After hearing all about the current Mazda CX-5 and how good it is, I couldn’t wait to get behind the wheel of one of these. The CX-5 is known as the sportiest handling crossover in its class, or the “Miata of SUVs”. After spending time in the Ford Escape, Nissan Rogue, Honda CR-V, Jeep Cherokee, as well as the Hyundai Tucson and Toyota RAV4 (which I haven’t posted yet on my channel), I really wanted to see what the “handling king” in the segment was really all about. Is the Mazda CX-5’s reputation just a little overrated? Or is it really the “enthusiasts crossover” that everybody touts it up as? Below are some of my impressions.
Something that I noticed about the CX-5, as well as a few other Mazdas that I’ve driven, is that the engine feels a little bit jerky at idling speed. When I first left my parking spot, the CX-5 had a very slight bucking sensation that quickly goes away once you get the engine above 1,000 RPM. It’s a little strange at first, but not a huge deal. It’s not something that would dissuade me from considering the CX-5 if I was in the market for a compact crossover, but it is something to note.
Another thing you notice, is that the throttle can feel a little sensitive in terms of how it regulates the RPMs. Sometimes you let off the throttle just a tiny bit, and the RPMs drop just a little too much. I think it adds a good level of precision in the throttle mapping, but if you aren’t really used to the car, it can feel like the tachometer needle is adjusting and moving around a little too much even with minute throttle inputs.
Everything feels nice right off idle, though. The CX-5 makes a really good first impression. The accelerator is nice and responsive, the steering has a really smooth, premium, linear response to it, and the CX-5 gets up to speed with confidence. Everything feels tactile and programmed to just how you would want it to be. If you’ve ever driven the current generation Mazda 3, the CX-5 feels very similar in its overall feel and response.
Something I really like about Mazdas, is that they all seem to provide this cozy, welcoming, secure aura. You feel “shielded” from everything around you, as if you’re sitting in a cocoon. The dashboard is somewhat high but you can still see the road in front of you just fine, the gauge cluster feels nice and close, and the steering wheel has somewhat of a small diameter which makes you feel like you’re driving something a little sportier and more premium. The front hood is a little bulgy, but it slopes down nicely. As for rearward visibility, the rear headrests do block off part of the back window, but your rearward visibility is still decently unobstructed. I do think the rear window could be a little wider, and the rearview mirror is kind of angled to show you more of the pavement directly behind you rather than facing towards the horizon, so I think direct rearward visibility could be slightly improved. Your side mirrors are massive though, and they provide you with excellent visibility.
The seating position in the CX-5 is pretty high up as well. I felt like I was slightly more elevated and had a better view of traffic ahead of me compared to the Nissan Rogue and the Honda CR-V that I drove. The CX-5 really delivers on that high seating position that many crossover buyers look for, whereas the Rogue only felt about an inch or two higher than a regular sedan.
When you get the CX-5 on the road, the response from the 187 horsepower 2.5 liter engine is probably the first thing you’ll notice. This engine provides really good torque from a dead stop. I actually thought it was the Skyactiv turbo when I first started driving. You step on the gas, and the CX-5 just takes off before you hit 2,500 RPM. The power feels evenly distributed, and I was just really impressed with how controlled the CX-5 feels under quick off-the-line acceleration. The body doesn’t aggressively rock backwards, the wheels don’t spin, the engine doesn’t lag, and the traction control doesn’t kick on and cut off engine power like in so many other crossovers on the market. The CX-5 kind of just “goes” without any drama. The 2.5 engine gives you a surprising amount of usable power, even when you’re just accelerating from red light to red light.
Mazda engines never cease to amaze me. Whenever I get in one, I always think that the engine is going to feel grainy and apathetic, but I’m always quickly proven wrong. The CX-5’s 4 cylinder has this zippy, streamlined, quick-revving feel to it. The power delivery is buttery smooth, probably the smoothest 4 cylinder engine I’ve experienced in a very long time. It reminds me of Honda’s K24 engine used in the 2003-2007 Accord. Aside from that slight bucking sensation at idle, and some occasional rev hang when you let off the gas, the CX-5’s 4 cylinder engine feels smoother than just about every other crossover I’ve driven. The engine can sound a little grainy right off idle, but it is still really quiet at low RPM. You really don’t hear much of the engine at all unless you prod your foot down. I also like the unique throaty growl of Mazda engines, they just sound a little different compared to your typical Honda or Nissan 4 cylinder. Overall, the main impression that I got from this engine is that it has a very refined power delivery, and the CX-5 takes off nicely with very little throttle input.
