We looked at and drove toyota rav4 which we liked, Hyundai, Toyota chr, BMW x1, vw tivuan, skoda kodiac and liked mazda cx5 for its size, drivibility and comfort. It has 10 year guarantee in sweden that toyota could not match. Having owned a bmw e 91 with poor reliability German cars were out of question.

 

- CX-5 strengths are in excellent handling and quiet drive. Lots of power. AWD is great. Being a skier, I love 40/20/40 rear seat split.
- I chose it over Nissan Rogue (underpowered), Subaru Forrester (Underpowered) and Honda CRV (price).

 

A few comments after my drive test.
This car need 210-220 HP and a little bit more torque if you do highway + city driving. With V6 or diesel as an options.
If you stay in a city all good, more that enough.
Comfort:
Front seats, wish they can extend the length.
Other than that, excellent car.

 

Have not bought yet but feel fairly certain I will.

Considered a Subaru WRX, Forester, a Ford Fusion Sport. I have owned a Mazda product, with the exception of 3 years, since 1984.

 

I'm also in the process of shopping for an SUV. I think VW Tiguan 2018 is a good car, although the premium trim is very expensive. Its panoramic sunroof and ambiance lights are super nice. It also has more legroom, Apple Carplay, and more cargo room. I still lean toward CX-5 though.

 

On the reliability issue alone, I would chose a Mazda CX-5 before Tiguan. VW cars and their dealers have a terrible reputation here in Sweden. They (dealer service) always come last in customer satisfaction polls.

 

I've owned a 61 Kharman Ghia and an 81 Rabbit Diesel. Both were garbage.

 

Nothing with a CVT transmission.

 

I had a little different process. I read lots of pro and consumer reviews on Edmunds, Cars.com etc before test driving anything. I'd driven a Jeep in the past and living near hiking trails I want something I can trust on forest service roads, but I had to be honest with myself that I really don't need a full off road vehicle at my age and do want a car that could be good around town in winter and on highway trips. Other than the Subaru Justy I owned, my impression of Subarus is that they're sluggish and plagued with expensive problems. Ditto for Toyotas. I had a Nissan Versa I liked that I passed on to my DIL when I got this car, but the Rogue had bad reviews on the CVT and is not good looking IMHO. I love the front of the CX-5 and the deep blue mica sparkles a quiet richness. So based on reviews online, I went in and test drove a '17 CX-5, loved the quality feel and look, and bought it the same day. I don't use the autohold much, but do like the Sport Mode that gives a lot of extra power to get up to freeway speed. It goes off automatically when I switch to cruise control. Everything is so well thought out that way and works! I like the holistic approach Mazda has to building the car and tailoring everything to Skyactiv efficiency. I appreciate all the sound insulation and family have commented how quiet it is, that they don't have to shout to have a conversation. I wanted a car that can go almost anywhere and do it with some style. I also didn't want leather as I'm a vegan and this Touring has no animal products in it.

I disagree about Korean cars. I had the original Kia sold in the US, the Sophia that had a Mazda engine. That engine was great and I have to give Kia kudos for safety. A big coral tree with a historical marker at its base fell right on the roof over my head, while I was driving, and the roof held though the back window broke. That's one strong roof! My ex was driving the little Datsun compact back in '73, was drunk and hit the back of a parked Pontiac at a speed the cops estimated at 50 mph on a straightaway with no braking (and, of course, no seatbelt on). He did hit the windshield and landed on the stick. The engine was jammed up against the firewall, but that firewall held. So, Korean cars may have other issues, but they're built well for safety.

Good luck in your search!

 

Coming up on Sasha's (My 2016 CX5-GT) 2yr. anniversary approaching 60K miles. I generally start looking at trades at the 2-3 year mark. But I'm doing my best to resist and take this car to the 200K mile mark. Best handling, comfort, safety features...oh, and dare I forget the fantastic xenon/LED headlights! They cut like lasers through the night and around corners.

The car is not too big and not too small, just right size. Plenty of room to haul my stuff. Each time I look at a CX3 or CX9, I comeback and look at my "5" and say, "Just Right!"
The only car I'd be interested in test driving would be the new VW Tiguan to see how it compares with my former 2014 Tiguan. Loved that car too, but was expensive to drive compared to Mazda. I've rented the others mentioned and they just do not compare.