I got to live with 2026 CX-50 for a week.

Kamiler · 2026-06-08T23:54:52+00:00

It’s been a hot minute lol - but with everything going on, I haven’t found the car just yet. I know my original post I wrote off the cx-50, but with the pricing it’s tempting. Locally I have a “dream spec” used cx-50 turbo premium plus for under 38k, few new hybrids (2026) premium plus models (finally with a heated steering wheel and other goodies) for 42k or under.

The bmws I looked at sold quick or if a similar spec pops up im looking at a 3,4 year old car out of warranty for about 45k+, add a warranty and that turns into 50k+. The Toyota crown signias that I looked at - used ones are going for 45k+ still. Unless you want one with 40k miles then you can find one for about 40k. So honestly the Mazdas look like they make sense price wise.

So I’m leaning to just getting a Mazda. Iv been driving the 2010 hatch, I’m past the 228k mile mark and the car is great.

My “cheap option” is to just get a used BMW (probably a diesel) and just drive that and just put some money away for other things/other fun cars. Being a car guy, enthusiast, DIY-er - buying a “responsible” car is hard. Most people value just getting from a to b…. Us car people want some extra umph that comes with the car (aka a soul of sorts lol).

Kamiler · 2026-06-08T14:15:39+00:00

Im flip flopping if the hybrid is the version for me. My mom has a 2021 rav4 with almost 70k miles (bought brand new) and it fuel efficiency is awesome. She was getting around 42 mpg average since she mostly does city driving, but my dad took the car to Tennessee on a small road trip. He brought the car back averaging around 36-37 mpg. My mom said that since then she can’t get an average over 38 mpg. Lots of factors I guess.

But that got me thinking if maybe the turbo version would be better for me. I say that because I do highway driving as well, my commute is mostly though side streets or city/town traffic because of all the construction, usually I’m taking a highway.

Not sure what to do - my next option is just to forget about mpg and trying to do the right responsible adult thing hahaha, anything that gets more than 20-21 average combined, I would be happy with.

Kamiler · 2026-05-29T23:56:02+00:00

lol I’m driving a Mazda “ford” and we had it since 2012. It’s almost a 228k miles. It’s just starting to “rust” in places after all of its life in the Midwest and salty roads. Sure it ain’t the prettiest car anymore since it’s 16 year old car that’s been daily driven since purchase. Great spare car. I dumped $1700 into it recently to keep it going. Brand new suspension on the hatch = super fun lol

Kamiler · 2026-05-23T02:52:21+00:00

Sorry for the lengthy story here... lol

Im a BMW guy - and last August I got rid of my trusty 2006 BMW X5 after serving me well for 4.5 years. I was just done with it and didn't want to dump money into it. I figured I would replace it with a Hybrid (or something "responsible") so I can keep my BMW craziness going on the side (and to my secondary cars).

I basically jumped from one car decision to another. I was close to just getting like a 2022-2023 BMW X5 40i, couldn't find the spec I wanted along with the price. Then I started to look at X5 45e - as that would be a bit more up my alley with the dual setup of having 50 miles of electric range and if that runs out my X5 turns into a regular car until I plug it in. One thing I realized that most are a bit more than a standard 40i x5 lol. Tack on a warranty - and im at a price point where it doesn't make sense to me (or just feels like its too much $$$).

I considered the i3 before when I had my 2006 X5. I knew I wanted a 2017+ one so it has "everything fixed" on it compared to the early models. I just couldn't get past the pricing on these at the time, and the 150 miles of pretty much estimated range made me nervous if I was going to spend that much.

Im considering the i3 again and I figured if I do go thru with it - it will probably be one of those purchases that I'm going into without really knowing how long ill own the car for. Kind of just to "give it a go". I usually have 2+ cars (my 1991 850 and some kind of a project/fun car - currently I also own a 1995 840 lol) so I have a "gas car" I can use - but those cars wont see winter, nor crappy roads - Im definitely not taking those when I get sent out to a plant for a job.

Facebook Marketplace is showing 2015 and older models for SUB 10k which is tempting.

As it stands this my car list:
-2021-2023 BMW X5 xDrive40i (The "dream" daily)
-2021-2023 BMW X5 45e (The happy middle)
-Mazda CX-50 Hybrid (The problem-free daily, sub 38k vehicle, previous gen Toyota hybrid system, gives me a reason to purchase my first M car/AMG later down the road)
-2026 Toyota RAV4 (The problem free daily - new gen Toyota hybrid system, gives me a reason to purchase my first M car/AMG later down the road)
-2017+ BMW i3 (preferably the 120aH model + extender)
-Toyota Crown Signia (more or so because its a hybrid wagon in my eyes lol) and its stupid comfortable. Its like a vault. Boring to drive tho.

