Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring review

After a week, a road trip, & many miles, the CX-5 really seems like a good package. The exterior design, the handling/feel of the chassis, the interior textures & layout… it all seems a side-step around the competition. The CX-5 is doing its own thing. And it doesn’t fall in line with the competitor’s ‘gray-on-gray’ expectations. In the smaller/midsize crossover segment, Mazda hits the mark with the CX-5. They seem to understand how to differentiate themselves in that segment. The CX-5 handles & reacts well for a crossover. Visibility is great, and the car is light & maneuverable on its feet. Mazda is using infotainment controls & a volume knob located way down on the console (near the shifter & cup holders). On a test drive, that may seem like a turn-off… but DON’T let it be. Because once you get used to it, you won’t want to go back. It happens every time I get out of the Mazda & get back into one of my cars… I keep reaching toward the cupholders & there’s nothing there haha. Kind of like when you’re used to driving a manual, and you get in an automatic & that left foot stabs the floor when you hit a stop sign.

I STILL would like the CX-5 to have a more powerful engine with a more voluptuous sound. But you know what?? As I racked-up miles on the Mazda CX-5, I began to realize that as it sits, gas mileage in the CX-5 is great, seemingly a couple MPGs better than competitors. The thing is super easy & economical to drive. You DON’T need premium fuel.

And that’s the point of a crossover in this size & price bracket: You USE it. Day in & day out. Minimize nags, drains, and irritations… and hopefully bring a little convenience, comfort, & serenity to the traffic/chaos. The costs of operation shouldn’t keep you from making the trip.

Adding a turbo for more power sounds like the thing to do from a a gar guy’s keyboard. But really, what’s the point here in the Mazda CX-5?? To gain 50 more horsepower that you’re NOT gonna use, kill a few MPGs in the process, add more failure points in the engine, while raising the price of the vehicle… and having to use premium gas?? Nah. I yell for a turbo option, because that’s what enthusiasts do. We yell, gripe, & complain for high performance engines in vehicles we wouldn’t buy… even if they had the engines we’re yelling for. The CX-5 is a really competitive car in its class – from MPGs to packaging to price. And if Mazda listened to a guy like me with the CX-5… it would potentially squeeze the CX-5 out of the sweet spot. Mazda got this one right.