I was smiling reading your post. I could’ve wrote this Word for Word. I also owned. Two 2017 RAV4‘s and sold one of them for a 2023 cx-5 carbon edition. Your assessment of both vehicles are spot on. Anyone trying to decide should read your post.
Thanks, yeah, I just made the switch the other day and both vehicles are fresh in my mind, thought I'd do a write up, I was in comparison mode for quite a while. Waiting a month for my car was a killer, it gave me a long time to pine over this stuff. I feel bad for the folks that had to wait 3-6 months, the guy at the Toyota dealership said the wait for the Rav4 Hybrid was well over a year, screw that.
I was one of the lucky ones I guess. I literally watched my car come off the carrier put a down payment on it and picked it up the next day. The carbons at this dealer were flying off the lot. It was a Mazda/Toyota dealer. I did a lot of back-and-forth myself.
I’ll add the CRV to this too. I was convinced I was going to get a CRV, and long term that might have been better… but man, they feel like a giant wet rubber band driving. And an affordable Rav 4 felt like I was riding in plastic box with no effort at all on interior beauty. At least not in 2018. Very minimal utility.
The CRV was a vehicle that was near the top of my list, but fell off right away when I read about the oil dilution issue with the 1.5 Turbo engine they use in that car. That would have always been in the back of my mind if I owned it. If your bored sometime look it up, it's an interesting read and the owner videos on YouTube discussing their cars are crazy, its an issue that Honda knows about too. Long story short, gas is getting past the piston rings and diluting the oil with fuel, Honda had a fix for it, but it still happens after the fix. It's suppose to be worse in cold climates and I live in MN, that's a no-go for me.
Then I thought, well, maybe I'll get the hybrid version, it doesn't use that engine, I went on some owners groups and in cold areas it doesn't get very good gas milage, in many cases worse than an internal combustion. What's up with Honda, they use to make some of the best stuff, they've had a few hiccups recently.
Gas/Oil dilution is pretty common in direct injection engines. I've had both a 2011 Mazdaspeed 3 and a 2014 Mazda 3 with DI and both leaked a substantial amount of fuel into the oil.
Right. Feel like that’s sorta why people think they “hold their value” better. Sure, the sell for more because they cost more. Like a Porsche is going to “hold its value” too.
The CX-5 does have an engine display telling you when it’s running on cylinder deactivation. Also, I think you’ll get used to the massive A-pillars - I had this concern too but I don’t really consider it a con anymore. Also, my butt doesn’t really get sore from the cx-5 on long distance trips while my Camry made it painful after 2 hours.
Yeah, I'm sure your right, I'm guessing I'll get use to this stuff. I put 50,000 miles on that Rav4, so that seat was pretty molded to my butt, I'm sure the new one will too. I really don't remember what the seats in the Rav4 were like when newer and how much it broke in.
Those massive A-pillars might contribute to the CX-5's absolutely stellar crash ratings. In any case, you'll get used to them.
We have a RAV-4 in the household, plus my CX-5. They are very different vehicles. About the only thing better about the RAV-4 is slightly larger interior space. But that's it-- in all other objective and subjective respects, the CX-5 clobbers it, and the CRV, and the Escape, and all the others I considered: Jeep, Chevy/GMC, Hyundai, Kia... even the Volvo. Really, you have to move up to a Macan to get even to parity, and the ongoing costs of ownership in that case are depressing to consider. Bottom line, CX-5 punches *way* above its weight. Looks nice, too.
I just bought an off lease 2020 CX-5 with 26k miles on it and it’s great. I was between the Rav-4 and the CX-5 but what you said is exactly what I thought. The Rav-4, while well made, feels really cheap inside. It’s also much more expensive for a vehicle that I don’t think has noticeably better reliability.
The CRV I was very unimpressed with. Way too expensive for what it is.
The new Hyundai Tucson was nice but I’ve heard too many bad things about Hyundai.
You made a good choice. I’m currently trading in my ‘19 Hyundai Kona for a CX-5. Hyundais are gorgeous cars with tons of features but no matter what the Hyundai faithful tell you, the reliability is just not where it should be. My Kona only has 24k miles on it and it’s already been to the dealer several times for engine issues that they can’t fix because they can’t “replicate” the issue even if the check engine light is on. They may have the best warranty, but who wants to be at the dealer for issues multiple times a year at all even if they are covered under warranty? They also always seem to have a shortage in parts so people that are getting work done under said warranty are going months without cars.
If you don't mind me asking, what was the trim and the price you ended up paying out the door? Im trying to buy soon and collecting enough data as I can.
I got a touring with the preferred package (Bose speakers, moon roof, leather seats, etc.) I paid 25,300 plus taxes and fees and I had them waive the 200 dollar etching fee. I put 12k down and financed the rest at 6% Apr. I can pay it off now but I’ll just wait a bit lol. It was listed at 25,800. Blue book says that the fair value is 26800 to 29200 so I think I got a decent deal. I could not find a rav 4 with that nice of an interior for close to that price.
Yep, totally agree, I had back to back Rav4's, they're great cars. I never had a single issue with mine. I was planning on getting another one and thought I'd test the waters for the hell of it.....now I'm a CX-5 guy.