Granted, this engine won’t really blow you away, but I never felt like it was lacking in horsepower. Most reviews I’ve seen on this car talk about how underpowered the engine is, but I actually thought that the CX-5’s 4 cylinder had some good punch to it, especially in low speed maneuvers. It’s pretty easy to beat the person stopped next to you at a red light, and the low-end torque feels pretty fun and engaging. The transmission is geared up nicely to give you some extra power down low, and the engine never feels like it’s struggling or gasping for air trying to get this SUV up to speed. You never have to wring the engine out if you’re trying to hit highway speeds quickly, as most of the power seems to happen in the lower half of the tachometer.
That said, you won’t be encouraged to start drag races. While driving the CX-5, I definitely got the sense that putting this engine through the wringer didn’t really make much of a difference in getting up to speed faster. The CX-5 feels better when you’re using light throttle inputs. This engine still feels very refined and consistent when you do go for those higher revs, but when you prod your foot down, you kind of lose that sense of briskness and urgency that this engine delivers right off idle. It just takes a while for the tachometer to hit redline, and you just don’t feel like you’re getting anywhere all that fast. It’s still a smooth, brisk, satisfying engine, but for the most part you’ll want to keep those revs down low to really maximize the engine power.
I really liked the 6-speed automatic in the CX-5. The shifts are nice and smooth, and while I think the 1-2 shift is a tad bit on the slower side, all the other upshifts feel pretty quick. It’s a very seamless and predictable 6-speed automatic. It drops a gear with very little effort, and this transmission feels eager to give you those lower passing gears when you need them. I will say that if I was about to go up a hill or something of that nature, I did have to put my foot into it and wait about a second to get a downshift. This transmission doesn’t always feel lightning quick to give you the gear that you want, but for the most part it’s pretty impressive for a modern, mainstream car. When you exit a corner and get back onto a straightaway, the transmission snaps into action and picks the perfect gear to get you up and moving quickly. The 6-speed really holds out those lower gears for a good amount of time, providing you with a little extra power when necessary. Most crossovers tend to hit overdrive as soon as possible for fuel economy, but the CX-5’s automatic will literally hold out a lower gear for quite a while if it senses that you want to go a bit faster, even when you’re not in sport mode.
I don’t think this transmission is totally flawless, though. When you slow down and then get back on the gas, the transmission jerks a little bit as it re-engages. I also noticed that if you take your foot off the gas a little early while you’re accelerating, the transmission can stutter a little as it takes itself out of gear, and there is a bit of rev hang as I mentioned above. It’s definitely down a couple gears compared to the competition as well, because I noticed that the revs were hanging out at around 2,700 RPM on the highway, whereas the Rogue and the CR-V will hang out at around 2,200 RPM at highway speeds. The shift points are programmed well, but I occasionally got the feeling that this transmission wasn’t quite as versatile or intuitive as some of the newer 8-speed automatics on the market. Sport mode mostly just removes the overdrive gear, but I didn’t find that it changed the logic or shift patterns in any significant way. I did like the quick throttle response in sport mode, but I thought this transmission performed fine in its regular setting.
Really, where this transmission excels is the general smoothness and refinement. You barely feel the upshifts at all, and all the shift points feel executed well. It’s definitely not as good as a Volkswagen/Audi DCT, but I really wasn’t expecting it to be that good anyway. The transmission is geared decently well to maximize the power from that 2.5 turbo engine, and I definitely prefer it over the CVTs in some of the competing vehicles. I personally think that the 6-speed automatic from the Ford Escape is pretty impressive as well, although the shift quality in the CX-5 will feel smoother and a little snappier compared to the Escape’s 6-speed.
Steering in the CX-5 is pretty good. It’s basically a carbon copy of the Mazda 3’s steering. It’s weighted perfectly, not too heavy but definitely not light and numb either. It has smooth, linear steering rack, and the car basically points right where you want it to go. The steering responds pretty quickly off center, and it retains a nice pull towards center when you’re hitting the apex of a corner and exiting back onto a straightaway. I really liked the smaller diameter wheel and the smooth leather as well.
I do think there’s just something “missing” from the steering, though. When you drive a CX-5, you can pretty much tell what it’s all about within the first few minutes. This car just kind of does what it’s intended to do, and doesn’t really give you any additional surprises or easter eggs when you drive it for longer periods of time. The steering makes a solid first impression, but after I was driving the CX-5 for a while, I was just having a really hard time finding anything that was really noteworthy about the steering feel. The general solidity stands out, the weight is pretty good, and the response is smooth. However, it’s still somewhat numb and lacks in feedback. Hard to say if all Mazdas are like that, or if it’s more to do with the fact that the CX-5 is a larger crossover. The initial turn-in is decent, but it’s not particularly sharp or notably precise. I do think the steering feels slick and direct, and it has a solid on-center feel, but I wouldn’t compare it to something like an Audi or a BMW. Maybe I would have grown to like the steering more if I spent a little more time with the CX-5, but I’m not sure. My main impressions were that the steering is decently solid and refined for a mainstream car, but the CX-5 still has somewhat of a crossover-ish feel in the steering response.
