Avoid the diesel unless you like big bills.

Mazda may have solved their long-standing problems with diesels - or they may not.

I faced this issue when I was researching buying a CX-5 last year. My feeling was that it would be a leap in the dark to buy a diesel, and I wasn't prepared to do it. For a 2013 car - five years old - it's an extra risk.

Mazda's reputation with petrol engines, by contrast, is excellent. The only issue is that the petrol CX-5 - a fairly big, though not massively heavy, car - is no ball of fire. To take advantage of its 165 bhp you have to thrash it a bit and that isn't a particularly relaxing way to drive, nor an economical one.

However, it suits me very well. It is a lovely machine if allowed to make its own way - a really nice drive. Plenty of room everywhere and, on the SportNav model, plenty of useful toys.

To answer your question with another - how lucky do you feel?

Edited by FP on 18/10/2018 at 16:40

Petrol all the way, especially with Japanese marques. Their reputation for reliability is unmatched.

galwayman

To help give a measured reply - as simply, for every rubbish car there is also a good one.

We traded both our cars in for a White CX-5 (2015, 4WD, 2.2ltr 165bhp Diesel) about 9 months ago.

This is the wifes car, whilst I am still hunting for my next car.

But we have had this for almost a year and we probably only just qualify for even getting a diesel due to the DPF issues. We do 10,000 miles a year into Cambridge (only live 15 miles away), a short amount of dual carriageway, and then stop start traffic.

So far it hasn't missed a beat and it is indeed great fun to drive. We test drove the 4Wd diesel and the 2wd diesel within 5 minutes of each other, and you really could notice the extra traction from the 4wd system. At least we could anyway.

Admittidly I was not aware of any diesel engine issues with the CX-5. I know in past years they have not been great, but the skyactive method of building the cars now is totally new, and the CX-5 was the first to be produced using it.

So far not a single issue - and that included the Mazda dealership filling the car up with petrol instread of diesel just as we went to pick it up!!! Thankfully he never started the engine.

But of course, 9 months constant use is still early days really. So we will just see how we go.

But so far we absolutely love it. You can't even tell your driving a big car. It feels like an MX-5.