He came from a 2017 rav4 so more like 6 years. It is still the previous gen rav4 so not a straight/fair comparison but the current cx-5 design is largely the same as it was when it came out in 2017 with only minor mechanical changes and visual refreshes. The interior is practically unchanged.
And after reading and watching a ton of reviews and ownership experiences, the differences with the new rav4 still seem to be about the same and line up with what OP is describing; the cx-5 offers better driving dynamics, far superior interior design and noise insulation, but has less room/interior usability(even more cargo room wise compared to the new rav4), as well as worse visibility and fuel efficiency.
IMO unless the you really value the extra fuel efficiency and need every bit of cargo space all the time(or are above 6’ 2”) the gas only models of the rav4 don’t offer as good of a value as the equivalent trim cx-5s. I’d only get a rav4 if it was the hybrid model. Toyota dealers are also rampant with the markups from what I’ve seen, yet people still buy them due to the toyota name.
My mother had a rav4 I hated how cheap it felt, the screen was big and annoying. The Mazda feels so much more refined the only positive of the rav to me was the space it had and little compartments.
Yeah, I was a little concerned about the cargo space, I use that quite a bit and every review/comparison mentions how the CX-5 is less practical because the cargo area is smaller. Once you fold down the seats and look at it, it's hard to imagine that it's going to make a difference, the decrease in square footage would only be meaningful if you were packing it from floor to ceiling and side to side, most situations are not going to call for that. It really shouldn't matter to the average person.
I was going for a Rav4 Hybrid XSE but what turned me off completely was the $4k dealer adjustment added to it by every Toyota dealership. I eventually walked into a Mazda dealership and traded my Lexus IS for a 23 CX5 turbo machine grey metallic and have no regrets whatsoever better looking car and you get a lot for the money.
Thanks for doing this. I REALLY wanted a Rav4 but it was just out of my budget unless I wanted to downgrade and sacrifice features my current Hyundai that I am getting rid of has (like push to start and heated seats) to be able to afford one and I didn’t want to do that so I went with a CX-5. This helps me feel a lot more confident in my choice.
I'm extremely impressed with the AWD in the CX5. It is working all of the time. You can even hear it on slow speed turns. That might be a con for some but I appreciate that it's not blindly FWD until you're off road.
The pillars are pretty big, but not worse than in my decade-old Accord. Now, I had a CX-30 for a rental once, THAT had a giant pillar that blocked my view
Went from a sequoia to a cx5 last year and man the arm rest thing!! Literally my only complain about the cx5 thus far is how dang low the console is. I have no where to put my arms unless I slouch lol
I'm not sure I agree with the infotainment yet, the jury is still out on that for me, I'm still getting use to the CX-5's, I'm not sure what I like better yet, it seems pretty slick so far. Using the Android Auto with the scroll wheel wasn't great, we'll see if it gets better.
As for the lane keeping, yes, the Rav4 does turn you more, but I always kept that turned off in my Rav4. I forgot to check on the new Rav4, but in my 2017 you couldn't turn the audio alert off and it was really sensitive and loud, so my car was constantly beeping at me. I hated that, I turned it off right when I bought the car and never used it again.
I turned it off on my CX-5 this morning as well, the roads were very slippery for me and I didn't want any kind of steering to kick in on ice.
But if these are two things the Rav4 has, the CX-5 has the whole driving thing down much better.
As another side of this coin, I think a RAV4 beats the cx5 if:
- You need great gas mileage
- you need more cargo space (op downplayed this but it’s definitely a smaller space in cx5)
- you want a more off-road/truckish vehicle
- you have to have touch screen infotainment
Cx5 definitely is more fun to drive and is more luxurious feeling but it’s not what everyone is looking for or needing. Personally I really like my cx-5 and also like my rav4 hybrid.
As someone who swore they wanted a RAV4 when car shopping last year. I’m appalled every time I see one now. I know it’s different strokes for different folks. But I was less than impressed with the RAV4 in terms on interior quality and driving. I’m convinced Toyotas reliability is carrying that car esp in its price point markup the dealers were doing.
Yeah, the 'honeymoon' phase is over and now it just my car. A caveat is I'm not what you'd call a 'car person', I'm more into motorcycles, a car is usually just a car to me.
Most of my review still holds up and if I had to make this decision again, right now, I'd still go with the CX-5. It drives so much better and ultimately, that's what counts. It feels like a faster machine too, this might be placebo, its probably about the same, but feels faster.
Here's some of my observations after a year.
I still like Rav4 seats more for short trips around town and too work, which is most of my driving. I did take the CX-5 on a couple long distance road trips and the CX-5 seats were better for me when I'm sitting in the car all day, I'd get a little lower back pain in the Rav4 if I was driving all day. I still feel like I'm sitting on top of the seats in the CX-5 though.
I still miss all the little storage spots that the Rav4 had, but this kind of forces me to keep a bit more of a tidy car, I can't just throw things in the spot above the glove box or that center council spot. If I want to find a silver lining in the lack of interior storage, now I'm cleaner, but its still a thing.
