The place as soon as upon a time maintaining with the Joneses was all concerning the Holden or Ford sedan in your driveway, the suburbs are bursting with Japanese, Korean, and Chinese language-made household crossovers in 2022.
Mazda’s weapon within the struggle for household {dollars} is the CX-5. It’s persistently the model’s best-selling automobile in Australia, and is nipping on the heels of the Toyota RAV4 on the hotly-contested mid-sized SUV gross sales charts.
The dearer CX-5 Akera and its turbocharged engines are inclined to hog the headlines, however they aren’t essentially the perfect fashions to check if you wish to know whether or not a mid-sized SUV is constructed on robust foundations.
Our 2023 Mazda CX-5 Maxx Sport tester, with its extra fundamental inside and engine, doesn’t have as many bells and whistles to cover behind. That is the CX-5 in near its purest type.
Even with out bells and whistles to cover behind, it’s factor.
How a lot does the Mazda CX-5 value?
The Mazda CX-5 Maxx Sport 2.5 FWD on take a look at right here is priced from $38,190 earlier than on-road prices, $3800 greater than the entry-level CX-5 Maxx automated with its smaller 2.0-litre petrol engine.
It’s the most costly front-wheel drive CX-5 you should buy; the Touring and above are all-wheel drive solely.
The automobile on take a look at aligns with the Toyota RAV4 GXL 2WD ($37,950), Hyundai Tucson Elite 2.0 FWD ($39,400), and Kia Sportage SX+ 2.0 FWD ($41,500).
All are similarly-specced variations of their respective mannequin ranges, and all are in the identical ballpark on worth.
2022 Mazda CX-5 pricing:
Mazda CX-5 Maxx 2.0 FWD handbook: $32,390 Mazda CX-5 Maxx 2.0 FWD: $34,390 Mazda CX-5 Maxx Sport 2.5 FWD: $38,190 Mazda CX-5 Maxx Sport 2.5 AWD: $40,690 Mazda CX-5 Touring 2.5 AWD: $42,580 Mazda CX-5 Touring Energetic 2.5 AWD: $42,880Mazda CX-5 Touring Energetic 2.2D AWD: $45,880Mazda CX-5 GT SP 2.5 AWD: $48,990 Mazda CX-5 GT SP 2.5T AWD: $51,490 Mazda CX-5 Akera 2.5 AWD: $50,880 Mazda CX-5 Akera 2.5T AWD: $53,480 Mazda CX-5 Akera 2.2D AWD: $53,880
Costs exclude on-road prices
What’s the Mazda CX-5 Maxx Sport FWD like on the within?
The present Mazda CX-5 has at all times had an attention-grabbing, upmarket feeling inside. Even the Maxx Sport feels prime quality, though it’s missing a few of the dearer supplies that characteristic elsewhere within the vary.
The driving place is sweet, with loads of adjustment for different-sized our bodies, and shedding the headroom-sapping sunroof provided elsewhere within the vary makes the Maxx Sport really feel a bit much less claustrophobic behind the wheel than within the Akera.
With delicate cushions and heat, snug material trim, the seats are a pleasant place to spend time. There’s sufficient handbook adjustment for taller driver to get snug, and the leather-wrapped steering wheel is a high quality merchandise.
The chilly, knurled local weather controls make a satisfying click on if you flip them, and all of the buttons are properly damped.
Mazda’s digital dashboard is fundamental in comparison with what’s on provide in Volkswagen merchandise, and doesn’t provide mapping or many choices in the best way of customisation.
It’s simpler to swallow at this worth than it’s in top-end fashions, however a extra up-to-date digital dashboard would make the CX-5 really feel extra trendy.
Then there’s the infotainment system, which is an actual weak spot in each CX-5 under the GT SP.
The place a lot of the vary has moved to a brand new infotainment system, the older MZD Join setup featured right here is gradual to load, options blocky graphics, and isn’t a touchscreen. It feels quicker right here than within the CX-3 we examined lately with the identical system, but it surely’s nonetheless lower than scratch.
No less than the inbuilt interface is easy sufficient to navigate utilizing the rotary controller, so the training curve is shallow.
It’s disappointing Mazda hasn’t rolled out its newer 10.25-inch Mazda Join system throughout the CX-5 vary, and as a substitute reserves it for the GT SP and above.
There’s loads of cupboard space up entrance. Together with twin cupholders behind the shifter, there’s a phone-sized area on the base of the sprint, bottle holders within the door pockets, a central bin beneath the armrest, and a spacious glovebox.
Rear seat area is suitable, but it surely’s not standout. The CX-5 has by no means been some of the sensible mid-sized SUVs, and this replace – given it’s a refresh, not a correct overhaul – does nothing the change that.
That’s to not say it’s horrible. There’s sufficient leg room, knee room, and headroom for youths and shorter adults again there, and the bench is generously padded in the event you’re sitting within the both of the outboard positions.
Issues aren’t fairly as rosy perched atop the more durable, barely raised central seat.
The home windows are moderately tall, so sufficient gentle will get again there to maintain little children glad. Air vents and USB ports spherical out the rear-seat facilities.
There are two ISOFIX and three top-tether factors for mounting baby seats.
As for the boot? With a claimed 438 litres of area with the 40/20/40 folding rear bench in place, it trails greater rivals such because the Hyundai Tucson on paper. In follow, it’s a flat and broad area with sufficient room to comfortably swallow a set of golf golf equipment or every week’s procuring.
The bags cowl is well designed. It doesn’t must be eliminated to load the automobile, as a substitute lifting with the tailgate.
Folding the rear seats frees up 1342L of area. Beneath the ground is a 17-inch spare wheel throughout the CX-5 vary.
What’s underneath the bonnet?
