole new vocabulary of marketing buff) and wondered if anyone has experienced a CX-5 in the flesh and wondered if you'd like to share your thoughts.

no DPF at all,

Here it is:

It doesn't have a diesel particulate filter?! Interesting.

[IainM1970]

Sure I saw one on a transporter the other day ... looks OK.

Would consider the more powerful diesel alternative next time round .... though just as likely to stick to Skoda.

[Yeti_Man]

I've thought long and hard about what to replace the yeti with and as an all rounder I'm still struggling to find anything as good! The cx-5 looks interesting. Twin turbo diesel that revs past 5,500rpm producing 310lb/ft torque and costs £30 annual road tax? Wow, I'm impressed by those stats. looks ok from the photos but would love to see one in the metal.

[soupafly]

Yes that's right. Absolutely no diesel particulate filter because the combustion cycle results in less particulate that meets emissions tests without the need to collect the particulate and burn them off every now and then. Seems on paper like a pretty great engine.

To do this though it relies on some really low compression ratios (for a diesel) and some pretty trick ceramic glow plugs and gas recirculation particularly when the engine is cold, clever fuelling timing and very high pressure piezo diesel injectors. A work of art 4 into 2 into 1 exhaust manifold helps to reduce back pressure and let the engine breathe well. All this goes towards meeting emissions.

The auto box is another story....... 61.4mpg for 150bhp 2wd manual, 53.3 mpg for the same engine 2wd auto. That is an efficiency loss of 13%. That is not wordl class, more like worst class. The Yeti has 7.6% loss. The CX-5 (and YETI) could be an awesome power train if they'd collaborate. Maybe now Mazda and Ford do not collaborate anymore they could do!

I need an auto, hence the interest here in it. If I was in the market for a manual, I'd be poking around the CX-5!

[mike 111]

I had a test drive of the 175 hp AWD Sport ,very impressive engine and car.

I was considering the CX-5 150hp sport manual 2WD with free sat nav (if ordered before end of May) plus metallic paint = £25,715.....not cheap.

Offered poor part exchange price for my Yeti.Mazda dealers are not allowed to give any discount if going without part ex.

What has put me of purchase at the moment is the appears the non availability of the 19" tyres,they are Toyo proxes 225/55/19 99V can't find any listed anywhere.

The reason I normally check tyres before any purchase is I work in a scrap yard with the car park inside the yard so prone to punctures.

Apart from that I think it will be a big seller for Mazda.

[Freshacre]

non availability of the 19" tyres,they are Toyo proxes 225/55/19 99V

19 inch tyres? That'll not suit The Plumber!

Personally, I like the Suzuki SX4 SX5 or whatever it calls itself.

It is pretty

[Hirundo]

...but much of a muchness, so could be mistaken for a Cash Cow, Hyundai etc etc.

Agree. They all look the same - with one exception...

[leckman]

Next weeks Auto Express has a group test with the Yeti,Sportage and CX5 competing,should be interesting.

[Yeti_Man]

19 inch tyres? That'll not suit The Plumber!

Thats funny as thats exactly who I thought of when I read about the standard 19" alloys on that model!

Im VERY interested in this now. Should offer all the big cross country comfort of the Yeti but with better fuel economy and a bigger boot. I think Id always miss the flexibility of the rear seating arrangement on the Yeti however.....

[Hirundo]

...Their only gripe is the price difference over a Yeti.

Hoh, just checked, the cheapest CX-5 AWD diesel over here costs 30 441€ (and that's not even including metallic paint...)

Thank You but no thank You!

[lok]

Cheapest diesel over here is Mazda CX-5 CD150 AWD Challenge € 27.390

[soupafly]

Well, I thought I'd post my experience of the Mazda CR-5 having had use of a Sport 175bhp diesel, auto, 4x4. These are my subjective views formed from a bit of research and a 90 minute or so drive.

I'll start with the best bits:

• The engine is really rather nice. Quite simply in terms of driving experience, it is the best diesel engine I've experienced........ nuff said! Reliability is currently unknown.
  
• The radio/sat nav is nice and high up
  
• It has mdi interface
  
• It has an easily accessible joystick command for the stereo, but this is really not that necessary
  
• The ride position is taller than the Yeti
  
• The cruise control shames that of the Yeti (and other VAG cars I have tried.
  