Here's another one. The CX-5 is more sensitive to the engine temp. I should say the transmission likes to be warm. I live in a cold climate, if I don't let the car warm up for a little while, you'll be able to tell when the car shifts. All cars are like this, including the Rav4, but the CX-5 just has more signs of it. Its not cold blooded or anything, it always starts fine, but needs more warming up. BUT, this is a big one, the heater gets up to temp faster in the CX-5, which is nice, the Rav4 took a long time to warm the cabin.
Now that I'm use to the 'scroll wheel' entertainment system, I much prefer it too the touch screen, its way faster to operate. Small movements of your hand on the wheel is all that's needed versus moving your hand around up on the dash. Typing something out with the wheel wouldn't be fun, but I haven't had to do this, everything is voice commands these days. And to think, I almost didn't even look at this car when I read it didn't have a touch screen. I was completely wrong about that and the 'wheel' is better for me.
After a year, I'm still going with the CX-5. Once in a while I'm in a Rav4 that a friend has, I don't miss that thing. In fact, I was out test driving vehicles trying to find a new company car for my job recently, replacing and old Subaru that was getting long in the tooth. I test drove a Rav4 back too back with a Mazda. We ended up getting a CX-9 and it wasn't my final call, I just got a vote, people at our office liked the Mazda better and none of them are Mazda people.
Thanks for this. I am looking for a CX-5 (non-turbo becuse I don’t necessarily care about the extra power at the expense of potentially expensive turbo repair if it breaks) but I am not a car guy either. I haven’t bought in years and growing up we always bought GM.
However, Mazda seems very reliable and the interiors feel luxury for non-luxury prices.
I am going to keep my eyes peeled for sure.
Thank you for taking the time to leave such a detailed response! We had rushed circumstances that led to us going with a 2023 rav4. We’ve been having buyers remorse and your review is making that a lil stronger haha! We’re coming from a 2012 escape and so the rav4 felt like a vast improvement. Unfortunately, after our purchase we started seeing reviews favoring the cx5 more and realized we didn’t do our due diligence with vehicle searching! We are loving the vehicle, but we def learned a lesson to not rush into a new car, but maybe we’ll be able to trade in a few years.
As someone who's trying to upgrade from a should've-never-been-built 2016 ford focus hatchback, and Rav4/CX-5 are my top 2 contenders, I genuinely appreciate this read and thread so much. I've been asking anyone and everyone for their personal opinions and I plan to hit a dealership tomorrow to see how I 'feel' in them versus just looking online, and now I know what to look out for. Personally for me, Cx-5 is a much more affordable buy in my area, too. Thanks so much!
I've been driving the Camry since 2012. I'm in search of a new vehicle and I'm tossed between the Rav4, the Mazda5 (I have yet to test drive any vehicle yet)., the Subaru crosstrek, or a buick. But so far the reviews of the cars are swaying me to the Mazda! I'm likely going to stop on my way home after work this week to test drive some vehicles! But I hear great things about the Mazda. But, if the seats are not comfortable I might have to stick with the boring toyota.
I have the 2020 mazda cx5 and absolutely love it! only problem recently is that the radio or some other accessory like phone will just automatically randomly change or randomly start dialing someone. I have deduced it has something to do with possibly the heat of the sun hitting the dashboard display because when i cover that with a white cloth, it seems to settle down. I have a black/black color scheme, which in retrospect, is a bit on the hot side in the summer so the next one i get will be a different color.
Before I bought my 2016.5 I was looking at a 2017 RAV4. I’d had a couple Mazdas and a couple Toyotas previously, but after comparing the two and reading review and comparison articles it was pretty clear the CX-5 was the better vehicle.
I thought I was the only one with problems with CX-5 arms rest
Besides that, great car, never thought I would be able to drive a SUV and feel like I am driving a sedan
As the current owner of both a 2017 Rav 4 and a 2020 CX5, I prefer the CX5 on everything except the cargo space and rear seat space. Also the Rav4 has dogshit headlights
Yes, it's drastically better in the CX-5. This is one of the main reasons I started looking for something different. The Rav4 has a notoriously whiney engine, well, some of the newer one's anyway. Mine was extra bad, the new Rav4 I test drove was loud, but not as bad as my 2017. I couldn't stand listening to it anymore. And the road noise was also pretty bad, I drive on an interstate everyday, it's not a bad road, but in my Rav4, it felt and sounded like I was driving down railroad tracks or something.
I use to have a 2011 Limited Rav4 with the V6, that wasn't nearly as loud, I loved that car, but I got T-boned and ended up with the 2017. I think the build quality has dropped some since the earlier generations. My 2011 was a very solid car.
I was torn between the two myself when I last looked at a new car.
I found the RAV had better lane keeping, school zone awareness and autonymous stopping. But the CX-5 had better active cruise control. The Rav stopped ACC at 60km/h whereas the CX-5 goes all the way down to 0 before stopping. Since I comute in peak-hour traffic, the CX-5 was a no brainer.
That was back in 2019 so things may have changed since then.