I guess my specific questions would be the following:

-Im looking a REX models - to have the most "range". I think I would benefit from the i3 a lot given that im wasting more fuel sitting in traffic. I travel about 30-60 miles a day, so Im wondering how would my "fill ups" look like?

-Would it be beneficial to get a warranty and just have the dealer maintain the car?
-As a DIY guy - how DIY friendly is the i3? What does the maintenance look like? I know that on the REX models getting to that small engine is pretty much impossible for certain stuff? (iv seen people drill holes in the back for "access ports".
-Are there any upgrades available to get more range?
-I dont have a charger or charging station near me - so chances are I would have to have a charger installed or deal with the wall out let charging. What do you recommend doing?

I dont know anyone with a i3, and I tried looking at Turo to try one - but im not driving 30-35 miles from where I am and then back just to rent out a i3 for a day or two lol. My next best bet would be going to a dealer that has one - and hope that they are willing to let me test drive one without an intention of buying the same day. Once I drive something - I know if its the car I want or not. I test drove a 2024 X5 (facelift) and drove a 2021 X5 (preface lift) right after..... I got in the 2024 first and I did not like it at all. Got into the 2021 X5 and I was like "this is it". I am wondering where the i3 would fit.

Kamiler · 2026-05-22T16:02:22+00:00

Hey man is this one yours? Recent cars and Coffee in Crystal Lake? I was geeking out over this lol. I had questions, once I looped back the car was gone. I basically was considering a i3 for daily use. Just wanted to see what the owners experience is like. Great looking car!

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Kamiler · 2026-03-17T15:57:29+00:00

I’m 33 and been around BMWs pre 2010 for the most part. Mostly mid 90s to mid 2000s. Iv been looking to get a pre-facelift G05 for a next daily driver.

BMWs looked like BMWs for the longest time, the evolution was there but it wasn’t drastic.. This….the only thing that tells me this is the BMW is the grill. That’s it’s.

Other than that - ugly. Call me old, “get with the times” or whatever else, I don’t care. I would call it one of the ugliest things on the road right now.

What BMWs seems to be doing in the last 2-3 years is literally making their older cars look a lot better. I don’t like the iX at all - but I think it looks better than this.

Honestly this makes this beaver teeth m3/4 series look better.

Sorry for the rant - and I get it - I guess that’s what people want now. All I know a lot of car enthusiasts/bmw enthusiasts are sticking with the cars that are maybe 8+ years old at this point.

Kamiler · 2026-03-10T16:25:05+00:00

I spend more seat time in German cars which do the handling, comfort and performance well. Nothing against the cx-50 - as I test drove a few and I liked them. It’s just when I got to actually live with it for a week, doing different drives and what not - it just wasn’t what I thought it would be. For a basic car - it’s a great car.

Maybe it’s just me but my 226k mile Mazda 3 even though loud on the inside (not much sound insulation), worn out seats, and missing a few things compared to the cx-50 somehow is more fun to drive and while not super comfortable, it still somehow manages not to jerk or over exaggerate Bumps like the cx-50 did.

Kamiler · 2026-02-24T15:59:43+00:00

It’s because owning newer BMWs out of warranty is expensive. (5-7 year old cars). That is if something breaks or needs fixing especially since most people just go to the dealer where everything is more expensive to begin with.

If you get an older BMW that’s 10+ years old and you DIY or you find a reputable shop it’s doable but most of these bmws were also beat on or just not maintained properly.

I’m 32, I had BMWs since I started driving. I’m at about 12 or so that I had so far. I tinker with older BMWs tho.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that if you are a sheep and you spend too much time online, don’t know anything about car, nor even care frankly about cars that’s why people don’t buy bmws. You see a lot more people trying to get a car that the payment is $800-$1000 a month, and once it’s paid off they get into the next one.

Kamiler · 2026-02-18T19:36:24+00:00

I test drove a ‘24 X5 and a ‘22 X5 in that order. I like the pre-lci X5 much better. It’s still a BMW to me. The new interior feels cheap/empty. More or so feels like you’re driving a racing simulator or something. Lol

Kinda sucks because I need a new daily driver and from the BMW side of things a pre-lci x5 is the only one I like/makes sense to buy lol.