In terms of handling, I think that the CX-5 is a family crossover first, and a sporty handling crossover second. This SUV has some wheel hop, some flex from the suspension, and you feel some sidewall lean in the tires under harder cornering. The body doesn’t stay totally flat or controlled like you might expect from a Mazda product, but this is all normal for an SUV. No crossover in this segment is going to handle like a sports car. I think the actual handling limitations are set notably higher compared to other crossovers in this class, as the CX-5 retains a good level of grip that can definitely overshadow entries like the Rogue and the CR-V. Unsurprisingly though, the CX-5 definitely has limitations. You simply can’t drive this car the same way you would drive a Miata or even a Mazda 3, but again, that’s normal for this segment.
In my opinion, the CX-5 really excels in the “little things”. Lane changes on the interstate feel nice and direct, cloverleaf off-ramps can be taken at somewhat quick speeds, the steering feels smooth and linear around a corner. The accelerator also has really good response as soon as you tap it, and the brakes feel fairly solid and reassuring, which provides you with a nice and predictable experience out on the road. The CX-5 feels stable on the highway, and it can be tossed around a little without feeling wishy-washy or unpredictable.
Say you’re entering a bend on the interstate, and need to make a lane change towards the direction of the bend. Some cars can feel a little skittish in these scenarios, especially if the interstate is particularly bumpy or if there is a crease or indent between the lane markings. However, the CX-5 feels nice and buttoned down in these situations. It’s very easy to center the car wherever you want it, and the car never feels like it’s getting skittish or something weird in the suspension is going to happen outside of your control. You can kind of zip around on the interstate (which you shouldn’t be doing), and the CX-5 feels more planted compared to other crossovers out there. There is a good bit of muscle hiding underneath that egg-shaped crossover shell, providing you with a nice feeling of security and stability. Some crossovers definitely get a little bouncy and unwieldy, especially when maneuvering them at higher speeds, but the CX-5 has the binding and the solidity of a regular 4-door sedan or hatchback.
So while everything in the CX-5 feels solid, this car definitely didn’t strike me as a full-on corner carver. This SUV is designed more for zipping around and overall “feeling good” on normal suburban streets, but it doesn’t egg you on to drive it like you stole it. The chassis feels a little heavy, and you can feel the weight shift from the higher center of gravity when you take a corner a little too quick. As I mentioned, the actual grip is really good for a crossover, but they definitely designed this car with the intention of tackling jug handles in mall parking lot entrances rather than spirited winding backroads. There’s nothing wrong with that of course, but I think the general tagline of the “enthusiasts crossover” that many people associate with CX-5 is somewhat misleading. No mainstream crossover is built for enthusiasts, plain and simple. Some do certain things better than others, but for the most part, they’re all built to be grocery-getters first and foremost. And yes, even the CX-5 is still very much a grocery getter. A quick and responsive grocery getter…but it’s still a grocery getter.
I already talked a little bit about the accelerator response, but I want to dive into this a little more. One thing that I’ve really come to like in Mazdas is the general positioning of the pedals. The accelerator is hinged from the floor, and it feels angled perfectly to match up with your foot. Some cars have weird throttle placements, making them feel weird to step on and kind of hard on your shins and ankles for long periods of time. It may sound like a strange thing to praise, but the Mazda CX-5 has a very comfortable accelerator placement. You can literally just rest your foot on it all day without ever feeling the need to take your foot off and use cruise control. It’s a quick throttle, but the response is tailored back enough to still feel predictable and smooth.
I wasn’t quite as impressed with the braking response in the CX-5 as I was with some of the other Mazda products that I’ve driven, though. The brake pedal has that same solid and reassuring feel that you would find in the 3 and the 6, but I found that if I had to slow down quickly from a higher speed, the brake pedal just felt a little hollow and spongy. I had to go pretty deep into the brake pedal when coming up to a red light at times. I know that the Mazda 3 has a very crisp bite in the brake pedal, but the CX-5’s brakes just feel slightly more hollow and not quite as solid. Stopping power is very smooth though, and the brake pedal doesn’t chatter or send unwanted vibrations into the cabin. I think they designed the braking feedback nicely, as it always allows you to achieve a smooth and refined stop without having to modulate the brake pedal too much.
