While not apples to apples, our brand new old stock Mazda3 was $24k with the bigger motor, fully loaded with sport, GT, and tech packages last year.

I generally find Mazda to be crazy good value compared to the comparable Toyota/Honda product and generally more fun to drive too.

-Mark

I don't think you can get a Gv80 for $55? I would say palasade or telluride if you want a more rugged look

I got my 2020 Civic Sport Touring for $25k this year.

Didn’t get it, but there was a 2018 Mazda3 GT with the Premium Package and 6MT brand new for $18k in February (I tried to get the day off of work to head over to the mainland to get it but was denied). Also watched new 2019 VW Golf Sportwagens and All-Tracks (6MT Highline trims) drop well under $30k this summer ($23k was the lowest I saw).

No idea where people are coming to the conclusion there isn’t anything good under $30k.

Get this, it will trick the car into thinking it's closed. Also better than straps

https://www.amazon.ca/Keeper-85110-T...ef=mp_s_a_1_17

^ i don't see how that will circumvent the pressure sensors

ok lemme rephrase, you're not gonna find a current model year fully loaded 6cyl+ crossover/suv from established brands for under average new car price (41k in canada)

remember people are even paying over msrp for rav4 hybrid/phev because of the insane waitlist, so i dont blame toyota pricing it the way it is

Just a note, any of the 40i vehicles are equipped with the B58 motor (same one in the Supra). According to my friends at BMW, there's no major reliability issues seen with the B58 so far, unlike the previous N54s and N55s.

That said, seeing that the B58 was produced in 2015, for MY16, it might be too early to tell.

As for power, I believe all Mpak 40i vehicles are 355hp.

BIC_BAWS, the current M40i vehicles (3/4/X3/Z4 series) are all 382hp, as is the new Supra for 2021 with the B58(C?) revision motor.

No wonder I got smoked in the M3. No pun intended..

Yeah I think it was either 2019 or 2020 where it got the power bump. A lot of them are dynoing close to that to the wheels too, so it's ridiculously fast. My current "want" is a X3 M40i for a daily, but probably not that useful with COVID curtailing my driving around town.

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Thanks for the input everyone.

Knowing now that the higher-powered compact SUV won't be completely becoming extinct in the near future, I will likely stick to pre-owned rather than buying new.

There are a few Lexus' added to the list of consideration as I browse listings thanks to this discussion.

Specifically does anybody have any input or experience with the 2nd and 3rd gen Acura RDX? How does the NA V6 in the 2nd gen perform? Thanks roastpuff for his info there.

Good to know about the engine reliability on the M40i. That would be the dream, tho probably out of range of what I would pay for pre-owned currently being so new.

I picked up a 3G RDX last July and considered the 2G RDX as well - the 2G is pretty dull but entirely competent as a car. It veers into the Lexus side of dull while the 3G veers into the BMW side of exciting (relatively speaking). I went with the 3G RDX over the CX-5 Turbo largely for two reasons: 1) Needed the extra room especially in the back seat for a car seat and 2 adults and 2) Couldn't get comfortable in the CX-5's driver seat no matter how I set it up.

As you have no kids I'd imagine the CX-5 has sufficient practicality for your needs - it's a terrific car and had plenty of juice while the pricing is pretty solid (Wolfe Langley Mazda has the best pricing hands down). MSRP all in for a GT Turbo is $46K and I bet you could get Wolfe down to $42. They probably have some lightly used ones in the mid-$30K range all in. For what it is I think it's a bargain.

For my 3G RDX I'm almost in love with it - it's great value, drives great, is as nice as I need it to be, and has the space and comfort I need. Downsides are that it hasn't been a particularly reliable model - nothing too serious but lots of annoying things that warranty covers like squeaky brakes, squeaky tailgate, squeaky control arms, flaky infotainment. YMMV with it and it's cost me no money to address and only 2 extra dealer visits so far (Burrard Acura' service team has been a real champ - quite impressed). All in all, I'd buy it again, still think it was the best choice out of my options at the time and still is.

Having driven that particular Honda V6/6-speed transmission combination across a few models of Honda/Acura cars, I love the V6, the 6-speed is just okay. VTEC is great, and it's very smooth and loves to rev. It's naturally aspirated so it's peaky, so very different driving characteristic to the turbo-4's that everyone seems to run these days - you're going to want to rev the V6 to get power whereas turbo-4s can sit at 2000RPM and move you off the line just fine with their low end torque in traffic. I love the sound of the J35 engines, and I think it has much more character than the new K20 turbo (at least in the new Accord/new RDX use case). Timing belt can be a plus or a minus, compared to the timing chain on the K20.

