2011 L.A. Auto Show: 2013 Mazda CX-5 Makes 155 Horsepower, Gets Manual Gearbox

The Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, and VW Tiguan, and others, have a sticks shift available on FRONT wheel drive only. And Mazda is falling into lock step with the majority.

And considering waning sales figures that will soon rank Mazda as a niche brand, I think Mazda needs to set itself apart from the every day brands-- something that Subaru does well. Every Subaru, except the slow selling Tribeca, offers a stick shift with AWD. Of course, at this moment anyway, all Subarus are AWD.

I am disappointed that the new Escape will not have a stick at all. Three engines and no room for a stick?

+1 ed124c...
Another vehicle that eliminates the manual option with AWD.

underpowered overpriced

I'm just thrilled a new vehicle is being offered with a stick. AWD isn't very important to me, and this is one of the first CUVs I might actually be interested in.

@ed124c: I agree with you whole heartedly, however we are part of a dying minority. I think the biggest issue is that the AWD systems are so complex that they have to do a lot of reworking to get it to work with a manual tranny and that's when so few of people are takers. Subaru still uses their older, more basic AWD system on their manual transmission cars (except the STI's) and a more sophisticated system on the auto's. It helps them with all those years that the majority of their cars being sold with a manual tranny allowed them to not have to spend a lot of money in offering that package. Whereas most new auto makers are offering new on demand AWD systems which would require more R&D to develop one that works with a manual. Especially in a small SUV. If you are BMW or Audi and your cars are nice and pricey no big deal, but even those cars are becoming more rare.

My wife and I, after selling our subaru with a manual for a minivan will probably be back in the market in 4 to 5 years when our kids are out of car seats, strollers and pack and plays (#2 is still in the womb). Not sure what we will do as my wife has been pretty adamant that she wants her next car to be a manual again and I do too and she really wants it to be a crossover or wagon. Our best option now is finding a really nice BMW535Xi or 335Xi Touring down the road with a 6 speed. If one of these smaller crossovers was actually offered with a manual and AWD we would be in the market for it, especially a Mazda. Be we are a rare breed...

+1 to all those who note the cheap-o stick on the FWD-only version.

Mazda is just falling into lock-step with all of the other manufacturers. When they release the build configurator on their website, I'll also wager that you can't get any options on the stickshift version either.

Just like the Mazda6. Base model nearly optionless cars only.

Just like the new Mazda3 Skyactiv version (ignoring the fuel-hog 'S' variant). Base 'Touring' with no options available.

The Mazda5 is in on the act too.

See, Mazda, "everyone else is doing it" might be true, but at least everyone else also sell a lot of cars. They don't feel the need to be 'distinct.' Other automakers' pedestrian products might not draw in enthusiasts, but at least they're self-sustaining. You, Mazda, on the other hand, need to draw in as many people as you can. How about appealing to people that still like to drive sticks? Giving them some toys too? You hear all the time "well it's only 8-10% of the market." Last time I looked, that's still about 1m to 1.3m cars a year in the US. Wouldn't a nice chunk of that when you're only selling 240k or so be desireable? If you're not going to appeal to enthusiasts... and you don't have the money to mass market... and you don't have the pricing power to draw a ton of revenue per unit to cover fixed costs and expensive future R&D... how are you going to be around (without being bought) in 10 years?

/minirant

Nice CUV. Truly nice. Might even be class leading in many ways if a tad light on horsepower (but with real world efficiency numbers likely at the front of the pack as a tradeoff). But as a Mazda person (I own three) who would be interested in such a vehicle when it's time to retire one of the current ones (soon), I won't even touch it if I can't mix/match some toys with a manual trans.

Thanks Mazda for keeping the stick alive!

It seems the manual CUV shortlist is getting shorter every year :(

Very happy to see signs of the HP craziness diminishing. Power in the CX-5 exceeds what is needed. Mazda is turning to balance efficiency and power, Subaru has done the same in the new Impreza, and Hyundai is at least offering choice of efficiency or power.

There is no need for CX-5 size vehicle to have 200HP. Now if only the big wheel, low profile tire fad will end....

At 3000 rpm, the CX-5 chart is showing about 148 lb-ft of torque. The Mazda3 chart is showing about 135 lb-ft. That's 10% more torque, not 50%. I wish it were 50% though. 200 lb-ft would make this scoot along nicely.

All of my initial excitement about this vehicle has fallen apart -- the prospect of finding an affordable AWD, manual transmission wagon has really left Subaru as the ONLY player in this market. After owning two Subarus in the past (which I really loved), I'm 99% certain that my next car purchase will be another Subaru because everyone else seems to have abandoned the manual transmission enthusiasts. For me, it's a deal breaker, although I know the vast majority of the country couldn't care less about shifting for themselves. I applaud Mazda for at least *offering* a 6mt in the CUV in the first place, unlike Honda and Toyota (among others), but the lack of AWD would make me shop elsewhere. Boo Mazda....Booo!