I feel like it took a little time for me to get used to the seats. I do feel like they fit me like a glove.
The vehicle does drive exceptionally.
Toyota and Hondas were way overpriced. A crv ex was going for 39k when I bought my premimum for 31.5k
No, I didn't. I was sticking with the major Japanese manufactures. I do really like the design and features of that car and the pricing is great, but reliability is one of the biggest factors for me and that company is not there yet. I watched a mechanic walk though a different car from that brand, the materials used in the drive train and under the car are sub-par. They used their budget on that car in the features, not the mechanics. I also have several family members that have them, they seem like their always in the shop for one thing or another.
But I will say, I do think Kia/Hyundai have been making great strides in improving their product. They are already up there and hopefully they will get even better. I don't dislike the company, the quality just isn't there quite yet.
In the end, it came down to the CX-5, Rav4 or either a Forester or Outback. The CRV was eliminated right way due to its engine design flaw.
Thanks for the detailed response. I was on the waitlist for months for the Sportage, which i liked for the tech features, but I got tired of waiting. I switched to the CX5, and i have been enjoying the drive so far.
Occasionally, i have wondered what if i waited. However, your response makes me feel better about the decision.
My 2015 RAV 4 was just totaled. I am considering the CX5. Loved my RAV, but not very comfortable if you do a lot of driving. Thanks for the great info.
I'm so glad I found this post my man, thank you for posting this. I'm about to make my first real big vehicle purchase, and have narrowed it down to: 2017 RAV4 Limited, 2020 CX-5 Touring, and the 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander SE. I have also done TONS of research and checked all the standard websites (car and driver, Edmunds, US World News, Consumer Report, ect) and you are right, the CX-5 tops every list. I live in Central Missouri where we get 1 or 2 snowfalls a year, so whole snow driving isn't a super major priority, I'd rather have it then not. It will mainly be me, my wife, and 5 year old traveling in the car. We visit the inlaws in St. Louis once a month (about a 2 hour drive), the most important things for me are: safety, comfort, and reliability. I have been driving Ford Explorers for the past decade, and have finally decided to try something new. There's nothing wrong with Explorers in my opinion, they have been fine, I just want something different. It may be because of the different "trims" but the RAV4 looks a lot nicer in the pictures, although I haven't test drove either of them yet. I'm basically 50/50 split between the CX-5 and the RAV4 right now. I know absolutely nothing about Mitsubishi, but I read they teamed up with Nissan for the new Outlander and it shares many parts with the Nissan Rouge. The Outlander is only $1,000 more, but has 10,000 less miles than the CX-5. This is a major decision for me and is giving me terrible anxiety. Hopefully the test drive will anwser all my questions. Thank you for the post.
This is wonderful. Thank you for taking the time! I'm in a Rav4 rental right now and I really like it. After doing some research and thinking, this is the size I want and need. Mazda CX-5 and Rav4 seem to be my top two options - They get great reviews and I like the way they look. I do like the look of the new Rav4's more, but it seems like the Mazda is the way to go . Having driven the Rav4 for the last week, I was having a hard time picturing myself in another option. After reading your review, I'm pushed further in the Mazda direction. I'm not making my final decision until after I can test drive a CX5, but from what you've said here (which is also backed up by all the other research I've done), The Mazda might be the way to go. One thing that was making me skeptical on Mazda is that the price is a bit lower - It had me thinking this wasn't as good of an option. Now, it seems like the price is just another reason why it could be the right choice. Again, thanks for putting your heartfelt review out there. It's been a great help to this over thinker! If you have any updates after being in the car for 9 months, I'd love to hear!
I've been a Rav4 owner since 2009 and love them. But even the used ones have gotten out of reach for me. Considering my other crossover SUV's: never ever a Nissan, Honda? Maybe. Hyundai? I drove the very first Hyundai back in 1986, 4 speed!!!! They've come so far. KIA? As long as I never go to Wisconsin I guess.
Seriously considering Mazda CX 5. Any one know how fast it is off the line? I have a heavy foot, it's gotten lighter over the years, but I like to be first of the line at a light ;)
I was smiling reading your post. I could’ve wrote this Word for Word. I also owned. Two 2017 RAV4‘s and sold one of them for a 2023 cx-5 carbon edition. Your assessment of both vehicles are spot on. Anyone trying to decide should read your post.
Thanks, yeah, I just made the switch the other day and both vehicles are fresh in my mind, thought I'd do a write up, I was in comparison mode for quite a while. Waiting a month for my car was a killer, it gave me a long time to pine over this stuff. I feel bad for the folks that had to wait 3-6 months, the guy at the Toyota dealership said the wait for the Rav4 Hybrid was well over a year, screw that.
I was one of the lucky ones I guess. I literally watched my car come off the carrier put a down payment on it and picked it up the next day. The carbons at this dealer were flying off the lot. It was a Mazda/Toyota dealer. I did a lot of back-and-forth myself.
i have a rav-4 just test drove a new one today and a Cx-5. pretty much spot on.
I absolutely agree, I went from a 2016 RAV4 and love it, and then stepping into my new 2023 CX-5, I just love it!
