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This is the 2016 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring.
It's a cute little SUV with a puppy dog face but if you Really stop to think about it.
It's a bit of the top cell.
Let me climb out of here and I'll explain what I mean.
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When I say the CX-5 is a tough sell I mean that, whenever I go to recommend it to a friend or family members looking to buy in this segment, I always get met with With the same argument.
And that's that when you put it on paper next to its competition the Mazda CX5 doesn't really stand out from the crowd in any way.
For example, its 2.5 liter SKYACTIV engine makes 184 horsepower and 185 pound feet of torque which is fine but it doesn't really stand out from the crowd in any way.
It's actually Pretty middle of the road.
Likewise the EPA is estimated 26 miles per gallon combined which breaks down to 24 in the city and 30 on the highway.
It's also far from the best in class, it is again the middle of the road.
And then there's the dashboard tech.
Mazda connect is about as well defined by the features that it doesn't have as it is by those that it does.
It's missing a lot of features that we like to see at this price point, things like Android Auto and Apple Car Play and connected features that actually matter.
And the driver a tech, that's pretty much non existent.
We've just got adaptive cruise control, that's about it.
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But you'll notice I did see that I have recommended the X5 to friends and family members, so what's up with that?
Well one of the things that Mazda does really well is deliver a very engaging and dynamic ride, without a whole lot of hardware.
So even though its' engine isn't the most powerful one in the class it is a very peppy engine.
That feel well made it to the slight weight chassis.
Likewise the handling is pretty much second to none.
You're not gonna find another car in this class at this price point that handles as well or feels as good on the road as the CX-5 It's basically the best.
And then getting back to Mazda Connect.
Yeah, it's feature list is basically limited to Bluetooth and satellite radio and navigation, the basic stuff.
But it does a really good job of organizing those features in a way that is very conducive to driving.
So you're never gonna get lost in the interface looking for a feature because frankly there's not a whole lot there to get lost in For a lot of drivers that's a good thing.
Less is more, simpler is better.
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And even though the driver aid features are pretty limited, we've just got on this fully loaded Grand Touring and adaptive cruise control, LED headlights with adaptive high beams, and lane departure warning not assist.
I'm thinking that the kind of driver that values a simple driving experience and simple technology maybe doesn't need a car that can correct itself in the lane and park itself.
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We live in a world where we're all pretty obsessed with getting the best or having the most bullet points for the dollar but the Mazda CX 5 is the kind of car that makes Reevaluate what zest means.
For example my mamma, smart and tech savvy woman, bought a fully loaded Toyota Highlander with all the bells and whistles probably because it was the best one on the lot.
She doesn't understand what half the features on the car do.
Now you can make the argument that she bought more tech then she needs or that she should spend more time getting to know the stuff that she bought.
But the fact of the matter is that a car like the CX5 Will never have you had an argument with yourself.
Because it's basically gives you everything that you need to have an engaging and safe drive and almost nothing that you don't.
With the Mazda CX-5 the key is to just not over think things too much because it's strength lie in it's simplicity and it's driving character.
It's a car that's okay with just being a really good car and not necessarily a gadget.
And yeah it's got some cool tech bells and whistles, but they're secondary to the driving experience.
Which is most important for some drivers.
And at around $35,000 fully loaded for this Grand Touring all wheel drive model, it's also pretty affordable as well.
So sometimes the best choice is the simplest one.
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