I am kind of buy and hold long time person. I only buy new or newer cars for daily driving. I have toyota Camry which I bought new and I never had any issue. Recently I went 2400 miles drive (back and forth) as well. Never had to think of any issues.
My Camry has no issues. But cars have changed so much and it seems like I live in a ancient world.
I am thinking about buying SUV. I test drove RAV4 and Mazda CX5. In terms of looks they both look nice and good safety features. I have more roomy feeling in my Camry than either of RAV4 and CX5. My Camry seats seems be bigger (at least to me). I did not have measuring tape so I can’t objectively tell if there is a difference.
RAV4 seems to sluggish as I have put my foot way down in order car to move with some speed on highway. To me RAV4 is more sluggish than my Camry 2005 (it has 140 hp).
Mazda seems to be very responsive and turbo engine is lot more responsive.
I had quite a bit of back ache after driving Mazda. It is similar kind of feeling after driving BMW M series. Not sure back ache issue is due to stiff suspension in Mazda or seats are not as long as my Camry (I am 6’ 3)?
How mazda CX5 esp. turbo engine compares (I know it is not good comparison) to toyota for 10 + years of ownership.
Will I be able to do regular maintenance on own my own like changing battery, air filters, Mass air flow sensors, spark plugs or throttle body clean up etc in a Mazda?
I don’t drive much (like 5k per year) and I don’t think I will save any money with Hybrids. Hybrid cost more and after about 10 years Hybrid batteries needs to be replaced.
We have a 2017 Rav4, nothing sluggish about it in my book, hear the being cramped, got a used 2017 Acadia with tow package to replace my rear ended trailblazer to tow boats and trailers etc. Wife loved the heated seats and steering wheel and auto start so much I let her have it and kept the rav as my daily driver. I think battery replacement as you mentioned should be a planned cost, but we cannot predict gas prices either. We drive few miles also and even if gas got to $7 a gallon I can live with it. Quit wrenching years ago but our cars have not needed any major expenses, so roll the dice take your chances and pay your dues.
Not a race car driver so I don’t know if these numbers for the rav are good or bad
If you’re willing to consider a Turbo engine I’d also suggest trying a Honda CR-V, The turbo option for the CX-5 has only been out a couple years so it’s really hard to know how reliable it will be but Mazda’s otherwise have a good track record. My dad hated the seats in his 2007 CR-V because he couldn’t drive more than 30min but for whatever reason the ones in his 2019 CR-V are more comfortable. Didn’t manage to get him to look at the Mazda even though we had a totally reliable '90 Protoge for 19yrs but he really didn’t find the RAV to be to his liking. He’s averaged 4,500mi a year so really couldn’t justify a Hybrid as much as he was wanting one. T
he 2010 Prius that’s really mom’s car does get 50+mpg on the same loop that the 2019 CR-V gets about 30mpg. Our state charges a $75 surcharge for hybrids every year so Dad’s not feeling so bad about only having to pay that for one car.
We all basically use a mechanic or the dealer for most service but it’s still possible to change a battery or filters yourself. Mostly it’s how easily you can get to everything under the hood.
Unless you end up like our 2017 Acadia limited, had to get a new battery, no start at 12 below. Called the dealer, 630 cca their best, called local shop I have used for years, auto start they asked. Yes. Sorry we have to buy that battery from the dealer then it has to be programmed for the auto start to work. No idea about any of the other stuff, and the battery is under a seat, which one I do not know.
The Battery on that truck is under a little panel in the rear seat footwell, from a video it looks to be right behind the center console. Carpet pulls up and then you need a Torx bit to get access.
At the moment i’m not finding a service manual for the Mazda newer than 2018 but whichever vehicle the OP goes for it could be worth the money.
I was always surprised when my trailblazer was referred to as a truck, now the Acadia is a truck to you, not complaining but my thought of a truck was something with an open bed. My great uncle always referred to them as Urban assault vehicles.
Considered a light truck, same as the trailblazer. The Acadia may be car like but all Suv’s are counted under the truck category by the EPA. My '15 Forester is considered a truck by the same standard.
Why would you even think of buying a car t gives you a backache?
Also, why an SUV/ Most prople buy them for a higher, more comfortable seating position, but it does not sound like you find the seating position.
I don’t care how consumer reports or car magazines rave about certain cars, like the two you mentioned, there is no attribute of a car I value above a comfortable seat and seating position.
I have never understood the SUV “popularity” or what inspires people to want one. I guess some older folks, some of my neighbors, particularly old women, feel they provide some kind of enhanced visibility (except when they try parking or run over pedestrians and cyclists) or ease of entry/egress for ailing bodies. I would never want one, nor would I buy one.
Are you sure you need an SUV or are you being swept up in a fad? CSA
My daughter bought a 2020 CRV last summer and she is very happy with it. Cross the Mazda off the list, and don’t give it a second thought. If your back hurt in a test drive, it will only get worse on linger drives after you buy it. Also, expand your list to other, similar compact SUVs. This is the time to test them, you don’t want to leave the best choice untested. Other popular compact SUVs include the Kia Sportqge, Subaru Forester, and Nissan Rogue.
Actually, the turbo engine in the CX-5 has been in the 6 for three years and in the CX-9 for five years with excellent reliability. I own the turbo engine in a 2018 Mazda6 and it has been supremely reliable for 56,000 miles with no clicking, ticking, or oil burning at all.
The turbo engine in the Mazda is easy to service and I do most of the maintenance myself. All the stuff the OP described is stuff you can do easily yourself.
The seat in the Mazda in the higher trims (Grand Touring and up) are highly adjustable, including a lumbar support. I find it really hard to believe that anyone can’t find a position that works for them. Most likely the OP did not realize that the lumbar support was adjustable and had it either fully extended or retracted, creating a great deal of discomfort.
You have already found something about 2 vehicles you don’t like so why even ask about them . How did you choose your Camry that seems to have served you well . Use that thought process again . If you buy new then you have at least 3 years of warranty and no more then you drive you will age out instead of miles.
There are lots of places that change batteries for free or a low fee so forget that problem . We get many posts here by people who have messed up the battery change. New vehicles usually don’t need spark plugs for 100000 miles so there is another needless worry . No one on the web can tell if you will be comfortable in a vehicle . Only you can decide that.
Thanks all: For Camry, back then I was relatively poor (well not that poor, I did buy brand new top of line with all safety option features, $25k back then total cost). For daily car, reliability, comfort and low maintenance are important to me. For daily car I don’t like stiff ride of sports cars. For fun vehicles I had my share of mishaps. I understand there is no such thing bullet proof. I like to do maintenance stuff on my own just for fun or intellectual curiosity how stuff works. I don’t think I save much, given amount of time I have to spend. I can pay for maintenance as well.
If you are looking at the BMW M series, consider the Cadillac CT-4V. The base price is about $10,000 less than the M-3 with similar specs. If you really want to go wild, think about the Black Wing version, but that’s around 10 grand more than the M3 Competition. The Black Wing versions won’t be available until this summer, but you can test the CT-4V now. While you may not want it in the end, you can have a lot of fun finding out.
I’m puzzled why you wish to replace a car that has no issues, is reliable and proved trustworthy on a recent 2,400 mile trip, and that is comfortable for you.
I’m with @Marnet in wondering why you want to replace your Camry. Sure, newer vehicles have more gadgets but there’s also more stuff to break. For years, dad drove 4 dr. Chevy’s with straight sixes, manual transmissions, and no power anything for that exact reason.