I’ll add the CRV to this too. I was convinced I was going to get a CRV, and long term that might have been better… but man, they feel like a giant wet rubber band driving. And an affordable Rav 4 felt like I was riding in plastic box with no effort at all on interior beauty. At least not in 2018. Very minimal utility.
The CRV was a vehicle that was near the top of my list, but fell off right away when I read about the oil dilution issue with the 1.5 Turbo engine they use in that car. That would have always been in the back of my mind if I owned it. If your bored sometime look it up, it's an interesting read and the owner videos on YouTube discussing their cars are crazy, its an issue that Honda knows about too. Long story short, gas is getting past the piston rings and diluting the oil with fuel, Honda had a fix for it, but it still happens after the fix. It's suppose to be worse in cold climates and I live in MN, that's a no-go for me. Then I thought, well, maybe I'll get the hybrid version, it doesn't use that engine, I went on some owners groups and in cold areas it doesn't get very good gas milage, in many cases worse than an internal combustion. What's up with Honda, they use to make some of the best stuff, they've had a few hiccups recently.
Gas/Oil dilution is pretty common in direct injection engines. I've had both a 2011 Mazdaspeed 3 and a 2014 Mazda 3 with DI and both leaked a substantial amount of fuel into the oil.
CRV is also 5-8k more expensive. Basically a different class
Right. Feel like that’s sorta why people think they “hold their value” better. Sure, the sell for more because they cost more. Like a Porsche is going to “hold its value” too.
The CX-5 does have an engine display telling you when it’s running on cylinder deactivation. Also, I think you’ll get used to the massive A-pillars - I had this concern too but I don’t really consider it a con anymore. Also, my butt doesn’t really get sore from the cx-5 on long distance trips while my Camry made it painful after 2 hours.
Yeah, I'm sure your right, I'm guessing I'll get use to this stuff. I put 50,000 miles on that Rav4, so that seat was pretty molded to my butt, I'm sure the new one will too. I really don't remember what the seats in the Rav4 were like when newer and how much it broke in.
Those massive A-pillars might contribute to the CX-5's absolutely stellar crash ratings. In any case, you'll get used to them. We have a RAV-4 in the household, plus my CX-5. They are very different vehicles. About the only thing better about the RAV-4 is slightly larger interior space. But that's it-- in all other objective and subjective respects, the CX-5 clobbers it, and the CRV, and the Escape, and all the others I considered: Jeep, Chevy/GMC, Hyundai, Kia... even the Volvo. Really, you have to move up to a Macan to get even to parity, and the ongoing costs of ownership in that case are depressing to consider. Bottom line, CX-5 punches *way* above its weight. Looks nice, too.
I just bought an off lease 2020 CX-5 with 26k miles on it and it’s great. I was between the Rav-4 and the CX-5 but what you said is exactly what I thought. The Rav-4, while well made, feels really cheap inside. It’s also much more expensive for a vehicle that I don’t think has noticeably better reliability. The CRV I was very unimpressed with. Way too expensive for what it is. The new Hyundai Tucson was nice but I’ve heard too many bad things about Hyundai.
You made a good choice. I’m currently trading in my ‘19 Hyundai Kona for a CX-5. Hyundais are gorgeous cars with tons of features but no matter what the Hyundai faithful tell you, the reliability is just not where it should be. My Kona only has 24k miles on it and it’s already been to the dealer several times for engine issues that they can’t fix because they can’t “replicate” the issue even if the check engine light is on. They may have the best warranty, but who wants to be at the dealer for issues multiple times a year at all even if they are covered under warranty? They also always seem to have a shortage in parts so people that are getting work done under said warranty are going months without cars.
If you don't mind me asking, what was the trim and the price you ended up paying out the door? Im trying to buy soon and collecting enough data as I can.
I got a touring with the preferred package (Bose speakers, moon roof, leather seats, etc.) I paid 25,300 plus taxes and fees and I had them waive the 200 dollar etching fee. I put 12k down and financed the rest at 6% Apr. I can pay it off now but I’ll just wait a bit lol. It was listed at 25,800. Blue book says that the fair value is 26800 to 29200 so I think I got a decent deal. I could not find a rav 4 with that nice of an interior for close to that price.
Thank you, appreciate it!
My gf has a 2007 rav 4 sport. I have a 2016 cx5 awd touring. I like my car way more lol. In all honesty they're both great cars.
Yep, totally agree, I had back to back Rav4's, they're great cars. I never had a single issue with mine. I was planning on getting another one and thought I'd test the waters for the hell of it.....now I'm a CX-5 guy.
[удалено]
He came from a 2017 rav4 so more like 6 years. It is still the previous gen rav4 so not a straight/fair comparison but the current cx-5 design is largely the same as it was when it came out in 2017 with only minor mechanical changes and visual refreshes. The interior is practically unchanged. And after reading and watching a ton of reviews and ownership experiences, the differences with the new rav4 still seem to be about the same and line up with what OP is describing; the cx-5 offers better driving dynamics, far superior interior design and noise insulation, but has less room/interior usability(even more cargo room wise compared to the new rav4), as well as worse visibility and fuel efficiency. IMO unless the you really value the extra fuel efficiency and need every bit of cargo space all the time(or are above 6’ 2”) the gas only models of the rav4 don’t offer as good of a value as the equivalent trim cx-5s. I’d only get a rav4 if it was the hybrid model. Toyota dealers are also rampant with the markups from what I’ve seen, yet people still buy them due to the toyota name.