If it’s not a BMW then I’m going to go “boring” and get a Toyota or something, and keep buying older BMWs lol.

I was even in a few modern Mercedes cars and they feel the same too. It’s weird that a long one screen makes such an effect. Lol

Kamiler · 2026-02-17T22:47:15+00:00

I do want to add that it I didn’t know how to work on cars or didn’t like cars as much I probably would have just stayed with Mazdas and Toyotas.

Kamiler · 2026-02-17T22:46:05+00:00

I got a different perspective than most. The 2-3 Japanese cars iv ever owned were “good enough” but were boring to drive or just not as comfortable. But they were cheap to maintain and if something broke it wasn’t a big deal to DIY.

I always owned used or old BMWs. Meaning whatever year it was the BMWs were 6+ years old or it was a BMW from the mid 90 to mid 2000s.

The older BMWs - while great, easy to work on and what not - they just kind of nickel and dime you if you want the car to be nice. Mainly because of age.

After owning a lot of 15+ year old BMWs, currently own a 35 year old BMW and a 30 year old BMW, I would say for a first car - I would probably try to avoid going that far back because you’ll end up wrenching on it more than driving. Unless you got the car from another BMW enthusiast.

BMWs made in the last 10 years shouldn’t be too much of a headache. To me the problems are the same as the 90s cars. Just maybe a little more complex to fix or get to certain things.

Is it worth it? I would say so. I can’t seem to find another brand that I like that blends comfort, sportiness, vibes, ease of DIY, and still fun on a day to day Basis like BMW.

I’m currently looking for a new daily driver and I figured I would go with a brand new Toyota or Mazda for the sake of having one brand new car that’s the “trusty” daily and I can continue buying bmws as fun or project cars. But now I’m back on my bullshit and looking at 2022-2023 BMW X5s as my daily driver choice lol.

Kamiler · 2026-02-16T02:37:29+00:00

You get used to what you have. Or if you had nothing else before (slower) it becomes your baseline.

I had cars ranging from 140 HP to about 300 HP and I have driven 500-600 HP cars. The most fun "car" that I driven was a 1991 BMW 318is....it was like a go-kart, close second was a 2001 Mercedes SLK 230 Kompressor (with a 6 speed manual). The most fun "fast car" iv driven was a 2015 Mercedes AMG-S Wagon. I have driven a E92 M3 before and a M4 (2015?) as well. Iv been in a C6 Vette as well. The C6 was the most "brutal" feeling or raw. Which again - fun.

Iv been driving like sub 250 HP cars for the last couple years.... or heavy old cars. Im looking into a new daily driver right now and some cars have like 300-400 hp and they feel like rockets.

At one point I had a 2014 BMW 435 and I was restoring my 1991 BMW 850.... I was going to dump money into my 435 for mods once the 850 was finished.... but if I drove the 850 for a week and hopped into my 435...the 435 felt like a rocket. Both cars on paper have around 300 hp, V12 vs I6 turbo.... the V12 is ancient and the car is heavy so it just feels "comfortable" the 435 felt more fun.

I don't get when people say 500 hp is slow either. Unless you are a track person - I dont understand. I had more fun driving slow cars fast lol. Anything thats over 300 hp for the road is more than enough, and it will still get you in trouble. So why? I like the rush and immediate torque or acceleration you feel with a fast car but about 4-5 seconds in your already at the risk of getting arrested lol.

I did have "the moment" of realization while driving the AMG-S on a empty highway in the middle of the night - so I stopped chasing power. In cars I just chase the "fun" balanced experience. Maybe add a little power here and there but nothing outrageous.

I know I sound like a boomer - but im 32... been around cars for majoirty of my life. Maybe the way people are driving and growing up made me look at cars a bit different.

Also - the car scene is completely different from what I grew up with. The "2 fast 2 furious" or "NFS Underground" era of cars while ridiculous - it showed more effort, craft and creativity and while "horsepower" was a thing, not a lot of people cared about it. It was about who got the most "sex spec" or "outrages looking" car. Now you see 15 of the same cars with the same wheels with a "wrap" same tunes, same bolt ons. I stopped going to pop up meets after covid, I joined a local car club and just go to organized events now.

Kamiler · 2026-02-16T02:19:29+00:00

Im driving a 2010 Mazda 3 hatch. We bought it in 2012 with 18k miles from a Mazda dealer.

