Buying Second Hand Car Advice - between CX5 2016/2017

benchman on 23/01/2023 - 19:40
Last edited 24/01/2023 - 14:50 by 1 other user

Hi smart people!

I am looking for some advice/opinions on buying a second hand car for my family from 2 reliable friends.
They're both selling their original Mazda CX5 for the same price.

1st Car: Mazda CX5, (2016), Red. Maxx Sport AWD. Alloy wheels. Tinting. Mileage: ~40-50km. Rego finishes and I will have to renew it next month.
2nd Car: Mazda CX5, (2017), Silver. Maxx basic mode FWD. Mileage: ~100km. Selling in 6 months. Won't need to renew registration until next year.

Assume maintenance are up to date for both, nil accidents on either. (Note: the 2016 likley has less services due to less usage)

Which car is the better deal?
If I wanted to sell the car in 3-4 years time, would there be a difference between the resell value? Is having a newer model car in 3-4 years better? or does mileage matter more (i.e. I'm assuming if I had either car, they would be at 100km verse 150km?)

Thanks!

Poll Options expired

  • 24
    2016
  • 4
    2017
Automotive Car Mazda SUV

Comments

  • altomic on 23/01/2023 - 20:06
    +2

    a common issue with the Mazda CX-5 is their Transmission Failure.

    as well as being overwhelmingly dull and lackluster.

    I was considering one a few years ago (second hand) as there were plenty on marketplace + car sales going very cheaply. a bit of research deterred me from purchasing.

    personally I'd avoid them

    • benchman on 23/01/2023 - 20:11

      Regarding transmission failure, when does that normally happen from your research? And is this related to all CX5 in general or is there a specific year?

  • brendanm on 23/01/2023 - 20:07
    +6

    The first one obviously, better spec and lower kms.

    • benchman on 23/01/2023 - 20:16

      Is there a functional improvement by having alloy wheels and tinting versus without?
      - I'm not too familiar with AWD v FWD - AWD will allow for better off-road/other terrain driving?
      - The 2017 model does has technically better tech inside the car with also rear sensors.

      • brendanm on 23/01/2023 - 20:24

        Alloy wheels look much better, tint keeps the car cooler inside. AWD/fwd you won't notice at all probably ever, however it increases resale value.

        No idea about the differences between the year models

      • RockyRaccoon on 23/01/2023 - 20:44

        To give you an idea. New car dealers dont like to sell used vehicles over 100K. Why I don't know, its just lower mileage sells for more. Given its higher spec vs the basic 2017 model, in 3 years time when the 2016 has done 80K the 2017 will be at 130k 1 year difference is marginal. and lower kilos is always appealing.

        Rego isnt a big cost given you will also have the first car earlier.

        As for services, both could have had the same as It often works on mileage and time. Ie if you go 12 months you get it serviced as if it had done 10K

        • benchman on 23/01/2023 - 22:31
          +1

          I understand the general consensus is less mileage is better, and I see that later on - 2016/2017 the model and selling points won't matter as much.

  • Brick Tamland on 23/01/2023 - 20:26

    The 2016 model seems better. Higher spec and less KM on the clock.

  • gy on 23/01/2023 - 20:45

    What's the asking price?

  • commoncents on 23/01/2023 - 20:49
    +2

    have you driven one before? We had the 2015 maxx sport and I could not wait to get rid of it (we did have it for 6 years though!). It was way too small as the kids started to grow from baby size, has the turning circle of a truck, weird blind spots and worst GPS system. People obviously love them and my wife thought it was ok, but got pretty tired of its short falls in space after a while. The transmission also sucks, it doesn't know what gear to select.
    The main thing people would ask about when we sold ours was the CV joints (apparently they wear, so the lower km option would be better), so maybe check that if you do buy.
    I only drove it on the weekends with the family and I couldn't wait to get back into my car.
    Hope it doesn't put you off too much if you love the car, but maybe check out space, blind spots and turning circle and if its not an issue then you will probably be happy! Mechanically ours never skipped a beat.

    • 87percent on 23/01/2023 - 21:32

      I too found the CX5 small, especially the boot

    • benchman on 23/01/2023 - 22:37

      I wouldn't know what I'm looking at regarding the cv joint but that is good to know. It says in Google somes signs to watch out for if there was a bad cv joint. So can only tell by driving haha

      • commoncents on 24/01/2023 - 17:13

        the people who test drove ours just drove around a tight corner slowly with the windows down, then back the other way again.. I bet they didnt know what they were looking for either, but I'm guessing you will hear weird noises if you do tight turns. at least you can see the turning circle or lack of at the same time!

