Mazda CX 5 Review

Mazda CX 5 Review

The apex-loving CX-5 is the sports car of crossovers, with an athleticism you have to experience to believe. A 155-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder is available only with a six-speed manual and front-wheel drive; all-wheel drive is not offered. For more zoom, choose the 184-hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder. Front-wheel drive is standard and all-wheel drive is optional; either teams with a six-speed automatic. The CX-5 is tech savvy and offers useful cargo room, but its strength is its poise on the road.

Mazda CX 5 Mobil

Mazda has been on a roll the past few years, whipping up a number of remarkably well-executed and agile vehicles using its Skyactiv engine and chassis technologies. The first such vehicle to debut was the excellent CX-5 crossover, a two-time C/D comparison-test winner. Already updated once for 2014 to add a more robust 2.5-liter engine to its lineup, the CX-5 gets a midcycle refresh and a slight but meaningful overhaul for the 2016 model year.

The basic ingredients are still present, including the clean and pleasantly uncluttered exterior styling. The only outward alterations are a new grille with horizontal strips and the addition of rear LED light signatures that mirror those of the optional headlights. (Both come as part of the same Technology package.) Seventeen-inch wheels are standard, while the optional nineteen-inch wheels have a fresh design.

Inside, the CX-5 gains Mazda’s latest infotainment and connectivity system—the ominously named Human-Machine Interface—which brings with it a center-console-mounted control knob like those in German luxury cars. We have used Mazda’s system many times in the 3 and the 6, and it’s as simple to use as you like and quick to respond to inputs, too.

Mazda has added more interior storage, as well, partially through the deletion of a conventional emergency-brake handle in favor of an electric, button-actuated brake. Interior trim materials have been upgraded, and you’ll be able to order one of three finishes for the instrument panel, including an aluminum-look piece and piano black. Light-colored Parchment leather joins the black leather and the tan and black cloth upholstery options.

Further upgrades include some newly available driver-assistance safety systems; the 2016 CX-5 can be outfitted with blind-spot monitoring with cross-traffic alert, collision-mitigating braking, and speed-adjusting radar cruise control.