CX5 2.2D Test Drive in Taiwan

My apology for writing in English as I am short on time.
I test drove the CX5 2.2D last Friday for 2 hours.
I am not an expert and my report is only for my personal impression and feedback, hope this helps reader.

1. Diesel Engine - Well, what can I say, it is very different than BMW 520D or VW Tiguan TDI. You can still hear noise but at a very low level at idle. The i-stop (more on it later) actually cuts off that at idle mode because it is switched off! As you pick up the acceleartion, between 20KM/H up to 50KM/H, you still have that familiar Diesel engine noise which can be annoying, but once you reached 60KM/H up to 90KM/H, with proper gear, the CX5 exhibits what I called a "Sweet Spot" where everything appears very smooth.... Nice.
This Diesel will not get you super fast pick-up like the BMW or VW. It behaves very much like a petrol, continue to beg you for more power input from petal. Accleartion is linear, a bit no fun but just as it is.

2. Perhaps the most daunting thing was the noise level in the CX5 during driving. I was testing my ipod music and I find myself constantly needing to increase the volume to compensate the cabin noise. I am currently driving a Mazda 6. Maybe SUV is different but I am surprised. The noise is not from the engine just overall sound/noise is more than I expected. I drove this on Friday before the typhoon, maybe wind was strong on Highway 3.

3. 19in wheel - yes, just a little bit of extra vibration but the suspension shocks, handled it well with a dampened and controlle manner. No issue.

4. Brake - this is a bit surprised. I found the car need a lot of brake petal pressue to ensure braking. The depth of braking was significantly more than my Mazda 6. I don't think it is because the test car is new but rather a design issue. I have to step hard and deep to stop the car during my test drive - maybe a lot of adjustment needed. RVM works well, nothing to write home about.

5. i-Stop - perhaps the biggest surprise is how well this i-stop works! It is fantastic, much better than the BMW520i/520d, much much better than VW version. The re-engagement was so smooth that you hadly noticed any vibration.

6. One small complaint is the signal light. Mazda still uses the old design instead of two stage design like VW or BMW. In the new two-stage design, you can turn on the signal for turning lightly, and basically the signal light will shut itself off after 3 blinks, Mazda version, which is traditional type, need you to turn it off manually.

Aside from the dark looking interior, (which I plan to add some aluminum stick-on sheet to enlighten it up a bit), it is the same as the petrol. Front seat is comfortable but too big in size, making the rear, even smaller than it should be, or can be. I placed my order in early September and was told the earliest I can get will be mid December. Well, I just got to wait.

If you have any question, you can PM me, I will do my best to answer them. Again, my personal account, in no way to sway/influence any public opinions. There are way too much talking on this SUV already! Fun to watch them though.