Energy in our Maxx Sport FWD tester comes from a 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine making 140kW of energy and 252Nm of torque.
It’s despatched to the entrance wheels by means of a six-speed automated transmission, though all-wheel drive is offered.
Claimed gas financial system is 7.4 litres per 100km on the mixed cycle, and the automobile runs on 91 RON common unleaded.
Turbo petrol and turbo diesel engines are provided elsewhere within the vary, however aren’t out there on the one-from-base Maxx Sport.
How does the Mazda CX-5 Maxx Sport FWD drive?
Even with out the extra highly effective turbocharged engine utilized in dearer fashions, the CX-5 is without doubt one of the nicest mid-sized SUVs on the market to drive.
The steering is gentle and fluid at low pace, however has simply sufficient weight off-centre to encourage confidence at greater speeds, whereas the suspension neatly balances experience consolation with physique management.
With chubby sidewalls on the bottom fashions’s smaller wheels, the automobile floats over small bumps. It has a beautiful, relaxed feeling that you just don’t get in dearer fashions with greater wheels, however that additionally doesn’t imply it’s floaty at greater speeds.
The CX-5 is properly managed on the freeway, settling over crests rapidly. It’s additionally impressively hushed behind the wheel, which means it is a base SUV you can fortunately drive lengthy distances.
Highway and wind noise are impressively suppressed, even on some critically common rural roads. Mazda factors to sound deadening as one of many issues it’s labored on with this replace, and no matter it’s performed has labored.
Anybody spending lengthy hours on the freeway will admire the smoothly-tuned adaptive cruise management and lane-keep help, which don’t attempt to wrestle the wheel out of your palms as you drift in the direction of the white traces.
It’s not brimming with punch, however the 2.5-litre petrol engine is enough for essentially the most half. It’s easy and quiet at low revs, and the six-speed automated is tuned to shuffle unobtrusively by means of the decrease gears if you aren’t in a rush.
Put your foot down and it’s glad to chase the redline, backed by a fairly sporty snarl.
As is the case with the naturally-aspirated engines in most mid-sized SUVs, you want to work the CX-5 onerous to get the perfect out of it. Mazda has put a lot of work into making its automobiles extra refined, and it’s principally paid off.
It’s one of many quieter mid-sizers on the market, however you’re at all times conscious when the engine is up close to the redline. For those who’re continuously carrying a lot of folks and plenty of stuff, the extra highly effective turbocharged engine is a greater wager. For those who’re at all times on the freeway, the diesel is price a glance.
For pootling round city although, the naturally-aspirated engine goes to be positive for most individuals. Traction from the entrance wheels is respectable, however in the event you bury the accelerator off the road you may get them spinning – particularly within the moist.
All-wheel drive isn’t strictly mandatory, but it surely does make the CX-5 really feel extra sure-footed within the rain. For those who’re heading away from paved roads, or need your SUV to really feel extra succesful than the common household hatchback, it’s a field price ticking.
The place the Maxx Sport excels is in its simplicity. There’s no studying curve right here.
Mazda units its auto begin/cease as much as energetic solely when the motive force presses the brake firmly, which implies the automobile doesn’t minimize out until you need it to, and the transmission will really feel pure to drivers hopping out of an older automobile in a means a dual-clutch won’t.
What do you get?
CX-5 Maxx highlights;
17-inch alloy wheels with 225/65 tyresAutomatic LED headlightsRain-sensing wipersPower-folding mirrorsRear seats with reclining perform 40/20/40 split-fold backrestBlack material seat trim8.0-inch touchscreen (MZD Join)7.0-inch digital instrument displayApple CarPlay, Android Auto (wired)AM/FM radio, DAB+Electrical park brake with Auto HoldLeather-wrapped gearshift, steering wheelPush-button begin
CX-5 Maxx Sport provides:
Twin-zone local weather controlPaddle shiftersRear-view mirror with auto-dimmingRear centre armrest storage incl. USB charging portsSatellite navigationTraffic signal recognition
Is the Mazda CX-5 secure?
All variations of the Mazda CX-5 put on a five-star ANCAP security ranking based mostly on checks carried out in 2017.
The CX-5 scored 95 per cent for grownup occupant safety, 80 per cent for baby occupant safety, 78 per cent for pedestrian safety, and 59 per cent for security help.
Normal security options embrace:
6 airbagsAutonomous emergency braking (AEB)Ahead, ReversePedestrian detection (Ahead)Blind-spot monitoringRear cross-traffic alertLane departure warningLane-keep assistDriver consideration alertAuto high-beamAdaptive cruise management (6MT) with cease/go (6AT)Rear parking sensorsTyre stress monitoring
How a lot does the Mazda CX-5 Maxx Sport FWD value to run?
Mazda backs its vary with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre guarantee and 5 years of roadside help.
Upkeep is required each 10,000km or 12 months, and the primary 5 providers value a mixed $1777 utilizing Mazda’s capped-price service program.
CarExpert’s Tackle the Mazda CX-5 Maxx Sport FWD
The Maxx Sport is perhaps a base mannequin (or near it), but it surely doesn’t need for a lot.
It handles with the identical polish as dearer members of the vary, and has a cushty inside that doesn’t really feel stripped again or poorly specced because of the considerate design and high quality supplies.
It’s lacking a number of key options, nonetheless, in what seems like a bid to push you into the dearer Touring AWD mannequin; keyless entry must be normal, and it’s time Mazda stopped providing the creaky MZD Join infotainment system in something however essentially the most fundamental CX-3 – it feels up to now off the tempo it’s not humorous.
The Maxx Sport reveals the CX-5 is an effective factor, even with out all of the bells and whistles. It’s only a disgrace Mazda hasn’t made it much more compelling by including a number of alternative options.
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MORE: Every thing Mazda CX-5