Mazda CX-5: Sporty, Safe, and Stylish
The Mazda CX-5 is the first all-new crossover from the "zoom-zoom" company in several years. It's positioned squarely in the heart of the compact crossover category, against the all-new Ford Escape, perennial favorites the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V, and an increasing number of other competitors in a segment that just seems to keep growing in sales.
The CX-5 will never be a volume leader like the Honda and Toyota, but it should find favor among buyers moving up from sporty compacts and those who need a capacious and handsome crossover utility with better-than-average handling and good gas mileage.
The styling is typically Mazda, with strong accent lines and a swoopy profile married to the latest iteration of the company's front design, which thankfully drops the "smiling face" approach--we came to think of it as a rictus-like grin--for a trapezoidal grille shape and thin, swept-back headlamps. The rising belt line and small triangular rear side windows hurt rear-quarter vision, but give the CX-5 a sporty look. Certain colors--dark grey is one--belie the crossover's body height and make it look almost svelte, though others show the tall doors.
Inside, the driver sits high, but not as high as in some competitors. Mazda says seat height is exactly halfway between a standard sedan and the typical crossover, which we think is a good compromise. The dashboard is straightforward and handsome, with soft-touch materials on most surfaces. Seats are comfortable and there's a lot of rear legroom with the front seats positioned for six-foot occupants. The load deck is surprisingly large, and a clever articulated seat mechanism moves the rear-seat cushion forward and down when the seatback is folded forward--giving a lengthy and completely flat load floor.
The Mazda CX-5 is the first new Mazda designed entirely under the company's so-called SkyActiv design principles, which essentially optimize the entire vehicle around a single, very efficient powertrain. Unusually for a compact crossover with this much room, its sole engine is only a 155-horsepower 2.0-liter four that produces 150 lb-ft of torque, mated to either a six-speed manual gearbox or a six-speed automatic. All-wheel drive is available with all trim levels but only the automatic.
This results in remarkable fuel economy, with both front-wheel drive versions rated at 29 mpg combined by the EPA, and 28 mpg for the all-wheel drive model. The downside is that in some circumstances where sudden power is needed, the driver has to floor the accelerator and downshift two or even three gears--or wait for the automatic to do it. The power is there in most cases, but the CX-5 is surprisingly reluctant to give it up.
It's the superb handling that sets the CX-5 apart from any other compact crossovers. This is a family vehicle that drives almost like a sports sedan; you could think of it as a very large hot hatch with a small engine. It corners flat, steers neutrally with excellent feedback from the electric power steering, and generally grips to the point where you may find yourself taking turns 15 mph faster than you think you are. For parents leery of losing all driving pleasure when they buy a family vehicle, this is the car to restore their faith in fun.
The CX-5 comes with only six airbags, but it has already been named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), and Mazda hopes to earn similarly high ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in its crash tests. It has the usual suite of electronic safety systems, and particularly good forward visibility. Unfortunately, this is offset by particularly bad rear three-quarter visibility. While a blind-spot notification system and a reversing camera are optional on higher trim levels, this is one car where we think they should be standard on all models.
Mazda offers three trim levels: the base Sport, the mid-level Touring (which Mazda says will provide the bulk of CX-5 sales), and the high-end Grand Touring. Prices start at $20,695 plus delivery, a relatively low figure for a capacious crossover with this much fun-to-drive quotient.
Courtesy of The Car Connection

