Today, I embarked on a journey to trade in my 2016 Honda Accord for a 2021 CX-5 Signature, but fate had other plans. At Enterprise, I was unexpectedly tempted by a 2022 Nissan Rogue SV with less than 100 miles on it. The deal seemed too good to pass up - only $255 a month with a 60k mile/5-year warranty, and a stress-free, fair experience. Plus, there’s a 7-day, 1000-mile return policy, albeit with a $200 restock fee.
But here’s where it gets tricky. I couldn’t shake off my initial fascination with the CX-5. So, I headed to a Mazda dealership and found a tempting 2022 CX-5 Premium, a lease return in great condition. After an exhausting 6-hour negotiation marathon, I managed to bring them down from a $8k over-list dealer add-on price to a more reasonable $28k. But the deal still included a $698 LoJack fee.
Fast forward, I’m sitting in the finance office, and the deal is set at $315 a month for 72 months, including a warp 100k mile/7-year warranty and a bi-annual oil change package.
In a whirlwind of stress and second-guessing, I signed the papers for the CX-5 but then rushed back to Enterprise to return the Rogue. The Mazda folks weren’t thrilled when I expressed my doubts about the deal and I left Mazda with the Rogue.
So now, Reddit, I’m decompressing and reevaluating. Was the Nissan Rogue the smarter choice for long-term value and reliability, or did the CX-5’s allure and features justify its price? I’m second-guessing my decision and could really use your perspectives.
TLDR: Opted for a new Rogue with a solid warranty at Enterprise, but a visit to Mazda led me to start negotiating a 2022 CX-5 after hours of negotiation. Ended up with the Rogue but wondering if I made the right choice. What do you think?
Thank you for your insight.
I have a 20k emergency fund. And financially stable and could afford more a month.
I am going to redo numbers at 60 months.
Any other years that you would suggest?
Sounds like you’re in a good spot financially, but I would still reconsider a 60+ term, it’s just money thrown away on interest, but whatever works best for you.
2017 is a good year if you prefer the design of the 2nd gen. Personally I don’t like to recommend the 2018+ N/A CX-5s because they have cylinder deactivation, and those engines may have issues with cylinder head cracks that Mazda hasn’t resolved. Actual failure rate is pretty low, but still. 2022+ turbo models are good too, as long as you’re okay with the potential extra failure point down the line with the turbo. I have a 2018 CX-9 with 103k kms and it’s been nothing but good to me.
Thank you so much for the help!