Good to see John Gabriel's Greater Internet Theory proven yet again.

In real thoughts, I'm pleased with the CX-5. It looks great and is adequately powered. That Mazda is offering you people a manual transmission at all is joyous news. Yes, it would be nice if you could pair the 6MT with AWD but you know what? Few cars come with manuals at all anymore, so beggars can't be choosers. Be grateful for what you have. I would like to see slightly better fuel economy but when compared to the Mazda3 hatch 6MT (27/38), and given the CX-5's heavier weight, taller height, blockier coefficient of drag, and larger front surface area, the 26/33 rating makes sense. I am skeptical of the interior volume measurements, though.

All in all, if I hadn't bought a Mazda5 this year I'd probably buy one of these with a stick, FWD though it may be.

how much will it cost?

Anybody else notice that there's no overhang whatsoever on the front bumper? Parallel parking dings are going to be every expensive to repair.

pat1usmc says:

09:35 AM, 11/16/11

+1 ed124c...
Another vehicle that eliminates the manual option with AWD.

___

You can't eliminate something you never offered in the first place. No one buys AWD stick shift SUV's in America. There simply is no business case, that's why manufacturers don't do it...

Really? You're nitpicking that? The manual transmission is apparently going to be an option in this car. That option goes away if you check the AWD version. Better?

I had a 2007 manual transmission Forester XT sport. Best all around car I've ever had. Just because there aren't many out there doesn't mean people can't comment about the lack of them on an internet forum.

Why be skeptical about the interior volume measurements? A Mazda6 station wagon had 30/60 cubic feet; the 5-door, 22/58. This vehicle probably has a taller interior even given the higher ground clearance. True, height is not necessarily as usable as floor area.

aviboy97 says:

"You can't eliminate something you never offered in the first place. No one buys AWD stick shift SUV's in America. There simply is no business case, that's why manufacturers don't do it..."

Maybe.

But how about FWD manuals with any optional features? I can skip the AWD. But I do like the tall wagon body for my family. And I also like these things: Sunroof. Advanced audio equipment. Heated seats. And so on. Mazda won't offer them that way either. (Other websites are reporting quite a bit more detail than InsideLine -- the stick comes on the base "Sport" only -- and that will likely have no optional feature content like the rest of Mazda's base/stick models).

It's nice that they can go "well we offered it!" Yeah... but what if no one wanted the stripper variant? Stick buyers aren't 'poor' or 'trying to save a buck.' It's a want these days. Something typically sought after. Not a settle-for. Informal personal polling -- everyone I know who drives stick (me included) tends to also check option boxes. Just sayin'.

Wow- that cargo volume is more impressive than I expected. It's pretty much the same as the RAV4, but with the spare tire on the inside. It looks really good, too. Well done, Mazda.

150 normally aspirated hp though? That's pretty week. It'll only be about 122 at my altitude. And automatic only with AWD? How disappointing is that? It'll be a good auto...but still.

Compared to a CRV, it has about 20% less power and 20% better mpg, and is slightly smaller. The CRV is an old design about to be replaced with a more efficient model. What's so impressive about that.

I might be interested when the diesel comes out.

"They tell us there's 50 percent more torque from 2,500-3,500 rpm in the CX-5 versus the Mazda 3. As evidence, we offer a torque curve graph after the jump."

I think the Mazda marketing crowd isn't very good with numbers, and you guys aren't very good at looking at the chart they handed you.

At 2500 rpm, they make the same amount of torque- that's 0% more. At 3500, it's a diference of 141 vs 148 ft lbs. That's 5% more- not 50%. The greatest delta is 135 vs 148 at 3000 rpm. That's less than a 10% difference.

Man would I love to have your guys job. I'm a mech. egr. Where do I sign :)

Agreed that most people aren't getting the stick just to save money these days. They're probably the more enthusiast drivers, and would like that direct connection at the same time they're likely to need AWD. I probably would've lived with the weak engine if it had AWD and stick.

How much will it cost?

(BTW- the stick on the new Outback is supposed to not be very good, and that car handles like a Buick. The CX-5 should have better handling and a better cargo area.)

Formula to ensure nobody buys a manual trans, so you can later cite that the manual trans market is nonexistent
- offer it in the base engine and drivetrain
- do not combine it with an "luxury" options that most people want
- do not offer it in a sports config (i.e. sports suspension)

And why not. BMW has been successful with this strategy. Now they don't even need to charge extra for the auto (hint - its rolled into the base price, but people are dumb and think they are getting it fro "free")

i was wondering about the comparative power figures; thank you for the graph!

Yep, once again: irrelevant vehicle until AWD + diesel. I would consider the automatic, but would prefer a manual. You have this engine Mazda - so bring it!

With the exception of the weak powerplant, Mazda has done a really nice job on this CUV. Sadly, it won't be on my radar until they offer the it with the SkyActiv D option. That diesel version has the potential to be a real game changer in this segment.