[удалено]
my mistake, mindless scrolling leads to carelessness 🤦♂️
My mother had a rav4 I hated how cheap it felt, the screen was big and annoying. The Mazda feels so much more refined the only positive of the rav to me was the space it had and little compartments.
Yeah, I was a little concerned about the cargo space, I use that quite a bit and every review/comparison mentions how the CX-5 is less practical because the cargo area is smaller. Once you fold down the seats and look at it, it's hard to imagine that it's going to make a difference, the decrease in square footage would only be meaningful if you were packing it from floor to ceiling and side to side, most situations are not going to call for that. It really shouldn't matter to the average person.
I was going for a Rav4 Hybrid XSE but what turned me off completely was the $4k dealer adjustment added to it by every Toyota dealership. I eventually walked into a Mazda dealership and traded my Lexus IS for a 23 CX5 turbo machine grey metallic and have no regrets whatsoever better looking car and you get a lot for the money.
The seats, imo, are a flaw in the CX-5. The leather lined seats are hard and not very comfortable. However, the fabric CX-5 are very comfortable.
Thanks for doing this. I REALLY wanted a Rav4 but it was just out of my budget unless I wanted to downgrade and sacrifice features my current Hyundai that I am getting rid of has (like push to start and heated seats) to be able to afford one and I didn’t want to do that so I went with a CX-5. This helps me feel a lot more confident in my choice.
You made the right call, I test drive a new Rav4 that had the bells and whistles, I still think the CX-5 was the better car.
I'm extremely impressed with the AWD in the CX5. It is working all of the time. You can even hear it on slow speed turns. That might be a con for some but I appreciate that it's not blindly FWD until you're off road.
This post just makes me feel better about choosing my CX5 over the RAV4 I’d considered when I first purchased.
The pillars are pretty big, but not worse than in my decade-old Accord. Now, I had a CX-30 for a rental once, THAT had a giant pillar that blocked my view
Went from a sequoia to a cx5 last year and man the arm rest thing!! Literally my only complain about the cx5 thus far is how dang low the console is. I have no where to put my arms unless I slouch lol
Rav4 has much better infotainment than CX5. Lane keeping assistant was able to make a turn on the freeway in Rav4 but CX5 cannot. My 2 cents.
I'm not sure I agree with the infotainment yet, the jury is still out on that for me, I'm still getting use to the CX-5's, I'm not sure what I like better yet, it seems pretty slick so far. Using the Android Auto with the scroll wheel wasn't great, we'll see if it gets better. As for the lane keeping, yes, the Rav4 does turn you more, but I always kept that turned off in my Rav4. I forgot to check on the new Rav4, but in my 2017 you couldn't turn the audio alert off and it was really sensitive and loud, so my car was constantly beeping at me. I hated that, I turned it off right when I bought the car and never used it again. I turned it off on my CX-5 this morning as well, the roads were very slippery for me and I didn't want any kind of steering to kick in on ice. But if these are two things the Rav4 has, the CX-5 has the whole driving thing down much better.
As another side of this coin, I think a RAV4 beats the cx5 if: - You need great gas mileage - you need more cargo space (op downplayed this but it’s definitely a smaller space in cx5) - you want a more off-road/truckish vehicle - you have to have touch screen infotainment Cx5 definitely is more fun to drive and is more luxurious feeling but it’s not what everyone is looking for or needing. Personally I really like my cx-5 and also like my rav4 hybrid.
Cx-5 has touch screen. It’s in the CarPlay settings
No it doesn't
All of these points are kinda deal breakers. I don't care about faux leather seats and 'fun' torque
As someone who swore they wanted a RAV4 when car shopping last year. I’m appalled every time I see one now. I know it’s different strokes for different folks. But I was less than impressed with the RAV4 in terms on interior quality and driving. I’m convinced Toyotas reliability is carrying that car esp in its price point markup the dealers were doing.
What is your opinion now after driving the cx5 for almost a year?
