Just test drove a CX5

But the Juke AWD can only be had with a CVT.

The Nissan Versa sedan is the cheapest car sold in America at $10,999.
Add CTV and the price goes up like $3,000.
The lowliest model can only be had with 5 speed and if 5 speed you can not add cruise or even a tach. To get a tach, you have to take the CVT.
Of course, I suspect it is marketing. Actually finding a 5 speed $10,999 is likely non-existant.

In reply to jrw1621:

I thought that car only existed to beat the Hyundai Accent as the cheapest new car in America.

Back to the CX5, how do you think it'd be cruising long-distance at ~80mph?

In reply to ReverendDexter: My last generation CX5 is a great high-speed cruiser. I imagine this one will be at least as good.

Javelin wrote: Then Mazda can release the FE RX-7, etc.

That'll be FF. They already released the FE. And called it the RX-8.

On topic, I like the CX-5 better than its competition.

ReverendDexter wrote: In reply to jrw1621: I thought that car only existed to beat the Hyundai Accent as the cheapest new car in America.

Accent w/ AC is $15k. The $10.9k Versa has AC (but little else.)

There isn't a business case for offering a manual transmission in most new cars. About the only place I see new mainstream cars with manuals is in Road & Track. They sure aren't on the dealer lots around here. I suppose the only reason Mazda offers a CX-5 with a manual at all is for image. I can pretty much guarantee my Mazda dealer won't have any.

And "interesting" colors like bright blue aren't offered because very few people want them. The dealers don't want to stock them. And the buyer takes a hit when they trade them in.

I just test drove a fwd manual sport today and really liked it. It's definitely slow but for my commute it will be fine.

I'm currently driving a 2008 335i sedan with a manual transmission and sport package. I have to say that I've never quite bonded with the car. I'm thinking about getting rid of it because I have lots of back issues and the car sits pretty low. It's stock but still painful getting in and out for me. The cx5 is much easier getting in and out.

Even though it's slow it was pretty fun to drive. I had to make a quick turn at the last second and the cx5 handled the quick maneuver without a fault. The backseat is also much bigger which will be a plus for my 5 year old.

I'm still not 100% sure I'm going to buy but the price is really low being the base model so that makes me happy. Curious what my trade-in value will be on the 335i though so I'll have to take that into account.

Well my wife absolutely hated the CX-5. She liked the way it drove just fine but the looks are most important and she didn't like them one bit. So we went over to the Nissan dealer across the street to drive a Juke. Surprisingly they had a manual SL. My wife loved it but I didn't really care for it. Yes it was faster than the CX-5 but it just didn't seem as connected to the road. Plus I like the looks of the Mazda much better. My wife thinks the Juke looks phenomenal. We don't agree on music either - LOL. So on to something else. What options are there in this segment with a manual?

Saw a white one at the dealer today. I like them. I'd be content with a 2WD one if it had a manual. Now I just want them to send ones with the diesel and we'll call it good.

VW Tiguan comes with 200hp turbo motor and a manual starting at $22k msrp. Similar size to CX5.

Vigo wrote: VW Tiguan comes with 200hp turbo motor and a manual starting at $22k msrp. Similar size to CX5.

Yeah, thats the stripped down base. With a couple options, it will be $30k before you blink.

My girlfriend bought one a few weeks ago. FWD with an auto which is what she wanted. She traded in a Mazda5 for it which had a lot more room. Overall she is very happy with it and it seems like a nice vehicle.

Yeah, thats the stripped down base. With a couple options, it will be $30k before you blink.

Yeah, but the guy who asked ALREADY bought a 335i So i dont think im talking over his head on money.