• Reversing camera is useful (trailer hitching)
  
• Fuel consumption at 30mph is good....... creeps up to high 40mpg. I could imaging with some manual throttle control on a level road, you should get 50mpg even on this new demonstrator
  

The negative bits:

• The chassis is not so good. Get it on the right (wrong) road surface and on some bends it feels like it twists and the car creaks and ever so lightly rattles. I was more aggressive with the Yeti and did not experience this. Think of an old Saab convertible scuttling around bends.
  
• There isn't enough customer choice. Personally on paper, I'd go for a 150bhp diesel auto 2wd Sport but with smaller wheels but no such choice or option.
  
• The auto box is nowhere near as good as the VAG DSG.
  
• Suspension is nowhere near as good as Yeti. Pick the typical potholed urban road surface at about 30mph and it is unpleasant. Also, it doesn't like kerbs.
  
• The 19" wheels don't like kerbs.
  
• No Velux roof option
  
• Fuel consumption at 70mph is not better than the Yeti........... about 36mpg on cruise control
  
• Average fuel consumption when I got in the car was 33mpg........... a long way of the official combined figure of 51mpg
  
• Engine reliability is currently unknown.
  
• There are too many electronic gismos (but these can be turned off)
  
• The sheet steel bodywork is so thin compared to the Yeti (that's where much of the 340kg lower weight over Yeti comes from). It almost rings when you tap it and it is very easy to move/press in. You can even twist the tailgate. I don't know if the Yeti does this, but maybe I was just getting carried away today.
  
• When you release the fuel filler cover from inside the car, it 'pings' like a bell (thin metal)
  
• The radio screed seems smaller than the Bolero
  
• After an hour, even though the seats which felt comfortable at the beginning, I was developing back pain. I managed 4-5 hours in the Yeti without pain. (I do live with a spinal injury)
  
• Quality inside the cabin falls some way short of the yeti. Some of the trims are not well thought out and very thin materials have been used (check out the black plastic cover behind the rear view mirror). When I was playing with the static showroom model, I expected the demonstrator model to rattle and squeak. As I said it did, over certain surfaces and on zealous cornering.
  
• They don't use a Haidex unit it's their own. It won't be as good. (basing on Honda's is rubbish, Haidex is good, Mazda's auto box is not as good as VAG).
  
• The car's lead acid battery is larger than a HGV's battery (I kid you not). One man will not be able to lift it out. The dealer told me it weighs half the weight of the engine....... I can believe it. I bet that will be a special mazda only purchase at around £500
  

So my question to myself is, would I rather buy one of these in auto and put up with all the negatives so that I can have that one big positive..... the engine?

I am a person who hates rattles with a passion and that chassis would become annoying over time. I also want this style of vehicle to be super comfortable, taking on any poor road surface, sleeping policeman etc without jarring my back. I think I've come to my conclusion.

Dear Skoda, if you're reading this, please can you befriend Mazda and put their diesel engine in your(my) yeti but don't let them sell you their gearbox?

[Freshacre]

so that's a "no likee" then?

[Yeti_Man]

Thanks for the review, if I had to change the yeti tomorrow, id probably head to the local Mazda dealer to check out a cx5 before any of the other 'competiors'.

[BigHusky]

Good review soupafly. I remember hearing something similar about thin body panels on the new Kia Sportage, which put me off this car big time. The engine (and emmisions) on the CX-5 does sound good but the rest of the car seems dubious :think:

[Brijo]

More about the CX-5 here http://www.bbc.co.uk...siness-17895216 . Again, no mention of the Yeti. (Let's keep it a secret!)

[900000]

I've been in and around a few at the Frankfurt motor show... I was blown away by the first pictures but then at the show, meh. It is really a first in my life for a car that looks better on the pictures than it does in the metal. Normally it is the other way around. It is not ugly. Not by a long shot. It is very handsome but somehow also left me cold. Especially the chinless nose with the huge bulging chihuahua eyes... Inside? Better than my MX-5 for sure but nowhere near a Yeti.

There is no sunroof (as mentioned) and the rear seats can't be reconfigured nor taken out. And since those where my main two reasons for getting the Yeti (as I had an openable sunroof and take out seats in my Audi) the CX-5 and any other car in this class is out for me...

But yes Škoda please license this DPF free diesel engine and put in the Yeti! PLEASE!

[Llanigraham]

Why do I get a distinct impression that it's towing capacity is going to be next to useless?

[IainM1970]

2000Kg across the board ... weighs in at 1525Kg up to 1600Kg, so realistically a happy match would be up to about 1450ish.

[Llanigraham]

Considering the comments earlier about the bodywork, that does surprise me.