Torn between Mazda CX-5 and Jeep Cherokee - thoughts?

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I’ve narrowed my search down to the last two cars.2018 Mazda CX-5 Touring and 2019 Jeep Cherokee Limited. Very tough decision since both are great cars in my opinion. Just curious if anyone would like to share their opinion on which car to go with and why?

Thank you.

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Both are great choices, I was recently deciding between the CX5 and the Grand Cherokee and ultimately chose the Jeep since I liked the V6 engine better, quieter cabin and smoother ride. I also got it for cheaper than the CX5.

Since you’re comparing to the regular Cherokee, I’d say it an even tighter race. The Jeep has CarPlay which is nice… have you considered the grand Cherokee?

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If you are leasing than I would go for the Jeep but if your are purchasing then go for the CX5. Jeep’s always get horrible reviews after there warranty is up.

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If you post the numbers, we can give a more educated opinion. If you just ask out of the blue, then I am gonna reply based on “feelings”

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Yes i have considered the Grand Cherokee. The Grand Cherokee’s i’m interested in are more expensive than the cx-5 (lease). I absolutely loved the CX-5 Bose sound system. How is the sound in the jeeps? I am leasing.

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So I’m actually very particular about good speakers since I love music. I test drove a RAV4, CX5 Touring and the Jeep and found the base Jeep sound system to be actually quite excellent. Great bass and the sound is really quality. I have the Laredo Upland trim with a sunroof and pay $340 with just $340 DAS. 36/12, MSRP is $40k.

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Did the upland come with an enhanced audio package?

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Have you driven both? CX-5 is sportier and drives like a sports sedan (moreso than the Jeep anyway). My dad had a Cherokee and it was a lemon - constant problems. He ended up selling it right back to the dealer with less than 10K miles. Love the Mazda interior also.

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You get standard Harman Kardon in Subaru Forester Touring.

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Yes i agree with you that the CX-5 is the more sporty option. The jeep had more speed/acceleration power for sure.

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No the Upland came with the standard speaker system. Upland upgrades include 20” black rims, blacked out logo and grill, blue accented logo and blue interior stitching. Also includes the security/convenience package which is remote start, garage door opener, adjustable driver seat, etc. Same MSRP as a Laredo.

If you want the enhanced speakers, look at the Laredo X package or an Altitude with the speakers. The Laredo X package is a pretty good deal since it also has leather seats, rims, nav plus the speakers and subwoofer. And it comes in at the same price as a regular Laredo ($38k). I actually discovered this package after getting the Upland lol.

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oooh i’ve had a CX5 rental for the past month (and two others previously) and the rental I had last month? A Grand Cherokee! but i’ve also driven the Cherokee for a few weeks. A tricky comparison as a fairly loaded jeep, vs a middling spec CX5 but My thoughts:

  • It’s personal taste, but I think the CX5 is a fantastic design. Every time I go to jump in it, I think it’s such a handsome looking CUV.
  • Day to day use, I find the CX5 infotainment infuriating. It’s laggy, the bluetooth connectivity works maybe 50% of the time – exactly the same in other CX5’s ive had. The Jeep Uconnect system is super easy to use and I much, much prefer it.
  • I really don’t like the seats in the CX5 for longer trips. With traffic my journey home from work is just over an hour and I notice I’m sore and fatigued more in the CX5. Personal taste though. The vented seats in the Jeeps are great.
  • I find road noise is intrusive on the CX5 and the engine note is harsher, but driving it at a higher RPM is much more fun than the more boaty like Jeeps. I don’t find the engine as responsive in traffic, it almost feels CVT like sometimes in the laggy response.
  • CX5 is obviously more efficient. In mixed commuting I’m getting 25mpg, not the worst but not the best. I will say the tank is empty pretty quickly in the CX5 which can get annoying. Tank seems much bigger in the Jeeps.
  • The Grand Cherokee feels it’s age I think. It feels like a truck in need of a redesign (coming soon!) but saying that, the smooth V6 and comfort of the seats? I’d take it every time.

Overall if it was my money and I was leasing, I’d go for a Grand Cherokee or a very well specc’d Cherokee. I’d try and get a pano sunroof and adaptive cruise if budget allowed though as theyre two things I think makes daily driving better and the adaptive in the CX5 works pretty well.

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I test drove a CX-5 and even used an OSHA decibel meter app to measure cabin noise. The Jeep GC was significantly quieter than the CX-5 and it seems to handle bumps in the road better (great for the crappy roads in NJ). There’s a neat website which actually measures decibel ratings in a ton of cars. Just be aware that 3 or 4 decibels is actually a very big difference.

http://www.auto-decibel-db.com/

I also found that the base features in the GC are generous and that you get a lot more for the value.

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I just did the Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo E with the Laredo X package and a sunroof. 325 first month due. 36/10k. 38k msrp (sunroof was aftermarket 1k).

The laredo X package has those same seats as in the altitude, so it’s a great car.

Highly suggest it over the Cherokee Limited.

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That’s a great deal! Ya the Laredo X is weirdly under advertised and even harder to find using Jeep website inventory tool. I stumbled on it by mistake when I was browsing the dealer site where I got my Upland. It’s an incredible package for such a price. Literally a Limited but for $1000s less. Makes no sense lol.

I was wondering how you did a sunroof bc it doesn’t come with one so aftermarket makes sense.

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Yeah, the dealer installs them. There are virtually no Laredo X’s in the NY area.

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The best way I’ve been able to locate was by a google search of “Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo X NJ” or NY. It’d manually pull up dealer pages. Gotta do this bc jeeps website doesn’t allow for filtering just for the Laredo X