Disclaimer: This article is based on 2014 Nissan Qashqai ST and 2012 Mazda CX-5 Maxx Sport and on the basis of a personal experience only.
For more than 11 years, we had been driving a small 2001 Kia Rio before deciding that we wanted a bigger car for a change. After doing some researching, we came down to two choices. The new 2012 Mazda CX-5 or 2012 Nissan Dualis. We checked the both cars at the nearest dealerships, but we felt in love at first sight with the Mazda CX-5.
2012 Mazda CX-5 Maxx Sport
We’d chosen this car because we like the body shape. The front side looks like a cheetah face. Perhaps we were influenced by the Zoom Zoom ads of Mazda CX-5.
Being the 1st time driving an SUV car, the driving experience was a bit odd; considering more than 10 years I had been driving a small sedan.
The only upgrades I had for the car were changing the cloth fabric seats to leather seats and adding the window tinting which I did separately from the dealership.
The black interior design was good too. Again, upgrading from the small sedan to the newly on-the-market SUV, it felt like a totally game changer. The dashboard was made from leather with a glossy trim.
Based on personal showcase, the Mazda CX-5’s fuel consumption is between 6.5 and 7.5 / 100 kms with Unleaded 98. On a day with a really bad traffic, the Skyactiv technology really helps to boost the fuel economy and performance.
The one thing I notice the most is that accelerating the car from 0 kph to 100 kph could take between 7 – 10 seconds.
The Mazda CX-5 has a good quality of the sound system. The highest range / variant of Mazda CX-5 has 9 Bose Speaker Surround System. Mine is not quite like it, but it is pretty good for that type.
2014 Nissan Qashqai ST
We bought this car as part of the 1% Nissan Finance Deal back in March 2014. It was rated as the best SUV the year before. Since it was a really good deal, we were down with the idea of having another car for a change. I have been commuting to work by public transports for more than 10 years – so having a new car would stop me from taking a public transport to work.
The finance deal only applied to the ST model. The Ti model wasn’t part of the deal due to the importation reason.
The Qashqai has a smaller reversed camera screen panel compared to the CX-5 and I found it hard to see when it’s dark. The rear / reversed camera on the Qashqai looks like a night vision when it’s dark where the CX-5 is much better quality and color.
The steering wheel control is very light and agile compared to the CX-5. The Mazda CX-5 steering wheel control is heavier.
Since Nissan is design for fast cars, accelerating from 0 kph to 100 kph feels to be much faster than the CX-5, although it’s been recorded on the paper that the Qashqai’s acceleration from 0 to 100 kph takes more than 10 seconds.
The other thing that I like about the Qashqai is the digital speedometer. You get the exact speed reading while driving the vehicle.
The sound system quality is very much blunt and the lack of bass system decrease the driving mood.
Overall, I choose the Mazda CX-5 Maxx Sport as my everyday driving compared to the Nissan Qashqai.
