Good looking, great to drive and sometimes annoying, the Mazda CX-5 is still one of the top performers in the compact SUV segment. It faces many competitors and some of them are very good, but it more than holds its own there.
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That means it’s eventually heading towards the chopping block as Mazda gradually launches a new line of SUVs that ride on entirely new platforms. That includes the CX-50, which will eventually take the place, but the CX-5 is alive and well for 2023. It’s also largely unchanged from last year’s model, save for fuel-efficient cylinder deactivation, which has now been added to the base GX trim level. As such, it’s now standard on all non-turbo models.
The CX-5 covers eight trims and starts at $30,900 for this entry GX. Most trims use a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine with 187 hp and 186 lb-ft of torque and a six-speed automatic transmission. This includes my Sport Design tester, which is the top trim for the non-turbo powerplant and starts at $40,700.
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The Sport Design can also be specified with a turbocharged 2.5-liter engine with 227 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque for an additional $2,200. You might see it advertised as 256 horsepower, but that’s only if you pump in premium fuel. The turbocharged engine is also the only choice in the top-level Signature at $43,900. I’ve driven both, and while the turbo is a snappy performer, the non-turbo version gets the job done, with good manners around town and enough power to overtake on the freeway.
All trims come standard with all-wheel drive, which primarily drives the front wheels but drives the rear wheels when needed – and can do so proactively, e.g. B. when he realizes that it is cold outside or you have switched on the wipers. indicates that the roads may be slippery. Another trick up its sleeve is that the Mazda CX-5 briefly reduces engine power when cornering. It’s so slight that you don’t notice it, but it’s enough to subtly shift the car’s weight to the front tires, which helps improve their grip as you steer through the corner.
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Where the CX-5 really stands out in this segment is its steering and handling. It’s sharp and responsive, smooth and balanced, but not so intense that it’s a handful. It’s just very comfortable to drive.
It earns the highest five-star crash test rating from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and a Top Safety Pick Plus from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). This latter organization has updated their side impact test to better simulate being hit by a larger SUV and as not everything has been tested with it yet it is not yet part of the Safety Pick results. Many tested sports devices do not do so well, but the CX-5 receives the top mark “Good” in both the old and the new side test.
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All trims include driver assistance features such as adaptive cruise control, front emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning and automatic high beams. All also come with a 10.25-inch infotainment screen, push-button start, heated front seats and rain-sensing wipers. As you climb the trim ladder, additional features include a heated steering wheel, power tailgate, sunroof and dual-zone climate control.
In the GT trim level, you get all of that plus a premium stereo, power folding mirrors, wireless charger, and head-up display for $39,500. For $1,200 more, my Sport Design is pretty much an appearance package, too, with gloss black exterior accents and a small red accent in the grille, black 19-inch wheels, and black leather upholstery with red stitching.
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The front seats are very comfortable and supportive on long journeys. It’s roomy up front but a little narrower for those in the back, and with a 40/20/40 folding rear seat, so you can haul longer items like snowboards and still fit two people in there in the back.
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My biggest annoyance with the vehicle is the 10.25-inch, tablet-style center screen, which isn’t touch-enabled. Instead, you use a console-mounted controller made up of buttons and a dial joystick. The menus are easy to understand, but some features just require too many steps. There’s voice control for many of them, but if the system can’t figure out, say, the address you told the navigation to find it – and it happens – you have to bring up a circular display of numbers and letters. and rotate and click the controller on each to spell out where you want to go. It’s unnecessarily bulky, and even more so for me for not being that tall and having moved the seat forward. This effectively sets the controller behind my hand so I reach backwards for it, made worse by my bulky winter coat getting in the way.
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I don’t like the keychain either. It’s big and there’s more than enough room to fit some decent-sized buttons on its face, but instead there’s a tiny row of them down the side. It looks elegantly slick, and you won’t accidentally press a button – but at the same time, when I’m walking to my vehicle in a dimly lit parking lot, I appreciate the large, easy-to-see, easy-to-use buttons for the locks and panic alarm, if necessary to find.
Putting these together the Mazda CX-5 could be a lot better, but overall it’s a very satisfactory vehicle for its features and performance. It has many very good competitors, including its Mazda CX-50 cousin, but it’s definitely one to consider in this segment.