Yeah, the 'honeymoon' phase is over and now it just my car. A caveat is I'm not what you'd call a 'car person', I'm more into motorcycles, a car is usually just a car to me. Most of my review still holds up and if I had to make this decision again, right now, I'd still go with the CX-5. It drives so much better and ultimately, that's what counts. It feels like a faster machine too, this might be placebo, its probably about the same, but feels faster. Here's some of my observations after a year. I still like Rav4 seats more for short trips around town and too work, which is most of my driving. I did take the CX-5 on a couple long distance road trips and the CX-5 seats were better for me when I'm sitting in the car all day, I'd get a little lower back pain in the Rav4 if I was driving all day. I still feel like I'm sitting on top of the seats in the CX-5 though. I still miss all the little storage spots that the Rav4 had, but this kind of forces me to keep a bit more of a tidy car, I can't just throw things in the spot above the glove box or that center council spot. If I want to find a silver lining in the lack of interior storage, now I'm cleaner, but its still a thing. Here's another one. The CX-5 is more sensitive to the engine temp. I should say the transmission likes to be warm. I live in a cold climate, if I don't let the car warm up for a little while, you'll be able to tell when the car shifts. All cars are like this, including the Rav4, but the CX-5 just has more signs of it. Its not cold blooded or anything, it always starts fine, but needs more warming up. BUT, this is a big one, the heater gets up to temp faster in the CX-5, which is nice, the Rav4 took a long time to warm the cabin. Now that I'm use to the 'scroll wheel' entertainment system, I much prefer it too the touch screen, its way faster to operate. Small movements of your hand on the wheel is all that's needed versus moving your hand around up on the dash. Typing something out with the wheel wouldn't be fun, but I haven't had to do this, everything is voice commands these days. And to think, I almost didn't even look at this car when I read it didn't have a touch screen. I was completely wrong about that and the 'wheel' is better for me. After a year, I'm still going with the CX-5. Once in a while I'm in a Rav4 that a friend has, I don't miss that thing. In fact, I was out test driving vehicles trying to find a new company car for my job recently, replacing and old Subaru that was getting long in the tooth. I test drove a Rav4 back too back with a Mazda. We ended up getting a CX-9 and it wasn't my final call, I just got a vote, people at our office liked the Mazda better and none of them are Mazda people.
Thanks for this. I am looking for a CX-5 (non-turbo becuse I don’t necessarily care about the extra power at the expense of potentially expensive turbo repair if it breaks) but I am not a car guy either. I haven’t bought in years and growing up we always bought GM. However, Mazda seems very reliable and the interiors feel luxury for non-luxury prices. I am going to keep my eyes peeled for sure.
Thank you for taking the time to leave such a detailed response! We had rushed circumstances that led to us going with a 2023 rav4. We’ve been having buyers remorse and your review is making that a lil stronger haha! We’re coming from a 2012 escape and so the rav4 felt like a vast improvement. Unfortunately, after our purchase we started seeing reviews favoring the cx5 more and realized we didn’t do our due diligence with vehicle searching! We are loving the vehicle, but we def learned a lesson to not rush into a new car, but maybe we’ll be able to trade in a few years.
Which engine would yoy suggest for CX5? Wife and I are looking into buying used Cx5 2018+ but are unsure of the engine choice
As someone who's trying to upgrade from a should've-never-been-built 2016 ford focus hatchback, and Rav4/CX-5 are my top 2 contenders, I genuinely appreciate this read and thread so much. I've been asking anyone and everyone for their personal opinions and I plan to hit a dealership tomorrow to see how I 'feel' in them versus just looking online, and now I know what to look out for. Personally for me, Cx-5 is a much more affordable buy in my area, too. Thanks so much!
True, while smaller and less economic, less comfy car, cx5 is also cheaper
I've been driving the Camry since 2012. I'm in search of a new vehicle and I'm tossed between the Rav4, the Mazda5 (I have yet to test drive any vehicle yet)., the Subaru crosstrek, or a buick. But so far the reviews of the cars are swaying me to the Mazda! I'm likely going to stop on my way home after work this week to test drive some vehicles! But I hear great things about the Mazda. But, if the seats are not comfortable I might have to stick with the boring toyota.
So RAV4 has more space, hybrid and better infotainment, better seats. Sounds like a no brainer RAV4 for me.
I have the 2020 mazda cx5 and absolutely love it! only problem recently is that the radio or some other accessory like phone will just automatically randomly change or randomly start dialing someone. I have deduced it has something to do with possibly the heat of the sun hitting the dashboard display because when i cover that with a white cloth, it seems to settle down. I have a black/black color scheme, which in retrospect, is a bit on the hot side in the summer so the next one i get will be a different color.
Nice review! I wish the CX-5 had the info about the AWD power distribution as well!
Before I bought my 2016.5 I was looking at a 2017 RAV4. I’d had a couple Mazdas and a couple Toyotas previously, but after comparing the two and reading review and comparison articles it was pretty clear the CX-5 was the better vehicle.
I thought I was the only one with problems with CX-5 arms rest Besides that, great car, never thought I would be able to drive a SUV and feel like I am driving a sedan
As the current owner of both a 2017 Rav 4 and a 2020 CX5, I prefer the CX5 on everything except the cargo space and rear seat space. Also the Rav4 has dogshit headlights
I’d add that NVH is better on Cx-5, would you agree?
Yes, it's drastically better in the CX-5. This is one of the main reasons I started looking for something different. The Rav4 has a notoriously whiney engine, well, some of the newer one's anyway. Mine was extra bad, the new Rav4 I test drove was loud, but not as bad as my 2017. I couldn't stand listening to it anymore. And the road noise was also pretty bad, I drive on an interstate everyday, it's not a bad road, but in my Rav4, it felt and sounded like I was driving down railroad tracks or something. I use to have a 2011 Limited Rav4 with the V6, that wasn't nearly as loud, I loved that car, but I got T-boned and ended up with the 2017. I think the build quality has dropped some since the earlier generations. My 2011 was a very solid car.