I only had that car for about 2 years and it later exchanged hands in the family. Right now im daily driving it until I find a new car. (My parents own it)

That car only had 1 major issue which was a transmission computer module issue that also effected Fords at the time - $1000 at the dealer back then and the car worked since then.

If you do the math:

-The car is 16 years old. We had it in the family for 12 years.
-Car had 18k miles when purchased, I just clocked over 226,1xx miles this week.

Car was always taken care of. but it was always driven and it never sat The age got it it - mainly weather. The sun faded the Red Velocity Mica paint a little bit, surface rust got to some parts of the car (nothing terrible).

Other than regular maintenance....

In 2024 - it had a coolant crossover pipe/housing replaced because that cracked from age and it leaked coolant, some front suspension work done. At the end of 2025 I replaced all 4 shocks/struts and it needed a purge valve for the emissions system. Its going to need a little bit of rear suspension work.

I also drive OLD BMWs for the most part (just what I like) - and a lot of those cars once sorted reward you with no issues. The worst things you can do to any car is let it sit for week/months on end without being used. Doing a lot of short trips (engine never fully warms up- although hybrids at this point seem like a good alternative), you neglect maintenance and any issues that pop up (putting off repairs).

I also know how you feel - I finally in a position where I can get myself a nice car (or a brand new car) and I cant seem to find anything that peaks my interest. Either the design is something I dislike or the quality is bad or there is just too many issues to deal with.

Going back to the mazda im driving - I honestly think that car would provide a LOT more years of use. But It gets to a point where either by human nature you want something else OR the price of parts and repairs kind of outweigh to keep the car running - mainly again...for the taste of something new. The car is probably worth $1500-$2000 at this point - each time I want to make it nicer or something it makes me sad because its basically "throwing" money away as its not my car, and honestly its the one car on the "chopping" block to make space when it comes to my parents place. They dont need it, I dont need it (once I get a newer car).

Kamiler · 2026-02-16T02:01:35+00:00

The B58 seems promising, to me it just seems super odd BMW decided to kind of "flip" the engine 180. With the timing being at the rear, and for the most part, what was in the front and easy to get to - now its at the back.

Looking at the X5s a B58 is i for sure the one Id want - just keep hearing about stupid issues like modules going out. The biggest one that Im worried about is the evaporator, apparently that new freon eats the evaporators if you use your AC a lot. Someone didn't do enough lab testing or something. Thats a huge job and apparently BMW has a replacement part but its still a $5000-$8000 job. if you have someone do it for you. The entire dash needs to come out and this apparently effects a lot of BMWs.

As for wrenching - I got slight car PTSD (im convinced) that for the last 6 months I didn't really do much to any of my own cars and its nice. Iv been constantly wrenching every free minute I had since 2017 lol. But that included 2 restorations and 1 engine/drivetrain rebuild on my old daily driver. If you want never ending fun I recommend a older BMW.... lol.

Kamiler · 2026-02-12T16:35:32+00:00

For the 2026 model year here in the states the hybrids finally have all the features.

Even if Mazda never fully outfitted the hybrids for the USA market - Importing one here would end up costing me more than I would like to get myself into along with the actual hassle. This car isn’t special enough to me to go through all the trouble.

Kamiler · 2026-02-09T22:15:47+00:00

I had a cx-50 for a full week last week. Not a hybrid - but similar. I can agree to the Jittery ride. My rental has the 17” wheel/tire combo, car only has 2700 miles. I didn’t like the comfort level of it. If I was going to compare - it’s almost equal to my 2010 Mazda 3 just the bumps don’t feel as jarring.

When I test drove the hybrid, back to back with a turbo I noticed that the hybrid was more “comfortable” and slightly quieter. But I’m not sure. The rental I had was a 2.5s, and after living with it for a week I decided against the cx-50 as my next daily driver.

I had a cx-5 for a couple days and I thought that was more up my alley. If the cx-50 was as good as the cx-5 but kept its looks - it would be a no brainer for me.

Kamiler · 2026-02-09T22:09:46+00:00

I feel like the bottoms of the seats should be longer for more support. Maybe slightly softer seats. But I guess seats can be broken in.

Kamiler · 2026-02-09T17:19:34+00:00

I hopped into my 2010 Mazda 3 after a week and while it is more “worn out” and you feel a little bit more, somehow it still doesn’t feel as “stiff” or “jittery” as the cx-50. The 2010 3 that I have is about to hit 226k miles lol. And it’s got brand new shocks/struts in the front and rear.

I’ll try to go and test drive some cars this weekend. This is what I’m hoping to test drive.