My thought on the 2G RDX is that it's quite meh, as it is from the era of Hondas in the mid-2010s where they kind of put in the minimum effort on stuff. So I'd skip it unless you were okay with bland interiors, overdone infotainment and the lack of Honda-ness compared to the newer gen stuff that came out with the 10th gen Civic.

The M40i models from 2018 are in the mid to low 50's already, but I wanted Android Auto so I was stuck with looking at 2019 and up as those have the iDrive 7/Live Cockpit Pro packages, thus bumping my purchase price up. When it comes time to get a bigger car for family reasons (the GTI won't quite cut it anymore) I'll probably revisit the CUV discussion.

This is surprising at how far the turbos have come; I have not personally driven a newer I4+turbo car. It wasn't so long ago where I would expect the descriptions of the two engine types flip-flopped from what you described there.

Very helpful additional insight supafamous & roastpuff, thanks.

No. $24k + taxes, and a sedan. We have a literal identical twin to this one: https://www.auto123.com/en/car-revie...t-sedan/64882/

-Mark

don’t forget the auto trans with Honda v6 is not a durable combo

Eh, it's ok in the later years (2012(?) and up?) but you want to change the fluid every 60k km or less, and use only genuine Honda fluid from what I gather.

I am a CX-5 owner and 100% agree with this post.

Would also add it was the best handling against all the others we tried.

Downside however is the infotainment system is slow and looks outdated. However, if you are upgrading for a vehicle without an infotainment system, then you'll probably not mind.

Also, my wife would add it has no 360 camera, which she appreciates when parking in a tight space, and is annoying when you consider that feature is now commonplace.

For us it came down the CX-5 or a 2017 Forester. For essentially the same price, we went with a new vehicle rather than something pre-owned.

Yup. RS has grown up.

I can’t speak the RDX but we cross shopped the CX5 and CRV. CX5 handles way better. CRV felt larger and appears to have more storage space. We went with the CRV because the intention was family and other stuff.

I sure like the way Mazdas drive. I had an 05 Mazda 3 GT that was simple fun.

When I was in my 20's, it was all about the turbos. Had a pair of MR2 Turbos and a 2011 Sonata Turbo that I bought new. All 3 had issues with the turbo system and other issues caused by the turbos. Both Toyotas needed new head gaskets but being older cars, that was expected. The Sonata had the wastegate go out twice leaving me in limp mode. I don't expect most modern turbo cars to last more than 250k. If you want something long term, go NA if you can.

Looking back at how often I have to fix those cars, I opted for a 5.0L sedan for my current car and I'm glad I did. I'm more worried about the electronics than the engine dying on me. It's almost time to replace it and I'm having a hard time finding something. The only choices I really have are the G90 (too big) or a 300C (eww). Everything else is turbocharged now.

Have an 09 rav4 v6 sport. The ride is too stiff and the build quality on mine is downright horrible but I remind myself why I bought it when I stomp on the gas

In terms of a what else to buy? like someone else said.. Lexus RX350.

I settled with the Rav4 Hybrid XSE cause I didn't want to wait a year for the PHEV.

However, remember that if you get the PHEV, there are rebates that will reduce the overall cost.

I was lucky that I knew someone at the dealership. I paid MSRP for my Hybrid Rav4 and got a really good trade value for my Sienna. If I waited for the PHEV, I think the value of my Sienna would have dropped a crazy amount by that time as the new ones will all be hybrid.

We picked up a ‘19 Ford Flex last year and love it. Massive, seats 7. Doesn’t drive like an SUV and 360hp ttV6 and AWD. Picked up a 1 year lease return for ~$35k With 25k km. Honestly only issue is the HVAC control, touch screen only

Edit: sticker was something like 67k (fully loaded). Dat ford depreciation but the drivetrain has proven extremely reliable in the Taurus SHO and explorer sport

I second the 2019 Ford Flex. My parents' Sienna went in for routine maintenance at the dealership, and they locked the keys in the car and botched the service, so they got them a Ford Flex to get them going for a day.

I took it for a spin and to 320icar's point, it doesn't drive like an SUV and was quite nice overall. It's not comparable to a Japanese vehicle in terms of overall fit and finish, with some odd quirks, but its one of those rare moments where I said to myself, "I'd buy one!" Oh, and of course, domestic depreciation is killer. Having said all that, I would not recommend. LOL!

Edit: Fun fact - my old man has been working almost exclusively on Ford over the past 8 years. Overall, not bad, but still would not buy one. He's a Toyota/Lexus guy at heart.