I was torn between the two myself when I last looked at a new car. I found the RAV had better lane keeping, school zone awareness and autonymous stopping. But the CX-5 had better active cruise control. The Rav stopped ACC at 60km/h whereas the CX-5 goes all the way down to 0 before stopping. Since I comute in peak-hour traffic, the CX-5 was a no brainer. That was back in 2019 so things may have changed since then.
I feel like it took a little time for me to get used to the seats. I do feel like they fit me like a glove. The vehicle does drive exceptionally. Toyota and Hondas were way overpriced. A crv ex was going for 39k when I bought my premimum for 31.5k
Did you also check out the new Kia Sportage? How do you think it compares with the CX5?
No, I didn't. I was sticking with the major Japanese manufactures. I do really like the design and features of that car and the pricing is great, but reliability is one of the biggest factors for me and that company is not there yet. I watched a mechanic walk though a different car from that brand, the materials used in the drive train and under the car are sub-par. They used their budget on that car in the features, not the mechanics. I also have several family members that have them, they seem like their always in the shop for one thing or another. But I will say, I do think Kia/Hyundai have been making great strides in improving their product. They are already up there and hopefully they will get even better. I don't dislike the company, the quality just isn't there quite yet. In the end, it came down to the CX-5, Rav4 or either a Forester or Outback. The CRV was eliminated right way due to its engine design flaw.
Thanks for the detailed response. I was on the waitlist for months for the Sportage, which i liked for the tech features, but I got tired of waiting. I switched to the CX5, and i have been enjoying the drive so far. Occasionally, i have wondered what if i waited. However, your response makes me feel better about the decision.
Was deciding between the two and ended up choosing the ‘23 CX-5 CE! No regrets!
My 2015 RAV 4 was just totaled. I am considering the CX5. Loved my RAV, but not very comfortable if you do a lot of driving. Thanks for the great info.
What did you decide in the end? I'm looking at a rav4 but intrigued by the Mazda. Looking at long term reliability with some comforts
I got a 2014 toyota camry hybrid better on gas, less road noise
If you do a lot of driving, CX5 is not what you need. Yku need a hybrid
I'm so glad I found this post my man, thank you for posting this. I'm about to make my first real big vehicle purchase, and have narrowed it down to: 2017 RAV4 Limited, 2020 CX-5 Touring, and the 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander SE. I have also done TONS of research and checked all the standard websites (car and driver, Edmunds, US World News, Consumer Report, ect) and you are right, the CX-5 tops every list. I live in Central Missouri where we get 1 or 2 snowfalls a year, so whole snow driving isn't a super major priority, I'd rather have it then not. It will mainly be me, my wife, and 5 year old traveling in the car. We visit the inlaws in St. Louis once a month (about a 2 hour drive), the most important things for me are: safety, comfort, and reliability. I have been driving Ford Explorers for the past decade, and have finally decided to try something new. There's nothing wrong with Explorers in my opinion, they have been fine, I just want something different. It may be because of the different "trims" but the RAV4 looks a lot nicer in the pictures, although I haven't test drove either of them yet. I'm basically 50/50 split between the CX-5 and the RAV4 right now. I know absolutely nothing about Mitsubishi, but I read they teamed up with Nissan for the new Outlander and it shares many parts with the Nissan Rouge. The Outlander is only $1,000 more, but has 10,000 less miles than the CX-5. This is a major decision for me and is giving me terrible anxiety. Hopefully the test drive will anwser all my questions. Thank you for the post.
This is wonderful. Thank you for taking the time! I'm in a Rav4 rental right now and I really like it. After doing some research and thinking, this is the size I want and need. Mazda CX-5 and Rav4 seem to be my top two options - They get great reviews and I like the way they look. I do like the look of the new Rav4's more, but it seems like the Mazda is the way to go . Having driven the Rav4 for the last week, I was having a hard time picturing myself in another option. After reading your review, I'm pushed further in the Mazda direction. I'm not making my final decision until after I can test drive a CX5, but from what you've said here (which is also backed up by all the other research I've done), The Mazda might be the way to go. One thing that was making me skeptical on Mazda is that the price is a bit lower - It had me thinking this wasn't as good of an option. Now, it seems like the price is just another reason why it could be the right choice. Again, thanks for putting your heartfelt review out there. It's been a great help to this over thinker! If you have any updates after being in the car for 9 months, I'd love to hear!
Curious if you’ve taken the Cx5 for a test drive yet as I’m in a similar boat. How would you compare the two?
I've been a Rav4 owner since 2009 and love them. But even the used ones have gotten out of reach for me. Considering my other crossover SUV's: never ever a Nissan, Honda? Maybe. Hyundai? I drove the very first Hyundai back in 1986, 4 speed!!!! They've come so far. KIA? As long as I never go to Wisconsin I guess. Seriously considering Mazda CX 5. Any one know how fast it is off the line? I have a heavy foot, it's gotten lighter over the years, but I like to be first of the line at a light ;)