Road noise in the CX-5 was a little louder than I was expecting it to be. You hear some tire noise intruding into the cabin, as well as general wind and road noise. It’s not horribly loud in any sense, but I think other entries like the Rogue, Escape, and CR-V will all be slightly quieter in terms of road noise. Around town, the CX-5 is a pretty quiet crossover, but when I started getting to speeds above 50, I was starting to hear just a little more road, wind, and tire noise than I was expecting.
Ride quality in the CX-5 is nice. The suspension doesn’t really isolate you on lousy roads full of potholes, but on normal roads, or even just slightly more coarse road surfaces, I think the suspension has pretty good shock absorption for the class. The Ford Escape rides better in my opinion, but I think the CX-5 is about right on par with the Honda CR-V, maybe just slightly above the CR-V in terms of suspension dampening. The ride quality in the CX-5 is pretty normal for the most part, but I think it has an edge over the Rogue and the Equinox. Overall, the CX-5 delivers on providing that relaxing and calming ride that you would expect from a family crossover.
As for the interior, the quality everywhere is excellent. The buttons and switchgear feel solid, and the controls are easy to use. I really liked the clear font in the gauge cluster. The infotainment is a little plain and not the best in terms of design or graphics, but decently easy to use. The seats in the CX-5 are also very comfortable and they hug you in place nicely, although they aren’t as grippy as the seats in the Mazda 3.
I did have some issues with the interior. For one, the cupholders. Mazda decided to place them right next to where your legs are. It’s a convenient placement, but if your drink spills, chances are it will get all over your pants. I know this, because that is exactly what happened to me. I stopped to get my usual cup of coffee, and pretty much right after I turned out of the Wawa parking lot, my pants were soaked in molten hot Hazelnut blend. Most cars avert this issue by having somewhat of a buffer zone in the console that separates you from your drinks, but the CX-5’s cupholders are just kind of right next you, without anywhere for your drink to spill but on yourself.
Cupholder rants aside, I’m also not a fan of the volume knob placement. It’s located in the center console near the shifter, and you can’t really see it while you’re driving. I found myself turning the infotainment control knob instead, and just overall having a really hard time getting used to the volume knob placement. It’s pretty far out of reach and just well outside of your peripheral vision. You could use the steering wheel controls of course, but sometimes I just like to use the physical volume knob to turn the stereo up or down.
I’m also not really a fan of how Mazda makes you go through the infotainment to change the radio station, rather than just having a simple tuning knob on the dash. You have to use the scroll wheel in the center console, scroll over to the “next track” buttons and repeatedly press until you get to the station you want. The response is a little laggy as you cycle through radio stations. I do think that the scroll knob is convenient for most of the tasks in the infotainment, but I will still always prefer a traditional tuning knob.
The upgraded Bose stereo in the Grand Touring trim level is decent, but the sound system didn’t strike me as premium or expensive. It has a good level of base and midrange, but it still sounds somewhat tinny for my liking. I think the upgraded sound systems in some of the competing vehicles will have better clarity.
One last issue. The blind spot warning beeps at you pretty regularly. Even when you have more than enough room to make a lane change, the thing still beeps at you as if you’re about to sideswipe someone. It’s definitely a little distracting, and there are times when it makes you second guess your lane change. The beeping noise also cuts off the sound of the turn signal blinking, which was pretty unusual and caught me a little off guard at first.
While I did have some issues with the interior, I really enjoyed my time in the CX-5. I do think that my expectations might have been set a little high though. I was kind of hoping this SUV would feel more agile and car-like than it turned out to be. The off the line acceleration was probably my favorite aspect, as well as the throttle response and the general sense of “control” that the CX-5 gives you. However, rather than being a full on “enthusiasts SUV”, the CX-5 struck me more as just a regular family crossover with some elegance and sportiness injected into it. It feels nice to drive, and it glides down the road with a pleasant ride. The steering is nice and chunky, but it definitely has some of that numbness that you find in most other crossovers on the market. The 6-speed automatic is smooth, predictable, and allows you to seek out some higher rev ranges when you need them, but it didn’t strike me as laser responsive or super engaging.
Personally, I would only buy the CX-5 if practicality was my number one priority. This SUV feels built more for hauling your kids around than it does for tackling backroads. If you like Mazdas and want something sporty, I would check out the Mazda 3 or the 6, or even the Miata if you can swing it. However, if I really needed a compact crossover, I would still probably go for the CX-5. I would get in it, drive it to where I needed to be, and I would be happy with it. I wouldn’t feel encouraged to drive it through twisty roads, but I would like the general response and the controlled chassis when driving it on normal suburban streets. The CX-5 is definitely one of the more enticing options in the segment, as it accelerates and handles like a much smaller car than it is, although you’ll still be reminded that you’re driving a crossover at times.