  • Euphemistic on 23/01/2023 - 20:52

    Comes down to the price difference and wether you want any extra features that are on the higher spec model.

    Both will last 3-4 years just fine. If you do less than average kms of you sold the white one then it might still have less than average kms and be fine to sell

    AWD will cost slightly more to run, it’ll use a bit more fuel due to extra weight in the drivetrain but it’ll be more desirable to buyers later due to higher spec and AWD.

    • benchman on 23/01/2023 - 22:39

      Will the cost of running the Awd be related to fuel, or additional costs when it comes to servicing/in the event of other mechanical issues it'll be more costlier?

  • Tomhaigh1 on 23/01/2023 - 20:56

    The most important point, whatever be the case don't buy CX-5 diesel before 2018.

    • benchman on 23/01/2023 - 22:39

      It's unleaded!

  • Gunnar on 23/01/2023 - 21:07

    From the questions you’ve asked in this and above:
    - AWD will give you better traction in off road conditions. That being said you’re not going to be taking this off road and if you are get a proper FWD car. AWD also uses more fuel
    - Alloys: there’s a whole bunch of reason why they’re better but if you don’t already know this the practical side will not be applicable to you (eg better air flow to cool brakes), so just think of it as a cosmetic function. What will matter to you is tyre replacement costs and ride quality. Check the tyre replacement cost. I don’t know what the CX5 sizes are but taking a guess the alloys will be pricier to replace (eg if you’re talking 17inch vs 19inch rims then there will probably be quite a jump in cost to replace tyres).

    In turn this will impact ride comfort. This is a really quick and not completely accurate summary but the rule of thumb is Tyres with small aspect ratios (generally on alloys) look nice, have more grippy rubber and feel firmer the trade off is a harsher ride and have more road noise. Again this is really simplified info because I’m assuming this is news to you??

    The red car is a nicer buy I think because it is a higher spec model and lower kms, one year difference won’t mean much for resale.

    The real Questions is Out of your friends who is the better car owner (servicing is only one part of this), that is the car I’d buy

    • benchman on 24/01/2023 - 00:13

      Thanks for those explanations re AWD and Alloys.
      To answer your question and I had to absolutely pic the better car owner is the 2017 model.

  • slknv on 23/01/2023 - 21:32
    +1

    Just do NOT buy a diesel CX5.

  • p1 ama on 23/01/2023 - 23:09
    +2

    The CX-5 is a Mazda 3 on stilts, just like the CX-3 is a Mazda 2 on stilts.

    It's a cramped and small car made to look like a big car, so it feels, drives, like a small car, but handles like a bloated car. They're fine, but the Mazda 3 is a better car.

    Most people who buy small SUVs are way better off getting a wagon or a large sedan (e.g. Mazda 6, Toyota Camry…etc.). You don't get many of the benefits you typically associate with SUVs with a CX-5.

    Similar boot space to a mid-size hatchback (i.e. less than a large sedan, but arguably more practical dimensions), legroom is worse because of the shorter wheelbase, the width of the car is due to curvier body panels, the inside feels like sitting in the back of small-ish car. Only real practical benefit of a small SUV is that you can fold the back seats down and it's a bit more practical for hauling stuff around. How often do you do that?

    • coffeeinmyveins on 24/01/2023 - 07:33

      The CX-5 is a Mazda 3 on stilts, just like the CX-3 is a Mazda 2 on stilts.

      Never heard it described better than this, LOL.

      So many people running around with CX5's thinking they're SUVs but they are so small.

  • ECE on 24/01/2023 - 00:48

    I have a 2016 cx5 bought with more than 200kms on it 2 yrs ago and it is still going strong. Regularly serviced and had no issues at all. I'll chose the 2017 as it has a better look than the previous model. Zoom zoom

    • benchman on 24/01/2023 - 01:08
      +1

      Thanks for sharing - good to know there hasn't been any issues for the 2016 model. The 2017 look does have that newer, sharper and sleeker look! Additionally, the inside is slightly nicer/cleaner looking infotainment.

  • Sinnerator on 24/01/2023 - 07:58

    If there is a major update between 2016 and 2107 models then choose 2017 otherwise 2016 for reasons everyone else has aready said.

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