Debate between RDX 16/17 vs Madza CX 18/19

SheikhYarbooti wrote: ↑ As much as I want to like Mazda, they are notorious for rusting faster than expected.

multimut wrote: ↑ Your information is dated. You are thinking of pre-2010 mazdas which were rust buckets due to some design issues. Mazda has a great reputation now, and no rust problems. In fact to change the perception, Mazda Canada rust warranty is has no limited on mileage.

BeaverLiquor wrote: ↑ Not that city dwelling CUV owners will likely need it, the AWD system in Mazda's suck, SH-AWD is a much better system than Mazda's.

multimut wrote: ↑ From your question, you already know the Acura RDX is more expensive, so for the same amount of money you would need to get a 2-year older car -- 2016/2017 RDX vs 2018/2019 CX5.

To me the answer is clear. Go for the Mazda CX-5.

As others (even those who say get the RDX) say, the RDX is a higher end Honda CR-V. But the Acura "badge" does not have the same luxury cachet as say a Lexus (vs Toyota).
Looks and driving experience are more of a personal view, but in my eyes the current generation (2017 and newer) CX-5 is a nicer looking car, and Mazda always gets high marks for fun to drive.

For reliability, Consumers Reports has consistently ranked Mazda brand in top three for reliability (along with Lexus and Toyota), while Honda and Acura are scoring below average.

I recently bought a new CX-5, so I am more aware of known problems for Mazda. The main known problem for 2018/2019 Mazda CX-5 is there was a simple recall for a software upgrade on the non-turbo models. The non-turbo engines have cylinder deactivation, and the software was causing some stalling. But it was a simple software upgrade that was needed. I don't follow known problems for Honda/Acura as much, but I keep reading about oil leaks and oil consumption.

PS: If you want more power, the Turbo version of the CX-5 is as fast as the RDX A-Spec, and moving to Turbo models gets you higher trim and luxury features, while still costing thousands less than Acura.

SheikhYarbooti wrote: ↑ RDX by a long shot here. The CX5 looks great, but I would rate it behind its more prominent Japanese counterparts like Honda and Toyota, let alone compare it to Honda's luxury brand. The CX5 fit and finish is not even close to as polished and solid feeling as an RDX. As much as I want to like Mazda, they are notorious for rusting faster than expected.

For reference - I've driven both cars for several days and longer, and was not as impressed with the CX5 as most people seem to be.

OG2003 wrote: ↑ Both are similar reliability wise. For the Acura, the 2016/2017 is one of the last model years for the previous gen, so most issues should have been ironed out.
The CX5 GT has similar interior quality but a way better infotainment system. And replacing the infotainment on the Acura is not easy and not cheap.
The Acura will be faster if it has the 3.5l V6, but will consume more gas.
Personally, I’d take the CX5.

trixstar wrote: ↑ I'm not sure what you guys are smoking but the infotainment in mazda cars is terrible. Its the most useless piece of crap. I have a 2019 cx-9 and just wanna smash the infotainment.

Android auto almost always has issues. Pairing issues, freezing issues, restarting problems.. backup camera is low res, 360 camera is from a barbie camera. Im not even kidding. The system takes forever to load. When I start the car, I wait 5 seconds and then throw it in reverse and more then half the time, the infotainment is not done loading. It takes another 20-30 seconds. This system lags so hard its worse than an aftermarket Walmart head unit. I'm not even sure how people are living with this system. During my trip to Florida last summer, the infotainment crashed around 30 times from Toronto to Fort lauderdale.

Take the RDX

BeaverLiquor wrote: ↑ Not that city dwelling CUV owners will likely need it, the AWD system in Mazda's suck, SH-AWD is a much better system than Mazda's.

multimut wrote: ↑ Acura is more expensive by a significant amount, so it should have a very good AWD system.
But Mazda's predictive AWD gets top marks from professional reviews.
Mazda does not claim to have the best AWD for off-road (where Jeep and Subaru are king), but how many of us take our cars off-road. But for on-road performance, Mazda's AWD is as good as any of the non-luxury brands.

For reference, here an indepth article about the Mazda predictive AWD system, with lots of details about other AWD systems and how they work, including brief discussion of more upscale brands AWD system.

https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/222 ... ow-and-ice

My Mazda CX-5 purchase this year was my first ever Mazda. I do quite a bit of research, and I'm extremely impressed with the CX-5. As per my last post, if you can get the current generation (2017+) which is quite a bit better in every way than the prior generation. It's as quiet as a BMW (my Mazda replaces a BMW). And the current generation is a much nicer looking car (minor changes from prior generation, but the subtle changes add up to a much nicer looking car).