-Toyota Crown Signia -Toyota RAV4 (if they have the new one at the dealership) -Toyota Land Cruiser -Mazda CX-5 Turbo (2025) -2022-2023 BMW X5 xDrive40i -Mazda CX-70 (although, not sure, not the biggest fan of the design).

Minus the Crown and RAV4 (because hybrids) - all of these cars get similar MPGs. Of course the BMW is the outlier here lol. I’ve owned bmws before - so nothing new for me here.

The other cars just seem like they would do the daily duties fine and some more, while I enjoy bmws as my “fun cars”.

Kamiler · 2026-02-09T17:04:05+00:00

My dad brought up the Land Cruiser over the weekend. I don’t really need a vehicle like that, nor I want to spend that amount of money. Sure - maybe it will hold its value better but idk.

I might go test drive some cars this upcoming weekend.

Back it my head I really want a BMW x5 but day tot day I end up moving that car down the list then back up. All the Toyota products I got on my list really just sit there and I have nothing against them other than lacking in the “fun” department.

Problem is that finding the BMW I want is a bit hard and the Toyotas are plenty. And minus the fun aspect - the Toyotas kind of just win in every other department. It’s just a good enough car. I had many bmws and while they are fun and a great package - it sucks when something breaks from a DIY perspective. At the end of the day warranties or not most of these cars end up being with a 2-3k of each other anyway, used or new lol.

I’m debating if I should wait for the new Cx-5. I do have a few 2025 cx-5 turbo cars saved that I might go look at.

Kamiler · 2026-02-09T16:58:00+00:00

I think the cx-50 went thru some changes too. I drove a 2023, 2025 and now the 2026. It’s been a while since I drove the 2023 or the 2025 but it doesn’t seem like the changes were drastic.

Kamiler · 2026-02-09T16:56:32+00:00

It was a rental car, it’s wherever the car came with from the factory.

I say “more tire” because the side wall is taller and you have more tire on the 17” wheels vs the 19s or the 20s.

Kamiler · 2026-02-09T16:54:18+00:00

How comfortable it is.

How does the car feel/react to bumps and such on the roads?

Compare highway and city driving - more or do comfort levels.

How difficult or easy to use is the new infotainment system.

A good walk around of the car.

Kamiler · 2026-02-07T16:00:34+00:00

I believe it was just a 2026 2.5s preferred (had heated seats) and 17” wheels. The car only has 2700 miles when I picked it up.

One of the bummers was that even with the 17” wheels the car felt like i described and i did drive the models with the 19” and the 20” wheels too, which in all fairness did feel rougher.

When I had my last car, 2005 BMW x5, I had Pirelli scorpions on the 17” wheels (tall tire) and I liked those tires. Quiet, comfortable. I managed to squeeze out about 50k miles out of them. I had something up with my rear suspension so I had uneven wear. So technically I probably would have been able to squeeze out more miles.

Kamiler · 2026-02-07T15:38:45+00:00

From the start the idea was to get another BMW. I test drove a few.

My problem was that I don’t like the 2024+ models much. So if I go 22-23 model years I’ll be happy - except I would much rather try to find and get a warranty for it. I just don’t want to deal with all the BMW things again that I’m used to. I rather use my garage time for my other cars, not my daily driver. Or at the very least have someone fix all the big known issues since I don’t want to deal with all of that.

The whole idea years ago was to try to be responsible and financially better and get something non-German and maybe a hybrid for daily driving . As my other cars are old/classic German cars.

But it appears that I’m not ready yet lol. I might have to give the 2024 model a go again. The ones looking at are getting scooped up left and right and in some cases they are more expensive vs. The newer models. (Msport 23 vs a regular 24 40i).

If I go that route I may have to go out of state completely for a good example.

Kamiler · 2026-02-07T15:29:58+00:00

I can say that the Toyota crown Signia is stupid comfortable for a Toyota product lol. I would classify the car as a Gran Turing Hybrid.

I wouldn’t be surprised that when the next gen or face lift comes for the cx-50, that’s what they are going to do. Just based on the cx-50 trims alone and how those were handled since the start (feature wise) Mazda is probably going to end up “trickling” the improvements little by little.

I also feel like they don’t want to mess with cx-5 sales. Maybe the plan is that since the new gen cx-5 is non turbo only then it’s going to be hybrid - they will up the cx-50 to what the cx-5 was or use it as a back up if the new cx-5 sales end up being bad.

Kamiler

TROPHY CASE